Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with head

Head start for the advanced learner

kristymcj — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 06:19:54 -0800

My almost 3 y.o. has been accepted into the head start program in the summer. Will they be able to work with him as an advanced learner? I'm concerned that he'll have to spend his time re-learning things he has a strong knowledge of and will dislike school.

I can't afford preschool and I'd love the free time to spend with his baby brother.

For frame of reference, he knows his shapes, colors, letters, letter sounds, sounding out simple words, and counting pretty well.

harshing my buzz

threeants — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 16:39:00 -0800

Please recommend me an electric razor, available on Amazon, for buzzing my head. I'm tired of paying $15 a pop to have someone run a buzzer over my head for four minutes! I have Amazon credit, so I'm looking to buy something available there. I'd like something that has multiple closeness settings (1, 2, 3, 4 or whatever). I've never buzzed my own hair before, so if there's such thing as razors that are more or less user-friendly, that's a factor. I am somewhat price-conscious, so basically I'm looking for the cheapest thing that's good.

If it could double as a face shaver, that would be pretty dang awesome, but it's not the most important factor.

Thanks!

Head of Household filing - simple question for someone who knows tax law

just asking — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:10:32 -0800

My divorced sister has a 24 year old son (23 in 2012) who lives at home but does not go to school, he has a part-time job. She did pay for all the expenses at home. Using Turbo Tax and it recommends she should file as Head of Household, but I want to be sure this is correct. I checked and I did put her son did not go to school in 2012. Can she file as Head of Household?

Hit in the chin = concussion? And what about my teeth?

the young rope-rider — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 09:52:17 -0800

I just got hit really hard in the chin, directed straight up. I have a mild headache in the front top of my head. I've had concussions before so I have a good idea of what to watch for, but is it even something to worry about with this kind of injury? And...what to do about the teeth? My teeth hit each other pretty hard as my mouth was open at the time, but none of them are broken or chipped. The front teeth do feel a little "off" but they're not in pain. Is there anything I need to watch out for or get emergency dental care for here?

Getting around is quite difficult and nothing is open today, or I'd just go find a smart professional to worry at. Due to the snowstorm, I turn to you.

What can you tell me about my head?

just_ducky — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:48:50 -0800

My partner's Grandma recently passed away, and my partner kept this brass head that she owned as a memento, because he'd always been drawn to it as a kid. Can you tell us anything about it? Pics inside! He knows it is at least as old as him (31 years); it is quite heavy to hold. There is a hole in the bottom of it that has a rough piece of wood or cork in it, but it could be poked out with a finger. It has no manufacturer's marks of any kind. We believe it is made of brass. My partner's Grandma was British, though she'd been in Canada for the last several decades, if that info is of any use.

Was it ever part of something larger, or has it always just been a slightly creepy brass head all on its own? Is it the likeness of an actual person? We are not under the impression that it has any monetary value; it is purely a sentimental, albeit weird, keepsake for us.

Front
Back
Top
Top Again
Bottom

Thanks!

Decades-old head injury. What now?

Faint of Butt — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 04:28:35 -0800

Tell me about the long-term effects and detectability of decades-old head injuries. Twenty-odd years ago, when I was about ten years old, a summer camp mishap knocked me to the ground and I hit my head so hard that I lost consciousness. I don't know how long I was out, but it was long enough for people to gather around and stare down at me worriedly. In hindsight, I probably should have been rushed to the hospital, but these were simpler times, and the injury was never treated or followed up on in any way.

So what now? Obviously it didn't kill me, but I wonder about the long-term effects. What could it have done to me? Are there any tests that could be performed now? Is anything still detectable after all these years?

Large-headed man needs help finding headache-less headset

ofcourseican — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:30:38 -0800

I have an absurdly large head and most (95%+) headphones don't fit me. Fellow big-headed headphone-wearers, please recommend to me a pair of wireless headphones/headset that are wide and tall enough that they won't give me headaches! (Special conditions: no earbuds, clipons, etc. Needs to be headphones.) Here's what I'm looking for, separated into must-have qualities and would-like ones. (All of these are really "must-have" qualities, but with my large head size I realize I'm going to have to compromise somewhere.)

Must: Headphones/headset. I'll use a separate mic if I *have* to, but when I'm at my computer (which I'm at 16+ hours a day) I use skype, play games, etc, so having a boom mic on the headset is really needed. Plus a separate mic will render the whole "wireless" condition moot.
Must: Wireless. Wireless. Wireless. I'm so sick of having wires.
Must: Over the ear with large earcups (my ears are absurdly large as well, sigh) so my ears don't get sore.
Must/Would like: No bluetooth. I have a pair of bluetooth headphones, but they have zero chance of working with anything but my PC and mobile devices, and I don't like that. Plus bluetooth has audio quality issues (from what I've read) and the connectivity sucks (in my experience, anyway).
Would really like: Base station that takes multiple inputs (optical, analog, whatever) so that (hopefully) I can hook up multiple lines to it like I did with the Astro A50's that I tried (more details on that below).
Would really like: PC/XBOX compatible would be preferred, but PC compatibility is a must, since I can probably buy adapters to turn XBOX audio into something they can read.
Would like: Good quality audio. At this point that's the lowest on my list, though, since I just want something that fits!
Price: IDGAF. the Astro A50's were $300 and if I could find a pair of headphones that met all (or most) of my needs, I'd pay triple that. I love to listen to music while I work and I love to get rich audio from movies/games, and it's getting pretty old having to rely on crummy/inferior headsets or clipons.

What I've tried:
- Most recently (returning them tomorrow): Astro A50's. I loved them but they were too tight on the sides and too short by a good 1-2 inches, so they hurt the sides of my head and the top, too. I got headaches after 10 minutes of using them, even after I removed the top cushion. If they had been 2+ inches taller and not so tight on the sides I would have kept them and never let them go. Bonus: They worked with my PC and my XBOX at the SAME TIME. SCORE!
- Plantronics Audio 355 multimedia headset. This is what I use most of the time since it's light enough that even though it's too small, it doesn't give me immediate headaches. I still get them, though. And the audio suuuuuucks. Aaaand the earcups on them are about 1/2 the size they need to be to fit me.
- Air-fi bluetooth headphones. These are probably the best (comfort-wise) I've found so far even though they still hurt after a while. The bluetooth connectivity is iffy with my computers but they're tall enough and they don't pinch very much on the sides. Downsides are the bluetooth, crappy sound, the fact that they're not over-the ear (sound leakage) and general poor quality construction

I also have several pairs of earbuds and clipons (my Audio-Technica ATH-EW9's are what I use most of the time) but I can't get good, rich sounds out of them, plus they're wired and don't have a microphone.

I hope I included enough details that someone out there can help me out. If you can recommend a pair from a place that has a good return policy, that'd be swell. Thank you!!

I have no idea what I am doing.

~Bert — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:25:10 -0800

I am looking for costume ideas which include a horse head mask? The mask

On an impulse I purchased a horse-head mask during the summer and wore it around for a laugh. Now I could use a hand to think of costumes that could incorporate it for Halloween? I'm at a loss but want an excuse to wear it again!

Things I've thought of were dressing it up with a suit just because, or perhaps in going in drag and calling myself Sarah Jessica Parker... As per the quality of my humor.

Songs to nod your head to

jonnyploy — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:32:39 -0800

Please give me songs that make you want to nod your head. Specifically I'm looking for songs which have a similar effect to The Beta Band's Dry The Rain, as shown in this scene from High Fidelity.

I have no preference with regards to genre, but the tempo is probably important as I am looking for a relaxed nod, rather than head-banging.

Am I putting too much pressure on my head in this position?

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:23:11 -0800

Am I going to hurt my neck while masturbating? I'm female. No, not talking about erotic asphyxiation. As long as I can remember I've masturbated by grinding on a pillow or piled up blanket, on my knees, butt in the air, with my forehead pushing into the bed or pillow. It's like I'm having sex with me on top. My hands are down under the pillow or blanket, so a lot of weight ends up being on my head.

Articles about how people have hurt their necks while doing yoga made me worry that I'm putting too much pressure on my head and neck while I do this. It's the only way of masturbating that works for me and I can't get comfortable unless my head is down like that.

Should I relax and enjoy it, or is this risky?

Raindrops keep fallin' [in] my head

Seiten Taisei — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:10:55 -0800

Sometimes when I sit at a strange angle or practice bad posture I hear a faint dripping sound, like a leaky faucet, coming from inside my throat, slightly to the right of my windpipe. It dissipates after a while on its own. Now what's going on? Teh Googlez revealed nothing. Is this indicative of some general malfunction or something benign?

Should I stay or should I go, head injury edition

easy, lucky, free — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:58:04 -0800

Should I Go to the Doctor Filter: Last night, a friend and I were goofing around. He went to pick me up and toss me over his shoulder, and succeeded instead in tossing me face-first into the corner of a wall at a fairly decent velocity. I know the kneejerk response to these questions is usually YES GO TO THE DOCTOR WHY ARE YOU ON METAFILTER YOU IDIOT, but details inside. I immediately developed an area of massive swelling above my left eye, and my friend was freaked out enough by my appearance that he insisted we go to the emergency room. Well, as it turns out, the downtown Los Angeles emergency room we visited was incredibly busy and I wasn't able to be seen by a doctor despite five hours of waiting. I was triaged and had a CT scan, but nobody talked to me about the results.

Anyway, I woke up this morning and the swelling now extends from my left temple to the outside edge of my right eyebrow and from my left eyelid to the crown of my head. I also have a nice black eye developing and a bit of a stiff neck, though the latter might be from sleeping in an awkward position so as not to put any pressure on the side of my face.

However, I actually feel a lot better than I did last night, and I figure that if there were something bad on the CT scan, someone would have told me during the subsequent five-hour wait to be seen. I know that head injuries swell a lot, so I'm not too concerned about that. My primary care doctor doesn't have any appointments today, but I can see another member of the practice if I want, and the emergency room has already faxed the results of my scan. I would REALLY like to avoid an unnecessary office visit if possible.

I feel like anything really serious would have already manifested by now, and I'm inclined to wait it out. Is there any harm in doing so? Should I make an appointment, or just stay home with aspirin and an ice pack?

I know I have a big ego, but...

Monday — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:18:34 -0800

Is my head actually that big, relatively? Since I'm starting a weight loss program, I was taking measurements of myself. I measured my head circumference, and it is 23.5" (or just shy of 60cm). I found this chart and it says I have a really large head for my height and sex (I am a 5'-6" / 168cm tall woman).

I think I'm missing something here. I never have had comments that my head is huge or anything like that. Is this paper too old? The data invalid? Or is it really me?

wood carving of a horse head from India

mahershalal — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:58:56 -0800

My friend just bought a wood carving of a horse head (Pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4). It's supposedly from India and about 200-300 years old. Furthermore, the seller told us people used to hang them in pairs on the sides of their door as a status symbol (hence the wrought iron nail through the chest). We can't seem to find any information about it though. Has anyone of you ever seen something like this? And if so, can you tell us what it is?

Any information would be appreciated.

Head on bed makes me red

mlo — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:35:52 -0800

How do I stop my boyfriend's head from rolling into awkward positions while we sleep? It causes him to snore and it's also driving me batty. We don't live together but sleep over often at each other's places. My bed has buckwheat husk pillows and his the typical poly-fill pillows. At both places, I find myself woken up in the middle of the night by his snoring. Even though his body is on his side of the bed, his neck and head has either moved to my pillow or the very edge of his bedside. It's extremely tilted and I have no idea why this happens in his sleep. He only snores when this happens.

I usually right his neck and head back to his pillow but I'm getting fed-up since I'm not getting a full night's rest (when I sleep alone, I never wake up during the night). This happens 2-4 times a night. This happened a lot in the winter, tapered down this spring but seems to be occurring more frequently lately. Any advice short of taping his head to the pillow?

The bathroom is supposed to be my happy place, not your spittoon/shower/fartatorium

Admiral Haddock — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:28:21 -0800

There are three things going on in the men's room at work that irk me. Fellow men, am I right to be annoyed at the spoliation of the safe haven that is the gentlemen's convenience, or am I being unreasonable? At the office where I work, I routinely see three behaviors in the men's room that get my goat, and I really prefer my goat not be gotten in the bathroom. A bathroom is no place for gotten goats.

First: Mr. X routinely barges into the bathroom, proceeds to hock a loogie for 20 seconds, noisily spits said loogie into the urinal, and then pisses all over it.

Second: Mr. Y sidles up to the urinal and proceeds to serenade everyone with a shivaree of flatulence for the duration of his micturation.

Third: Mr. Z, who is bald, washes his head in the sink for--literally--5 minutes at a time (though, in fairness, the amount of time is a function of the IR-controlled faucets that run for 8 seconds then stop, so he has to trigger the sensor dozens of times to fully wash his pate). He both uses water straight from the tap, as well as a succession of sodden paper towels.

I think each of these is a breach of bathroom etiquette. But at the same time, where else but in the bathroom do I want my colleagues spitting and farting, and where else but the bathroom can Mr. Z wash his head? Thankfully, Mr. Z has never attempted to wash his head in the kitchenette; shouldn't he be lauded for keeping this activity in the bathroom?

I realize that life is too short to take people to task for how they use the bathroom, and I wouldn't dream of being "that guy" who asked someone not to fart at the urinal (particularly given that both Mr. X and Mr. Y are my superiors). I'm not going to send an anonymous note either; I just want to hate them silently.

Are Mssrs X, Y, and Z out of bounds here, from a standpoint of office decorum, or should I just go back to happily playing Angry Birds on the toilet and not pay any attention? I think I've lost all perspective here.

I smell/taste copper when I hit my head

Bebo — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:21:31 -0800

Is it common to experience a taste/smell when one's head is hit very hard? I'm not really worried about this indicating any sort of neurological issue, just wondering if other people experience this. On the few occasions when I've smacked my head REALLY hard (on the underside of a table or on the floor, for example), I have experienced a sensation. It's hard to describe because it's so fleeting, but when I try to bring it to mind now it seems like some sort of copper-y taste/smell hybrid. Anyone else experience this (or some other non-tactile reaction to hitting your head)?

Are these spasms actually seizures?

autoclavicle — Fri, 20 May 2011 03:10:24 -0800

You Are Not My Neurologist: sometimes I have a strong, sudden spasm sensation in the lower back of my head. It feels like it's coming from inside my skull, as though my brain had suddenly smacked against the lower back of my head. It isn't painful, nobody else notices when it happens to me, but it's unpleasant and I want to know what is happening to me. I'm 23 and female, never had any head injuries or other reasons to suspect I have any brain damage. I don't do any drugs or alcohol, but I've never experienced these any times I ever did in the past. I've had issues with depression and anxiety, but the brain spasm has been happening prior.

Nothing seems to precipitate these occurrences (like stress or making some sort of motion), though I don't think I've had them while lying down. I'm always doing normal activities until I feel it: "Ugh, that thing is happening again." The whole thing lasts maybe two seconds, and then everything is fine like nothing happened. It happens a few times per year.

From early on, my father didn't think was anything more than my imagination and/or being a dramatic child. When I was a teenager, I was convinced I was having an aneurysm until I realized that I'd probably be dead by now if that were true.

It never dawned on me that these could be seizures because I thought all seizures involved convulsing while unconscious on the floor. After reading about them, I'm beginning to wonder if these are in fact simple partial temporal lobe seizures.

I also experience deja-vu at least once or twice per month. I've never considered it weird because I've experienced that since childhood, as well, and have been told it's normal—it's simply deja-vu. However, simple partial temporal lobe seizures can manifest as deja-vu, which makes me wonder if the deja-vu and brain spasm are actually related to each other, and seizures.

I last experienced deja-vu while sitting in a car this Sunday or last Sunday. I can't remember exactly when I last had the brain spasm thing but it was within the past few months while I was either sitting or standing in my bedroom. These are all normal to me, so I don't remember them over the long-term.

If they are seizures, that leads me to wonder about some things I experienced in mid-2007 and early-2008 but had always chalked up to being an anxiety-induced migraine "aura" without headache and anxiety-induced vertigo. I was working a stressful job and had other things going on when I had something resembling a migraine "aura" in mid-2007 and when I had strong vertigo and nausea for a few evenings during early-2008.

I am probably going to see a neurologist about this, but I just can't shake the feeling that I'm a huge hypochondriac for thinking I have epilepsy. I am scared that I'm making a big deal out of nothing and going crazy because nobody has told me otherwise. Does anybody have experience with any of this?

Is there an office game being played here?

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:31:00 -0800

Is there an office game being played here? We are socially awkward nerds and can't figure this out. DH works in IT and needs some skills updating. He would like to take a course and is willing to pay for it. He has been told to not spend his own money on training though and that work will pay for it. However, work won't reimburse him for the classes because there is no training budget this year. He was told the same thing last year.

This leaves us scratching our heads because of the indefinite logic loop. Work will not give him time off to go for training btw. It is hard to say that if he went for a course on his own dime and time what the reaction from his workplace would be. He has worked there for many years and is a good employee.

Is there a head game at work here? What's the best strategy for DH to get the training he needs? Thanks in advance.

FIX MY HEAD!

two lights above the sea — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:52:55 -0800

I have a question that is similar to this one but with an additional twist. I've never known what hair type is best for me, and to make matters worse, I'm getting married in less than two weeks and I don't know which up-do style works best. Please help me find a great up-do AND a permanent hairstyle to boot. I guess I should start off by saying I don't think I'm a total uggo or anything. I realize I have imperfections, but I'm OK with the for the most part. I'd like to down-play the bad parts though!

I took a few pictures to illustrate the odd shape of my head. It's fairly flat on the back, and I have a whole lot of chin, jaw, and cheek bone. Currently, my hair is slightly longer than shoulder length with long bangs and longer layers. I've had a myriad of different hairstyles over the years, ranging from short pixie cut to bobs to long-long to shags with bangs. I don't know WHAT looks good on me. To make matter worse, I have strange eyebrows and less than perfect skin.

Here is what my current hair looks like and what my face shape is. Sorry for the bad lighting/blurriness/lack of makeup and overall imperfection.

Here are some of the hairstyles/colors I've had in the past.

Again, I'm looking for suggestions for a permanent haircut and/or color AND suggestions for an up-do for my wedding. I don't plan to make a change before my wedding, so you should think of up-dos that will work with my CURRENT hairstyle. As far as the permanent 'do is concerned, I'm open to anything/everything!

Thank you so much!

Big Head Hat Yet Again

bad grammar — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:53:15 -0800

The other day I lost my black acrylic/wool Nautica knit beanie-style hat. I lost it in a train station, so I don't expect to ever find it again (the station staff had not seen it). Help me find one like it! I found the original hat in a Filene's a couple of years ago, and I know Nautica is no longer producing it. The knit was an unusually thick rib (no cuff) and it was sized larger than most beanies, watch caps, or ski hats. I have an unusually large head (though the rest of me is small) and most instances of this type of hat are much too small and tight, mashing my hair.

I know large-head hat issues have been discussed here before here, here, and here.

The original hat was long enough to cover my ears. The top fit smoothly across the top of my head. I don't like it when the top of such a hat sticks up, making the wearer look like Zippy the Pinhead. I am also not looking for a baggy cap that looks like a shower cap or a newsboy cap.

I would appreciate tips on physical stores or online stores that cater to people with big heads, as I am afraid of buying online only to find that the hat will be too small.

Otherwise I will have to steal my father's cashmere watch cap! A big head is definitely a hereditary trait.

Why do all my valve amps keep breaking?

rinsemedown — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:54:57 -0800

Why do all my valve amps keep breaking? I have had a few different heads in the last year or so and they all seem to suffer the same problem eventually.

One of my current heads (Peavey XXX) has just started doing the same as the ones before which is where the amp turns on fine, works fine, even sounds fine...it's just not loud enough. Even if I turn it to volume level 10 (which should be enough to deafen me and knock me over in my small room) it still sounds like it's on volume level 1.

This happened with my 5150 in the summer and the guy that repairs my equipment said it was a power supply problem and fixed it. It also happened the XXX previously and he told me it was a faulty pre amp valve - however i'm not sure if it was ever fixed from before as I didn't have a chance to test it at a very loud volume until this weekend.

What am I doing wrong here? I did notice that I occasionally don't use the correct speaker lead and might use an instrument cable if I can't find my speaker lead. Would this be enough to cause the same problem? Could it be to do with transporting the heads or the temperature?
I do know I need to warm the head up and put it on standby after use etc. Is there any basic tests I can do to find the cause of the current problem?

Any suggestions would be helpful, I can't keep taking it back!

Incentives for family involvement

nayrb5 — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 08:15:31 -0800

What sorts of incentives can we offer to boost parent involvement? I'm looking for relatively inexpensive ($5-$10/family) incentives to encourage parents to attend monthly parent meetings. Our program serves children 3-5 in a low-income/underserved area.

Current ideas include gift cards, passes to the local children's museum, bags of books and school supplies.

Past practice was to raffle off "big-ticket" items (microwaves, TVs, etc.), but I'd rather use our funds to give every family a gift for attending. I'd like these gifts to enhance their lives in some way and encourage home-school connections (i.e. books encouraging home literacy).

What other incentives might we offer? Dinner and childcare is already offered at meetings. Also, this is in Chicago.

Thanks!

How do I avoid sweating so much under my hats?

cmiller — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:09:27 -0800

Doctors advise me to avoid much sunlight, but I'm bald. I need some protection, and sunscreen is such a bother. I have hats, but in my Florida humidity, I sweat bucketloads up there. Was there a trick before hats became unpopular? Cowboys didn't have to mop their brows every 5 minutes, right?

Earache my eye

littlerobothead — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:32:27 -0800

I have a constant, low-grade headache. Help. YANAD, blah blah.

I'm a web nerd, so I sit in front of any one of a series of monitors all day long. I also wear glasses and have since a very early age (about 8) for an astigmatism; I've never tried contacts because the idea of putting my fingers, or anyone's, in my eye just doesn't work for me.

This is a problem that's lasted as long as my professional career as a computer user, which is going on 13 years now. I've seen lots of eye doctors in that time, and had a lot of prescriptions. This most recent visit (going on three years ago) was by far the best I've ever had; the doctor was very thorough and asked lots of questions. She knew I worked on computers and tried to adjust my prescription as best she could for that work.

The ache is generally dull, around my eyes mostly but can radiate around my crown and occasionally "pulse"—sort of a quick sharp shock. The bad part about those occasions is that sometimes my stomach kinda flops over and I feel a bit like I'll pass out. I have a friend who gets migraines, and I don't think this is that. Usually I'm not light sensitive, and normal volume levels are still ok. If either of those things ever isn't ok, it's usually volume.

I take naproxen sodium every day after work. Sometimes it helps and by eight o'clock I feel basically normal. Other times, no dice. I've played around with caffeine intake (anywhere from none to maybe two coffee cups worth, with no real benefit either way.) I realize the naproxen sodium may have side effects I'm not aware of, and may not be a long term solution. Of course I want to see a doctor as soon as possible, but if this sounds familiar to anyone I can at least be prepared with the right questions.

As an aside this seems to have gotten worse in the last four years, 3.5 of which I've spent commuting 2-3 hours every day by car in Virginia traffic. Obvious stress is obvious. Thanks as always to any/everyone for trying to make a stranger's life better.