Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with recommendation

Summer Reading You Want to Finish

xenization — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:37:11 -0800

Summer’s here. In need of amazing novel recommendations. Particulars within. The semester is over. Huzzah! Now I have some time for leisure reading, and I find myself craving novels—something immersive, mind-blowing.

AskMe is always so swell about book recommendations, so I put it to you all: What was the last jaw-on-the-floor incredible novel you read? Or, one you recommend to everyone else, regardless of their personal tastes, with an earnest “You have to read this!”

Caveats: No love stories. Stories with a touch of the fantastical or off-beat are particularly welcome, though not required. Otherwise, fire away. Thanks!

Brittle fridge

fimbulvetr — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:14:49 -0800

Why did all the plastic parts in my fridge turn brittle and start cracking after only 3 years? We bought a Kenmore fridge 5 years ago, and within 3 years all of the plastics (bins, drawer guides, shelf supports, door shelves), even though we treated it fairly gently, started getting brittle and cracking. Of course, there is only a 1-year warranty on it. It has now gotten to the point that so many of the plastic parts are broken that we are seriously considering replacing the thing (in addition to the self-destructing plastics the door is starting to sag and the freezer and fridge seals don't seal properly).

So, my questions are: why did this happen? Is there anything I can do to stop this from happening? Is this a common problem with all fridge plastics? If we replace the fridge, which makes do you recommend?

Letter of recommendation help

thesnowyslaps — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:05:08 -0800

Help me choose who to ask for a letter of recommendation: professor who knows me but hasn't really graded me on anything yet v. professor who most likely does not remember me (at least not very clearly) but gave me a couple good grades. I have to apply for an extension for a scholarship for my graduate studies for next year. I need two letters of recommendation from professors. Got one professor from my first semester to write for me, but the other person I asked said they had a lot of other letters to write and pointed out they didn't know me too well (that prof only taught me for a half a semester, though she gave me a good grade and had filled out a shorter recommendation form for me earlier this semester). Anyway, outside of the people I have already asked I don't feel like there is an obvious choice of who to ask next. The main contenders to my mind seem to be:

1) a professor who taught me last semester and who gave me a good grade, but the class was rather large (50 people or so) so I don't know that I would have really stood out. I did have a meeting or two with him about a paper I wrote, though, and I did get positive feedback from him on a presentation I gave, and did participate in class discussions at a moderate rate.

2) a professor for a class I have this semester (smaller class, maybe 15 people) for a class that I really like. I have met with him a couple of times about assignments and made friendly conversation with me and he definitely knows who I am and that I am interested in the subject he teaches. Downside is that he has not graded me on anything yet (though I do have a big presentation to give in that class in about two weeks) and my participation rate in class discussions has not been great, partly due to the fact that I have been struggling a bit with the class being in another language (I am abroad) but also because I am a bit nervous in general about class participation.

The letter is due in a bit under a month at this point. I guess there are a couple of other professors I might approach, but most of the ones I can think of I can also think of reasons I might not want to ask them. Thoughts?

What music should I try on Spotify?

jsturgill — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:39:39 -0800

What bands and albums should I listen to now that I'm finally able to stream almost anything ever made? Extended information as to my taste preferences inside. I like strings, particularly violin and cello, particularly in a rock or folk/southern/bluegrass context but also in modern compositions.

I like noisy music, such as the Velvet Underground and Neutral Milk Hotel.

I like grating vocals that are borderling a-musical but that very much work--the above two bands, the Decemberists, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Leonard Cohen, etc.

I like talk-singing, like in Mother Country by John Stewart and $87 and a Gulity Conscience by Richmond Fontaine.

I also like clear voices from talented singers, mostly often women. Joni Mitchell, for example, or the amazing Laura Gibson. It helps if they are strong lyricists.

I would love to find smaller bands, current or past, with interesting sounds and/or stories that I could get obsessive over, like Tim Hardin or Munly.

What hardware recommendation site am I thinking of?

caek — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:12:49 -0800

Some time in the last year (maybe two years, at most) I saw a simple, modern site that recommended a single device in multiple categories of hardware (monitors, laptops, vacuum cleaners, electric toothbrushes, etc., etc.). The home page was a grid of the categories, and then you clicked through to ~2 paragraphs explaining why the particular device was so great. I think in some categories there were "budget" and "money is no object" recommendations, but the basic idea was to do your thinking for you, and tell you exactly what model to buy. Does anyone know what site I'm thinking of?

Book recommendation for a 13-year-old girl?

janey47 — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:34:52 -0800

For her bat mitzvah, I would like to give my niece a book that is age appropriate but will also have lasting value. Suggestions? If there were such a thing as "Tiny Beautiful Things" (by Cheryl Strayed, aka "Sugar") for 13-year-olds, that would be perfect. Another thought (which I may have to resort to) is "How Proust Can Change Your Life" by Alain de Botton. My preference is to give her a collectible copy, such as a first edition, so a book that was wildly popular and was first published 50 years ago will probably be out of my price range. But I'm completely stumped.

Hotel Recommendation in Orlando, Florida

dbirchum — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:30:37 -0800

Looking for a hotel recommendation in Orlando in a couple of weeks. Suggestions? Greetings all,

I will be traveling to Florida for work in a couple of weeks. I need to spend one week on the Gulf Coast, but I will be driving to Orlando myself afterwards. I am going to spend two days in Orlando before I fly home (weekend of the 20th & 21st).

Therefore, I am looking for a decent hotel recommendation in Orlando while I am there. Here is some of my criteria that might help:

- I am traveling on my own for these two days so I will be paying for this hotel stay out of my own pocket (so I need to be budget conscious).
- I am traveling myself (so I only need one room/one bed)
- I am only going to be going around Orlando to do some shopping, etc, so I don't need to be close to anything like Disney, Sea World, etc, as I won't be going to any of those. I will probably be around International Drive area in the day times.
- I will be only at the hotel in the evening, so I really only need it as a place to sleep (I won't require any 'resort' type stuff to do in the day at the hotel). A pool would be great, but I don't need a fitness center, or hotel bar, etc. A private patio in the room would be great for relaxing in the evening before I go to sleep.
- I am basically looking for something CLEAN, SAFE and affordable that will allow me to hang my head for a couple of nights and then drive to the Orlando airport.

Can this be had for a "reasonable price". I would prefer to pay under $150 per night, if possible...

Any suggestions/recommendations??

AND....what are the best websites to book hotels online for these deals??

Thanks in advance!

Trans-friendly therapist in Melbourne AU?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:32:53 -0800

(Australian) Melbournian mefites - can any of you recommend a trans-friendly therapist? Hello - I'm asking this question for my lovely partner. He's asked me to help him find some sort of therapy to help with his anxiety. He identifies as genderqueer and has had some unfortunate experiences in the past when seeking therapy, so we would really appreciate any recommendations - basically someone who is trans-aware and good with anxiety.

He's open to psychiatry as well as psychology/counseling, and is located in the inner northern suburbs. I've found some names on Ausgender.com and the Zoe Belle Gender Centre website, but any personal recommendations would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance :-)

Throwaway email: askmeanonemail@yahoo.com

Introduction to choreography book

Kurichina — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:02:51 -0800

I'm looking for a good, introductory level book on choreography. I've taken several dance classes informally but have never formally studied dance or any performance art at the post secondary level so something aimed at a popular audience or 100-level textbook would be ideal. Any recommendations, hivemind?

Saying "That won't be possible" isn't really possible

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:16:20 -0800

The question: Should I provide a lukewarm reference for my recently fired ex-manager to avoid awkwardness? Or should I tell him no, and if so, what is the code language to use? I can't say "Sorry, that won't be possible" for reasons outlined herein. The story:

My manager recently left my small company by "mutual decision." I know for a fact he was fired; part of the impetus for the CEO and COO firing him was that he was a poor manager and largely incompetent at his core, non-management job skills. I think he is so un self-aware that he believes it really was a mutual decision. It's clear he does not know 1) he was a bad manager, or 2) that I and my teammate were told by the CEO and COO that they fired him in part so that we would stay.

This ex-manager is a very nice person, not malicious, a schmoozer/biz dev kind of guy, completely ineffectual as a manager, does not take initiative to keep abreast of our niche industry, isn't as skilled as my teammate and I at what he was hired for, and kind of dippy. It seems he's continually failed upward through the years. And my CEO, to smooth the firing, offered to help the ex-manager by giving him good references. The CEO does not want bad blood in our niche industry, which in our city has a lot of cross-hiring throughout the years because the pool of qualified people is pretty small.

Now the ex-manager has asked my teammate and me to give him good references as a manager. Neither of us feels he was a good manager. I've been avoiding it for several days but would like to give him an answer.

I don't feel comfortable saying "Sorry, that won't be possible" because I'll continue to see him everywhere at industry events. In the future, it's not impossible he'd be working for a theoretical company I really want to work at.

If I give a positive recommendation, I'm just helping to close off more potential management doors for me to transition into. (I'm a woman, so there's a bit of resentment on my part and assumption that part of the reason he's failed upward is because he's a man, whether that is fair or true.) I really resent the fact this person has been allowed to move through multiple management positions--each lasting less than two years--earning a higher and higher salary each time, with few core skills or management skills. As I'm typing this I'm remember his ungraciously taking credit for the work done by my teammate and me, even though that is not at all the culture in this workplace. Oh, and I'm also remembering how at my annual review he vaguely intimated some things that weren't true and then refused to provide examples--which I reported to the COO because it was now part of my employment record here. I can't say that was a part of why he was let go, but it's part and parcel of his being a shitty manager.

It doesn't seem ethical to tell him I'll give a positive recommendation and then tell the hiring company something overtly negative. I won't do it.

If I tell him no, I can't do it, how can I preserve a decent chance at non-awkwardness? If I tell him yes and then give only a lukewarm recommendation, is that terrible? Do people do that? Is there secret code language I can use to make it clear on the surface I think he's a super nice guy to have around the office, but not to expect him to be good at anything?

Please help me pick out a bike for myself

patheral — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:05:06 -0800

I'm looking for a three wheel bike for various reasons, but I'm getting conflicting advice, so I'd like even more advice. Okay, background... I'm 46, female, 240 lbs, 50 of which I've put on over the last year due to recently developed hypothyroidism. I have asthma, fibromyalgia, and a host of other maladies. I also have a dog that needs to run but I can't run because I have arthritic knees and a bad back. Bad knees and a bad back are the main things that have kept me from riding a bicycle (it hurts like hell whenever I try) so on the advice of others I'm looking for three wheeled bike.

Now, because of the asthma, etc., I'm not looking for a speed bike or anything like that. My goal isn't to become a bike enthusiast or train for a marathon. I just want to cruise gently down the street and let my dog run beside me.

Because of my bad back and knees, some friends have recommended a recumbent bike like this one or this one. However, they seem to be very low to the ground, and I'd feel very strange on the road with them.

Someone also recommended a tricycle like this one which is more bicycle height and looks more to the style of cruising. I just don't know if it will help with the back/knee thing purely because it's a three-wheeler. I'm sure not having to balance will be a great help with my back, but will it help with my knees?

We went to a few bike shops here in town (Albuquerque) and three wheel bikes are rare it seems. We found one bike shop who had the recumbent bikes but not cruiser style. The recumbent bikes the shop carried were slightly different and way more expensive than the ones I linked above and the salesman was a little rushed when we talked to him. He recommended the cruiser style bike. I'm looking for more advice.

Slow, original, mellow/sad songs featuring ukulele?

querty — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 06:42:39 -0800

I was listening to Local Natives - 11:11 and was hooked on the opening chords played on the ukulele, so now I'm looking for other original, slow, mellow/sad tunes with the ukulele. Any genre as long as it's original, so no covers please. Vocals optional. Pop/Rock preferred.

Book Pose

Katine — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 11:58:35 -0800

I'm looking for a book about yoga. I read something recently about how the asana system is a relatively new evolution in yoga, as opposed to "Yoga" as a spiritual practice that pervades many parts of your life. I realized I have pretty much no context for either the historical evolution of yoga or the more spiritual side of yoga as an everyday practice of life (other than what I've personally experienced). So I want to read about it!

Topics I'm interested in would be something like yoga as a daily practice, yoga and spirituality, social history of yoga, etc. I love yoga and have practiced since I was a teenager and I've recently been trying to recommit myself to daily practice. I'm not opposed to new-agey or highly personal "yoga journey" type books. I would like something accessible, as in, not ancient hindu texts or a scientific breakdown of yoga's benefits unless they're readable or a particularly good reference document.

Need an employments right lawyer STAT

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:07:27 -0800

A friend works overseas for a US-based defence contractor. He's been involved in a somewhat work-related incident in his country of work and his employer is, long story short, refusing to advise him, maybe even turning against him. Lots of details we don't want to put on the internet. Need to find a good attorney in the US that has specialization in working with employment rights, particularly in international situations for US based entities (not sure if the defence contractor part is relevant or not). If state matters, pick Texas.

Who, oh who, will finally save my poor teeth?

like_a_friend — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:44:51 -0800

Chicago MeFites: please tell me of your glorious dentists! Or warn me off of the terrible ones. I need a dentist for cleaning, probably at least one filling, and no doubt a referral to an oral surgeon (impacted wisdom teeth.) North side or Loop vastly preferred, as I have no car. I've known about my impacted wisdom teeth for ages now, but never had the money/time off to do anything about it and they didn't bother me. Now, finally, they have begun to hurt on and off, and it's really got to get handled.

I *know* it's never smart to drag one's feet about teeth, but for the first time in a while I finally have an Actual Paycheck (hooray) and a flexible enough schedule to get this shit taken care of.

If you can recommend a dentist who won't shame me too badly about my foot-dragging, that would be WONDERFUL. Also, my teeth are messed up generally; my folks were too poor for regular dental care and orthodontia, so the more understanding the better. (My fear of the dentist is rooted in a fear of being yelled at/judged, I have no qualms about pain or drilling, ha.)

Podcasts as good as Scriptnotes, but for prose?

Happy Dave — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 03:41:40 -0800

I've recently started listening to Scriptnotes, a great podcast by John August and Craig Mazin about screenwriting. Is there a similar podcast about novel/short story writing, or indeed writing in general? Podcasts I already subscribe to and key things I like about Scriptnotes inside. Reasons I like Scriptnotes:
- Great hosts with the ability to have genuinely funny back and forth banter
- Very knowledgeable and genuinely experienced in the field they're talking about
- Huge range of topics from the business side of things to software tools to creativity
- Not genre-specific (although I'd be up for an SF-focused version, if one existed)
- Well edited and produced without a lot of rambling, awkward silences or awkwarder banter.
- Regular Q&As and experimentation with new features (i.e. it's not a totally rigid format)

Podcasts I already subscribe to/would rule out:
- Writing Excuses (do subscribe, but it's very genre-focused and they talk over each other a lot).
- I should be writing (did subscribe, found the one-person-talking intros not very engaging and the editing/rambling quotient a bit high)

Best On The Road Tablet For Grandma?

HostBryan — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 13:41:56 -0800

I need to find a tablet and a good mobile data plan for my road-trippin' grandmother. So my grandfather asks me a few months back if I knew what a good tablet would be for my grandmother, who wants to have something to use on their regular road trips. My grandparents are relatively young and highly ambulatory, making regular sojourns between Michigan and Oklahoma, Oklahoma and Texas, and driving around from place to place within whatever state they're in at the time.

Here's basically what I need.

1) She's not the savviest tech user. The simpler, the better. Which also means it needs to be reliable.

2) She needs the tablet for checking Facebook/browsing the Internet, maybe playing some simple games, some reading, etc. You know. Standard grandma tablet stuff. She's not going to try to put Ubuntu on this thing, so she won't really care if it's open-source or not.

3) Because they move around so much, mobile data is vitally important. It needs to be reliable and ideally a decent speed.

4) They're both retired and as such something toward the cheaper end of the spectrum would be ideal.

Based on these criteria and after months of research, I've got a few ideas:

Kindle Fire HD - I'm a big Amazon fan, and while I haven't had the pleasure of fiddling with a Fire I know their stuff tends to be relatively easy to use. The Kindle Fire HD (w/ads) is $199, fitting the low-cost aspect. I don't think the ads would bother her, because they certainly don't bother me on my basic Kindle e-reader. I'm not sure about the thing's web browser or other capabilities, but I know for game and multimedia apps it should be pretty solid. I've heard it has some performance issues, though, and the fact that it is so thoroughly integrated into Amazon might cause some problems.

Nook HD+: My other grandmother has a Nook tablet and she loves it. It's reasonably inexpensive, and it looks relatively easy to use. But I'm a little leery of investing in the Barnes & Noble ecosystem, since I'm not convinced it'll be around in a few years and it doesn't support other online stores. I also don't know much about its web browsing capability.

Google Nexus 7: This is the one all the tech blogs say is the best, and the price point is right. It'd be my first choice except it runs Android and I have some reservations about setting her up with that. I don't have a lot of experience with it, and knowing that it has more moving parts than your average tablet OS I might not be able to help her as much with it.

iPad/iPad mini: If money weren't an object I'd just tell her to get one of these and be done with it. But it is.

Now as far as the data plans, I'm at a bit of a loss. I don't really want to get them set up with a contract, but I also want to make sure they get a good deal on a quality network. NetZero is currently offering half off their mobile broadband devices, and has pretty OK data plans. That would be pretty simple and she could just use any of the WiFi-only tablets with it. But I don't know if I can get better data plans elsewhere, nor do I know if the Netzero network is any good.

So I pose it to the most knowledgeable and good-looking online community in existence - what should I recommend? If you need additional information I'll be happy to provide it.

Travel agent for French Polynesia?

smilingtiger — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:59:40 -0800

Asking for a friend: Planning a trip to French Polynesia: Bora Bora, Tahiti, etc. Should we be using a travel agent, or can we get a good deal booking directly? Can anyone recommend a good travel agent for that part of the world? (Previous questions are outdated.)

Doctor in Minneapolis who takes Aetna?

heliostatic — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:44:07 -0800

Looking for a doctor (GP) in Minneapolis. I've just moved to Minneapolis and would like to get a primary care physician. I have the predictable sort of medical needs, and am a reasonably healthy ~30 year old, so no particular specialties or areas of expertise are required. I have Aetna insurance, so someone in network would be preferable.

Please convert Chicago neighborhoods to DC equivalents for me

deliciae — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:38:10 -0800

Where in the DC area might I find my kind of community? Would love if you can explain the vibes of DC's neighborhoods in terms of the vibes of Chicago's neighborhoods. I live in Logan Square in Chicago and have absolutely loved it here since I moved to apt #1 9 years ago (I'm now on #4.) A career opportunity has opened in Washington DC and I am considering making the move, but truly conflicted about finding a neighborhood within the city that offers the same vibe I am used to here.

What I love about Logan Square: the progressive vibe; the Dill Pickle Food Co-op and LS Farmer's Market; proliferation of housing co-ops; deep sense of community; gorgeous boulevards providing lots of green space and a really pretty neighborhood to walk in; the variety of interesting/involved people that live here; funky, vintage apartments (my current building, a housing co-op, is 115 years old and right on the boulevard), and until recently, decent rents.

What I'm meh about Logan Square: the recent influx of young art school hipsters. I'm 43, and I like older hip folks that don't try too hard - just very cool, chill, non-pretentious people, artistic/creative, activists, artists, do-ers, smarties, into out-of-the-ordinary arts (For example, I'm a huge improvised jazz fan - Ken Vandermark, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Frank Rosaly some huge faves), what have you. I have little patience with theorists and pontificators - I really dig people that get their hands dirty and DO things or CREATE community infrastructure.

I've lived in Humbolt Park, at Washtenaw & Evergreen (WAY too sinister for my taste, though that was 10 years ago) and worked in Lakeview/Wrigleyville (hated dodging puddles of puke following home games when I worked late nights), River North near the Merchandise Mart (felt too boutique-y and sort of dead), and the South Loop (it's ok, wish there was more going on/it was a shorter commute than my current 2 trains/45 minutes.)

I like the little shops in Lincoln Square, not so into its proliferation of double wide strollers. Love Hyde Park's beautiful old housing stock, hate the elitist vibe and the inescapable presence of the U of C, though I appreciate its cultural amenities like Doc Films. I love the MCA, Hyde Park Art Center, the Siskel, Green Mill, the Hideout, and the tiny independent arts spaces around the city. I don't hang in Wicker Park as much as I used to when I first got to Chicago.

I've been to DC several times - I love Busboys & Poets, that feels like my kind of folks, and I make it a point to visit there whenever I am in town but have no idea what 'hood that is (14th & V?) From what I have seen I could maybe live in that area (enthusiastically ok with diverse neighborhoods; not ok with unsafe ones.) The two DC metro stops closest to where my office would be are McPherson Square and Metro Center, so it seems that a neighborhood along the blue, orange, or red lines makes the most sense. I don't currently have a car (though that could change once I get there) so I'd like to find a 'hood that's public transit commutable without it being crazy. Have no idea what my salary would be for this gig but let's say after a quick back of the envelope calculation that I would like to keep rent in the range of $1250-1450 if possible. I would want a 1BR and will be living there by myself. Where should I look?

What's a good table saw for a beginner woodworker?

jquinby — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:09:16 -0800

Woodworkers of Metafiler: give me your table saw recommendations. I am starting to do some woodworking and am looking to acquire a table saw. I read the reviews on this older question, but it's a few years old and many of the model numbers seem to have changed since then.

The projects I'm looking at dovetail (har!) with beekeeping, so small-ish wooden boxes, rabbets and box-joints. Most of the plans I'm looking at require dado cuts and ripping small boards into smaller boards (like cutting 1x2 down to 1x1.33...the bees can be particular).

The garage shop is small, so something on wheels would be good. 120V power is also something of a requirement.

The reviews of this one by Sears seem pretty good. At the other end of the spectrum (costwise) is this Bosch 4100, which features ecstatic user reviews and an adjustable riving knife. I just watched a video on riving knives, and I think I really want that feature.

Looking for a desktop PC that will run two monitors

OrangeDisk — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:30:53 -0800

Can you recommend a desktop PC that will be durable, do basic surfing, and run two monitors? I'd like to avoid Dell. Cost is an issue, but it does not need to be cheap. I've reviewed this recent question and this one, but I'm looking for something a bit different.

My husband's Dell Alienware tower just died. It was 2-3 years old. He needs a new desktop PC, and we'd like to avoid Dell (our last several Dells have had issues). He would like a computer that can run two large (24-inch or larger) monitors without the fan running constantly.

He does basic word-processing and surfing (on Chrome) and listens to music almost constantly. Very occasionally he streams a movie. He doesn't do photo editing or anything like that. He is not a gamer. Having two monitors is his most important criteria for a new computer. He would prefer a tower configuration to the kind that's wider than it is tall.

It doesn't have to be ultra-cheap, but we'd like to get good value for the money. We can spend up to $1500, but are hoping to spend more like $500.

Can you recommend a computer? We already have a monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc., so we're just looking for a tower.

Help me find my Fringe Reading Companion

duckus — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:11:09 -0800

I just started watching Fringe. I'm only about three-quarters of the way through Season 2, so please no spoilers. What I'm looking for is companion reading material. What I like about the show are it's dynamic character relationships and the very cool alternate reality stuff. I'm looking for books that are more literary and character-building and really play on alternate realities.

This is what I've liked that I feel have played on similar themes and have the right kind of balance for me between literary and speculative reality. They also have contemporary settings, which I also prefer.

Lev Grossman Magician books
Time Travelers' Wife
Connie Willis - The Passage

I've not liked:

Anything else by Connie Willis
Diana Gaboldan's series
George R.R. Martin

I've seen this. I like the gory, horror-y stuff a lot less than the parallel universe stuff.

Need recommendations -Washer/Dryer

pakora1 — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:13:55 -0800

Washer and Dryer recommendations needed It is that time again -we need to buy a washer and dryer.We got some great recommendations here for a dishwasher (bought a Bosch and love it, thanks) and welcome your suggestions for a washer and dryer.

Here are some of our requirements, all recommendations would be great.

We prefer front loading and energy efficient if possible (but fine if with others if we can get a good machine that cleans well)
Please suggest Brand names and models (that would be helpful)
Any suggestions for ongoing deals in stores would be great
Our budget is around 1200.

What do I send my grad school recommenders as a thank you?

quadrilaterals — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:34:06 -0800

What do I send my grad school recommenders as a thank you? Of course, I am sending a nice, hand-written thank you card. But what else should I send them? I was thinking a small gift of about $10-15, but a Starbucks gift card seems too impersonal.

I'm looking for suggestions, both general and specific, about what I can get these fabulous people who recommended me, and what you got the people who wrote your recommendations.

Bonus: I have read in some places that people wait until they've heard back from schools to send their thank yous. This strikes me as wildly inappropriate, as that's not for another three-and-change months. Regardless, is it customary?

(I am applying for an MPH, if that makes a difference, so think more professional degree than academic.)

Details on these people I need to buy things:
Recommender 1: Male, youngish (30s), works in the government as well as teaching, and has a small family. I don't know if he drinks (alcohol or coffee) but would like to get him something neat. I rarely see him in person so will have to mail, over state lines if that matters.

Recommender 2: Woman with a family, early 30s, Pakistani, and doesn't drink. She's traveling now so I have some time before we see each other.

Recommender 3: Woman, allergic to almost everything edible or with leaves. Wrote a really great last-minute recommendation for me. I work with her closely and would like to give her something thoughtful. Likes cats.

Recommender 4: My sort-of boss and mentor. She told me not to buy her anything as "[she knows] how much money I make", but I want to try and give (make?) her something small and nice. I am close to her daughters, aged 7 and 4. They live across the country, but I will see her in person next week.