What happens to the owners when a small business fails? [more inside]
posted by eschatfische on Oct 20, 2009 - 14 answers

What are the chances of getting cold sores about two weeks after a friend of mine had an outbreak of cold sores? And how should I deal with the concerns of my housemate (who has BPD) who thinks I may spread it to her? [more inside]
posted by severin on Oct 3, 2009 - 47 answers

I am a 52 year old quadriplegic (C-4,C-5 incomplete) former oil and gas senior executive. Until recently, I've been able to both support my family and afford the post-Cobra health insurance premiums available through our Texas High Risk Pool. I'll will soon be overtaken by the myriad of expenses now beginning to snowball. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 18, 2009 - 5 answers

What is the best favorite Risk-like strategy/global domination games? [more inside]
posted by kittensofthenight on Sep 8, 2009 - 33 answers

A somewhat recent NY Times article explains the connection between ALDH2 deficiency and throat cancer. Request for perspective on level of risk and appropriate response in extended. [more inside]
posted by Busoni on Jun 13, 2009 - 4 answers

Can unplugged irons cause fires? One of my housemates (Housemate A) observed that my other housemate (Housemate B) put the clothes iron back into the cupboard without letting it cool down. How dangerous is this? [more inside]
posted by tomargue on May 16, 2009 - 16 answers

How risky are bond mutual funds? [more inside]
posted by david1230 on May 10, 2009 - 3 answers

How can an estimate of a health risk (eg 1 in 500) have a false positive? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 2, 2009 - 9 answers

Examples of suspiciously round numbers that have, in all probability, been fudged up or down? Extra points for cases where those numbers can be safely discarded in favour of a different, more realistic figure. [more inside]
posted by onshi on Mar 20, 2009 - 29 answers

People say condoms are 95-98 percent effective, if used correctly. How does that figure compare to other risky things, like commuting to work, riding a motorcycle, riding a bicycle in traffic, etc? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 30, 2009 - 11 answers

Recently, during a movie, my boyfriend pointed to an actress and said “Hey, that’s a really nice color. I think it would look really nice on you.” And my reaction involved mentioning hair damage, fading, and a fear I’d never get my natural color back or that dyeing my hair might cause grays (I have none, and all my family members dye their hair and had a bunch of grays at my age). I love my natural hair color and texture, and if I could guarantee that after dyeing my hair, it would be exactly the same as before, I’d do it. So I tend to stick with what I’ve got because I’m afraid of what I’m going to get. I'd like to loosen up a bit.... [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 10, 2009 - 31 answers

What are some dangerous asanas? [more inside]
posted by Nancy Lebovitz on Dec 6, 2008 - 14 answers

What are some high risk, high urgency jobs that don't require a lot of physical strength? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 7, 2008 - 20 answers

Is cancelling my health insurance and investing the money instead a good bet, or a foolhardy risk? I'm young, in good health, and have no chronic health conditions. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 26, 2008 - 47 answers

I recently visited bankrate.com and found my bank has a rating of one star out of five. (There is no zero rating). Should I change banks? [more inside]
posted by dances_with_sneetches on Mar 4, 2008 - 5 answers

I'm going to embark on a stompbox-building adventure, and I'd like to know how much one can mess things up. [more inside]
posted by tmcw on Oct 21, 2007 - 13 answers

Macbook warranty blues. I asked a question after I managed to mess up an OS X update and am thankful to report that all is well and all photos of my newborn are safe and well (and backed up!). However.. [more inside]
posted by numberstation on Sep 4, 2007 - 3 answers

Is it safe to live directly underneath a large number of radio and/or cell towers? [more inside]
posted by lorimer on Jan 8, 2007 - 21 answers

Hi MeFi! I'm a motivated college student who wants to do more than just work for the man to earn my tuition this summer. I've decided I want to start up my own lawn mowing business but have no real business experience whatsoever. To the entrepreneurs out there, where do I start? Is this a worthy business venture? If so, how do I aim for success? [more inside]
posted by ageispolis on Dec 25, 2006 - 17 answers

Stranger, please pass judgment on our most intimate moments! So, my fiancee and I have been in a monogamous relationship for 8+ years, and the only method of birth control we use is condoms. Are we stupid? [more inside]
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly on Dec 13, 2006 - 52 answers

A water main leak was repaired in front of our house. Our facets spewed muddy water. Now possibly contaminated dirt is settled in the water pipes. Health and mechanical/structural risk of dirt and debris settled in water pipes? If, and how to remove? Where for water sample test? How to deal with the Water co. on liabilities? Attorney recommendation? [more inside]
posted by MD06 on Nov 8, 2006 - 5 answers

How big is a Risk board? [more inside]
posted by transient on Oct 20, 2006 - 3 answers

Name That Thing! You know that feeling you get sometimes when you wonder what would happen if you did something outrageous- punched a cop, stepped off a building, peed on the dinner table? No? Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one, because both Daniel Clowes (in Eightball) and P.G. Wodehouse (in Carry On, Jeeves) mention it. The problem is, what do you call it? Does any culture have a word for this? I certainly can't think of an (American) English word or phrase shorter than "You know that feeling when...", etc.
posted by paul_smatatoes on Sep 21, 2006 - 75 answers

Is it really so bad to leave a toaster plugged in? [more inside]
posted by TochterAusElysium on Sep 1, 2006 - 52 answers

I'm working on a grant, and one of the only 'hard' numbers we have is from a qualitative study in the community we work in, which estimated that 30-40% of under-16s are trafficked at some point. I'm trying to take that likely-conservative 30-40% and figure it out as a per-year risk. [more inside]
posted by viggorlijah on Aug 31, 2006 - 7 answers

How can I become less risk-averse? [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone on Jul 7, 2006 - 19 answers

Does anyone know a source for this story? I once heard about a railroad crossing that had quite a few fatal accidents, because drivers would routinely duck under the barrier gates as they closed instead of waiting several minutes for interminable freight trains to pass. But there's a twist ... [more inside]
posted by Quietgal on May 19, 2006 - 8 answers

I'm one of the top two candidates being for a very large and complex public art project. It's the second location of a high profile hospitality industry brand leader, and they want to do a similar art treatment as they did successfully at their first location. [more inside]
posted by extrabox on May 10, 2006 - 5 answers

How would one go about joining the Mile High Club? [more inside]
posted by DragonBoy on Apr 19, 2006 - 13 answers

How do you balance the risks you take with your career with the risk that you will be unsatisfied because you didn't take enough risk? (Further use of the work "risk" inside) [more inside]
posted by shucks on Jan 18, 2006 - 12 answers

OK, I now know that money-maker chain-letter implementation is illegal, but my big question -- why? Is it for the protection of dumb people? I'd have to say the fact that it didn't work is the protection of dumb people, but shouldn't be illegal. [more inside]
posted by vanoakenfold on Nov 28, 2005 - 20 answers

I would like to have a Crazy (or Grand) Adventure, but it seems good adventures are harder to find than in the movies. Anyone know or can think of any good ideas? Difficulty: I'm aiming for a LOW likelihood of getting killed/arrested/maimed/sued, but a HIGH likelihood of Amazing Tales I can bore people with 50 years from now. [more inside]
posted by -harlequin- on Jun 27, 2005 - 23 answers

We are a couple of guys thinking about making a free not-for-profit computer game based on Risk 2210 A.D. We know we can't use the title for trademark reasons or the board or graphics for copyright issues. Would there be any problems with us using the Risk 2210 A.D. rules for our game?
posted by sveskemus on Jun 23, 2005 - 12 answers

Is Pre-Paid Legal a scam? A friend of mine just became a Sales Associate, and I'm wondering what sort of risks are involved.
posted by waxpancake on Dec 15, 2004 - 15 answers

LASIK - I'd love to ditch both my glasses and contacts. Have any of you had the procedure performed? In particular, I'm wondering if you have experienced any adverse or unexpected effects, and how much it cost.
posted by shoos on Sep 16, 2004 - 24 answers

Would you quit a job if it meant you had a better chance of
pursuing life goals? Even if it was financially risky and
the economy was tough? Have you taken risks to avoid selling out? Did it work? Why or why not? [more inside]
posted by weston on Sep 1, 2004 - 10 answers

What is the best thing to do with a small amount of money, around $5,000? Savings interest is almost a joke, CDs look attractive or maybe even mutual funds. Preferably the safer the better, as in investing it all in a high-risk mutual fund and losing it would make me cry. I've checked out "Investment FAQ" and it seems as if CDs are the best. I know little about investing but making money doing nothing intrigues me. What would be an expected return on such an investment? Is it even worth locking the money up for something like $10 a month? [more inside]
posted by geoff. on Mar 3, 2004 - 19 answers