Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with second

Just Questions? Just Answers?

london302 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:24:47 -0800

I just bumped into a website justanswers.com while researching the world of medical second opinion. I have questions about the business and the human psyhcology behind it..... 1. I am intrigued byt their business model where you pay what you think is fair and also if you are not satisfied with the answer you can choose not to pay (is this real and how does it really work?). Are they relying on the goodwill of the customer and isnt the web a dangerous place to be doing this?

2. Have you, do you or do you know anyone who works for justanswers.com (pref. medical side)? What are your experiences?

3. Does this model make money?

Thanks very much in advance

A new career for a burned out pastor?

Pater Aletheias — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:56:07 -0800

Career brainstorming filter: Help me help my minister friend think creatively about a midlife second career. The basics: like me, he's a minister, located in a congregational setting doing traditional church ministry. But he's getting burned out and wants to find another career.

He's well educated, but all his training is ministry-related. A bachelor's in Biblical Studies, a 90-hour Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Ministry.

What he likes about ministry: helping people, being a leader, research and communication, analyzing the congregation as a system and helping it work better. He's really good at the "big picture" stuff, and every church he's been at has grown while he was there. He's not pushy, but people follow his lead because of his high competence levels and he likes setting the direction. What he doesn't like: lack of privacy, role ambiguity, (competing expectations from lay leaders and the congregation), lack of autonomy (i.e., being over-ruled by his eldership board on matters where he frankly knows more than they do.)

So he'd like something where he can either be his own boss or at least have the authority to get things done. If necessary, he could go back to school for a couple of years. He's got a stellar graduate GPA and something like a 1250 on the GRE, so getting into a good school shouldn't be a problem. He's thought about seeking licensure as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT), but isn't sure how likely it would be to get back to his current salary--$70,000 + family health insurance. He doesn't necessarily need quite that much, but getting in that ballpark is a plus.

I think the main thing is that he always, only, wanted to be a minister, and just hasn't ever thought about other options. But he's seriously burned out and needs some help thinking about what other careers might be a good fit. Anything to help him spark an idea, or even advice about how to go about finding a second field, could be useful.

Thanks for helping us think through this!

Tagged out before I get to third.

chrisfromthelc — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:30:14 -0800

I can't seem to ever get to the third date. I searched, and came across this post, and it pretty much sums up my exact experience these days. Except that I'm a guy and not a girl.

I've recently gone out with a few different girls. First dates always seem to go well, second dates seem to go (at least, in MY mind) a little better. I've always made sure to communicate (assuming that I do) that I would like to see her again, and soon. When it comes time for #3, well, #3 never comes. I call in an attempt to set something up, and never get a response. Not even the "let's be friends" schtick.

Some of these girls are ones I've met from various dating sites, but recently, they've been friends of friends who were highly recommended, so I'm not completely sure the out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing applies. Or, maybe it does. I just don't know.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Immersive Education Degree

ConnieL — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:37:39 -0800

Greetings! Would anyone here have any information about obtaining a masters or PhD in immersive education? I have a Masters in Education, but I would like to focus on the educational possibilities of 3D virtual worlds like Second Life, Reaction Grid and Wonderland. I believe these environments have astounding potential. If not a degree then perhaps some best practices ideas... thanks so much! I have a couple of years of experience within the VR game Second Life, and a bit in Reaction Grid, but I would like to delve more into the educational aspects of this. I am a member of Immersive Education Grid (http://immersiveeducation.org/).

i know there "are no rules" but what are the rules?

violetk — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:36:53 -0800

guys, how long do you wait before you call for a second date? cause i know that we all claim not to play games, and yet, people play games. some of you may know a little of my history here on askme: mostly dating questions bc that's pretty much the one thing in my life i find completely perplexing, despite having spent most of my life doing it. i feel like at my age, i shouldn't even have to ask this question but here i am, asking this question.…so i recently started dating again after taking a break last fall. had a few meh dates and then last thursday, a date with a guy i met online that became one of my all time best first dates. couple of emails which were fine, and then a lot of texting—and the banter was great so i think we were both pretty excited about meeting each other (he even postponed something to go out with me on the one night that week i could). we originally just planned to do drinks but that went so well that we ended up getting dinner and dessert as well. conversation flowed, and again, the banter was great. no awkward pauses, same humor, many things in common, similar careers and aesthetics, the whole nine. no red flags, he just seems solid: he's nice, attentive, close with his family, and totally hot.

after dessert, we went back to his place and hung out a bit and, not surprisingly ended up making out. best. kisser. ever. and i do not throw that title around easily. he tried to take it further but when he realized it wasn't going to happen made a joke about having had to try anyway, and didn't push again despite our continuing to kiss. anyway, it was super late, and a school night, and i was tired so we decided i'd stay over and he'd take me back in the morning. more kissing, lots of snuggling (i'm a bit of a squirrely sleeper but every time i turned over, he would too so he could still cuddle me). a few times during the night, one of us just wakes up a bit and we smooch again and then go back to sleep. everything is fabulous.

except…i haven't heard from him since. what gives? am i, as i famously am, just being too impatient? all my girl friends are throwing out the 3-day rule and telling me to now forget about him, he's dead to them. but my guy friends are telling me that if he just wanted to get into my pants, he'd already have called to set up another encounter but if he really liked me, he'd wait about a week before calling again—"to build the suspense—and it works every time."

what? please, mefites (scody, you are so wise…), reassure me or slap some sense into me. i give really good date, but it's the in-between stuff that makes me crazy.

(ps: don't know if this makes a difference but he's a couple of years older than me [late 30s], divorced a year [been together ten, married three, still friendly with the ex]) but i think he's been dating for about six months now?)

Which term: Bandwidth, Throughput, Download Speed, Else?

Quarter Pincher — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:30:42 -0800

Throughput, download speed, bandwidth, or something else -- which of these am I trying to say? I can download a huge file, topping speeds of around 140 KB/s. Is 140 KB/s my maximum download speed? And isn't that speed the same for all information I can receive, or just file transfers? I was trying to tell a friend that my DSL recently got bumped up in speed -- when I noticed that my previously-familiar download speed of 80 KB/s (kilobytes per second) is now suddenly in the 120-140 KB/s range, without a change in service plans. He tried to tell me that "download speed" isn't the right term, but couldn't offer an alternative or bother to explain the differences.

I'm from the 2400 baud modem era, and typically estimated my max bandwidth (my word) by the maximum apparent speed at which I could download a large file (a RAR for instance) the quickest, and assumed that's the maximum by which information of any kind could reach me. When I moved up to a 56,600 baud on dialup, I could pull down from 3.5KB/s to 4.5KB/s tops on a big file. Now with the DSL, I was getting 80KB/s, but now I'm getting 140 KB/s max download speeds. Is that my bandwidth, or download speed, or throughput, or what?

We play Halo 3 on XBL regularly, and he asserted that the communicating speed from x360 to XBL server is calculated differently than being governed by whatever limiter governs my 140 KB/s, but that doesn't make much sense to me. Hivemind, clear us both up!

A Community that canonized John XXIII?

parmanparman — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:45:36 -0800

Is there a Catholic community of more than one church or one leader where the Decision of the Second Vatican Council is followed to the exact letter of the new law rather than implemented in sorts or passed over in certain areas like the Roman Catholic Church?

Supplemental income through options on the internet or at-home work – what are my options?

lutzla23 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:50:41 -0800

Supplemental income through options on the internet or at-home work – what are my options? I am looking for a/some supplemental income through options on the internet or that allow me to work from home.
I am fairly educated and have a full time job along with some contract-teaching at a local community college (currently out of session). I am looking for work that may be more obscure that would require part-time work on a non-scheduled basis (can be done at any time).
I have a hard time searching for this as I frequently run into many scams so it is now more difficult that I have to research the research to figure out if it is legit.
I thought I would poll the wonderful minds out there and see what everyone has heard of.
Some things that I have heard of and would be interested in learning more but have not found anything:
-Proof reading (collegiate work/dictation/transcription)
-Writing
-Consumer Panels/Surveys
-Any other suggestions
Really looking for something that can be done at home, flexible-minimal hours, paid-by-completion/word/amount processed/done.

Thank you!

Hot Tub/Spa Advice for Second Home

jbradley — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:26:55 -0800

Considering getting a spa for an Oregon beach house and have never owned one. We don't rent the house out and family is there about twice a month in summer/fall and perhaps less than once/month in the winter/spring. Interested in advice, considerations for such a set up particularly around necessity of hiring someone for maintenance and temperature/circulation settings while we are gone. BTW, freezing is not an issue, but it does stay pretty consistently cool (50s) most of the time.

Help me get a second and third (and beyond) date!

KateHasQuestions — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:51:40 -0800

What am I doing wrong on the first and second date? So I've been single and trying to date for ~2.5 years now. Met a few guys through friends, a guy from work, but mostly on dating websites (just because I don't know any other single guys through work or through friends). Been on dozens of first and second dates in the 2.5 years, and none seem to work out.

About me: I'm 23. I'm pretty (not stunningly beautiful, but definitely cute), average body (not skinny, but not fat by any means), I have a good job, I'm polite and considerate, and I have a good personality (most of the guys I will be describing here have told me I'm fun and cool and unique and not boring and predictable like other girls, which I always thought was a good thing?)

Here are how the dates go:
We do something fun (bowling, hiking, ice skating, plain old dinner, dinner + movie, museum, walking around in the city (NY), comedy club have all been done..), the guy seems to be into me, tells me I'm pretty, tells me he has fun, tells me we should do it again, tells me over and over again how much better it is to talk to me in real life and not online, tells me he likes what I'm wearing, etc. The dates are all good (at least *I* think) - there's good conversation, laughing. Date usually ends with a hug. No kissing because I feel weird to get close enough to a guy on the first date to kiss. Several dates ended up with cuddling on the couch a bit or handholding. But most of the guys I go out on dates with aren't ones to immediately jump into bed anyway, they always seem shy as well.

Anyway. After the date, several scenarios have happened:
- guy wants to hang out as soon as possible, but the after the second time doesn't talk to me much, a week later we stop talking.
- guy talks to me online all the time but doesn't ask to hang out. starts avoiding me when I ask to hang out, a week later we stop talking.
- now this one has happened with guys that I was actually *really* interested in, ones I've gotten to know - they tell me they like me and I'm great, but they're not ready to date and it wouldn't be fair to me. I've become friends with some of them (yea, who ever thought girls would have to hear the whole "lets just be friends" thing??) If they were interested they would date me, without coming up with excuses.

So what am I doing wrong? Be brutally honest here. Is it like, first date they were faking the niceness while trying to decide if I was pretty enough, and second date they decided "nah, I don't want her?" What can a girl do or say to ensure that the guy KNOWS that he wants to see her again? Is there anything I'm doing or saying wrong without realizing it? Am I supposed to try to get close enough for a kiss? How much "hard to get" should I be playing?

Please give me ideas, suggestions, or just share some stories about anything a girl did to make or break the date.

Go back for more school or take a meh first job?

sleazy_e — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:07:09 -0800

Recent Graduate: Work towards 2nd Bachelors, Masters, or take a lower paying position I hope will lead to the job I want? I'm from Texas and and a May grad with a BS in Econ (minors in math and writing) from a known State U. Currently I've been searching for job opportunities in fields Junior Financial Analysis or Market Research Analysis, Data Analytics (or really any kind of analysis that requires lots of math, data mining, and forecasting), but these jobs are very hard to find for my (entry? - I've worked every year since high school, but maybe not in relevant jobs) level in Texas (right now, everyone wants senior/experienced applicants) and I am frustrated by the impossibility to get an interview with my ~2.75 GPA (or for reasons companies refuse to inform me of). I am aware that grades are vital to get into the door of these positions.

I believe I am 2 semesters (30 hours) shy of a BS in Applied Mathematics (Finance track) and I can try to raise my grades above a 3.0, but I have already spent 5 years in school and racked up some debt. Now, I was once an Applied Math major before becoming Econ, but I switched due to pressure from paying for school on my own, dealing with an abusive relationship (that ended after the degree change), and constant insane familial problems/drama (think Arrested Development). I want to say that now those distractions could dissipate (except for paying for school on my own), but any future incidents are probable. Let's just say, I'm eager to pursue/finish the degree, but I'm afraid that I fall back into the depression/fear of not successfully getting the high marks needed to make this elusive degree worth while.

Another option is to start an online MS Finance or MS Math/Stat degree from an accredited (not UPhoenix), but not well known University that would take about 2 years to finish while working/searching for employment. I've been told that Bachelors are more available today, so getting a Masters is becoming more necessary to differentiate yourself from the competition.

I've read on MeFi that people recommend taking the CFA Level 1 to differentiate themselves, but I doubt it would help for the jobs outside of Financial Analysis (Data Analytics and Market Research).

Another factor in my decision: I've been offered a position as a cost analyst at a small firm. It sounds okay, but my responsibilities aren't more than data entry (at least at first) and product updating, the salary isn't as reasonable to live on, and it requires 100 miles of round trip commuting from living with my family (moving out makes the job even less economical). The job is well, a job, I suppose and it offers me the ability to pocket a little bit of money after paying all my debts.

My question is given the current state of our US economy, call it a recession or a fearful voting year with tons of graduates and less amount of entry jobs, would it be best to A) try and finish my math degree, B) enter an MS Finance degree, or C) take a left-field-ish job and try to work my way into my desired job?

Did I write a title? Yes.... but did I? Yeah. Let me make sure one more time....yep!

nitsuj — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:08:13 -0800

How can I stop second guessing myself? I constantly second guess myself on stupid stuff. For instance:

-I'm at the airport, and I check my boarding pass to see that it says my plane takes off at 5:00 PM. Five minutes later, I check again just to be sure. And then another five minutes a check again, because you know what if I was wrong the first time?
-I'm in the car, pulling out of a driveway. I look left, then right, then left again to be sure, then -- why the hell not? -- I'll check right one more time, then left again, then go.
-Etc.

I never really second guess myself on bigger decisions, it's always these small, pointless things.

Is this some form of OCD or similar thing? What can I do to trust myself in these situations more?

How can I view videos by one hundredth of a second?

perpetualstroll — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:12:58 -0800

Do you know of a program for viewing videos that allows tracking of the timings at the level of a one hundredth of a second? I can track my musical events at that level, but watching videos in most programs, it is only possible to see the second timings, without further breakdown. Any suggestions?

advanced thermodynamics

complience — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:52:32 -0800

explain further The Second Law of Thermodynamics I asked a few months ago for the good members of Metafilter to explain to me the 2nd Law and I got a great response.

But the more I learn about the second law the more confused I seem to became.

I understand the 2nd law to be this: expression of the universal law of increasing entropy,

or to put it more simply

"energy is moving about"

basicly meaning:

"nothing is free" or more correctly "profit can never be made"

is there anthing wrong with what I understand?

Kitty needs a friend?

pointystick — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:45:17 -0800

Do I get a second cat (long details inside)? I am thinking of getting a companion for PointyCat (mentioned previously). I have a few questions and would appreciate advice.

-I live in a large 1 BR apartment (landlord is good friend and cat lover so no issues there) - is this enough space for 2 cats?
-I have one really great convenient spot for the large litterbox, but finding a spot for a second box is a challenge. Is a seond box strictly necessary?
-PointyCat was 13 months old when I got him a year ago, and neutered at time of adoption. At first he had some serious dominance agression issues but he has mellowed into a very good cat with affection and training. He still nips, but it's mostly boisterous and not angry.
-I share a back deck with a neighbor (who rarely uses it). Back deck has wood lattice-like, high fence so cat and I can hang out there together (he can see through the slats to the outside but can't get out and I don't let him out unattended anyway). PointyCat met NeighborCat there (a female) and loved her (it was not mutual though he stares longingly up at her window) and when strays or ferals come up near the fence, if they are toms and/or aggressive, PointyCat gets hissy but for gentle ones, he's all curious and friendly.
-If I do decide to get a new kitty, is there such thing as a trial adoption in case they don't get along?

Apoligies for being so lengthy and thanks in advance!

Entropy and Software Projects

gttommy — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:34:56 -0800

The 2nd law of thermodynamics (entropy theory) has been applied to information theory, economics, natural selection and human behaviour. How do I relate it to software projects? It seems from a variety of sources that entropy theory has been abstracted and used to model many areas of life other than the physical sciences. It is quite fascinating. I'd like to know how software development projects can be modelled using this theory, preferably in a mathematical sense, as opposed to metaphors.

Any ideas or links from the hive mind?

Teaching English

frizelli — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:33:17 -0800

My 18 yr old daughter wants to spend 2 months this summer working in Japan as an English instructor. She has a working knowledge of Japanese and will have a TESL certificate. What is the best and safest way to go about trying to help her find a job and what issues do we need to be aware of?

Can someone please explain the The Second Law of Thermodynamics to me, with examples?

complience — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:25:08 -0800

Can someone please explain the The Second Law of Thermodynamics to me, with examples? I'm reading The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size. Trying to understand Information Theory and entropy. For this I need to understand the 2nd law of Thermodynamics.. which i understand to be:

"Energy spontaneously tends to flow only from being concentrated in one place to becoming diffused or dispersed and spread out."

And an example of this is a rock will always fall if you let go of it a great height Or high pressure will always leak into a low pressure.

But this where I get confused.. that is surely Newtons theory of Cause and Effect in action not the second law.

So my question is really.. what is the difference between the second law of thermodynamics and newtons law of cause and effect?

Great Sites btw:-
www.secondlaw.com
www.2ndlaw.com

Oh, say can you see...

laughinglikemad — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:35:32 -0800

The first transatlantic television image was that of a fluttering American flag. My grandfather was the cameraman. Two words: Christmas gift. For years, my mother has wanted to find a print of that flag, to give to her father. But for a seemingly iconic image, prints have proved strangely elusive. The satellite was Telstar, the image was broadcast on July 10, 1962, and my grandfather worked for Second City at the time.

Anyone know where we can procure this stray bit of American history?

Using 401K & Roth IRA to purchase second property

endlessknot — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:22:18 -0800

Using 401K & Roth IRA to purchase second property ?? Is this possible ?? Any suggestions. Thanks, ek

Should I go back to school for a second degree?

misled — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:59:34 -0800

Should I go back to school for a second degree in something I feel very passionately about? I need advice on what I should do with my life at the moment. I hate to ask about this on the Internet, but I can't get any *intelligent* advice in reality world. Hopefully somebody out there has gone through some similar experience and could offer some input.

Some background information: I am just turned 24 years old and I graduated over a year ago with a BS in Business (Accounting spec). I currently work a job that has nothing to do with my degree (I do not like accounting) and is in high demand. Due to the high demand, I make a decent amount of money (45 an hour at the moment, which will be going up soon and can go as high as 100 an hour in the next couple years if I go independent). Although the money is right, I do not like the job at all - I find it tedious and boring. It also requires me to travel a lot, which is to say that I am never at home.

I took the job because I had planned on going to Law school and the work I do is great for experience. The person I work for still expects me to go to Law school so that I can work as an attorney for him when I get out.

My problem is that I can't see myself doing something I am not passionate about. Although the money is great, I am unable to justify doing something for the rest of my life that I hate just so that I can achieve monetary success. I have thought long and hard about what I am passionate about, and one subject keeps coming to mind - the subject of science (in general). I have always dreamed of research as a career but was sidetracked because I did what other people expected me to do (ie business degree).

So, long story short: should I go back to school and get a second bachelors degree in a scientific field in order to achieve my goal or just stick with my current situation? A new BS degree will take me probably at least 3 years because I haven't taken any of the required lower division courses (Physics and Chem - I have taken calculus but need need additional courses in math). A graduate degree after that would be another couple of years. In addition to the time it would take, I also would have to leave my current job since travel is the main part of the work.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. I didn't go into full detail on a lot of things because I noticed this 'question' was already getting too long. If you have questions for me, let me know. I am just really hurting for some sound advice.

Thanks again.

do second chances often convert to success?

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 05:46:58 -0800

How to re-approach cute girl for something serious, with whom I had a drunken make-out session a couple of years ago? Said Cutie and I made out a bit while out dancing one evening. We saw each other afterwards for a couple of "dates" but I rushed things a bit and it stalled. We haven't seen much of each other since, except when we run into each other every few months or so in our common office building.

There's obviously a physical attraction but I think she was put off by my drunken groping of her. Whenever I happen to see her I still think she is a great find, and tonight I convinced her on MSN chat to give me a second chance. I'm supposed to call her next week to arrange a date.

I am a great boyfriend when I'm with someone I care about, so how can I make Said Cutie mine? Ladies, tell me how I should romance her, excite her and win her over again -- without trying too hard.

Recommend a birthday gift for 2-year-old twins, ships internationally and costs under $50... uh, please?

Chorus — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 11:13:55 -0800

Recommend a birthday gift for 2-year-old twins, ships internationally and costs under $50... uh, please? The twins are a boy and a girl, really REALLY into Elmo and cats. I'm in UK, they're in the States. I've not met them in person, but I talk with them and their mom like everyday phone-wise due to work and now mutual friendship. Never fear, I'm also getting a gift for their mother too, cause hey, these are 2-year-old twins we're talking about.

The problem is what to get the little ones? I haven't been around kids in years, so I feel really clueless. I can knit and crochet but it's too hot where they are [ML] to send like a crocheted afghan/knitted jumpers that are the mainstay of what I usually make for kids. A [free] plush animal knit/crochet pattern that doesnt wreck my head is hard to come by.

Handmade or bought, I don't care - I just have to be able to ship it internationally, so nothing too bulky either. Please help me find a decent gift! Or do social norms require a gift for each twin?

So an improv wannabe walks into a bar....

moooshy — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:23:26 -0800

Improv Comedy Filter: I just moved to Chicago and everyone tells me "To meet people like you, you gotta join an improv troup!" The problem is: there's like 30 of them, and they're all different. So Chicago (or improv) fans: What's the deal with these improv classes, which do you recommend, and what's the best way for a newbie to the city to get situated in the scene?

Why can't we get 1 b/s/Hz?

PuGZ — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 04:47:57 -0800

Why, in wireless transmissions of data, can we not achieve 1.0 bits per second per Hertz? (Or have we already done it?) I've been reading that the effectiveness of radio transmission is measured in bits/s/Hz and I realised that we can only get 2.25% effectiveness (54mbit over 2.4GHz) on consumer-level equipment. I hope these calculations are correct and I haven't horribly misunderstood the nomenclature. If I have, please let me know! If I haven't, can someone explain why we can't get closer to 100% efficiency?