Sara M

I would like to have a DNA test done to see whether two half-sisters (same dad, different moms) are biologically related. The father in question died 25 years ago, cremated, no chance of getting a DNA sample from him.

I know that what I need is an X-chromosome DNA test, but I don't know where to get one without spending $900 or some ridiculous amount of money. Has anyone gotten an X-chromosome test and would like to share their experiences, where you got the test kit, how much it cost, how long it takes for the results, etc.?

Thanks in advance.

Okay, so I ran out of dishwashing soap (I usually use Dawn, with the foaming pump) and getting more in the middle of the week is problematic.

So I got creative and put a little liquid laundry detergent into the pump and filled it the rest of the way with water, to approximate the consistency of the Dawn.

From what I can tell, it works great - the suds rinse away a little faster than Dawn, but it seems to get the dishes really clean. Seems like a great return on investment of about .10 worth of laundry detergent vs. a new bottle of Dawn ($2.85) so, am I missing anything here?

Any particular reason that it might be a bad idea to wash your dishes with laundry soap?

Hopefully someone in the know can help steer me in the right direction. My little guy just turned 3 and [in my opinion] is ready for some socialization. How are the different options for his age classified? What should I be looking for?

What I don't want: Daycare, playtime dropoff, mom's day out, anything that resembles babysitting - my kids have a wonderful bilingual nanny that provides plenty of activities and supervision in my home.

What I do want: Teachers, structured activities, field trips, art projects, this sort of thing. A classroom where kids can play some, too.

Also, does anyone know of a list or database online to search for nearby preschools?

So apparently I have managed to max out the available memory in my Wii. Mostly by downloading WiiWare games that I play frequently.

This must be a pretty common problem, although I've had some difficulty tracking down the "obvious answer" to my dilemma.

Is there a way of buying a larger "brain" for my Wii? I don't really relish the idea of copying crap back and forth to SIM cards or re-downloading WiiWare all the time.

Someone in the know do me a favor and point me in the right direction?

Okay, suppose that during an Olympic event - out of the blue - a very obscure country manages to win a gold medal.

For argument's sake, let's say it's a REALLY obscure country. The kind that sends ONE competitor for the entire games. A token delegation, just some guy who's thrilled to be an Olympian.

Okay, so what would happen? Would the venue magically be able to produce a flag from Obscuria? What about the national anthem? Do they really keep flags and anthems from ALL countries on hand "just in case"?

I'm guessing no, mainly because of the sheer numbers of countries, venues, and the extremely long odds that such a situation would ever arise. But they've surely got a contingency plan?

What about recently formed nations, maybe so new nobody's had a chance to compose an anthem or design a flag? What's the rule in that case?

I figure since the US has hosted the Games recently, someone out there should know.

I just finished playing through the new Zelda Phantom Hourglass game and I loved it! Best game I've played on DS so far. I want a new game to play now, but my track record is pretty spotty for picking out games that I'll actually play.

I like games that combine elements of action, adventure, and puzzle / strategy.

I like games that have online multiplayer capabilities.

I don't like sports games, 1st person shooters, pet simulations, and violent-type war or fighting games. (Although I do like Stronghold and Civilization-type strategy games. Go figure.)

Here's the games I already have: Super Mario 64 DS, New Super Mario Brothers, Planet Puzzle League, Tetris DS, Castlevania, Touchmaster, Jam Sessions, Animal Crossing, Brain Age, Brain Age 2, Flash Focus, Drill Spirits, Goblet of Fire, World Championship Poker, Zelda Phantom Hourglass, MarioKart DS, Magnetica, Warioware, Big Brain Academy, Cooking Mama, Polarium, Clubhouse Games, Mario vs Donkey Kong 2.

My mother-in-law constantly recommends that people take antibiotics. She buys the pills on trips to Mexico and then doles them out to her family and friends.

While she does have a background in medicine (she is retired) she doesn't seem to recognize that antibiotics are misused on a virus. I got a blank look when I tried to explain it to her - and now I'm met with blatant hostility when I shun her attempts to medicate my small children at the slightest cold or bout of diarrhea.

She is the major caretaker of her 4 year old grandson. He seems to be constantly ill, has yet to potty train successfully, sleeps poorly, and is very agressive towards my children. I worry that she may have compromised his immune system with too many antibiotics.

What should I do? I love her and just want to help.

I bought this game used from Gamestop the other day, and I played it for a few minutes (the introductory scene where it teaches you how to play - the Quidditch World Cup section)... and I was horrified at how stupid this game seems.

I really liked the Chamber of Secrets game and the Prisoner of Azkaban one, but this one seems immeasurably worse than those.

Is it just me? Or does this game really suck? If the consensus on here is that it sucks, back it goes, to Gamestop. If everyone tells me that it just starts off slow but is a good game later on, I'll tough it out and keep going.

Surely somebody, somewhere has found a way to IM using the Wii and/or DS. Someone please point me in the right direction?

Where's the best place to meet up with other people to exchange friend codes for Animal Crossing? Seems like there's not as many people playing this on Wifi anymore.

(If you want to exchange friend codes, leave your YIM name and I'll contact you.)

Also, has anyone heard anything new about the Wii version of Animal Crossing?

I'm worried about a family member's small son - while unsupervised, their three-year old killed 5 baby ducklings.

Anyone with some background in child psychology? Even allowing for the fact that the child should have been supervised (and/or should not be allowed to handle ducklings at all, IMO)... is it normal for a 3 year old to lack empathy to this degree?

To be more specific, should this occurence be viewed as a terrible accident, nobody's fault, any 3 year old might have done the same thing - or is it a sign that the child might be having emotional problems?