Annie

I just got a refurbed iPhone from my cell phone company (AT&T). Am loving the phone, but when I woke up this morning, my entire contact list had just vanished. My favorites list was still there, although none of the numbers on that list showed the names they would have been under in the contact list. I have tried the Apple site for troubleshooting and plan to set up for a tech call but wanted to know if anyone here might have an idea on why it happened or suggestions on how to keep it from happening again. Thanks

My husband is attending a farewell potluck. The guest of honor has requested spicy food..he can take a lot of heat. I am trying to find a good recipe for buffalo wings..mainly for the sauce...or a very spicy dip that would go well with meatballs. This way, the folks who want hot can dip and the folks who don't will have something as well. Anything that works well in the crock pot is a plus as they will have limited options to re-heat anything. Thanks so much!

We live in a rented, three story townhouse. The heating system was never particularly amazing, but it did a good enough job..it we set the thermastat, it would get to the temp we wanted. Two bedrooms upstairs did not get a whole lot of heat or AC, but again, we could work with that. The system was older and ended up dying..the landlords put in a whole new system and we've have nothing but problems ever since. Basically, the colder it is outside, the colder it stays inside. I have to set the thermostat to nearly 80 and the system runs constantly, but the temp on the main floor won't budge above 68-70. In one upstairs bedroom, the temp will usually hover closer to 60. We've have the company back out several times..first he replaced the thermostat..nothing. Then he said it is because the vents need to be cleaned..however all the research I have done on that state cleaning the vents is more for health reasons than anything else. I removed one duct cover and yes, it is pretty gross in there, but there is nothing blocking any of the vent openings. I am thinking the AC company talked our landlords into a unit that is too small or not powerful enough for our townhouse or they are simply not fixing the issue. I would appreciate any input from someone with experience or knowledge in the HVAC field. We are going to pay to have the vents thoroughly cleaned, but I would like a basic tutorial in how the systems work and what to expect once the vents are clean (generally speaking of course).

A couple of years ago at Otakon in Baltimore, I purchased some Cat Boy art from the Artist's Alley. During a move, the artwork was lost. I would love to find the artist's to try and replace the artwork and see what else they have. I recall they had pins for yaoi lovers and even had a calendar of Cat Boy artwork. If anyone has any suggestions or can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it! Thanks so much.

My hubby just got his new BDU's. These are the new, digitized uniforms and I know we are supposed to use certain detergents to wash them. Of course, he cut off all the tags and threw them away before I got home, so I have no idea what I am supposed to avoid in laundry soap or what I should look for. If anyone can tell me (or even suggest a brand of detergent) I would really appreciate it! Thanks...

actually benefit/showed improvement from the use of dietary plans/supplements?

There has been quite a bit in the media about the use of gluten/dairy free diets, viatmin therapies and other non-tradional treatments as a way to minimize, and in some cases, even remove, the outward signs of autism. As a parent of an autistic child, I know far more families that these plans have proven ineffective than ones that produced the results that have been talked about on shows like Oprah and Larry King. While I am thrilled for families who have been helped, I wondered if any reports had been released that showed the percentage of children that were helped. An article in People some months back had a comment from a specialist at Kennedy Kriegar stating these treatments were effective in less than 10% of the kids on the spectrum. Has anyone read the research behind this statement? And, if you have tried the diet, did it help or not, did you stay with it, how did it affect your family overall? Thanks...

I work in a small retail store at my local mall. I enjoy my job and even though I only work part time, take a great deal of pride in getting things done. I have been there for over a year. In the spring our manager moved out of state. Since then, the assitant manager has been acting manager. Our parent company shows no sign of getting us a manager or promoting the assitant to the position. During this time, my responsibilities and the expectations on me have increased, mainly because I am willing to take on new tasks and my boss knows I am dependeble and reliable..the job will get done and done well. My hours increased dramatically and I have been more than willing to fill in where and when it is needed. to the point it has impacted the time I have to spend with my family (being retail, I fully understand and expect to work weekends and evenings, so that has never been an issue). However, in the past few weeks, it has become clear that some of the other employees are taking advantage of our temp managers aversion to conflict...he approves all requests for time off, often leaving me to pick up the slack. It has come to my attention that two of the other key members of our staff have both asked for extensive time off immediately before Christmas. Since I worked for the company last holiday season, I know this period of time is a black out (meaning that time off will only be given for emergency situations), even though the official statement has not come down yet. The manager has verbally approved both of the requests, meaning that the weekend before Christmas there will only be two of us available to run things. We often have a second location during the holidays and greatly extended hours, so I am not sure how this can be accomplished with so few staff. We are hoping to have a manager by then, but there is no garuntee..we have been waiting nearly 6 months already. I want to address my concerns, as well as the fact that I am rapidly burning out from being the one to cover for everyone else's time off. However, this is a very small staff...he desperately wants to avoid conflict between everyone and I am relatively sure he will not change anything. How do I handle this? Is it time to go to the district manager? Do I simply refuse any requests to cover for others unless there is an emergency? Or should I take the route the rest of the staff seems to go and dictate a very set and limited schedule and refuse to go beyond it? It is not my nature to be so limiting, but I am tired of being the only one he can count on and really want to know that I will have at least some time with my family each week.

My husband and teen daughter have started making their own video blogs, using the video chat camera we have. I would like to get the two of them a better, digital video recorder as a gift. I can go up to $200 but whenever I look at the information I get confused. Any recommendations or suggestions on units would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks

I work in a bookstore and we are doing a launch party for the latest book in a popular series. The party theme is vampires, so am looking for good snack/cookie recipes that would work with it. Most of the sites and books I have have plenty of cupcake ideas, but I am more interested in cookies as I will have to make several dozen and the cookies will leave far less mess and less chance of frosting on the books in the store. Thanks for any ideas...I appreciate it.

I am interested in joining the local curves. Knowing that the cost can vary from location to location, can anyone give me a general idea of what membership can run. I want an idea before I go and speak with them. Also any input on if the program worked for you, if you feel it was worth the cost and overall opinions/impressions/comments. Thanks so much.

I am a plus size woman and just love some of the halter tops out for the summer, especially the ones with the flowing, peasant look. However, we aren't allowed to go bare-armed at work so I would have to wear something over them...what works? Should I get a shrug with a cropped cut or something the same length as the top?? Any help would be appreciated..

This is an odd request...I just read about the Vogue going on sale April 26 that has Hello Kitty doing a Dior fashion spread. We lived in Japan for several years and I just find this to be too funny and fabulous. If anyone in Japan would be willing, I will gladly "trade" for something from here for the Vogue. You can email me directly if you like..thanks

I am the office manager for a single provider therapy practice. Over the past two years, we have had increasing issues with patients paying thier bills on time (or at all). We have instituted a pay at the time services rendered policy, but want to be able to give patients the option of paying by credit card. I have tried to find a company that is set up to work specificlly with either therapists or small businesses. Because of how the office works, we would not be swiping the card at the end of each session, but would be entering all the information in for all the patients at the end of each day. Any advice on how to research this or any suggestions of companies to work with is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I am a bit confused about the proposed tax rebate. I know in the past, this idea has been floated before, but it wasn't really a rebate, but a loan against your next tax return/refund. If this the same basic idea? While I am always in favor of getting more money back from the government, I also know that they are not in a position to give money away without taking it from someplace else or having to raise taxes in the long run. If someone would explain this to me, I would appreciate it!

My son has autism and attends a specialized program. His class has a teacher and two aides. He is also especially close with his speech therapist and two other aides that were in his class but were recently rotated to another room. I want to give each person a holiday gift, but an stumped as well limited by funds! Last year, I found wonderful ornaments that could hold photos and put quotes on teaching special ed, autism, speech, etc inside and they were a huge hit! I could do that again for a few of the people as they are new, but several of them recieved that gift last year. I tend to bake for them as well, but have a new job this year so do not want to count on doing that as time seems to be sneaking away from me more often than it did before! Thanks

A good friend's daughte (mid twenties) and her boyfriend (about the same age) are planning to go to Turkey from Spain for a few weeks this spring. While the US State Dept. has no formal travel advisories, there have been some issues with terrorist attacks that have both her mother and myself worried. Both kids have US Passports only and the young lady is Jewish, her boyfriend Catholic. In general, is travelling to Turkey reasonably safe and/or a good idea? I admit to knowing very little of the area other than what I have read online and what is going on in military circles from people deployed to that area. Thanks.

My family and I live in a rented townhouse. The lease and all the bills are in our name. Back in Feb., a friend moved in with us (it was originally temporary) as his lease was up and he was due to deploy in the early spring. The deployment was cancelled and because of some other issues, he has stayed with us since then. He pays a sum to us each month to help with rent, utilities, room and board. My question is, does this money need to be counted as income on our taxes (my husband and myself) as it passed through our checking account? My husband says it should, but am thinking it is no different than any other room mate situation since we rent the home, not own it. Any links would be helpful. Thanks so much.

A friend's daughter and her boyfriend..both early 20's..are planning to go to Spain and then find work. From researching the process and talking to them, it is pretty clear they will be working illegally as they will not have the appropriate work visas or resident permits. I have read that currently Spain is cracking down more on illegal workers, fining them and deporting them. The two kids feel this is not a huge issue..worth the risk for a year in Spain. However, both are going into careers that will involve in depth criminal records checks when being hired. My question is, would a deportation (if done formally..not just go home or else sort of thing) show up on their records? Thanks...

I have a 13 yr old whom has been homeschooling for the past 4 years. A recent move, a serious accident and the loss of one of the family cars left her pretty isolated for most of the past six months. She is finally able to get out and about, but we are having a tough time with friendships. While she goes to two or three weekly classes/clubs/etc with other homechoolers, it is nearly impossible to co-ordinate get togehters like hanging out at the mall, sleep overs, etc. Most homeschoolers have packed schedules and weekends are geared toward family time. There are fewer kids still homeschooling once you reach jr. high and high school and our neighborhood has very few kids as well. I am stumped...we have tried organizing clubs, social outings, sponsering field trips..you name it. Does anyone else feel this way at times and how did you deal with it? I just need ideas and to know I am not the only one out there with this issue.

I just read the interview with Jenny McCarthy in People discussing her autistic son. While any awareness is good news for the autism community at large, and while they did print some information that deals with the move realistic, average world of autism (in the box toward the end of the article) I have to admit I was very angry with both her veiws (and those she quoted of Holly Pete Robinson) that if you get your child services soon enough you can "pull him out of autism" or into a type of autistic remission. I feel comments like that do a huge diservice to the autism community at large and minimize the struggles many families face. Both of these women, who have struggled to provide the best services for thier kids (and I admire that) are fortunate enough to have both the location (CA has some of the best programs in the country on state and local levels) and the finances (many of us can't afford a second mortgage...or even a first...to finance over $200,000 in supportive services a