Jinx U

A friend of mine has been hospitalized with Goodpasture's Syndrome. I'm having trouble finding out what the treatment options and chances of full recovery are for this disease.

What can you tell me about the disease besides that it's an autoimmune disorder that targets the lungs and kidneys?

I want to buy a bike to ride to work, but I have no idea how to go about finding a good one. (Heck, I thought bikes cost $150...they do, at Target, but I'm told those aren't the best bikes.)

What makes a bike good? How do I pick one out for myself? What should I expect to pay?

I figure I don't need a mountain bike since I'll be riding on asphalt bike paths, and obviously, I'll want a woman's model, but other than that, I'm clueless.

And what about helmets, ect? I know I need a helmet, but how do I pick one out and what makes a good one?

Any advice, tips, or suggestions you can give me will be appreciated! Thanks!

She's got lots of cat scratchers - she has the rope-type scratchers, the cardboard kind, and even a nice carpeted cat-condo, but she keeps going back to clawing the woodwork in doorways. I've even tried spraying her with a water bottle when she does it. I've tried those sticky strips, too - those work, kinda, but they get really gross really fast.

I live in an apartment! This place isn't mine - I can't just let her destroy the woodwork...

I really don't want to have her declawed. She happens to be a really good mouser for one, and for another, it just seems like a brutal process...

Someone suggested trimming her nails...will this actually stop her from clawing?

Once upon a time, I didn't think that money really mattered, but one day, I would like to own my own home. It's hard to do that w/o some cold hard cash coming in. I'm considering starting a career in massage therapy and would like to know from individuals in the field approximately how much they make.

My boyfriend just got Lollapalooza tickets!! Woo hoooo! But now we've got to find a good place to stay.

Yesterday, Apple introduced the iPod Hi Fi. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out (www.apple.com) and give me you opinion on it, please. If you have seen it - what do you think? I'm just wondering how much of a market there is for something like this...

I've had my mattress for about two years now, and it occurred to me the other day that I've never flipped it (unless it got turned over in last year's move...not sure). Are you supposed to flip them occasionally? Any idea how often?

I'd like to go talk to my local bank about the possibily of purchasing a bank-foreclosed home or a home about to go into foreclosure. I'm not sure what to ask my banker, though! Can anybody suggest questions?

I just won a $15 gift certificate in a drawing for Mary Kay. Can anybody recommend their favorite Mary Kay product to spend my winnings on?

Some things that might help you make a recommendation:

I have very dry and very sensitive skin

I rarely wear nail polish - not skilled enough to put it on!

I've already got a foundation I like a lot

I'd like to buy a home, and am trying to find out details on buying foreclosures. How do I go about finding and inspecting homes going to auction? What do I need to do to prepare? Have any real people (ie, you or someone you actually know) had any good/bad experiences buying foreclosures you can share?

I'd like to make some extra money in my spare time. I've read up on massage therapy, been to a professional massage therapist, and have practiced a bit on friends and family - it's nice to work with my hands and to do something positive for others. I currently have a 9-5 type job. Do you think it's worth it to take a certification course and start doing some massage therapy on the side... part-time and weekends? Does anybody know how expensive and/or time consuming it is to get a certification? I'm also sorta-kinda considering going back to school to become a chiropractor and thought that having a massage therapy certification might help me work my way through chiropractic college. What do you think?

Silly question, I know... My boyfriend and I have been laughing about the appearance of Chocodiles on the cartoon American Dad. With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it'd be a funny gift for him, but I've checked every grocery store I can think of and can't find them.

Is it fun? Can you actually make a little bit of mad money while you're shopping? If you have, what company did you go shop through?

For example - Coach. I love some of their bags and the quality of the leather, stitching, and design seem to be pretty darn good - but not that much better than some others.

Or Fendi? I saw some Fendi purses in Nordstom's Rack the other day. It was the first time I recognized one in a store, so I took a look. Maybe it was just the one design, but it didn't seem to be anything all that special. The fabric it was made out of was stiff and a little unpleasant to touch, for example. (I expect those were poor examples of Fendi bags since they wound up in Nordstroms outlet store...but still.)

I've been curious about this since I got interested in handbags about a year ago.

Any comments?

I took a college course on Indian culture and heard some of the stories of Rama from the professor and just loved them. I went to the library to find more, but everything I found was in poem form. While lovely, I'm not used to reading poetry and would really like to find classic Indian mythology stories in novel form. Does such a thing exist?

I've always loved Great Danes and would one day like to own one. I've never had a dog, though, and want to make sure that A) I can handle a dog that big, B) I know how to properly train a Dane, and C) I have enough room for one.

I'm planning to one day get a Dane from one of the rescues run in the US and from what I understand, they make sure that you'll be a good owner before they'll give you ownership. But how can I prepare? Does anybody know how much room a Great Dane needs? (Will I need acres? I'm assuming Danes aren't apartment dogs - is that a correct assumption?)

I'll be going in the winter, if that helps narrow down your suggestions.

Thanks everybody!

My parents 30th wedding anniversary is next year and they've never been on a honeymoon. We (my siblings and I) would like to get the family together to send them on one, but we're not cash-rich at the moment and are not sure what the best experience would be for the money. None of us have ever done much travelling. Does anyone have any comments on the value of an all-inclusive resort? Would this be a good honeymoon gift?

I had acrylic fingernails put on a couple days ago for a company holiday party. I've never had them before and I don't know how to take care of them or remove them when I'm tired of them. They're lovely, but eventually, I'm going to want them off. How do I get them off??