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I'm thinking about taking early retirement in a year. I will have enough quarters worked to be eligible, but I've been mostly self employed. So the amount I contributed during those quarters wasn't much. Is there a minimum amount they pay? Any links would be greatly appreciated. TIA

I'm writing a scene where a doctor tries to hypnotize a patient and discovers she can be hypnotized. Would that be a rare thing or are there a lot of people who can be hypnotized?

Despite the nature of the question, it belongs in this group more than any other. Hulu.com just picked up a movie called "One Day Like Rain." I've watched it four times in four days and it just keeps getting better.

I can't imagine a better film in philosophical terms. The movie is very subjective and open to interpretation. I have mine. For those of you who have seen the film, I'd love to hear yours. For those of you who haven't, but would like to here's the link.

http://www.hulu.com/search?query=One+Day+Like+Rain...

Hulu is a free service, but I'm sure the film is MA rated. So you might have to register to see it.

BTW: I always chose a Best Answer. It may take me a couple of days, but I always chose one. If people are going to have the courtesy to answer my questions, it's the least I can do.

I want to add some detail to a scene I'm writing. I need the name (common not technical) of any pink wildflowers, small to medium in size that would grow wild in temperate climates. TIA

I hope this question doesn't get deleted. I'm not trying to be crude. I'm a writer. The other night I was watching reruns of an old tv show, Dead Like Me. Three women were having a conversation about how their nipples got hard when they sneezed.

It seemed like a nice detail to paint into one of my characters, but I'm not sure how real it is. I figured the best way would be to ask some women. Is that the norm, the exception or is it strictly bullshit made up for television?

I'm writing a scene in a novel and it involves a pregnant woman whose water breaks. Since the scene is told from her POV I'd like to know what that feels like. Can anyone describe any physical, mental or emotional senses that would help me capture what she was experiencing in that moment?

A few years ago I started watching a lot of music DVDs featuring a very talented female violinist. I found her performances so overwhelming that I felt compelled to do something artistic with my life. I choose writing. A couple of years and two published novels later, I decided I needed to find a critique partner to give me feedback on my work and point out obvious editorial errors I might have overlooked.

I joined a small online writers group and got to know the members. Finding a critique partner isn't easy. Showing someone early drafts of your work requires a certain level of trust and comfort. There was one woman who I felt very comfortable sharing my work with and we've been critique partners for more than six months now and finally started to learn a little about each other. Last night I learned that she's a violinist.

The number of female violinists who are also authors has to be very small. The odds that I would unknowingly choose one as a critique partner must be astronomical. I have always believed that everything and everyone in the universe is connected and there are underlying reasons for all that happens. I believe I just found proof of that. Do you agree or disagree?

BTW: Nothing romantic going on here. She's happily married and I'm positively ancient.