@olugbam: Not sure I would use "top" to reference this particular academy.

"Oh, we see you're one of the lucky 3% of workers who received a 66% performance-based pay increase. Please note in your contract we're now required to raise your room and board fees by an equivalent amount."

@Claytons: er, *no*

@suburbancowboy: Note lutefisk around, but swear I smelled it as I read your comment.

@SciotoSurfer: What was the specialist's specialty? A podiatrist isn't qualified do more than speculate on possible causes, and should probably not go far into the speculation. They're outside of their training and knowledge on both chemicals and and the nervous system. Even a nuerologist w/neurodiagnostic testing…

@suburbancowboy: Lye breaks down in water to harmless ions. It's fine.

@PoSmedley: Lye is not that bad and ammonia is relatively harmless unless mixed with bleach. It's very possible to use oven cleaner safely. Just know what you're doing, wear the proper gear and ensure proper ventilation and everyone will be A-OK.

If you use a lye oven cleaner, just remember to rinse what you can with water, then a water-acid solution like diluted vinegar to neutralize any remaining residue. Also, obviously, important to use gloves and lots of ventilation. Mask and safety glasses are not a bad idea if you're a messy cleaner. Lye is completely…

@SciotoSurfer: Never heard of nerve damage from lye. Not sure there's a causal relationship between your nerve issues and use of lye-based oven cleaner. In general, you shoudl always clean lye residue with an acid (vinegar works) before contacting the cleaned surface with wet skin. Lye is very safe when used properly.

@jeffk: Good question. I've always made this decision on convenience alone. I find the powder to be a hassle to deal with, but it's a tad cheaper so if it cleans better, it just might be worth using.

@Claytons: Ugh, sorry. guilty of not RTFA

Another very helpful tip: don't use dryer sheets. Seriously, doesn't everyone know this by now? They cause smells and dirt to stick to your fabrics and dramatically shorten the life of the garment.

@Matt Thompson: With the HE or similar front-loading machines used by most laundromats, there's not enough water to rinse the detergent from your clothes if you introduce it in this way.

I will gladly trade my insomnia to anyone who wants to stay up all night.

@SharpnPointy: I worked for a winery one year and for the harvest season it was 6 days a week for 12 hours (sometimes more), and the drive home was 30 miles of unlit, windy roads. Half my coworkers were drunk by the time we got off. No idea how none of us died. I swear I dodged deer that didn't exist.

@tuxus: I'd be very surprised to hear that contemporary research was saying that there's an optimal amount of sleep that's consistant for everyone.

I prefer Staub to the now-ubiquitous Le Creusets. Better handles, better-fitting lids, and I prefer the look. But honestly, the Ikea dutch oven I bought years ago performs almost as well as the expensive stuff. Basically when you reach the cut-off from cheap-ish to the very expensive you're paying for how good the…

I do this sort of thing all the time. Or used to. The fun ended when the ballista I'd constructed using binder clips, rubber bands and the side of a filing cabinet drawer launched a projectile over my intended target and smack into a Judge's back. Oops.

Never did it, ever, until I started sleeping with a partner who did it and woke up ealrier than I did.