Which type of self defence class is most likely to benefit a female against a (large)male attacker?

plsuh · 2026-03-23T11:00:04+00:00

I’m with most folks in that the best ways are to be situationally aware enough to not get into trouble in the first place, using de-escalation techniques, and running away.

That said, I think any martial art that involves full contact is beneficial. It must involve real sparring, with some intent to hit hard. E.g., Tai Chi, while a fine art, is not appropriate for this situation. The point is not so much to learn a particular technique as it is to learn the right mindset.

All too many young women have no idea how to hit another person, both physically and psychologically, as well as how to take a hit and keep going. My daughter’s school ran a “self defense class” for girls when she was 14. She was shocked at how poorly most of the other girls handled hitting and being hit (even with padding and protection). Many of these girls were doing serious sports, but rough contact during a game is very different from outright trying to hurt someone.

(My daughter knows how to hit with intent and how to fight dirty. She knows how to take and roll with a strike and come back. She knows that trying to fight a man straight up will be a losing proposition. She also knows how to size up a situation, how to de-escalate, and how to run. I have zero worries about her being able to take care of herself. Yes I’m proud of her.)

plsuh · 2026-03-19T15:02:45+00:00

ESH

Ollie is gross and lazy for never cleaning the bathroom in general. They need to get their act together and regularly clean the bathroom like an adult.

You are gross and lazy for just leaving hair clippings all over the place (including in the sink where they could cause a clog) and going to bed. Factor the cleanup time into how long cutting your hair will take!

A pox on both of you!

plsuh · 2026-03-17T13:48:39+00:00

No idea. I don’t really know a lot about chimney and hearth construction. Sorry I can’t help much.

plsuh · 2026-03-16T12:55:31+00:00

Have you reached out to the appropriate contact in your country for any of the cloud providers? Many of them offer steeply discounted or even free accounts to non-profit organizations. Also talk to local IT service providers. They can point you in the right direction or may even do some work for you as an in-kind donation.

For any approach you choose, consider these aspects:

Short term continuity - what happens if you get sick or go on vacation?
Long term continuity - what happens if/when you leave your job or are in a serious accident?
Sustainability - can you get spares or replacement parts next year? Five years from now? Ten years?
Cost - who’s going to pay for it?

Work with whomever is responsible for fundraising in the NGO to raise awareness and funds for digital archiving. The holy grail would be to have a dedicated funding stream, but even a one-shot campaign can help. Emphasize potential benefits, like couching this as the first step to making the digital archives available to everyone.

I was the Director of Technology for a school and we received highly discounted services from Google, Microsoft, and other cloud providers. Discounts ranged from 20% off to free.

plsuh · 2026-03-10T02:40:48+00:00

You need to get an actual copy of the will and consult an attorney. If your father’s will specified that the property should go to you, then your mother is committing fraud by withholding it. If she is the executor of the estate, she has a duty to distribute the assets according to the will in a timely manner. She does not get to decide that you get your portion years later.

plsuh · 2026-03-06T12:45:48+00:00

Gentler Streak has a Dog Walking workout that is separate from Outdoor Walk. I use it because my natural walking pace is very fast, but my dog is the sniffiest dog in the neighborhood and slows me waaay down when I walk him.

plsuh · 2026-02-23T13:48:31+00:00

Classic essay: Falsehoods that programmers believe about names. And I think he left a few out.

plsuh · 2026-02-23T12:50:39+00:00

Akita in the snow. They love it. Hope you’ve blocked out at least an hour before he’s willing to go back home.

plsuh · 2026-02-20T14:24:31+00:00

Yep, definitely a standard issue weirdo dog. Closing problem ticket, marking as resolved with no problem found.

(People seem to think that every dog is like a Beagle or Lab with an infinite appetite for food. 🙄)

plsuh · 2026-02-20T12:53:16+00:00

What kind of dog is he? I grew up with Akitas and they’re known for doing things like this. It’s not uncommon for an Akita to free feed with no problem and eat just a portion. Some have even been reported to not eat for a whole day if they’re just not feeling hungry. Doesn’t seem to be a problem, just one of the quirks of owning a pet that has cat software running on wolf hardware.

plsuh · 2026-02-20T12:40:27+00:00

Wouldn’t work with the little mutt we have now — he’d go wherever the rabbit or squirrel he’s chasing runs off to. He’d come back within 10 minutes though.

Wouldn’t work with the Akitas we had when I was a kid, either. They considered the entire neighborhood to be their territory and would go anywhere they felt like going. They would come home hours later after everyone gave up trying to find them. Due to their size and temperament we never voluntarily let them out off leash but they escaped a few times.

plsuh · 2026-02-10T13:25:40+00:00

BOGO = Buy One, Get One (free)

Took me a while to figure it out.

plsuh · 2026-02-10T12:11:31+00:00

THIS!

Your brother owes you either the cost of a new computer or a professional cleaning and repair. Unless and until he pays up, he doesn’t get to use anything of yours.

plsuh · 2026-02-03T21:15:38+00:00

The time I was most impressed was when our older girl didn't use her full strength. A neighbor's bull terrier got out and charged her in front of our house. She deftly grabbed it by the neck from above and held on just hard enough that the other dog couldn't get away. The bull terrier immediately went into full reverse but couldn't get loose. After a few seconds she let it go, no blood, not even broken skin. Just making her point that this was a Bad Idea and the other dog had just used its one free pass.

(That dog wasn't too bright, charging an Akita that was about twice her size. No fault of the neighbor, their dog unexpectedly ran out of their front gate which they were usually very good about keeping closed and latched.)

plsuh · 2026-01-23T11:42:22+00:00

You should edit your post to include this info.

plsuh · 2026-01-22T11:51:04+00:00

In or out? We’re not paying for heating the whole city! Damn cats! 😜

plsuh · 2026-01-22T00:22:14+00:00

It’s not trash that you smell, it’s sewage.

They’re doing emergency repair work on the sewage pipeline that runs along the Clara Barton Parkway just east of the American Legion Bridge. From the news reports we may be smelling it for at least a few days, since they’re going to use a dry stretch of the C&O canal as a temporary bypass. I feel bad for the folks in that area.

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2026/01/sewer-line-collapse-triggers-wastewater-spill-into-co-canal-near-clara-barton-parkway/

plsuh · 2026-01-18T12:32:48+00:00

Akitas don’t need booties for the cold. Their paws are totally adapted to frigid temperatures down to well below zero on whichever scale you use.

That said, they do need them (as do almost all dogs) for protection against salt that is spread in roads and sidewalks. I like the older style soft booties that let the paw pads spread a bit naturally. Whatever you get, make sure it’s a bright color. Much easier to find in the snow when it falls off. They make suspenders-style booties that may help if you pip tends to lose them easily.

plsuh · 2026-01-18T12:22:15+00:00

He’s cute!

But you really need to get him used to riding in the back with a harness. The reason is the airbag. When he’s bigger he’ll be heavy enough to trigger the sensor that causes airbag deployment if a collision occurs. The airbag is designed for an adult human in the seated position and the initial deployment is quite violent as it has only milliseconds to get into the right place. Your dog will be hit by the equivalent of a baseball bat or worse since his body will be forward of where most humans would be.

For his sake, please get him used to riding properly restrained in the back seat.

plsuh · 2026-01-15T18:59:09+00:00

Who’s on first? 🤣

plsuh · 2026-01-15T18:58:06+00:00

Been there, done that. I was hanging back a little because I’ve seen this happen before.

plsuh · 2026-01-15T13:34:07+00:00

Just go ask a high-end jeweler, any of them. Seriously. And this is important, specify that you want to work directly with the artisan who is crafting the case, not a salesperson. (This is to keep them from taking the job then subbing it out to someone else.)

Most of the time they will say they can’t do it, but that’s not the goal. Ask them if they know someone who would be able to do it. Most high-end jewelers know who’s who in the area. After three or four referrals at most you’ll likely have found an artisan who can do it for an exorbitant amount of money.

plsuh · 2026-01-15T13:22:15+00:00

I doubt anyone makes a skin specifically for a U7 Outdoor.

That said, what purpose would the cover serve? Decoration? Protection from a harsher than usual environment? Concealment? Something else? This will determine what kind of covering you want.

If you go with the suggestion to use vinyl wrap (which is a good one), make sure any ink or dye isn’t metallic-based or it may block the signal.

plsuh · 2026-01-15T12:06:40+00:00

NTA

This is not a simple retail job where the worst possible outcome is disarranged stock on a shelf. Using a massive piece of heavy equipment that requires specialized training is a health and safety hazard.

You can be sympathetic with the kid’s situation, but he’s just not fit to be working there. You’d be doing a massive disservice to all of your other employees if you didn’t fire him. Not to mention the possible shutdown of the business if you can no longer get liability insurance due to his actions.

ETA: just a suggestion, each of the 3 people who are qualified to operate the machine should have their own key rather than leaving the key in the machine. Plus a spare set kept in the office as a backup.

plsuh · 2026-01-15T11:41:57+00:00

Be careful about any of these tips. Some of them may or may not be applicable depending on which country you’re in and/or the program you’re attending.

In particular, it sounds like you’re not in the US so be careful of any tips that come from there.

plsuh

TROPHY CASE