skip to main content
October 2006 Archives (all archives)
October 31
My flight from Bangkok to New York includes a seven-hour layover in Beijing. Is it feasible (and worthwhile) to leave the airport to do a little exploring?
[more inside]
posted by chickletworks at 11:44 PM PST - 14 comments
I teach graduate writing and research. I'm pretty confident with the way I teach the
spirit of citation (it's what we have in the humanities instead of the scientific method), but what draconian pedagogy can I use to soul-crushingly impose format dread on my unruly grad students?
[more inside]
posted by Mngo at 8:50 PM PST - 21 comments 
Help my roommate locate a certain book about an ancient king who discovers the secret to immortality, lives for hundreds of years, and now owns a fragrance shop in Paris.
[more inside]
posted by PercussivePaul at 8:38 PM PST - 14 comments 
Female fertility questions. I'm in my mid thirties and married within the last year. I want to know what my chances of having kids are, but everything I find on the web says you can go to a "fertility clinic" after you have tried to have kids for a while and not succeeded. That's not going to help me, because we're not ready to have kids RIGHT NOW. Also, what are fertility tests for women like?
[more inside]
posted by Go, now. Go! at 7:43 PM PST - 19 comments 
What I suspect is a fairly stupid javascript question, but one I haven't found an ideal solution for. I four menus made out of unordered lists. I'm using a modified version of the suckerfish dropdown script to make it work in IE (code inside), in one place I want 1 of the four menus to stay open except when I hover on one of the remaining menus. i.e. menu1 is visible. when I mouseover menu2, menu1 is hidden. When I mouseout of menu2 menu1 reappears.
[more inside]
posted by Grod at 6:57 PM PST - 6 comments 
I'm researching nearlyfreespeech.net. So far I find their operating policies & philosophies very solid, but I see another mf user commented, "Aren't the nearlyfreespeech servers auto banned by many filters?" (No one answered, since that was a piggyback question.) If there's any truth to that, it could be a dealbreaker for me since I need to not exclude users in academic/institutional settings. What say ye?
posted by allterrainbrain at 5:58 PM PST - 13 comments
Where did the phrase "It's ____, stupid!" come from & what was originally in the blank? I knew at one point (and remember that it's political in nature), but I've since forgotten & it's driving me crazy!
posted by eunoia at 5:11 PM PST - 12 comments 
Does anyone know where to get/order St. Norbert and/or St. Hubert candles? I'd like to get 7 day candles if I could, but any help would be appreciated. I'm trying to get something along the lines of
this.
posted by Attackpanda at 4:59 PM PST - 1 comments
We're trying to find
Drumgray Cream Liqueur in the US. Does anyone know of a way to get this awesome stuff in the states, or do the limeys get to keep it all to themselves?
posted by SpecialK at 3:49 PM PST - 3 comments
Can someone point me to an online copy of the taxonomy of detective story plots done by either the Oulipo or the Oulipopo? My Google-fu is failing me.
[more inside]
posted by juv3nal at 3:42 PM PST - 3 comments
Does anyone publish a ranking list that combines colleges and universities? I'm interested in seeing how Columbia might stack up (academically) against, I don't know, say, Haverford.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous78 at 3:25 PM PST - 12 comments
Is a microfiber sofa with a 'W' actually washable? Will I need to wash it?
[more inside]
posted by sLevi at 3:22 PM PST - 5 comments
Urgent Halloween Costume Question! How would you simulate taser burns on a white cotton t-shirt using only household implements?
posted by unknowncommand at 2:55 PM PST - 7 comments
Can I use the key from an English version of Microsoft Office 2003 Small Business Edition to install the French version from the discs?
posted by ODiV at 2:32 PM PST - 7 comments 
Arty substitute for corkboard? Building a nice looking bulletin board...
[more inside]
posted by cgs at 2:00 PM PST - 11 comments 
Why should I look at Ruby on Rails for development of applications instead of the traditional LAMP stack, especially given the advancements in PHP since 5.0?
[more inside]
posted by xmutex at 1:58 PM PST - 12 comments
at the decemberists' concert at the 9:30 club on monday, october 30th, lead singer colin meloy mentioned some terrifying story involving the band korn and some activities that had taken place backstage...on the couch cushions. he said it was too terrible to tell. now i'm dying of curiosity. anybody got the scoop?
posted by pablohoney at 1:41 PM PST - 15 comments
Alt codes.Straight forward enough.Press Alt and then the four digit number.Except my daughters laptop doesn't have an alpha-numeric keyboard and that row of numbers above QWERTYUIOP don't work.Google has failed me.Oh hive...help me retain my status as Mr.Know It All.
posted by Dr.Pill at 1:05 PM PST - 10 comments 
I have a giant blank wall in my new rented bedroom and I'd like to do something awesome with it, but nothing permanent so I lose my security deposit. What should I do?
posted by adrober at 12:46 PM PST - 21 comments
Easiest way to cross-post some (but not necessarily all) entries from a WordPress-powered blog to a LiveJournal account?
posted by Robot Johnny at 12:19 PM PST - 6 comments
I'm trying to apply for a Canadian skilled-worker visa, with the ultimate intention of moving to Montreal to live.
Can I apply for my Quebec Selection Certificate at the same time as I apply for the federal Canadian Permanent Resident skilled-worker visa?
[more inside]
posted by autonia at 12:04 PM PST - 7 comments
A café or such in downtown Chicago where one can have a long conversation in peace and comfort ?
[more inside]
posted by raheel at 11:55 AM PST - 12 comments
In college, a classmate was convinced that Max Cady in Scorsese's
Cape Fear was supposed to be the embodiment of Nietzsche's Übermensch. My take was that Cady was more like the Nazi's: picking and choosing as he saw fit, from the Bible as well as Nietzsche. Whether or not you liked the film, how do you weigh in?
posted by malaprohibita at 11:42 AM PST - 11 comments 
I need to estimate and compare the expense of a two-week business trip to the following cities: Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Beijing.
[more inside]
posted by nyu2 at 11:40 AM PST - 5 comments
Does anyone remember an older Macintosh single-player shareware role-playing-game, possibly called "Boden," "Boden," or some variation thereof?
[more inside]
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:19 AM PST - 8 comments 
Is there a perl/shellscripted way to automatically check a pop3 account and copy new messages directly into a specified IMAP folder? I've already set up a "forwarding rule" that sort of does this, but if there's a more direct way to accomplish it, that would be cool...
posted by idontlikewords at 10:49 AM PST - 4 comments 
What are the best boxing books in these three categories: History of Boxing, a specific fight, and a specific boxer bio?
posted by holdkris99 at 10:47 AM PST - 11 comments
iTunes filter: I'm trying to get a text file of a playlist in itunes...any way to do this?
[more inside]
posted by ellebee at 9:49 AM PST - 8 comments
A good friend is getting married on a cruise ship. I get seasick on certain types of boats under certain conditions, but have never been on a cruise ship before. Am I going to toss my cookies during the ceremony?
[more inside]
posted by centerweight at 9:49 AM PST - 21 comments
My wife is turning 40 and is going to have a big party.
I am supposed to make some "cultural entertainment" for our 50 guests, mostly family.
But I am lacking a great idea.
Please help me out.
posted by mitocan at 9:49 AM PST - 14 comments
[Posting-for-girlfriend filter]: Help me find a reasonably priced face wash for winter.
[more inside]
posted by kdern at 9:31 AM PST - 30 comments
A twist on the question "is it better to let a cold run its course or is it better to medicate?". There have already been AskMeFi threads to this regard
but I repeat the question because of something a doctor told me: if you dry up the runny nose/postnasal drainage, you prevent the mucus from going into your upper respiratory tract, thereby precluding the chest-clearing cough. Is this sound medicine? I've gone through four Kleenex just typing this question.
posted by the sobsister at 9:29 AM PST - 12 comments
I have a 40 gig hard drive that is currently in two equally-sized partitions; over time the first partition (C: drive) has become full (due, in large part, to program files, which I've pared down to only those I want to keep). I would like to re-do the partitions, such that the C: drive would have, say 25 gig and the D: drive the other (roughly) 15 gig. I'm looking for suggestions/recommendations for what is the best software available for such a task? Thanks in advance for any ideas.
posted by zephyrbill at 9:24 AM PST - 18 comments
I'm trying to be good and drink lots of water. I feel better when I do. I work in an office, so I bought one of those knockoff nalgene bottles from target so i can have ice water and not be in danger of spilling it on my computer. 2 problems - how do I keep my desk free of bottle sweat, and how do I keep my bottle from smelling?
[more inside]
posted by mrblakwell at 8:48 AM PST - 42 comments 
If a group is said to be cyclic if it is generated by a single element (single generator), is the quaternion group an example of a finite group that is not cyclic, since it has four generators {-1, i, j, k}? Also, why is the group of rationals under addition not cyclic?
posted by Mr. Six at 8:46 AM PST - 14 comments
I am developing an access app for a UMPC, and because of the lack of a keyboard, I want to make a keypad number entry popup.
[more inside]
posted by JonnyRotten at 8:29 AM PST - 5 comments
Is there anyway to display the currently playing song (on iTunes) on the empty space of Menu Bar at the top of the screen? (OSX)
[more inside]
posted by ruwan at 8:20 AM PST - 6 comments
Is there an easy, cheap way to create an image of my hard drive and put it on DVD(s), without installing software that screws around with my hard drive or requires activation?
[more inside]
posted by fvox13 at 8:19 AM PST - 7 comments 
Is there an armband or similar useful accessory for an i-River HP-140?
[more inside]
posted by ob at 8:00 AM PST - 3 comments 
What are some good portable music composition tools? I'm mostly looking for stuff that would work on a handheld electronic device, but anything that'd fit in a pocket or small bag is fair game.
[more inside]
posted by weston at 7:45 AM PST - 10 comments
We are going to be on Malta for the last 5 days of December and are looking for specific suggestions of unique things to do, explore, special places to eat, nightlife etc.
posted by frizelli at 7:43 AM PST - 3 comments
What is your favorite and most colorful expression or phrase? Speaking about two idiots that we work with, my coworker said that they looked like '
Two monkey's f*cking a football', which led me to say '
They couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery', and as a final touch, which made me laugh, my coworker states '
They're about as handy as a bear cub with a toothpick'. I would love to write a book or create a website with colorful phrases from around the world. What are some of your favorite idioms that you use or have overhead in the boardroom, bar, or barnyard?
posted by jasondigitized at 7:42 AM PST - 192 comments 
Where can I sell a Yamaha MusicCast MCX-1000, a digital jukebox / music streaming device that came out two years too early to be useful?
[more inside]
posted by reflexed at 6:52 AM PST - 1 comments
In Lost in Translation, when Bob Harris meets the woman in the hospital waiting room, what (in English) does she say to him, and what if anything does it sound to her like he's saying? I would also love to hear any other spot-translations from the movie if you happen to know them!
posted by lorimer at 6:35 AM PST - 9 comments 
Hey financial wizkids..... Are some financial products forbidden for Americans?
What are X-markets (in plain english)?
[more inside]
posted by ruelle at 5:30 AM PST - 11 comments 
A portrait taken with a semi glossy surface behind the subject now has an odd 'halo' effect, how do I edit this out?
[more inside]
posted by IronLizard at 5:23 AM PST - 2 comments 
Theoretical physics of a ball in flight: could I put so much spin on a ball that it came back at me?
[more inside]
posted by gleuschk at 4:00 AM PST - 14 comments 
Does anyone have access to a subscription to the British Journal for the History of Philosophy (1996 article) that I could borrow / Request a PDF from?
[more inside]
posted by takeyourmedicine at 2:55 AM PST - 33 comments 
Where online should I be looking to purchase movies that are rare or unreleased?
[more inside]
posted by herting at 2:27 AM PST - 6 comments
Is there a way I can figure out the moon's path across the night sky as viewed from a specific location on Earth on a given day?
[more inside]
posted by yellowlightman at 12:39 AM PST - 6 comments
October 30
Could someone point me in the right direction for downloading interviews of famous celebs in something like mp3 format. I have an audio assignment and will be splicing my questions together with someone like Tom Cruise's answers, so I need to find a good resource, be they torrents or google.
Does anyone know of any particular site that hosts these files?
posted by taita_cakes at 11:50 PM PST - 5 comments 
A Good Employee is defined by 4 characteristics- I can remember 3 of them.
[more inside]
posted by ptm at 10:54 PM PST - 12 comments 
Looking for statistical data of United States economy / consumption / production in Excel (or other) format to convert to XML
[more inside]
posted by dvjtj at 9:12 PM PST - 6 comments
AmbianceFilter: How can I control a wall socket with a wall-mounted switch or remote or something convenient without rewiring anything?
[more inside]
posted by Willie0248 at 9:10 PM PST - 10 comments
Posting for a friend: He just decided on his Halloween costume, and we need to temporairily tattoo his arms. Are then any health concerns for drawing sleeves on each arm in Sharpie?
posted by duende at 8:52 PM PST - 24 comments
In Firefox, is there a way to "Open All in Tabs" in a bookmark folder
without closing the ones I already have open? If so, is there a way to have that happen by default when I "Open All in Tabs?"
[more inside]
posted by callmejay at 8:13 PM PST - 4 comments 
How do I get my itunes 7 to point back to the Canadian itunes store? I clicked on a link that asked me to change stores (to the USA one), and now I would like to get Itunes to default to the Canadian store instead of the American one.
posted by burhan at 7:56 PM PST - 5 comments 
How can we convert our wine cooler to reach refrigerator temperatures of 35 degrees farenheit or below?
posted by Jujee at 7:27 PM PST - 7 comments
How to share files between a Mac and a PC over an 802.11g network? There is of course
[more inside]
posted by LoopyG at 7:11 PM PST - 5 comments
Purple dress seen on the latest Bachelor... can you help me find it? (spoiler inside)
[more inside]
posted by slim at 7:04 PM PST - 8 comments
What is the name of this novel/short story? A father is speaking to his daughter (Melanie maybe?) on the phone, and she tells him either that she's pregnant or marrying a much older man, who I think was her professor. I distinctly remember the professor being older than the father by quite a bit; I think the professor gets on the phone and calls the father "sir." The father is horrified, and to make matters worse, he and his wife are getting a divorce, which he doesn't want to tell his daughter about.
posted by tatiana wishbone at 7:01 PM PST - 5 comments 
What is the best way to add summaries/titles of my recent blog posts (Blogger) to my personal website?
[more inside]
posted by imposster at 6:51 PM PST - 7 comments 
Help me figure out what to do with all this space! What should I do with my den?
[more inside]
posted by ASM at 6:44 PM PST - 9 comments
What is there to do in Capetown? I mean I plan on buying a cool cape from one of the legendary cape tailors of cape town but after that...what do I do?
[more inside]
posted by rileyray3000 at 6:16 PM PST - 8 comments
Box Cutters: I get lots of boxes, and I'd like a device that turns those boxes into small piles of cardboard that fit in my small trash can. What would you recommend?
[more inside]
posted by sirion at 6:09 PM PST - 9 comments
HTML Form filter: How can I require entry in a text field based on which radio button has been checked?
[more inside]
posted by Joleta at 5:59 PM PST - 14 comments 
Anyone got any idea why
these items are greyed out when I run update manager after updating Ubuntu 6.06 dapper to 6.10 Edgy?
[more inside]
posted by chrissyboy at 5:28 PM PST - 6 comments 
I'm searching for a 3-month law-related not-for-profit summer job outside of North America. Where should I go, and what should I do?
[more inside]
posted by evadery at 5:19 PM PST - 5 comments
I want a little wiki to host on my web space just for my use and possibly for some friends' use, but I can't seem to find anything to fit my preferences: (1) stores data in text or HTML files rather than a database, (2) lets me change the template by editing the files themselves, and (3) can have cruft-free URL's.
[more inside]
posted by freddymungo at 3:48 PM PST - 11 comments 
I need an awesome housewarming gift for my friend that can be drop-shipped from the other side of the country. Recommendations? (posted anon because this friend reads MeFi).
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:41 PM PST - 19 comments
A very sweet person who I am friends with began coming on to me very strongly. I like her but am not interested in anything serious. Ideas for letting her know in a respectful way?
posted by Zebtron at 3:06 PM PST - 13 comments
We're in a financial hole, and we're looking for ways that my wife -- now a full-time mom to a 2- and a 4-year old -- can earn some income. How can we make this happen?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:01 PM PST - 12 comments
I am a writer new to western Washington. I am short on experience but long on skill and drive. In the coming months, I shall complete my English education. But I need work now!
[more inside]
posted by EatTheWeak at 2:50 PM PST - 4 comments
I have a WAV file of a lecture I'm trying to edit into a Podcast using Audacity. There's some feedback and ringing during some of the speaker's talk. How do I get rid of it (or at least minimize it)?
[more inside]
posted by dw at 2:48 PM PST - 13 comments 
how does one go about improving their speaking skills i.e. argument, presentation and general eloquence.
posted by thegeezer3 at 2:39 PM PST - 11 comments 
Upcoming anniversary... anyone in or around Bucks County, PA have particularly pleasant experiences with fine dining in the area?
[more inside]
posted by dorothy humbird at 2:21 PM PST - 9 comments
I have the task of converting 60 .csv (comma comma delimited) files to a format that can be read by the IDEN phone manager. I cannot import anything other then a .mdb which is normally a Access file, and if I open their default .mdb it opens with access with 4 tables that I cannot do anything to. Is there a program out there to convert different formats to .mdb for IDEN?
posted by Jonsnews at 2:11 PM PST - 4 comments
We have 2 mature boxwood bushes (about 10 years old) that are roughly 5 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter. My wife hates them because they obscure our front door. She wants me to cut them down and trash them. Being the cheapskate I am, I would like to dig them up (difficult, I know) and sell them. My question - is there a market for these and roughly how much do they sell for? It looks like small ones sell for $10-$20, but I couldn't find any large ones. Thanks for helping settle this marital dispute.
posted by stockaholic at 1:16 PM PST - 8 comments
I'm having a party on Nov 11th to celebrate the release of
Guitar Hero 2 and to rock out to new songs with my friends. I was thinking it might be cool to hang up some fake flyers for my in-game band (Della Rhesus Monkey) around my place for flavor. I have no idea how to go about it, though. I have access to Photoshop, but have very little skill in it. How best to capture that "crappy local band flyer" feeling? Any other suggestions on how to add some nice flavor to the party? (I already have a wig and leather wristbands.)
posted by emptybowl at 1:09 PM PST - 14 comments
The evil 'missing tooth clause": is it reinforced strictly by insurance companies? If they have approved the 'pre-estimate' of a dental implant without demanding proof of the contrary, how likely is it that they will also overlook this when the actual claim is submitted?
posted by of strange foe at 12:35 PM PST - 3 comments
I'm heading to Moscow soon. What is the best way to see the city properly during a few days stop-over?
[more inside]
posted by snarfodox at 12:09 PM PST - 6 comments
My iPod no longer works properly with iTunes after upgrading to 7. It's frustrating. Help!
[more inside]
posted by deafmute at 12:06 PM PST - 12 comments
Looking for a place for a small wedding reception in the Tiwn Cities, with a few other specifications.
[more inside]
posted by Zosia Blue at 11:44 AM PST - 11 comments 
How can I make favicons appear on the bookmarks toolbar in Firefox 2 on OS X? The default theme hides them; is there a way to undo this? I've tried editing the userChrome.css and about:config to no avail. I'm willing to try another theme, if necessary. Are there any out for FF2 that show the favicons? I read
this thread, but it doesn't offer any real solution (not for FF2 anyway).
posted by GS1977 at 11:41 AM PST - 10 comments 
Honeymoon groom completely useless and disorganised and needs help. Nice places to stay in Seattle and Vancouver. Budget about 200 bucks a night.
[more inside]
posted by Vroom_Vroom_Vroom at 11:21 AM PST - 15 comments 
I have noticed in a few public parks lately that there is a white foam that has been sprayed into the base of oak trees where the roots join the trunk where there is a gap occasionally. I assume that this is like foam insulation for the home. Is it something that I should think about for my oak trees? I have read conflicting answers about doing this for holes in the trunk but I am not sure if this might be something different since it is at the base of the tree.
[more inside]
posted by GrumpyMonkey at 11:20 AM PST - 5 comments
Does Capital One REALLY have airline miles with no blackout dates? With seats available? I think it's too good to be true, and possibly they just have very few or no seats on those flights. My experience with Northwest is that often you have to use double the miles to get flights in non-blackout times. But it would be nice to get miles on other airlines. anyone have experience on this?
[more inside]
posted by judybxxx at 11:12 AM PST - 6 comments
In search of an episode of what I thought was The Outer Limits, but it's not listed in the episode guide,
[more inside]
posted by DandyRandy at 10:47 AM PST - 9 comments 
I'm having car trouble. Someone with a similar car suggested I get a certain car part in order to attempt to fix the problem. Help me remember the name of the car part.
[more inside]
posted by starbaby at 10:41 AM PST - 16 comments
My wallet just went through the washing machine. What effect (if any) will that have on my credit cards?
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 10:30 AM PST - 9 comments
Where can I find some good, solid software for my HP Imagesmart C618 camera with the Digita Operating system?
[more inside]
posted by ZackTM at 10:19 AM PST - 0 comments
Turducken
said it concisely: "When (most) freelance writers want to have a family or buy a house, they get jobs as... editors." I am wondering just how they (we) do that!
[more inside]
posted by Eater at 10:11 AM PST - 7 comments 
I'll be visiting Memphis for the first time by train in November. Will have one weeknight and two weekdays there. I'll be alone (I'm female and in my 40s) and am specifically looking for a good (centrally located, not too expensive, safe, fun) place to stay and things to do.
[more inside]
posted by mmw at 9:51 AM PST - 11 comments
Find me a good, thin eye mask for sleeping that would allow me to sleep on my stomach comfortably.
[more inside]
posted by sdis at 9:47 AM PST - 7 comments
Am I making enough money? According to salary.com my pay should range between $50k and $70k, but I make $40k. Are online salary comparison tools to be trusted? Am I getting ripped off?
[more inside]
posted by youthenrage at 9:19 AM PST - 18 comments 
Windows XP has stopped offering me the option of resizing my pictures before I email them. I use outlook express.
What has happened?
[more inside]
posted by Beaufort at 8:55 AM PST - 2 comments 
I want to generate a full-screen traversal of the entirety of RGB colour space. This is to be played back on a Windows computer.
[more inside]
posted by handee at 8:48 AM PST - 7 comments 
So, I have a 'judgement' on my credit report. In terms of my credit, does it even matter whether I pay, and is there any way to reverse/erase it?
[more inside]
posted by bingo at 8:29 AM PST - 15 comments
A good friend of mine spends each evening with her Mom in a nursing home. An aide told her that they had a staff meeting due to murders in Colorado (perhaps she has state wrong).
[more inside]
posted by beccaj at 8:23 AM PST - 16 comments
What does it mean when you have prophetic dreams that can be independently verified by others? How many of you have prophetic dreams, independently verified or otherwise? Is there something I should be doing?
[more inside]
posted by milarepa at 8:05 AM PST - 48 comments
I'm getting married in February, and the honey moon is planned for Hong Kong and Vietnam (Ho Chi Min). Does anyone have any recommendations on things not to miss in either place? Or ideas of extra special things to do?
posted by Jonnykid at 7:49 AM PST - 10 comments
My PS2 is not working as a DVD player. Never has. I get audio, but the image alternates from a few seconds of program to a few seconds of brilliant blue screen. Games work perfectly.
FWIW, the PS2 is hooked up to a VHS machine (my TV is elderly) which then feeds into the Co-ax on my TV. VHS works perfectly also.
posted by sourwookie at 7:33 AM PST - 12 comments 
FirstDigitalCameraFilter: in the light of recent posts on unrecommended made-for-kids-digicams, what basic&sturdy point&shoot camera should i be looking for, used, on ebay, for my little'uns?
[more inside]
posted by progosk at 7:21 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking for a good vegetarian-focused (as opposed to just vegetarian-friendly) restaurant or buffet for Thanksgiving brunch/dinner somewhere around the Twin Cities area. It doesn't need to be actually in Minneapolis or St. Paul, but within a few hours' driving distance is preferred. Bonus points if the city where this elusive destination also has family friendly Thanksgiving-themed events like hay rides, etc.
posted by jennaba at 7:09 AM PST - 2 comments 
Amateur photographer here. Any Chicagoans know of great vantage points to capture the city with my digital camera?
[more inside]
posted by RDNZL at 6:43 AM PST - 17 comments
Any help identifying
this plant? It's a shrub about 10' high and the photo shows what it looks like in October in New England. Bonus points if you can provide a reference about whether it's poisonous or not.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:23 AM PST - 9 comments 
We're planning a family holiday in Köln (Cologne) in early December. Aside from the Christmas markets, the Dom and Kölsch bier, anything unmissable? The kids are 5 and 3.
posted by sagwalla at 6:06 AM PST - 10 comments 
Color scheme help: This weekend I got bold with my interior colors, painting two adjacent rooms two colors I love. The problem is making it all work.
[more inside]
posted by shiu mai baby at 5:35 AM PST - 15 comments 
DoesThisWebsiteExistFilter: Are there any sites that have downloadable sets of data in easily-parseable formats? For example, a list of all US presidents? Or the name of every country's capital? And then have the data available in different formats (XML, CSV, or an on-the-fly generated SQL Insert query)?
[more inside]
posted by slater at 3:28 AM PST - 22 comments 
I'd be interested in hearing strategies for allowing employees' personal computers access to a company VPN.
[more inside]
posted by chill at 3:19 AM PST - 6 comments
October 29
Is the Atkins diet worthwhile as a
temporary diet for dropping about 10 lbs, or does this type of diet have a higher rate of rebound compared to the same weight loss from portion control, Weight Watchers, etc? I'm aware Atkins is intended to be a lifestyle change, but I tend to keep a constant weight just fine and simply want to take 'er down a notch.
posted by rolypolyman at 11:22 PM PST - 9 comments
I 'rescued' a cat off the street today because it looked just like a cat I saw on a 'lost cat' poster. The missing cat's owner just came by and said it wasn't the right cat. Now what?
[more inside]
posted by nyterrant at 10:37 PM PST - 17 comments 
When fleas can't nibble on your cats ('cuz you've treated the felines with Advantage or something), what do tehy live on? Fur? Cat food? They should just starve. But they say that if you don't sweep them daily you don't get rid of them...
[more inside]
posted by Shane at 9:45 PM PST - 19 comments 
What is the next number in this sequence: 4, 58, 40, 27, 18, 12, 8, ? Please give your explanation.
[more inside]
posted by scodger at 6:10 PM PST - 42 comments
Questions about Jewish funeral customs. My husband's grandmother sadly passed away this weekend and I was hoping for some advice. She was Jewish, I'm not. I have a load of questions inside...
[more inside]
posted by dogsbody at 5:11 PM PST - 25 comments 
I'm looking for books that demonstrate the awful consequences of lying and are appropriate for a 9 year old boy. Subtlety is appreciated, but not required. Any suggestions?
posted by apocry_phil at 4:22 PM PST - 15 comments
A friend has a DSC-H1 Sony Cybershot camera. It got some salt water in it yesterday (probably not completely soaked, but definitely in the camera).
[more inside]
posted by shivohum at 3:54 PM PST - 7 comments
Can anyone help me make sense of
this newsstory:
VietNamNet Bridge – Just a few days after the Vietnam Writers’ Association announced the awards for 2006, Ly Hoang Ly, a young Vietnamese poet, sent a letter of refusal to the association.
The Vietnam Writers’ Association awards are the most prestigious ones in the country for written works. This year, the fiction award was given to the book “Boundless rice field” by Nguyen Ngoc Tu, a young writer from the south, while the award for poems was given to poet Huu Thinh, chairman of the association. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus at 3:08 PM PST - 4 comments
Posting for a friend. He has a 1971 Chevelle that his Grandfather gave to him, but the paint is hazy and oxidized. He has tried a variety of different products with little to no luck. Can you help him find a way to get the paint as bright and shiny as possible without repainting?
posted by FearAndLoathingInLJ at 2:49 PM PST - 9 comments
Does draught Guinness really have less calories than skimmed milk? Wikipedia seems to think so but is that right, and can you help me understand why? Thank you :)
posted by fingerbang at 2:34 PM PST - 20 comments
Anybody know where I should start looking for a Kitchen computer? Recipies, news, music... etc.
[more inside]
posted by cschneid at 2:23 PM PST - 10 comments
What makes crunchy deviled eggs crunchy? Alternatively, give me good deviled egg recipes. (Quick! The water's almost boiling!)
[more inside]
posted by anonymoose at 1:37 PM PST - 25 comments 
What are these small prefab buildings that I see while traveling on the train (and elsewhere) every once and a while?
[more inside]
posted by yellowbkpk at 1:08 PM PST - 6 comments 
How can I switch my mouse sensitivity between two settings with the touch of one (or two) keyboard buttons?
[more inside]
posted by allthewhile at 12:48 PM PST - 1 comments
I have a long time friend (25+ years) who has a spouse I absolutely cannot stand. The spouse is a bore to end all bores. The problem is, since marrying the person (10 years ago), I have not once seen the person without the spouse. I dislike the spouse so much that I now avoid the friend. Advice?
[more inside]
posted by Manhasset at 9:55 AM PST - 37 comments 
Large projects that run over budget and the contractors get paid instead of eating the extra costs. Why?
[more inside]
posted by kamelhoecker at 9:40 AM PST - 20 comments
Last night in the course of being "Mime Donald Trump", I got white grease paint on my pants. Is there a way to get this off of the pants? Will a dry cleaners be able to do it? Are there any home remedies I can use?
posted by josher71 at 7:33 AM PST - 6 comments
Filemaker Pro 8 refuses to launch. Why? Mac OSX 10.4 Server, Powermac G4 Quicksilver, 1GB RAM. It ran fine for months and then, with no changes to anything, just started crashing on startup, with no warning or dialogue boxes. I've deleted preferences, fixed permissions on all drives, reinstalled FM8, removed FM7 (which I also had on the machine) to no avail. Trying to avoid reinstalling OS X server. Advice?
posted by fourcheesemac at 6:56 AM PST - 10 comments
Martial Arts Filter: To make this short and easy, do any of the MeFites in their collective wisdom have any good suggestions on where a 27 year old with no martial arts experience should look to begin learning such in the D.C. area? I not quite that interested in jujitsu, but all other forms I'm wide open to. Any advice you all might have, I certainly appreciate.
[more inside]
posted by Atreides at 6:37 AM PST - 15 comments
Norton Antivirus 2007 is killing my wife's PC (I think). How do I get in there and disable/uninstall it. And what should I use instead?
[more inside]
posted by wheat at 6:14 AM PST - 27 comments 
I'm looking for fax software for XP, and wondering what programs other than Winfax are being used.
[more inside]
posted by tomble at 3:30 AM PST - 6 comments 
I've recently painted my bedroom a deep, rich purple. I absolutely adore it, but about 80% of the way through, I ran out of paint. I went back to Home Hardware to pick up another gallon, it is mixed to the exact specs the first can was mixed as, however, after finishing up the room, and doing patch work, it is apparent that there is a slight difference in the color. There's a little
[more inside]
posted by irishkitten at 1:44 AM PST - 20 comments
October 28
[PhysicsFilter] In movies, when a tire comes off of a speeding car, it begins to move faster than the car. Why does the velocity increase?
[more inside]
posted by spiderskull at 9:59 PM PST - 62 comments
Being forgetful, I turned my digital camera sideways when making a video on it. So now I have a sideways video. Is there any way to make it play right side up?
[more inside]
posted by catburger at 9:37 PM PST - 6 comments 
EtiquetteFilter: Need help on deciding about a gift for a friend I'm meeting in-real-life for the first time.
[more inside]
posted by gadha at 9:17 PM PST - 16 comments
Why don't I like to be touched on certain parts of my body?
I'm a 38 year old male, and for as long as I can remember, there are places on my body I don't like to be touched. Some of them make sense, given certain events in my past, but most of them not so much.
To explain...
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:04 PM PST - 25 comments
You buy a frozen cheesecake at the natural food store. It doesn't come with directions. You're hungry. Do you eat it frozen? Wait while it thaws on the counter? Heat it up in the microwave? Heat it up in the oven? Something else?
posted by croutonsupafreak at 8:37 PM PST - 23 comments 
High Intensity Gaming: I'm looking for video games that don't let up or have long periods of time where you're just wandering around looking for something to do. (See: Quake 3, Counterstrike, Dead Rising. Seriously, think about it, it's not obvious.) Potential candidates aren't genre specific; some good examples include Grid/Geometry Wars, SSX3, Dynasty Warriors, Viewtiful Joe 2, and Soul Caliber 3.
Suggestions?
[more inside]
posted by effugas at 8:30 PM PST - 42 comments
I have recently been diagnosed with depression. I am taking 40mg of Prozac a day. I have also been advised to persevere with a course of Cognitive behavioural therapy. I am worried that CBT isnt relevant to me. Has anyone else had or currently having success with it?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:22 PM PST - 48 comments
Orthofilter: So, I've got a damaged medial meniscus and MCL in my right knee. The pain since this began (July) has really subsided to the point of mild inconvenience. Arthroscopy and debridement seem to be fairly common procedures, and I'm wondering whether I can achieve relief without surgery?
[more inside]
posted by moonbird at 8:00 PM PST - 7 comments 
Is there any browser which can be configured to make use of the full width of my 1400x1500 monitor in displaying websites?
[more inside]
posted by tabulem at 6:27 PM PST - 20 comments 
How to write a blog about my work (I am a senior lecturer in a university) without making myself exposed, and without breaching rules of confidentially?
[more inside]
posted by slimeline at 5:46 PM PST - 20 comments
Crime fighting comic books minus super heroes? I'd love recommendations for comic book equivalents of crime fighting/investigative television dramas.
[more inside]
posted by aebaxter at 5:07 PM PST - 18 comments
I'm thinking about being waterboarded, just to see what it's all about. How can I do it correctly, ie. not end up dead?
[more inside]
posted by five fresh fish at 4:38 PM PST - 31 comments
I've been cleaning some sterling silver necklaces with a jewelry polishing cloth. The necklaces now seem clean, but there is still a lot of black stuff coming off on the cloth, no matter how long I scrub the necklaces with it. Why is this?
posted by zembla3 at 3:12 PM PST - 8 comments
I want to start a website as a hobby basically. I have several books/articles on a subject that interests me and seemingly some other people too. I think I have all the books/articles available in English on this topic.
This area is very poorly covered on the internet.
I want to use the knowledge I have, but I don't want to be accused of plagiarism or run into copyright problems. I won't "copy" anything word for word or scan any of the illustrations from the books.
[more inside]
posted by selton at 2:37 PM PST - 8 comments
Are gift certificates allowed to expire in California? I thought there was a law that says that they can't legally expire. Am I wrong?
posted by aacheson at 1:10 PM PST - 3 comments
I've browsed the archives but not really come up with anything satisfying. What should I do for archiving media?
[more inside]
posted by mzurer at 1:00 PM PST - 8 comments
I just bought a black down coat and the down is constantly stuck to the outside of it. Is this normal?
[more inside]
posted by mike_bling at 12:35 PM PST - 6 comments 
Suggest some good donor fulfillment services to send out feelers to, for a 7-figure NPO fundraiser that will largely be conducted online.
posted by Tlogmer at 11:40 AM PST - 2 comments
MatLabFilter: Printing figures to memory? I know that I can use the versatile print command to print a figure to a file. But how might I be able to turn a figure into a matrix in matlab's memory?
[more inside]
posted by garethspor at 11:36 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm going to be getting Final Cut Studio 5.1 at work. Can I edit mpeg-2 files in it? I couldn't in the old versions, and I can't figure out the tech specs to know whether I can INPUT mpeg-2 to edit or just export to it.
posted by Mayor Peace Love and Unity at 10:58 AM PST - 3 comments
A few years back I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. For a while I was fairly dubious of this diagnosis but now that it has been confirmed as a genetic disorder I feel maybe I should get over my pride and start treating this like the life-affecting problem it is.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:58 AM PST - 9 comments
How can I view and search csv files exported from excel on my mac, using free tools?
posted by mecran01 at 9:08 AM PST - 9 comments
Help me identify this instrumental latin-ish (?) downtempo/trip-hop song from this mp3 clip
[more inside]
posted by pooya at 8:51 AM PST - 7 comments
I'm looking for a private place to write for a weekend (with the possibility of multiple weekends if it seems extremely productive) within about 30-45 minutes of the city of Pittsburgh. I'm thinking a little cabin in the woods, or something similar. I'm also thinking cheap!
[more inside]
posted by theantikitty at 8:31 AM PST - 3 comments
Why can't I print from my laptop using the digital camera socket on the front of my printer?
[more inside]
posted by A189Nut at 4:55 AM PST - 9 comments
OSX SoftwareFilter: How can I fix what MySync did to my Mac mini, and find a new solution to keep my machines in sync?
[more inside]
posted by SansPoint at 4:35 AM PST - 2 comments
I'm currently working a job with soul-sucking 60+ hour weeks. How can I get myself motivated/un-exhausted enough to enjoy my weekends? Of course, there's
[more inside]
posted by Alterscape at 4:28 AM PST - 15 comments
I'm looking for examples of stripped-down bluegrass songs with the kind of eerie/sad sound that gives you goosebumps and makes your heart ache.
[more inside]
posted by empyrean at 2:25 AM PST - 40 comments
Does anyone here remember an incident that may have happened during the filming of Titanic? I remember a story that I read in the newspaper around that time saying that several people were taken to hospital after unknowingly ingesting a hallucinogen at a cast party.
[more inside]
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 1:57 AM PST - 4 comments
How does colour-coding of medications work? For instance, Prozac is typically the combination of green and white, and the generic brands also perserve this colour. Is there some kind of universal system that pharmaceutical companies adhere to? How are the colours of medications determined?
posted by perpetualstroll at 1:47 AM PST - 13 comments
October 27
Help this desktop power user protect his new laptop from evil internet demons while using public Wifi hotspots.
[more inside]
posted by chrominance at 11:22 PM PST - 18 comments 
Quick question for the poker players--What do you enjoy doing to confuse/befuddle your opponents? What interesting devices have you seen other players do? I am talking about making comments, sending off false tells etc...psychological manipulation, in other words.
[more inside]
posted by Mrs.Doyle at 9:00 PM PST - 16 comments 
Help me understand/explain anomalous laptop power adapter and/or battery behaviour. Why would it be dead, then fine? Why would the system crash when it should hibernate?
[more inside]
posted by tiamat at 8:28 PM PST - 6 comments
I have a Thinkpad G41. About an hour ago, I (shut it off) packed it in a backpack-style case, and rode my bicycle to the radio station where I work. Upon arriving, I turn it on and the screen does not do anything at all. Everything else about bootup appears normal, except the total deadness of the screen (the light behind the TFT does not appear to come on). Also, there are (what I presume to be) BIOS beeps, one long two short. Googling produces
this which informs me I have a "video adapter error". What do I do now? (This laptop is about a year old, I think it's out of warranty now... is it just doomed to become a server?)
posted by phrontist at 7:49 PM PST - 14 comments 
I'm booked for surgery for a deviated septum on November 27th. My wife has heard 'horror stories' and now my choice is to cancel the surgery and live the rest of my life continuing not to be able to breath through my nose properly, or have the surgery and *allegedly* needing my wife to 'take care of me' for a week and *allegedly* not being allowed to let our baby near my face for more than a month.
[more inside]
posted by Kickstart70 at 7:46 PM PST - 29 comments
I read this article a few years ago about a Silicon Valley programmer who committed suicide after getting rich off a startup. I can't remember the name of the programmer but I do remember some of the details. Does anyone know this story?
[more inside]
posted by onepapertiger at 7:33 PM PST - 9 comments
A few years ago I was diagnosed with MS. Since then, I've grown increasingly confused about how I should plan my future due to the possible future effects of the disease. At this point I've completely lost perspective on the matter, and the more I think about it, the less sure I am of any decision being the correct one. I'm hoping for some objective advice.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:19 PM PST - 17 comments
I want to build a small, inexpensive geodesic dome using cardboard. Where can I find good specs and instructions? Is this even feasible with regular cardboard?
[more inside]
posted by goalyeehah at 6:10 PM PST - 8 comments 
What is the sources of this quote attributed to Dostoevsky?
"The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons." [more inside]
posted by Stauf at 5:59 PM PST - 8 comments
I just got a new Creative Zen Nano Plus 1gb mp3 player as a surprise gift from a friend. The trick is that I'm a Mac user, and by all official accounts the two are incompatible. Help, please.
[more inside]
posted by soviet sleepover at 5:44 PM PST - 4 comments 
Winamp playlist help. I have a bunch of playlists in Winamp, but frequent re-organization of my music directory has broken all the links. Is there a way for Winamp to find the new locations of the files so I don't have to re-assign hundreds of songs, or, barring that, is there a smarter music library program that will do the work and can import Winamp playlists?
posted by schroedinger at 5:13 PM PST - 3 comments
Either I lose 20 lbs by December 10, or lose $150. That's the agreement I made with 2 friends and my daughter. And it's in writing. So I figure I'm going to pull out my bag o' diet tricks and document everything along the way - but I need a catchy title for my blog.
[more inside]
posted by dropkick at 4:47 PM PST - 47 comments
After only a week or so of
job search, I've been offered a software development position at a little startup that does almost
exactly what I want to do. Seriously, I cannot imagine a more ideal group to work for. I'm supposed to contact them next week to discuss terms and salary. However, during the interview, some of the statements seemed to imply that they didn't have the budget to satisfy my requested salary. I really want to work for these folks, but don't want to sell myself short. Can you think of creative suggestions I might make during negotiations to make up the difference?
[more inside]
posted by Netzapper at 4:34 PM PST - 19 comments 
My boyfriend bought an 8-string (dual string) ukulele in Tahiti and we can't find info ANYWHERE online. Everything we find is about the traditional 4 string ukulele. Looking for any links re: chords, tutorials, tuning, charts, books, etc. on Thank you!
posted by camfys at 3:19 PM PST - 7 comments
Looking for a web-based FLV player (ideally want it to approximate the youtube one.) For-pay is fine. The usage has to be just 'pass your flv url to the player and it plays' (ie. not something that requires manipulation in Macromedia Flash to work.) Any pointers? Thanks.
posted by Firas at 3:05 PM PST - 5 comments
A friend of mine would like to share
Channel One educational video with her graduate class. While Channel One makes programs available through their website, they don't include any of the "in between" content; advertisements, etc. As there isn't much demand for this content outside of schools, file sharing networks aren't very useful. Any ideas on how to track down some content?
posted by aladfar at 2:55 PM PST - 3 comments
Name that (commercial) tune! Ask.com is currently running a television ad that features no spoken script. The ad begins "Why is Ask.com the fastest-growing search engine?" in white text against a red background, and the ad continues with snippets of newspaper reviews, etc. There is an electronic/techno background soundtrack. What song is playing, and is it available for purchase?
posted by jafmuse at 1:48 PM PST - 3 comments
The ink with which we signed our ketubah (a Jewish marriage contract, in this case a beautifully illuminated one) has almost completely faded in less than three years! What should we do?
[more inside]
posted by ericbop at 1:29 PM PST - 11 comments
Does anyone remember the name of a music video where the band is playing, and they keep getting moved about and assaulted by a pointer, as if they were part of a computer's GUI? And, if possible, where to find it online? Or, if you know of any other videos along that theme?
posted by fungible at 1:23 PM PST - 5 comments 
Why would a newspaper reveal a murder victim's house value and transaction history?
[more inside]
posted by acoutu at 1:03 PM PST - 9 comments 
Where can I find grown up stuff with a Peter Pan theme? Mr. Orangemiles loves Peter Pan but I don't want to get him green tights for his birthday. Something that says, "Yeah, you're getting older but I still love that little boy inside," would be better. Recognizable connection to Peter Pan, if possible, and a $30 budget. Suggestions?
posted by orangemiles at 12:56 PM PST - 9 comments
Yes, another Halloween question. Help me out with my obscure costume! In short, I'm going as a visual representation of the Weimar Republic.
[more inside]
posted by kalimac at 12:45 PM PST - 8 comments
Why has democracy, at least our version of it in the west, proven so difficult a system of government to maintain in the third/developping world?
[more inside]
posted by dflemingdotorg at 12:41 PM PST - 35 comments
A math terminology question. What is meant by a "log-linear" relationship, and what distinguishes it from a plain logarithmic one?
posted by shoos at 12:27 PM PST - 13 comments
I'm going as the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. I don't want to do a whole wolf outfit...just something that gives the impression of a wolf.
[more inside]
posted by Brainy at 12:20 PM PST - 15 comments
Newb sysadmin filter: I've got an internal website 'blahblahblah/blah' that I want people to be able to get at by just typing 'blah' in their browser... where do I specify this? hosts?
posted by Cosine at 12:07 PM PST - 11 comments
There aren't enough days in the week for me to make enough money to live. Hm.
[more inside]
posted by bash at 12:03 PM PST - 47 comments
I just landed a well paying job in Seattle after having a soul sucking job, where I did not save a penny for about a year. While the new salary will be great, I am essentially broke, and I need a $3000 loan to relocate and get started (which has been determined to be my responsibility to cover by negociation). None of my relatives or friends have this kind of cash, nor do I have a credit card. So how would I go about getting $3000? Can I just take my job offer into a bank and use that as leverage for a loan? Mefites, help me back out of this corner and find the cash to live my dream.
posted by |n$eCur3 at 12:00 PM PST - 16 comments
How can I make sure I'm not being overcharged for surgery and/or ripped off by my health insurance company?
[more inside]
posted by gottabefunky at 11:38 AM PST - 6 comments
New Macbooks? Am I right in thinking that every one of Apple's new intel line products have been updated except the Macbook? I know that the Mac Pro and Xserv have not, but they were released later, so that's ok. The iMac, the Mini, and now the Macbook Pro have all received nice quiet little bump-ups in specs that make a considerable difference. A little more within...
[more inside]
posted by eleongonzales at 11:24 AM PST - 15 comments 
I have a bilingual website hosted on Typepad and want to create a sitemap for both sites that is friendly with Google Webmaster tools.
[more inside]
posted by Blue Buddha at 11:21 AM PST - 0 comments
I'm going to be traveling in Boston on election night. Any suggestions for friendly bars that would be tuned in and friendly for watching election returns?
[more inside]
posted by j-dawg at 11:16 AM PST - 11 comments
Employment history filter: I am starting a new job after about a year of intermittent contract work padded between various stages of unemployment. Though I never lied about anything, they might uncover that my past year has in fact been really spotty in terms of work (during interviews, we talked about my contract projects, but they didn't ask about specific dates or durations). Does this make me screwed?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:20 AM PST - 7 comments
Total beginner to investing and finance, researching how to start investing maybe $2K each year, mostly in socially responsible mutual funds -- and how a young, healthy person should balance retirement investment with other kinds of investments.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:20 AM PST - 10 comments
Anyone have a tried-and-true pumpkin seed recipe? I've tried making them in the past with veggie oil and Lawry's seasoned salt, but they turn out chewy and oily and awful. I'd like to make the glorious, pure-white, salt-encrusted type you can buy in little packs at the Quickie Mart. Advice? Besides going ahead and buying the little packs at Quickie Mart?
posted by printchick at 10:17 AM PST - 13 comments
Just got my first eye prescription for mild farsightedness. The optometrist said my eyes could still focus on things fine so I didn't
need glasses, but if I noticed eyestrain or headaches, then I could fix those problems with glasses. I don't notice eyestrain and only get headaches when I'm low on coffee. Is there any reason to go ahead and get glasses? Do glasses accelerate or slow any futher eye degeneration?
[more inside]
posted by stopgap at 9:36 AM PST - 9 comments
How can I get around the geographic restrictions on purchasing some books and/or where can I buy the audiobook for The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins in the US?
[more inside]
posted by travis vocino at 8:56 AM PST - 4 comments
mp3-aiff: What's the best way to preserve the questionable quality of mp3s when converting to aiff so that they'll play on a mix cd?
posted by OmieWise at 8:32 AM PST - 15 comments
I need to fake whipped cream for a costume. (Ok, I'll admit it: I'm trying to dress my dog as a slice of pie.) Is spray foam insulation safe? It won't be in contact with skin or fur. Any other ideas?
posted by juniper at 7:59 AM PST - 14 comments
What would be a good restaurant for a pre-show dinner in Boston, near the Public Gardens? (There's more inside, unless you're my mother, in which case there isn't, so don't click.)
[more inside]
posted by CrayDrygu at 7:51 AM PST - 13 comments 
TxRealEstateFilter: What rights do i have if someone backs out of a selling their house after the contract is signed?
[more inside]
posted by flipmiester99 at 4:02 AM PST - 13 comments
What is the name of the music that accompanied the Pink Panther cartoon series?
[more inside]
posted by viama at 3:35 AM PST - 4 comments 
Frame-wise (or not) what's the best way to display posters like
these (sized 12 x 18)?
I just bought three of them and it feels wrong just to put push pins through them.
posted by pealco at 2:58 AM PST - 12 comments
Here in the far-flung reaches of the English-speaking world, we're constantly being told our local language is being taken over by "American Slang". But does it go the other way? Are there any British / Australian / New Zealand or wherever phrases and words that have become commonly used by people in North America recently? Do Brooklynites ever exclaim "Crikey!" or "Bloody Hell!"?
posted by Jimbob at 2:42 AM PST - 50 comments 
I have a large excel spreadsheet that contains various html tags, mainly bold and anchor tags (in upper case and lower case). How can i automagically remove them?
[more inside]
posted by anonaccount at 2:22 AM PST - 9 comments
October 26
how to connect HDTV to notebook to display video streaming content from notebook?
[more inside]
posted by dy at 9:48 PM PST - 8 comments 
Looking for a Bill Bernbach quote on the advertising business that was used in an ad in HOW magazine a few years back.
[more inside]
posted by pman78 at 8:37 PM PST - 1 comments
Has there been any discernible change recently regarding public opinion of anthropogenic climate change in your neck of the woods?
[more inside]
posted by wilful at 6:20 PM PST - 22 comments
I'm searching for a specific quote about the use of quotes I read online a few years ago in a feature about The Designer's Republic where Ian Anderson was answering questions submitted by the public.
[more inside]
posted by jchgf at 6:10 PM PST - 4 comments
What can I do with just-turned-stale bread, besides make French toast?
posted by Lisa S at 5:55 PM PST - 34 comments
How can I set up my own voice mail service? I want to set up something where people buy/rent phone numbers from me and setup voice mail greetings for their friends to hear when they call. How do I go about procuring multiple phone numbers in multiple area codes like "gotVmail" and similar services do? How do I setup voice mail to email? Basically, I want to set up a service like "gotVmail" without 99% of the bells and whistles. Can I do this with asterisk? Any insight into this is well appreciated.
posted by Ezrie at 5:47 PM PST - 5 comments
I updated to Firefox 2.0 yesterday and everything was fine. Today, after using Firefox periodically, I came home and tried to start it and nothing happened. In Windows Task manager, I can see that the firefox.exe process is running, but the actually browser is not popping up. I've tried rebooting and I've checked for spyware. What gives?
[more inside]
posted by Falconetti at 5:32 PM PST - 11 comments 
I just got a new battery in my ipod. The instructions say I need to charge it for a few hours before using. Is there any reason for me not to unplug it before it fully charges and start using it?
posted by ManInSuit at 4:45 PM PST - 22 comments
Is there a name for the behaviour where someone becomes so fixated on 'family' and family visits/occasions that they become controlling, unreasonable and obsessive to the point where they end up driving family members away? Is there a psychological disorder or term which might cover this?
[more inside]
posted by Flitcraft at 4:08 PM PST - 18 comments
My cat's flea medication makes him ill. I need some alternatives to it to discuss at my next vet appointment.
[more inside]
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:37 PM PST - 9 comments
Now that I'm consulting, how can I gracefully tell colleagues that I'm not going to give them free advice?
[more inside]
posted by arielmeadow at 3:23 PM PST - 20 comments 
A new car costs, say, $16,000. A state's sales tax is, say, 8.5%. That would add an additional tax of $1,360. Which is about the price of a nice new laptop. Is there a way to do this interstate over the internet to avoid the extra tax?
[more inside]
posted by felix at 3:13 PM PST - 21 comments 
What kind of softer-food meals can I prepare for my partner and I that we won't get tired of?
[more inside]
posted by rhapsodie at 3:06 PM PST - 13 comments
I'd like to start Yet Another T-Shirt Selling Site. I need help coming up with a good name. Winner gets a free shirt!
[more inside]
posted by o2b at 3:03 PM PST - 24 comments
Strauss Without Singing - I'm a huge fan of Strauss' orchestra compositions but dislike the opera singing. I know this will make me sound unclassy but I have to ask: is there an orchestra recording of "Four Last Songs" that is just the orchestration and no voice? I've looked and can not find. And additionally, if I wanted to do it m'self - what software/hardware exists to either cancel out voice from music, and music from voice? THANKS AS ALWAYS.
posted by Peter H at 2:51 PM PST - 7 comments 
I am traveling to Bucharest next week for work and do not know anyone there or what to do. I have little time and have more interest in people than buildings or artifacts. Any suggestions?
[more inside]
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 2:49 PM PST - 2 comments
How are the volumes of (tea) cups commonly measured? For instance, does a “6 oz” tea cup hold 6 oz of liquid when filled to a normal level, or must it be filled to the brim to reach 6 oz?
[more inside]
posted by Alex Handcoding at 2:45 PM PST - 7 comments 
Is there a free simple web to email gateway or scriptable email responder that will run on windows server 2003?
[more inside]
posted by Nothing at 2:37 PM PST - 3 comments
More US TSA questions. So this all your 3 oz or smaller liquid/gel personal hygeine items must fit in a one quart plastic bag thing, is that including the lipstick & other cosmetics, or just including the liquids & gels? I've checked TSA and several airport/airline sites and all the examples just show shampoo & shaving cream, &c in the baggie. Even the "woman business traveler" video doesn't show lipstick in her baggie. The only people I know who have flown since the new requirement are men and they have no idea. Is there any woman of MeFi who has flown in the last week (bonus if you left from O'Hare) and can tell me whether *all* my cosmetics, as well as my toiletries, must fit in the single one quart zip top baggie?
posted by crush-onastick at 2:31 PM PST - 15 comments
Can you recommend a bank or credit union for a new business account?
[more inside]
posted by idlm at 2:13 PM PST - 1 comments
Using htaccess, I'd like to redirect all requests from a random set of IPs to a text file explaining that the IP has been banned. What would be the easiest and most efficient way to do this?
[more inside]
posted by maxpower at 1:30 PM PST - 5 comments
What do I do about an old friend who wants to get back together with his old girlfriend, who I am now pursuing? They broke up a long time ago.
[more inside]
posted by rhizome at 1:22 PM PST - 30 comments 
I'm looking for recommendations for electronics kits that have explanations of how the circuits work.
[more inside]
posted by drezdn at 1:14 PM PST - 9 comments 
I'm opening a retail store that will sell CDs, books, photographs and other music-related collectibles. We hope to open a web store concurrently and have found a web designer. I'm looking for advice about point-of-sale systems for our store, and in addition we are interested in linking the inventory in our retail store to our inventory for our web store. Our webstore is being developed using
x-cart. Any recommened POS systems or vendors? Anyone set up a system like this recently?
posted by mfherman at 1:07 PM PST - 2 comments
I am going to be in Los Angeles from mid-day November 6 thru mid-day November 10th for a conference. Since I've never been there before, what should I make an effort to see in my spare time after 5pm? Also, should I rent a car or rely on public transportation (cabs)?
[more inside]
posted by tadellin at 12:51 PM PST - 21 comments
Our bedroom fan with light bulbs makes a quick snapping or popping noise when it's off. Normal? Bad?
[more inside]
posted by LadyBonita at 12:47 PM PST - 14 comments
What is the name of the sound at the start of cassette tapes and where can I find one online?
posted by Old Man Wilson at 12:45 PM PST - 7 comments
I am looking for the name of some delicious French biscuits or, ahem, cookies which seem easily found in any French supermarket or corner store, but elusive on the internets....
[more inside]
posted by clarkie666 at 12:43 PM PST - 9 comments 
Where can I find serious religious debate/discussion? I'm looking for a place to read and maybe discuss religious views (primarily Christian-based) that don't constantly delve into ranting and/or idiocy.
[more inside]
posted by bluejayk at 12:43 PM PST - 21 comments 
EarlyAdopterFilter: After several happy months of running Windows Vista RC1, I've upgraded to RC2. Ever since that day, I've been intermittently getting a "Limited connectivity" error that requires my network adapter to be reset. I don't want to go back to XP or RC1, so I need to make this work.
[more inside]
posted by superboy422 at 12:39 PM PST - 5 comments
Is there a way, possibly via scripting, to export the top-level Layers of an Adobe Illustrator CS2 document as a multi-PAGE PDF?
[more inside]
posted by robbie01 at 12:16 PM PST - 3 comments
I need to provide a foreign student studying in Sweden with information about relocating to New York for a semester.
[more inside]
posted by dshargel at 12:14 PM PST - 3 comments
I've decided to try picking up occassional babysitting gigs on nights and weekends.
[more inside]
posted by SassHat at 11:50 AM PST - 13 comments
Can anyone recommend a reliable, reasonably priced handyman in the Bay Area/East Bay? Need basic drywall repair and finishing, installation of a French Door, some painting, carpentry, etc. Nothing major.
posted by cubedweller at 11:31 AM PST - 2 comments
My friend recently received a large orange wrench is his "Bag of Crap" purchased from Woot.com. What impromptu Halloween costumes could stem from using this wrench as a prop-piece....
[more inside]
posted by rlef98 at 11:31 AM PST - 23 comments
My web browsers (FF 2.0 and IE 7 on XP SP2) have stopped working (kinda). I have to click on links over and over again to get the browsers to respond. When they do finally go to the page, they usually load half of it and give up. This started while I was still on FF 1.5 but seems to have gotten worse.
[more inside]
posted by adi at 11:12 AM PST - 7 comments 
I am
a del.icio.us power use, and I am trying to use the new Firefox 2.0 which integrates with del.icio.us. I'm having some trouble. First, all of the bookmarks I had stored locally that were in folders seem to have disappeared. Where did they go? Second, because I have soooo many bookmarks on del.icio.us, I have the "Bookmaek synching in progress" bar loading constantly, and it REALLY slows down my Firefox speed.
Can anyone help me find my missing bookmarks? Does anyone have tips on how to use Firefox 2.0 with bookmarks without the molasses speed?
posted by abbyladybug at 11:04 AM PST - 10 comments
Can you identify this song from the late 1920s? I'm trying to find the title of this song that was likely released in 1928 or thereabouts. All i have to go on is this short excerpt which I've put
here.
posted by storybored at 10:47 AM PST - 9 comments
Please help me find non-opera classical Chinese and Japanese koto music.
[more inside]
posted by Vaska at 10:25 AM PST - 4 comments 
AutomationMeta-
How do I create a simple automation to search webpages for offensive language (job).
[more inside]
posted by redhotchips at 10:24 AM PST - 5 comments
Hey MetaCooks, your opinion on heritage, pasture-raised or otherwise fancypants turkeys please? Complicating factors inside...
[more inside]
posted by Sully6 at 10:20 AM PST - 20 comments
How can I force Thunderbird to open links in Firefox when IE is set as my default browser?
[more inside]
posted by bondcliff at 9:47 AM PST - 5 comments
What does it mean that I must constantly re-boot my wi-fi access point in order to get an internet connection? My desktop is not on a wireless connection (it's wired directly from the router) and doesn't have this problem--only the laptops that are on wifi. In addiiton, I'll often have to reboot the laptops as well, even though I'm getting a "signal" but not internet connection. Do I need a new access point? Cable company (Time Warner) is of absolutely no help since it's not their equipment.
posted by quintno at 9:29 AM PST - 15 comments
Is it possible to set the
action attribute of an HTML form, such that the
method is
POST, but the
action includes GET variables?
[more inside]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:02 AM PST - 8 comments 
Where can I find sales figures for novels (new and/or classic)? I am aware of Bookscan and Publisher's Lunch, but those are very expensive.
posted by Gnostic Novelist at 6:45 AM PST - 9 comments
How does one increase foot speed? My 12 year old son inherited his lack of foot speed from me. He's thin, skinny and a little below average height. This is not a weight issue, he is just slow. (All of which is subject to change when puberty kicks in full gear) In the meantime, are there exercises or drills he could do to increase his speed? He plays baseball and he fences - being a bit quicker would be a benefit in both.
posted by COD at 6:09 AM PST - 32 comments
Any good tips on managing approved software applications within an enterprise?
[more inside]
posted by daHIFI at 6:08 AM PST - 4 comments
This summer I want to do some self-improvement in terms of writing skills (essays for university), study techniques, etc. Basically I want to maximise my abilities and develop the best possible studying routine. What books did you find helpful when you were an undergrad? Or what books do you wish you had read early on?
[more inside]
posted by mjao at 5:55 AM PST - 8 comments
Does trademark law really offer any basis for the practice of using legal threats to prevent a trademark from becoming common usage?
This article in the Google Blog strongly suggests that trademark law prohibits me from using (in a non-commercial context like a post on MeFi) the verb "to google" to mean "to search on the Yahoo search engine." Is this so?
[more inside]
posted by winston at 5:49 AM PST - 30 comments
What's the equivalent of Public Radio in the UK? I've become hooked on This American Life over the web, and I would like to get involved in something similar over here. Bit
[more inside]
posted by Happy Dave at 4:15 AM PST - 5 comments 
Posting on behalf of a friend:
CSS Absolute / relative positioning problem. In designing a course website which has to validate as XHTML (Strict or Transitional), I've come up against a problem with an image. I want the image to remain in the right hand div but resize gracefully. My problem is that the trowel image either interferes with the header (is too high) but IS able to move with the page or doesn't interfere with anything but won't resize with the page!
[more inside]
posted by dance at 2:50 AM PST - 4 comments
GMail login problem - It's taking forever to login and I usually just get a blank screen at "https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLoginAuth"
[more inside]
posted by ciaron at 2:36 AM PST - 7 comments
My kitchen is systematically going on strike. Last week, my kitchen faucet stopped working. The sprayer thingee still works when the water is on. All other water appliances still work. Just no water from the kitchen sink.
The next day, my roommate tells me that the garbage disposal isn't running. Everything else on that circuit is running fine.
What to do? How do I fix this? Do I call an electrician, a plumber?
posted by donmayo at 1:47 AM PST - 7 comments
I am really curious if there is any help out there in regards to creating band site (myspace) layouts such as the ones that are sold on www.bandspaces.com/samples.html.
[more inside]
posted by cheero at 12:02 AM PST - 2 comments
October 25
How do I properly tie my shoes without them quickly getting loose again? They're the flat laces (rounded ones are worse) and I keep double-knotting them, but after an hour or so of just sitting at work, they come loose. What am I doing wrong? It's especially bad with the ones I'm wearing.
posted by i8ny3x at 11:29 PM PST - 20 comments
The clock starts today. I just sold a house yesterday and ended up with a decent chunk of change. On next year's tax form, I'm going to have to pay taxes on the gains, but I have 6 months to make the tax money work for me...
[more inside]
posted by LGCNo6 at 11:27 PM PST - 16 comments 
Is there a way to retrieve the old files I have saved on 5.25" Apple IIc floppy disks?
[more inside]
posted by zooropa at 10:09 PM PST - 4 comments
Help me evaluate the pro's and con's of my current employment situation. I'm contemplating leaving, but have never been a job-hopper, so I don't think I know the time to leave for a new job...
[more inside]
posted by youngergirl44 at 9:48 PM PST - 20 comments
My wife and I need a pair of Blackberry-type devices (which also function as cell phones) for lots of text-messaging between ourselves throughout the day. We were thinking we wanted Blackberries, but when we went to the Cingular store tonight (we're locked into a Cingular contract until February 2008) the clerk made it sound as though a Windows Mobile device would be better. Any advice?
[more inside]
posted by jayder at 8:16 PM PST - 17 comments
I teach English in Buenos Aires and one of my students has asked me if we can watch some TV that's 'set in an office' and 'is in British English' (I haven't watched a lot of TV for some time).
I've looked at The Office (too hard for all but the very advanced non-native speakers) and The IT crowd (too weird for this chap). Any suggestions?
[more inside]
posted by itsjustanalias at 7:10 PM PST - 18 comments 
I am looking for good scholarly resources on the social influences on childhood and adult obesity.
[more inside]
posted by oflinkey at 6:28 PM PST - 3 comments
What's an effective and practical personal safety/self-defense device to carry when walking home alone at night in a shady neighborhood?
[more inside]
posted by crack at 6:28 PM PST - 59 comments
[ubuntu filter] I have an old school tablet pc with no floppy drive, cd drive or usb support (due to a dud windows 98 installation). I'd like to move to ubuntu. I have a separate drive in a USB enclosure I'd like to use. How can I get everything I need for ubuntu on to the external drive, then move this drive into the tablet PC to complete the installation? I don't want to boot from USB or anything, I just want to physically replace the drive in the tablet.
[more inside]
posted by kaydo at 6:22 PM PST - 7 comments 
I have a Moveable Type weblog. I would like to redirect the feeds. This probably involves using .htaccess and mod_rewrite. My mind has grown weary after two hours of trying to get this to work. Can anyone offer advice?
[more inside]
posted by jdroth at 5:51 PM PST - 4 comments 
How do I write Terms and Conditions for a website, without spending too much on a lawyer?
[more inside]
posted by jesirose at 5:13 PM PST - 15 comments 
What databases might I try to get to high-end fashion magazines, specifically, one of the European Vogues (e.g. French Vogue, Purple Magazine)? ProQuest only has American Vogue. Is it possible to buy any PDF format?
[more inside]
posted by geoff. at 5:09 PM PST - 2 comments 
LegalFilter: Need some direction in regards to a miscommunication which can affect a cases outcome...
[more inside]
posted by Izzmeister at 4:58 PM PST - 4 comments
Name-That-Movie-Filter. I'm asking for my girlfriend because she can't think of the name for this movie she remembers and it's driving her nuts. Its not much to go by but what she does remember you will find inside.
[more inside]
posted by Effigy2000 at 4:50 PM PST - 17 comments
My bank offers both a standard and a gold Visa card with the same 19% interest rate and no annual fee. The gold card's features are:
[more inside]
posted by mendel at 4:38 PM PST - 11 comments 
'The Flâneur': What fascinating titbits can you add to my knowledge about this concept? Art, history, philosophy and literary theory links all welcome.
[more inside]
posted by 0bvious at 4:38 PM PST - 22 comments 
Could I possibly get in trouble for snapping a picture of my ballot/voting screen with my phonecam?
[more inside]
posted by Ufez Jones at 4:32 PM PST - 9 comments
Single Item Online Stores. They are popping up everywhere, which ones do you like?
[more inside]
posted by jonah at 4:13 PM PST - 9 comments 
(Writing/Hypothetical Filter) Are there any poisons that (could) mimic the symptoms/effects of cancer if administered to a person over time?
[more inside]
posted by teststrip at 4:11 PM PST - 15 comments
Is there ANY way I can listen to Mike Shannon's telecast of the rest of the Cardinals' World Series games? As one blog commenter put it, listening to Miller and Morgan sucks away my intelligence.
posted by ontic at 3:53 PM PST - 9 comments 
AmericanFamilyLawFilter: If you haven't heard
anything from social services, do you still owe child support?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:43 PM PST - 7 comments
This:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63024118@N00/279377485/
is a nail hanger of some sort.
What is it called and where can I buy some more?
posted by allelopath at 3:04 PM PST - 7 comments
OK, I'm looking for the name of a modern technique popularly used to organize notes, tasks and projects. It's been discussed many times here and there are a couple of popular books that discuss the techniques. I believe it may be known by an acronym or initials.
[more inside]
posted by lyam at 2:56 PM PST - 3 comments 
Ethics and friendship: I lost touch with a fairly close friend about six or seven years ago; he'd gotten married, had a kid, moved, etc. We recently reconnected and have been hanging out. My girlfriend likes his wife, I like his kids, so all this is good. BUT...also about ten years ago, he and I happened to be competing for a pretty prestigious job at a major corporation - one people have heard of. I got the job, he didn't. There didn't seem to be any hard feelings; I gave him some (lucrative) freelance work, maybe a little out of guilt, but mostly because he was really good. He did great work, and continued to do so on freelance projects until I left the job a couple of years later...
[more inside]
posted by soulbarn at 2:45 PM PST - 34 comments
When I was a kid--reference point: I was born in 1980--there was a singer named "Paulo" (or at least that's what I remember him being called) and he sang songs about Alberta and its history. He had songs about the Frank Slide, the big fire in Calgary, how Alberta got it's name, stuff like that. From the eons old dubbed tape my parents had his album was aptly named "Alberta Songs"...does anyone recognize this guy? Can you tell me where--if it's possible--to purchase this album? I would love to have a real copy of it now.
posted by popsicletoes at 2:33 PM PST - 3 comments
(MacWinFilter) - How do I access a Mac OS/X Server share from Windows XP using AFP (iTunes)?
[more inside]
posted by bkdelong at 1:47 PM PST - 7 comments
What's wrong with my blog? Using Blogger, everything appears normal and functioning within the Blogger "Dashboard", but the content has turned all wonky on me. Help!
[more inside]
posted by booknerd at 1:18 PM PST - 4 comments
How can I scan a book that is precious to me? The book is a couple hundred pages and I just want to produce high-quality pdfs.
[more inside]
posted by vacapinta at 1:13 PM PST - 9 comments 
How do I re-establish a research relationship with a professor I kinda-sorta worked with in college a few years ago?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:08 PM PST - 13 comments
What happened to A9's Yellow Pages feature? Are there any similar websites?
posted by none at 12:33 PM PST - 5 comments
Could someone please explain the meaning and (philosophical) significance of the German term
Voraussetzungslosigkeit? No more inside, I'm afraid.
posted by Urban Hermit at 12:27 PM PST - 9 comments
Looking for examples of simple HR-type training programs. For example, can anyone remember an online excercise that asked participants to quickly answer yes/no when faced with a series of photos or statements? The goal was to provide evidence of bias.
[more inside]
posted by Badmichelle at 12:05 PM PST - 4 comments
There is an extra refrigerator in my apartment left over from the previous tenants. They neglected to clean it out; it has been unplugged for months. I opened it once and the stench - which rapidly spread throughout the apartment and lingered for several hours - was overpowering. I want to be able to use it: how should I go about cleaning it?
posted by davidriley at 11:08 AM PST - 26 comments
If my sister and I didn't live halfway across the country from each other, I would take her out for sushi for her birthday. Since I can't be there, and she can't be here, I'd like to pay for her and her boyfriend to go out for dinner instead. What's a decent sushi place I could send them to in or near Fort Collins, CO, and how do I pay for it?
[more inside]
posted by vytae at 10:35 AM PST - 14 comments
What kind of internet provider and other stuff do I need to run a website out of my apartment?
[more inside]
posted by mrkohrea at 10:20 AM PST - 14 comments
Meta Halloween; Need Costume Ideas for four guys that would like to do a group costume, though there are some conditons to make this harder!
[more inside]
posted by boyinmiami at 10:03 AM PST - 28 comments
PsychExperimentFilter: Suggest some funny and sad death scenes from recent (last 15-20 years) films. Bonus points for equally funny and sad non-death scenes to use as control.
[more inside]
posted by Smegoid at 9:55 AM PST - 47 comments
It's that time of year again...it's getting cold and I'm craving soup more and more. The only problem is I'm sick of canned soup and I'd rather make most of it homemade. Lay your best soup recipes on me, ingredients/prep the works!
Any type of soup accepted! Hot, cold, lukewarm! Chicken, cream-based, potato leek, broth-based etc. I want to start a good collection of new recipes to try!
posted by PetiePal at 9:46 AM PST - 49 comments
How do I submit an advertising campaign/billboard idea to a company? Who do I approach? Is there a way of presenting my idea without their angency just running off with it?
[more inside]
posted by upc_head at 9:46 AM PST - 6 comments
Fake pig's blood for my prom dress: anything out there that's realistic looking and not too sticky?
[more inside]
posted by witchstone at 9:44 AM PST - 9 comments
I've been having incredibly unpleasant jaw pain for the past week. What can I do to make it stop?
[more inside]
posted by defreckled at 8:30 AM PST - 10 comments 
I'm trying to find a study I remember seeing that basically argued that the presence of more information on the screen at CNN (i.e., the 'crawl' or 'ticker') left people less likely to remember what was actually on the station during a given time (versus without)... does that ring anyone's bell? A reference would be amazing...
posted by jgballard at 8:28 AM PST - 2 comments
Is there an easy way to crop a rectangular portion of an Illustrator (CS, CS2) document?
[more inside]
posted by pmbuko at 8:15 AM PST - 8 comments 
In the past few months our 16 month old son has been getting little zits on his cheeks. They're only there for a few days, then poof, their gone. What the heck causes this, and is it normal?
posted by ducktape at 7:43 AM PST - 9 comments
[My-copy-of-Emily-Post-is-in-the-shop-Filter:] I have two diplomas, a JD and a BA, and I want to hang them in my office, one above the other. Which one goes on top?
posted by Saucy Intruder at 7:28 AM PST - 17 comments 
I'm a college student, being flown up for a job interview in Manhattan this Friday. I asked the firm I'm interviewing with to schedule my return flight for Saturday morning instead of Friday night so that I can explore the city, but now I'm finding out how expensive lodging in the city is.
[more inside]
posted by btkuhn at 7:12 AM PST - 14 comments
Free Hummer/Escalade due to U.S.
tax break -- is this for real, and if so, why isn't everyone flocking to get one?
posted by chef_boyardee at 6:50 AM PST - 14 comments
OK, I've got MAME installed, and a (pretty much) complete (15Gb) set of ROMs. I've played my old favorites... Galaxian, Galaga, Gauntlet, Sonic, Mario... but now I'm daunted by the
thousands of games I have to choose from.
So what should I play next?
(assume if I don't have the ROM I can get it)
posted by unSane at 6:35 AM PST - 35 comments
Someone in my work environment is providing an ad-hoc wireless network called 'Free wireless internet'. I can connect to this network using my (firewalled, unix) laptop, but don't get a functional internet connection when I do this. I see numerous similar networks (sometimes 'Free wifi') when using my laptop at airports. Is this the result of a virus? If so, which one?
posted by beniamino at 6:34 AM PST - 5 comments 
What are your favourite, most scary, campfire-esque, "torch under the chin" type stories....
[more inside]
posted by MarvinJ at 6:27 AM PST - 9 comments 
An American friend of mine who is also an expat in France is going home to visit his family for Christmas this year. The problem is he is in default on his federal school loans.
[more inside]
posted by hazyjane at 5:27 AM PST - 17 comments
What is the most convincing argument you have ever heard, read or devised for the existence of free will in humans? If you can't think of one, can you think of a test for proving its existence?
[more inside]
posted by vizsla at 3:11 AM PST - 61 comments 
I'm looking for tips and/or advice on buying a
used pre-loved 1960's Volkswagen Beetle.
[more inside]
posted by cholly at 1:16 AM PST - 17 comments 
October 24
What place/city/town/region is referred to as "The OL"?
posted by lpctstr; at 11:44 PM PST - 11 comments
I've not been able to read books without falling asleep for about the past year, however I can read the same content on my computer just fine. I should note that I normally use my computer at a desk, whereas I don't read books at the desk (because there's not room for the book and the computer on the desk.). I've got to solve this problem, or else I can't study many of the things I'm interested in.
posted by tehgeekmeister at 11:03 PM PST - 11 comments
Does anyone else make wireless headphones that are very similar to these ones from Radio Shack?
[more inside]
posted by lemuria at 10:39 PM PST - 1 comments
Blog help please! I use blogspot currently and am trying to add a "Album I'm currently listening to" feature.
[more inside]
posted by bluehermit at 10:24 PM PST - 4 comments
I think I am ready to begin the transition into trying to put my photography in galleries. My main question is what are the steps that artists go through to gain exposure for their work? I understand that in the case of great artists the work usually stands on its own but I also believe that it got there not on the material items merits but due the efforts of the artist to gain exposure for their work.
[more inside]
posted by occidental at 10:03 PM PST - 2 comments 
What should a 3 or 4 of college students do around 18th and 7th street in NYC before 9:50 PM, Friday?
[more inside]
posted by bkudria at 9:51 PM PST - 12 comments
I am an ESL teacher, and I have several types of classes; however, I have one problem, my handwriting looks as if I were a five year old scribbling with a crayon. So I am curious if anyone might have any suggestions on getting better at handwriting and printing for someone who doesn't have time to go to a course. Also, a second related question, are there any ideas for making conversation corrections? When my students are speaking, I write down various things that they are saying, and make various corrections, or simply offer alternatives, or local dialect. What are some of the most effective and useful ways to do this? If there are any people who have spent any time learning other languages, what ahs helped you most?
Thank you all in advance.
posted by Knigel at 9:36 PM PST - 14 comments
MusicFilter: Looking for songs that are like Yo La Tengo's "Our Way to Fall" or Luna's "Bewitched"
[more inside]
posted by ryecatcher at 9:24 PM PST - 17 comments
Help me find some spyware. I am interviewing someone for a position in "residential IT support" and I want to infect a PC for them to fix. Where to get the warez?
[more inside]
posted by disclaimer at 8:33 PM PST - 19 comments 
Is there a yell of exuberance or exhilaration to which Australians are partial? Something equivalent to "woowee" or "yahoo." Maybe "cooee"?
posted by tommassit at 8:06 PM PST - 26 comments
My brother and I have an idea for a comedy piece that plays out over a video conference. How can we record both sides of our conference so we can later edit it together into a final product?
[more inside]
posted by TonyRobots at 7:52 PM PST - 4 comments
Recommend some sappy science fiction/fantasy to me please! I've read and liked Anthony, Heinlein, Goodkind, Card, Stephenson, Martin, and Rowling, but what I'm really looking for is touchy-feely stuff.
[more inside]
posted by onalark at 7:27 PM PST - 47 comments 
A few friends and I are going to head down to Key West for Fantasy Fest this weekend (We don't have a room, it'll just be a day trip from Miami on Saturday). Anyone have experience, advice or tips for a few Fantasy Fest virgins?
[more inside]
posted by jkl345 at 7:17 PM PST - 4 comments
LocalShopppingFilter. I'd really like to buy a peacoat style jacket and I'm wondering the best place to buy it from, internet or local. I'm in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
[more inside]
posted by concreteforest at 7:16 PM PST - 10 comments 
My partner recently confided that she occasionally 'purges' part of her meals. What, if anything, can I do?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:06 PM PST - 13 comments
My stomach/throat has, for as long as I can remember, made INCREDIBLY loud (and sometimes very bizarre and unnatural) noises--sometimes after I've eaten, but usually many many hours later. I used to associate it with hunger before realizing it seems to be completely unrelated. It's clearly just digestion, but people can hear it from across the room, and they think I do it on purpose because it's so strange. Is there any reason why some people's stomachs/digestive tracts would be so much louder than "the norm", and why they might make noises like these (screeching, shrieking, humming) in addition to more normal sound? I've never met anyone else who knew what I was talking about. It literally sounds and feels like there is a small person shrieking or humming "Om" deep in my throat! WTF?
posted by dmaterialized at 6:54 PM PST - 5 comments
I have a laptop with flatscreen plugged into it, making for one large monitor encompassing the laptop and the external monitor. I've recently started recording some TV shows to watch at more convenient times.
For some reason when I go to play the recording back, whether it be with windows media player or the InterVideo program that came with the USB tuner, I only get a picture on the laptop monitor.
If I try and and move it over to the other (larger) external monitor i still get the sound playing fine, but the picture is just black.
I can watch live TV on either monitor, it's only the video playback that has a problem.
any thoughts?
posted by sorindome at 6:49 PM PST - 7 comments
My aunt called me to say that my Mum is sending off money from the UK to scam artists in Canada. Plus she's left pans on the stove (alight) several times recently, and gone out. Plus she locks herself out incessantly...
[more inside]
posted by blue_wardrobe at 6:21 PM PST - 8 comments
CostumeFilter: I need a beating human heart for my costume as an Aztec human sacrifice victim. Bonus points for other suggestions on how to make this costume awesome.
[more inside]
posted by arcticwoman at 6:14 PM PST - 19 comments 
A special lady in my life has an insatiable lust for all things dark chocolate. What outrageous dark chocolate related present can I get for her?
[more inside]
posted by null terminated at 5:27 PM PST - 30 comments 
I want to move my C: drive to a different location. On my XP machine I have 5 hard drives, all 20 Gigs with the exception of my C: drive which is 15 Gigs, hence the move. What's the most painless way to do this?
[more inside]
posted by zardoz at 5:06 PM PST - 7 comments
My worst nightmares were realized when I found myself in
exactly this situation last month. Negotiations with the dealer have failed and we are considering repossession, but we would like a second opinion.
[more inside]
posted by Ziggy Zaga at 5:00 PM PST - 7 comments
What's the largest internal hard drive available for a Mac Book Pro? I currently have a 120 ATA drive that came preinstalled when I bought the computer. Preferably, I'd like to be able to have two internal hard drives, swapping out my DVD drive...I know that the MCE OptiBay Hard Drive 160gb/5400rpm is available, but I'd like something bigger!
posted by bronxteacher at 4:38 PM PST - 8 comments
headphone choice for non symmetrical hearing: my father is mostly-deaf in one ear. He wears an in-ear hearing aid that works well. He would like to find the following...
[more inside]
posted by luriete at 4:28 PM PST - 4 comments
Help! B&H Photo discontinued the Canon 20d (body only) right before I was going to buy it.
[more inside]
posted by geeky at 4:28 PM PST - 12 comments
I'm trying to find the titles of a couple of books I read as a child, and both happen to be set around Christmas.
[more inside]
posted by srah at 4:05 PM PST - 6 comments 
What is the best allergy medicine (prescription or over the counter) for allergies to dogs or cats? So many seem more geared towards allergies to mold, dust, hayfever, etc.
[more inside]
posted by psususe at 4:00 PM PST - 20 comments
I bought a non-refundable plane ticket on Sunday night from Northwest Airlines. It's now Tuesday afternoon and I need to make a change to my reservation. I know I can easily do this by paying their $100 service fee, but I'm trying to avoid this. Any help is appreciated.
[more inside]
posted by charlesroper at 3:47 PM PST - 9 comments
Suppose your partner is given choice of (U.S.) states to move in order to continue working for their employer. Which state do you choose, and why?
The (only) choices are: Texas, Illinois, Connecticut, Wisconsin, California, South Carolina, Nevada, Alabama, and North Carolina.
[more inside]
posted by parilous at 3:07 PM PST - 38 comments
Is poison ivy less poisonous when it dies for the winter? I'm rather allergic and have gotten rashy several times over the spring and summer, either from preparing the garden or the dogs running through the ground cover and then rubbing up against me. I know where the ivy is, but need to know how to get it out of there without killing the desirable ground cover that it is growing in.
[more inside]
posted by Roger Dodger at 1:25 PM PST - 15 comments
How do I get absurd amount of ethical, reasonably cheap publicity for a new holiday (and by extension) the website that publicizes said holiday? Does anyone have any creative ideas? Internet based is a plus. [more inside]
[more inside]
posted by andoatnp at 1:10 PM PST - 20 comments 
Excel wizards: is it possible to create a temperature conversion calculator (Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin)
using only 3 cells for the interface? I have the
conversions and know how to do
conditional formulas, but what tricks would be involved in having each cell handle both output and potential input?
posted by Tubes at 1:05 PM PST - 15 comments
I am planning on dressing up this halloween as an election judge. What kinds of props would you expect to see in an election judge costume ?
posted by lester's sock puppet at 12:58 PM PST - 16 comments
I've had a complete set of Sin City trading cards gathering dust for years. What can I do with them?
[more inside]
posted by crickets at 12:35 PM PST - 5 comments
I'd like to have a nice formal picture of me for inclusion in my Christmas cards. Can anyone recommend a good Toronto-area photographer? "Good" in this instance means both "technically skilled if not possessed of wizard-like abilities" and "charges reasonable prices" as I am a) vain, b) plain, and c) cheap. Email me with contact info if you don't care to share the person's identity with the world. Thanks!
posted by orange swan at 12:29 PM PST - 7 comments
The wife and I are considering the purchase of a 2001 Jeep Cherokee and we have two very specific questions relating to a.) the transmission, and b.) the stereo. Hop on in...
[more inside]
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 12:10 PM PST - 11 comments 
Englishtown (NJ) Fleamarket: How much smaller is it likely to be this weekend than at the peak of summer?
[more inside]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 11:42 AM PST - 1 comments
I'm looking for a goofy, full-costumed T-Rex outfit for Halloween. Something like in this
Chapelle's Show clip (2:00 mark). Hopefully someone with better google skills or knowledge of specific outlets in the SF Bay Area.
posted by Mach3avelli at 11:36 AM PST - 1 comments
Seeking open-source (free) financial management software for a not-for-profit start up. Has anyone used something they were pleased with?
[more inside]
posted by wmeredith at 11:33 AM PST - 6 comments
How can I build my own Muppet? Are there any guides, tutorials or other online resources that can detail crafting my own Muppet style puppet?
posted by Hanover Phist at 11:19 AM PST - 6 comments 
Back when it was free for Hotmail to check your POP mail for you (Google says 2002, wow), I set it up to check my ISP email account. Not so long after, the option went paid-for --
meaning that I could no longer turn it off.
[more inside]
posted by reklaw at 10:53 AM PST - 29 comments 
Every morning, there is a puddle of pee and one or more piles of poop on my kitchen floor. I think it's the dog. Please help me.
[more inside]
posted by Methylviolet at 10:44 AM PST - 23 comments
The partner and I are going to Williamsburg, VA this weekend (Oct 26-30). What is so amazing (particularly delicious) that if we miss it, we will weep over the omission.
posted by Classic Diner at 10:43 AM PST - 16 comments
What kind of problems would I encounter for registering [myname].com where [myname] isn't actually mine?
[more inside]
posted by AlisonM at 10:38 AM PST - 12 comments 
I will be in the Columbia/Hohenwald, TN area this weekend and am looking for some things to do. I have been told there are lots of historical sites around and lots of plantations. The problem is that I can't seem to find much online. Does anyone know of some good things to do and see? Good restaurants would be a plus!
posted by username68 at 10:38 AM PST - 5 comments
I feel like I've made a bad move career-wise. Please help me avoid making any more mistakes.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:16 AM PST - 20 comments
Are there any places in Chicago that specializes in cutting Asian hair but where the stylists are maybe a little younger and actually speak english well?
posted by anonymous at 10:02 AM PST - 1 comments
Science question. Why is it that when you kill the heat to a pot of boiling water, it suddenly emits lots of condensation clouds? Shouldn't it be making those "steam" clouds while it boils?
posted by zek at 9:18 AM PST - 3 comments
Based on my job skills, what should I go back to school and study, in order to have one of those "career" thingys?
[more inside]
posted by weirdoactor at 8:45 AM PST - 8 comments 
I recently recieved a bill from my local utilities company stating that they had accidentily undercharged me for the last year. Now they want me to pay 438.53. Here's the letter, is there a way out of this?
[more inside]
posted by Telf at 8:35 AM PST - 22 comments 
When I copy text from my web browser and paste it into Word, I get an awful awful awful Lucinda font. It's too big and i hate it all over. But how do I change it?
posted by lockse at 8:22 AM PST - 14 comments 
This past weekend, the family and I went to Chesapeake Beach
(
Brownie Beach) in southern Maryland. As we were looking for sharks teeth and other fossils, a woman next to us was telling us about the glass beads she was finding. These apparently were from a shipwreck from the late 1700's and were "trade goods" from England. I want to know more about them. obviously..
[more inside]
posted by ShawnString at 8:19 AM PST - 5 comments
Need to create a webform with responses and .jpg attachments that go stright to email. The key word here is easy.
[more inside]
posted by ThFullEffect at 8:07 AM PST - 3 comments 
I'm traveling to the UK over Thanksgiving on vacation and am curious about how to get around and money issues.
[more inside]
posted by jmd82 at 7:51 AM PST - 24 comments
After
great advice on the green I am getting close to asking Rachel to marry me! I have met her parents and we get along extremely well. The problem is that I would like to ask her father for his blessing but he is 2000 miles from me and I most likely will not see him for a while. What is the classiest way to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage without doing it face-to-face?
posted by jasondigitized at 6:58 AM PST - 46 comments 
October 23
What's the best combination of motherboard, cpu, hard drive, and accessories to build a very fast PC? I'd like to pay $350 US or less for the total cost.
[more inside]
posted by dudeman at 9:02 PM PST - 13 comments 
What would the easiest way to make a huge Hello Kitty head for my Halloween costume?
[more inside]
posted by lannanh at 8:51 PM PST - 13 comments
Mac OSX Officejet Printing Problem Filter: Whenever I print from my browser (and sometimes other programs) my printer ends up just spitting out blank sheets with an occasional single line or two of text. I'm mystified ... what gives?
[more inside]
posted by General Zubon at 8:29 PM PST - 8 comments 
(Language filter, idle question): does the name for the Greek goddess "Eos" also mean "dawn"? More to the point, does it have a plural formation....
[more inside]
posted by robabroad at 7:50 PM PST - 12 comments
Help create a playlist for background music for my firm's staff holiday lunch meeting.
[more inside]
posted by lola at 7:14 PM PST - 5 comments
I'm going as a "hipster" this Halloween. This seems normal to some people on here, but I'm typical a very very preppy guy. I'm not looking for what's "in" as hipster today, but what is more stereotypical.. and sometimes my mind goes blank since none of my friends dress this way. I'm not making fun of anyone, but really just going totally against my typical style. This is what I know I need so far:
[more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 6:58 PM PST - 48 comments 
Biomedical engineering grad school questions: Where are the top biomedical engineering graduate programs, especially in biomechanics? And, perhaps more importantly, where is the groundbreaking work being done? Who are the "big fish" in the field?
[more inside]
posted by wondercow at 6:35 PM PST - 11 comments
I've been asked to provide a performance evaluation on my boss, by
his boss. Am I going to get screwed?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:18 PM PST - 22 comments
My 20 year old son came out to my wife and I this morning. I want to support him and understand his lifestyle and decisions better. Where do I go from here?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:17 PM PST - 41 comments
This question is for people with epilepsy or other lifelong conditions or spouses/boy/girlfriends of them, and is related to medical insurance and employment.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:17 PM PST - 8 comments
A friend asked me to create a Wordpress-powered site on her newly-acquired domain, and wanted me to import all of her Blogger entries that are hosted on Blogspot. No problem! Except...
[more inside]
posted by davidmsc at 4:59 PM PST - 4 comments
Catchy Spanish (?) song/rap; first line sounds like "mbooley Coca-Cola somprey suno jinsee hola." Could somebody please identify the song or at least write out the lyrics? (MP3 clip included)
[more inside]
posted by archagon at 4:46 PM PST - 6 comments 
Vector Geometry Filter: I'm working in matlab and need to transform a surface to match an arbitrary angle. I have the unit vector of the new normal (and the original normal is in the Z axis (0 0 1))...however i'm not sure how to rotate one normal to another (i know, i know, it sounds very simple really...)
[more inside]
posted by NGnerd at 4:37 PM PST - 5 comments 
Moving into a new place, for the first time...what do I need to do before I move in? Water, power, sewage???
[more inside]
posted by TheDude at 4:13 PM PST - 9 comments
I'm going on vacation to Japan for the first time next month. Can anyone recommend a nice hotel?
[more inside]
posted by minimal at 4:13 PM PST - 14 comments
I've always loved the song 'Summertime' from the musical Porgy & Bess. I think that part of that appeal is because it has always been open to a wide variety of musical interpretation. I've been trying my hardest for years to find other songs that match that level of artistic license but still maintain it's original beauty. Anyone have any other suggestions of similar songs that I can get my lugholes listening to?
[more inside]
posted by floanna at 3:15 PM PST - 32 comments
Demon filter: Tell me everything you know about the demon in the Kabbalah known as “Namaah” (or “Naamah”) who was supposedly Adam’s second wife. (Spoilers for the book "Come Closer" by Sarah Gran inside.)
[more inside]
posted by np312 at 2:47 PM PST - 8 comments
How do you find new (not necessarily contemporary) and obscure music? What strategies do you use? By label, era, musician, etc...?
[more inside]
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb at 2:44 PM PST - 33 comments
I have a very strong image in my head of a nun who, instead of the traditional habit, is wearing a baseball cap of sorts. Where did I see this?
[more inside]
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 2:00 PM PST - 8 comments 
How can I do well in my required college humanities class, despite serious motivational challenges?
[more inside]
posted by lunchbox at 1:24 PM PST - 25 comments
Flying Ryanair on a ticket that doesn't match my name exactly (but is really, really close). Am I boned?
[more inside]
posted by cosmonaught at 12:55 PM PST - 15 comments 
Does anyone know of a freeware/shareware video codec for converting video for use on my PSP?
[more inside]
posted by jimmyhutch at 12:08 PM PST - 5 comments
Did Dave Eggers write a [fabricated] feature story on extreme mountain climbing under a pseudonym for Details magazine 7-8 years ago?
[more inside]
posted by junkbox at 11:56 AM PST - 6 comments 
Is there a firefox plugin that will allow me to search ALL text on a webpage including dropdown menus and otherwise unsearchable fields?
[more inside]
posted by hypocritical ross at 10:41 AM PST - 8 comments
Lately I have been having problems at various internet sites (even Hotmail) - when I visit a site sometimes the page opens up and there is nothing but gibberish...like this - it fills the entire page
"542 ‹ì=kWÛÈ’ŸÃ9ûújvÀœ1~ŒÁ$à8‰?µ?Éι?ÅÚbPÛžë¦i9Urçº!KJ¡Á¢Â0NžtÛš8 ESµVª" -
Why is this happening - is it a hardware or software problem?
Sometimes I can bring the site page back to normal by hitting the refresh button but other times I just keep getting the above nonsense even after hitting refrsh several times.
Thanks in advance in the event that anyone provides an answer.
posted by DonM at 10:32 AM PST - 6 comments
How does a male with boat-sized (46WW) feet get them decently shod in London without going broke or the custom-made route?
[more inside]
posted by derMax at 10:08 AM PST - 5 comments
I've been invited to a state dinner and am just starting to freak out about it. How do I keep myself from looking like an idiot?
[more inside]
posted by KathyK at 8:34 AM PST - 16 comments 
Do the side impact air bags need to be deactivated in order to use a child's car seat safely in the back seat?
[more inside]
posted by Caviar at 7:54 AM PST - 3 comments 
Wordfilter: looking for a word or phrase that describes social paradoxical effects, where the action results in the opposite of its intention.
[more inside]
posted by dragonsi55 at 7:51 AM PST - 10 comments 
What is there to do in Baja California Norte in early January and where is a good place to go? More inside.
[more inside]
posted by bryak at 7:20 AM PST - 3 comments 
I need an Irish gift (or alternative) for a Japanese wedding, next Saturday. Must be able to arrange in time. Help, there's more inside......
[more inside]
posted by Wilder at 7:13 AM PST - 6 comments
My fiance and I have an on going debate regaring the name of the night before holloween. Growing up in a new jersey city we called it mischief night, but the 'burbs she grew up in watered it down to goosey night. I know some places call it devil's night, etc... What names is it called elsewhere. What name brings the sweet memories of getting egged and flower sacked to you folks?
posted by jeffe at 7:04 AM PST - 38 comments 
For some reason, when I try to rip/import anything off a CD, all the audio on my laptop slows down to a choppy crawl.
[more inside]
posted by Ash3000 at 6:35 AM PST - 6 comments
In the US army, majors outrank lieutenants, but lieutenant generals outrank major generals. How did this happen?
posted by IndigoJones at 5:41 AM PST - 5 comments 
My mentor makes unhelpful negative comments when I ask questions, and gets snippy when I don't do as she suggests. What can I do?
[more inside]
posted by cornflake at 5:00 AM PST - 18 comments
Help me find this ANCIENT, early-internet Conan The Barbarian fanfic/spoof story! My google fu has failed me!
[more inside]
posted by antifuse at 3:26 AM PST - 5 comments
How do I cite video/computer games in a research paper? I have the in-text citation done; I just need to know how to do it in the works cited page. I'm using chicago style for the paper, but if you can tell me how to do it in any style, I can convert it.
posted by fvox13 at 2:18 AM PST - 3 comments 
Is there any kind of dating scene (in Australia, or out of interest similar cultures such as the UK, US, Canada...) that doesn't revolve around alcohol?
[more inside]
posted by krisjohn at 1:35 AM PST - 17 comments
How much should I charge for the use of one of my photographs in a tv documentary? The picture in question features a specific person who I photographed in a public setting.
[more inside]
posted by Fricka at 12:52 AM PST - 2 comments
October 22
My friend gave me a home-burned DVD of DIVX content that comes with SRT subtitles. My DVD player plays the media fine, except it seems to display the subtitles too large -- they line-break in odd places and then the second line of text doesn't appear on screen at all. But if I watch the files on my computer in VLC, everything is fine.
[more inside]
posted by xo at 11:41 PM PST - 5 comments
Posting for a friend: How can a Canadian get a job in a North Carolina middle school while his partner attends graduate school?
[more inside]
posted by BackwardsCity at 10:57 PM PST - 5 comments
Why is my printer spooling so slowly? Recently ( I dont know how recently) I've noticed that instead of printing page after page, there is a pause of a few seconds between each page of the pdf's i'm printing off. it takes forever, and i'd like to fix it. help!
[more inside]
posted by gilsonal at 10:50 PM PST - 9 comments
Halloween websites with tons and tons of pictures of homemade costumes? Google was not good to me...
[more inside]
posted by matimer at 9:55 PM PST - 4 comments
MenstrualCycleFilter: My recent periods have been freakishly short. Should I be concerned, or just excited about all the money I stand to save on tampons?
[more inside]
posted by chickletworks at 9:26 PM PST - 13 comments
Frequently family members and friends on the phone speak in long, run on sentences without a natural pause. This gives me little chance to jump in and comment. So conversations are often one way. I know it probably stems from my wonderful listening skills and saying "yep," "uh-huh," and "hrm" all the time. But sometimes I would like to interject a thought or two into the conversation. I don't have this problem in meat space because facial expressions or gestures clue them in that I have something to say. So is there a good way that will get someone to pause over the phone?
posted by the giant pill at 8:29 PM PST - 18 comments
My father-in-law who's a Korean War vet has full VA benefits. Still is there anything I need to look out for so as not to get shafted by funeral/cremation companies?
[more inside]
posted by rolypolyman at 7:48 PM PST - 11 comments
I was in a public location last weekend with a wi-fi enabled laptop (windows xp). Someone, with another laptop, was broadcasting a session id with the name "Free Wireless Internet." Without really thinking about what I was doing, I connected to this machine for a duration of approx 5 minutes thinking that I would get free internet. There was in fact no internet access. The next time I checked my computer for certain files, I noticed that a bunch of data was missing. Is it possible to do wi-fi computer to computer hacks? In just 5 minutes?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:08 PM PST - 29 comments
My wife is thinking about starting a cake making business for kid's cakes. She is planning on buying a bunch of molds (like a ducky mold) and then putting the animal on a sheet cake.
[more inside]
posted by rdurbin at 6:53 PM PST - 15 comments 
What colours do other cultures use for babies? Here we have baby blue & pink. Do other cultures also have colours that are used for newborns, or is that specific to Western culture?
posted by Salmonberry at 6:27 PM PST - 9 comments
RelationshipFilter, for a female friend who's writing about this sort of thing: What annoying things do women do in relationships?
[more inside]
posted by ibmcginty at 5:16 PM PST - 100 comments
Can I safely use a powerstrip with a voltage converter to charge multiple electronic doohickeys in Spain?
[more inside]
posted by stet at 4:49 PM PST - 8 comments 
Is it true that a horse is not capable of doing a horsepower worth of work? (And since horses are supposed to have such a high power to weight ratio are there any other animals that can do so?)
[more inside]
posted by rongorongo at 3:49 PM PST - 8 comments
After having an impacted wisdom tooth removed over three weeks ago the adjacent molar seems to have relocated because it feels like it's more elevated now and I can no longer bite down completely (there's also some sensitivity).
[more inside]
posted by zinegurl at 3:35 PM PST - 5 comments
My wife remembers reading a story about some famous person (Churchill, Franklin, ?) who, when interviewing a potential employee, took them to dinner. If the prospect salted his food before tasting it, he didn't get the job - presuming that they would rush to judgement without having all the facts. She can't remember who it was attributed to though. Anyone know?
posted by Pressed Rat at 3:28 PM PST - 13 comments 
I foolishly parked in a no-parking spot and when I came back to my car a cop was writing me a ticket. No problem, I messed up. He asked me for my drivers license though.
Since this was not a moving violation, did I have to give it to him, or could I have refused? Why did he need it?
He said that not paying it would result in the suspension of my license. I should mention that both my license and tags are out of state.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 3:24 PM PST - 10 comments
My boyfriend asked me why the Mimi Rogers character gets mad at the Jeff Bridges character in the movie The Door in the Floor. I was at a loss for words. Spoilers and
[more inside]
posted by cda at 2:59 PM PST - 3 comments
Hello! I have a backup strategy, which I think is okay but I would like some advice on whether my use of the external hdd is sensible. A little
[more inside]
posted by mooders at 1:34 PM PST - 5 comments 
I need a PHP script "generator" to do Change/add/delete/edit on a MySQL database. Is there a auto generator of such a script? (I use 1&1 - with ssh and a shell, and a XP machine at home)
Thanks!
posted by bright77blue at 12:54 PM PST - 8 comments 
Do people ask for advice IRL? If they talk about a problem but don't specifically ask for advice, does that mean they don't want any?
[more inside]
posted by meijusa at 12:45 PM PST - 14 comments 
"The Prestige" spoiler question, do not read if you have any intention of seeing the movie.
[more inside]
posted by hwestiii at 11:10 AM PST - 29 comments
When I am setting up printers on my Windows 2003 server, HP provides a PCL5e and PCL6 driver. What is the difference, and why do I care?
[more inside]
posted by SirStan at 9:46 AM PST - 5 comments
Southern New Hampshire and/or Montreal Filter: Where do you get fashionable, thick hose with no wool in them?
[more inside]
posted by joannemerriam at 9:00 AM PST - 9 comments
A laptop theif (grumble grumble) knocked out the passenger side window to my 1996 Ford Ranger. I only have liability and the YMCA where I was parked won't cover it, so I think I want to change the glass myself.
[more inside]
posted by spartacusroosevelt at 9:00 AM PST - 10 comments
Can anyone recommend a
nice, mid-priced
hotel in Boston, in the city centre but not hard to get to by public transport from the airport? (Bonus points if I'm still going to be able to book a room for two weeks from now.)
[more inside]
posted by Marquis at 8:40 AM PST - 20 comments
We want to paint the floor in our basement office. Having removed the dark red 1970s shag, there is cement underneath, but it is sealed.
1. Is it worth it to remove the concrete sealant to use a stain?
2. Can we paint over the concrete sealant using an epoxy paint?
3. Would it just be cheaper/easier to slap down some linoleum squares?
Thank you, Metafilterians, for your words of home improvement wisdom.
[more inside]
posted by craniac at 8:26 AM PST - 12 comments 
OkinawanMusicFilter: I live in New York City and want to buy some recordings of Okinawan music, but I don't want to pay $30 an album. Is there anywhere in the city or online where I can get them for less? To give you an example of what I am looking for, I really like the
collection at Far Side Music, an English website.
posted by billtron at 8:03 AM PST - 1 comments
We definitely have mice in our garage. I'm worried they may be in our attic or our house interior and I need some advice.
[more inside]
posted by RustyBrooks at 2:50 AM PST - 14 comments
Training, silimming, and building at the dawn of one's thirties: tips, statistics, techniques? Way
[more inside]
posted by mykescipark at 2:29 AM PST - 7 comments
Where can I find an audio clip of Conan the Barbarian screaming?
posted by diastematic at 12:23 AM PST - 2 comments
October 21
Let's say I find a shiny spherical object and under point lighting, I move it very close to my eye. I then focus on the bright spot, but focus at a distance of 1-2 feet until the patterns are in focus. At this point, it looks like a bad microscope. Am I looking at part of my own eye? Is this a documented phenomenon I could read about?
posted by aye at 8:44 PM PST - 19 comments 
My wife uses Netscape 7.2 Mail for all her email needs on her Windows XP box. When she clicks on a URL from within an email message, it launches the Netscape 7.2 browser to view the URL. How can we configure it to launch Firefox or Internet Explorer instead?
[more inside]
posted by jaimev at 8:43 PM PST - 2 comments 
I turned 30 yesterday. My longest ever sexual/romantic relationship was 6 months long, and took place when I was 21. Since then, I've had several flings, one-night stands, and extended flirtations, but nothing even remotely resembling a real/long-term relationship.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:36 PM PST - 23 comments
Aussie developer friends are looking for affordable (or freeish) hosting. They're burning through 60+ gigs a month. Ideas? Suggestions?
[more inside]
posted by filmgeek at 7:08 PM PST - 10 comments
How do I clean my ThinkPad's harddrive so I can sell it WITHOUT having to reinstall XP?
[more inside]
posted by phixed at 6:00 PM PST - 11 comments
I need a metaphor and an analogy for an application of social network theory.
[more inside]
posted by k8t at 5:54 PM PST - 16 comments
Very straightforward: would a testy copyeditor say "take out our grammar frustrations" or "take out our grammatical frustrations" and why?
posted by vers at 4:41 PM PST - 17 comments 
NerdProposalFilter: Looking for a creative way to ask my boyfriend to marry me, via World of Warcraft.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:38 PM PST - 8 comments
Can you recommend a good restaurant in Bruges? Am visiting for 2 days and want to make the most of the four eating out opportunities. Would prefer local cuisine and not too expensive, but any cuisine and budget considered...
posted by janecr at 4:29 PM PST - 8 comments
How can I watch prices for a roundtrip flight for a few-day visit somewhere? The dates aren't as important as cheap fares-- pretty much any time through this coming April would be fantastic. I'd just like to watch for lower prices. How can I do this?
posted by freddymungo at 3:49 PM PST - 6 comments
Macbook Pro graphics query: For a Photoshop user, is it necessary to get the 256MB graphics card?...
[more inside]
posted by timnyc at 2:43 PM PST - 23 comments
How do I configure Gnome (on Fedora Core 5, if it matters) and X11 to act like OSX with respect to keyboard input?
[more inside]
posted by ChrisR at 2:16 PM PST - 4 comments
Access Field question: On a linked ODBC table, I have part number information in a MEMO field, in this format: xx-xxx-xxxx. I would like to make this a TEXT field so that I can link it to another ITEM field that is associated with cost data. How can I do this in a query?
Thanks
posted by strangelove at 1:47 PM PST - 5 comments
Memorial / Activist Art: Where in the world are there public, physical memorials of any kind (sculptures, murals, installations, etc.) for individuals who were killed by police or by governments? I'm really inspired by the
Omofuma Stein in Vienna (a self-funded/DIY granite sculpture, first installed guerilla-style in front of the Vienna Opera House and now permanently installed in Vienna's Museumsquartier) and I want to document/celebrate similar projects elsewhere in the world.
posted by allterrainbrain at 11:47 AM PST - 16 comments
Poem identification: "There are no (something) rooms. There are no (something) doors."
[more inside]
posted by Jeanne at 10:44 AM PST - 2 comments 
What are these people singing? It sounds like padana-whey, padana-whey, padana, chanted over and over.
[more inside]
posted by Mr. Gunn at 9:50 AM PST - 4 comments 
How can the identity of a web page creator be discovered?I have a problem with a local web page that is letting out sensitive cave locations and I want to try to contact the owner and let them know and perhaps inform/convince them to remove the problem.
[more inside]
posted by plumberonkarst at 9:14 AM PST - 11 comments
I want to monitor activity on my computer, but I'm totally at a loss. Can you recommend any software?
[more inside]
posted by damnjezebel at 9:13 AM PST - 10 comments 
I've been estranged from my family for 3+ years. How can I explain this to a girl that I'm dating without seeming like a nutcase or weirdo?
[more inside]
posted by Jake Apathy at 8:46 AM PST - 32 comments
JobFilter: What temp agencies are best for copy editing work in New York?
[more inside]
posted by brina at 8:25 AM PST - 4 comments
Can I safely use a 5V 2.1A power adapter for a device (Linksys WET11 Wireless Ethernet Bridge) that expects 5V 2.0A?
[more inside]
posted by SomePerlGeek at 8:19 AM PST - 3 comments 
Any suggestions for a small, battery-powered flashing LED setup I can use for an outdoor mock alarm?
[more inside]
posted by pallen123 at 7:39 AM PST - 5 comments
Since I downloaded iTunes 7, my iPod no longer updates Smart Playlists on-the-go. What to do?
[more inside]
posted by crapples at 6:43 AM PST - 4 comments
Rinsing quinoa: is it really necessary? I haven't found a strainer dense enough that the quinoa doesn't get stuck in it to the point that rinsing it out is a real pain. Also, I often don't rinse it, and I don't notice any difference. Is there something inherently dirty about quinoa? I mean, it's still getting sterilized by boiling water, right? Why rinse quinoa but not rice, bulgur, etc.?
posted by bingo at 5:05 AM PST - 17 comments 
how do I convert .mp3x files downloaded for free from allofmp3.com's "music for the masses" giveaway into .mp3 files i can use with my ipod?
posted by subverted at 3:25 AM PST - 10 comments
I have a potluck brunch to go to tomorrow and would like to make an egg/bread type casserole. Does anyone have any good recipes they can share (that don't require refrigeration overnight)?
posted by kechi at 2:27 AM PST - 11 comments
October 20
I'm taking a friend shopping for a home theater tomorrow in San Francisco. She has a very healthy budget, and I want to hit up some of the higher-end boutique stores that can give a good demo. Which ones should we go to?
[more inside]
posted by wubbie at 10:33 PM PST - 12 comments
I'm seriously thinking about starting a small business/personal project, but the logistics are a nightmare. Help me get it off the ground, Hive Mind!
[more inside]
posted by Willie0248 at 10:16 PM PST - 14 comments
Where can I find mathematical fomulas for calculating coordinating colors for interior decorating projects?
[more inside]
posted by Vorteks at 9:27 PM PST - 10 comments
I'm not a smoker, so I consume most of my THC by steeping 1/4 oz of weed in 26 oz of 151-proof rum.
(After a week or so, I strain the rum and consume it about a tablespoon at a time. It suits my needs quite well.)
I remember from my days of making homemade wine that there was a fairly easy way to estimate the alcohol content of wine by measuring the specific gravity before and after fermentation. Is there any similar method to get a ballpark idea of how much THC is in my rum?
posted by Tbola at 9:06 PM PST - 12 comments 
How long is "too long" to leave your laundry in a washer or dryer in a laundromat/apartment laundry room setting? What do
you do when you need to do laundry and find that someone has left stuff in a dryer?
[more inside]
posted by drstein at 8:34 PM PST - 52 comments
What was the original size wheels/tires that came on the 1963 Ford Ranchero? Thanks in advance!
posted by drleary at 8:29 PM PST - 6 comments 
I need help tracking down the source of a fraudulent transaction that has left me in a state of disbelief. It is quite appalling actually. Legal advice greatly appreciated.
[more inside]
posted by dbk at 6:52 PM PST - 42 comments
I just finished reading Frank Herbert's "Dune", and I am in love with it. Should I continue reading the series and/or see the movie adaptations, or will it ruin my fascination with the original book?
[more inside]
posted by sprocket87 at 6:02 PM PST - 58 comments 
Momentarily bereft of cash, I'm left wondering how my family is going to attend a costume-mandatory Halloween party next Friday. Any ideas?
[more inside]
posted by thanotopsis at 6:01 PM PST - 18 comments
MovieFilter: A friend of mine needs to see some examples of Central and Eastern European armor from about a thousand years ago. What movies could you recommend which display such sorts of armor?
[more inside]
posted by Sticherbeast at 4:40 PM PST - 14 comments
A murder was confessed to me. I am a minister. What is my legal obligation: to report the crime to the authorities, or to maintain the confidentiality of the confession? This is not hypothetical.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:29 PM PST - 158 comments
How much of my medical history is available to prospective employers/government institutions, and are there any questions regarding medical history or treatment that I am not legally obligated to answer?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:27 PM PST - 7 comments
I have a bunch of .mkv files, a Mac (10.3.9, Toast), and a DVD player that plays divx. How can I convert those dang .mkv files to a format readable by my DVD player? Thanks.
posted by PenguinBukkake at 4:03 PM PST - 1 comments
Help me clear up my misconception about display resolution: I always understood it that on the same 15" screen that if you went to a higher resolution, it would pack more pixels into that same 15" space. But resolution appears to be length of number of pixels x width of number of pixels. So is a 1080 hdtv always going to be bigger than a 720 hdtv? What am I missing?
posted by baking soda at 3:59 PM PST - 11 comments
Hullo. I'm compiling some weblog traffic reports for a site running on two servers (for load balancing). As they are wont to do, each server has collected differnt data...
[more inside]
posted by missmobtown at 3:56 PM PST - 5 comments
Barring signal strength for a location or normal lag issues, what which plan is cheapest for portable Internet (Clearw're, Xanadoo, etc) service that I can laglessly play Xbox Live with?
[more inside]
posted by vanoakenfold at 3:48 PM PST - 3 comments 
Is it possible for an individual who does freelance work (computer programming, design, etc.) in Texas to purchase equiment used to do such work tax-free (such as computers)?
[more inside]
posted by jimmy0x52 at 3:30 PM PST - 7 comments 
When installing a particular font in a Win2k networked system, the font is gone after logging out and back in....
[more inside]
posted by IronLizard at 3:16 PM PST - 13 comments 
I am decorating my porch for halloween. I am thinking of having an exposed hanging lightbulb (the kind normally found in attics) which keeps flickering on and off, like it's about to short out. How do I make this happen?
[more inside]
posted by 23skidoo at 2:56 PM PST - 10 comments
Are muslim women who wear a veil or burka allowed to remove it to be lip read by deaf people?
[more inside]
posted by A189Nut at 2:30 PM PST - 9 comments
Windows XP Home Edition won't recognize my Simpletech external hard drive. The USB ports are fine, the computer recognizes -every- other USB device I own (15+ devices.) Help!
[more inside]
posted by JFitzpatrick at 1:48 PM PST - 9 comments
Screw doctors, I have diagnosed myself with adult attention deficit disorder. I can keep it in control by limiting my exposure to distracting stimuli, but occasionally I need a place to retreat.
[more inside]
posted by jlowen at 1:46 PM PST - 16 comments
InterviewFilter -- Should I wear a skirt suit to a job interview for a para-professional position?
[more inside]
posted by bad grammar at 12:56 PM PST - 3 comments
Where can I find radio shows that solve business problems in a case study format along the line of Harvard Business Review case study?
[more inside]
posted by cluelessguru at 12:53 PM PST - 1 comments
I'm looking to get a vasectomy in NYC and need some recommendations as to where I should go.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:31 AM PST - 1 comments
My partner and I would eventually like to adopt a child - not immediately but some year soon. I am wondering if my medical history would effect my chances/application?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:30 AM PST - 9 comments
What's the most efficient way to transfer an entire functioning Windows XP PC to my new Mac running Parallels?
[more inside]
posted by maniabug at 10:12 AM PST - 3 comments
What is the general norm of “water-cooler time” reported on an 8 to 5 timesheet?
[more inside]
posted by tfmm at 10:09 AM PST - 17 comments 
I looking to buy an espresso tamper and knock out "thing" in San Jose, CA today before noon. Anyone know where I can find one? I checked a few local Starbucks and looked online at Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table. Any suggestions on local coffee shops and/or specialty retailers in the North San Jose Area that have a selection of the above items?
posted by mhm at 9:59 AM PST - 6 comments 
How do tax credits work? My husband and I both bought Priuses early this year (well before the 60,000 mark), and we get tax credits of $3,150 for each car. Which is awesome, but...
[more inside]
posted by Lyn Never at 8:53 AM PST - 9 comments 
If
The Atlantic Monthly (or
Harper's, or
The New Yorker) were founded today, would it be Metafilter?
[more inside]
posted by MarshallPoe at 8:52 AM PST - 31 comments
Now that I'm getting familiar with PHP and MySQL et al, what should I add to my portfolio to make myself hirable?
[more inside]
posted by cebailey at 8:43 AM PST - 4 comments
I have seen a couple trucks owned by the city (public works trucks) with magnetic signs advertising to "Vote No" on an upcoming proposed charter amendment. I have also seen a flashing sign owned by City Hall with the same message to "Vote No on Prop. 7". Isn't this illegal?
posted by LoriFLA at 8:39 AM PST - 13 comments
Has Finnegans Wake ever been translated? How?
posted by dead_ at 8:39 AM PST - 36 comments
I have little under-cabinet space and and am looking for a somewhat elegant solution to trash/food waste/recycling. Because of the lack of under-counter space, I need something free-standing and preferably with a small footprint. Suggestions?
[more inside]
posted by Manhasset at 8:29 AM PST - 10 comments
I've read a study that suggests individuals who live in perpetual poverty have impaired reasoning capabilities. Assuming this is true, how can I learn to reason better? What ways can I improve my ability to accurately assess situations and troubleshoot problems?
posted by dropkick at 8:26 AM PST - 22 comments
Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router + Comcast Broadband connection. My Comcast connection will not allow the internet to flow through the wireless router
[more inside]
posted by MasonDixon at 7:27 AM PST - 14 comments 
Magic Ball Filter: Stock Option Back Dating Scandal: How bad is it? How much is it going to affect the average person?
[more inside]
posted by nnk at 6:46 AM PST - 15 comments 
Sockpuppets and gaming Digg. What other tricks are being used to deceptively manipulate opinion online?
posted by srboisvert at 3:18 AM PST - 9 comments
Looking for recommendations for a trip to Alsace, France this weekend. Currently, we're just across the border in Germany. Should we rent a car or take the train? Which towns must we see on a weekend trip? What are the best things to do (hiking, castles, etc.) and the best places to stay? Thanks!
posted by xammerboy at 2:38 AM PST - 4 comments
Not so long ago, someone asked
this question about a hypothermia situation in a book. I would like to read said book, but the title isn't mentioned. What is the book?
posted by lazy robot at 2:25 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm looking for the story beind an album cover for (i think) a death metal band. The picture on the cover was supposedly taken by one band member posing with another band member that had committed suicide.
[more inside]
posted by bob sarabia at 1:12 AM PST - 5 comments 
I am in the first semester of a phd in history at a respected state school, with an M.A. under my belt. My wife and I just had our first baby in May, a beautiful daughter with a smile anyone in their right mind would die for.
As my wife has a decent job that pays very well, I'm the stay-at-home-dad, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to juggle parenting with graduate school.
I can take a part time job with a record labe where I set my own hours and work from home; the perfect job for a SAHD
(stay-at-home-dad).
Do I throw away all the hard work to get into this phd program and the (potential) future career of a professorship, or do I sweat this out and stick with the phd program while fathering?
[more inside]
posted by beelerspace at 12:59 AM PST - 19 comments
October 19
What tool can you use to perform full-text searches across PDF files that doesn't require administrative rights?
[more inside]
posted by irian at 11:02 PM PST - 6 comments
Is there a way to automatically forward mail in a Yahoo account to a Gmail account without upgrading to mail plus??
posted by MJaffaDMB at 10:31 PM PST - 3 comments
How hard/expensive is it likely to be to get a ten-year-old Jeep to pass California emissions standards?
[more inside]
posted by fuzzbean at 10:00 PM PST - 8 comments 
I'm tired of making next to nothing writing complete bullshit. I'm so so so so tired of it. I want to maximize my freelance potential and even enter into whoredom so I can make some money to live on.
I'm in graduate school right now, but I need income, and I'd like to continue on in the field of creative journalism or analysis. What can I do? (this gets complicated)
[more inside]
posted by punkbitch at 9:33 PM PST - 13 comments
Car-filter: There is something squealy and squeeking on my automobile-type machine. Help clueless person.
[more inside]
posted by typewriter at 7:10 PM PST - 15 comments
I want to read a book that is gona scare the living daylights out of me. Preferably a thriller, not monsters and vampires, and it should be smart and believable. Show me the book that will make it hard for me to sleep after reading.
posted by pwally at 5:58 PM PST - 88 comments
Any X-Men experts hereabouts? What would you recommend as a starting point for someone who enjoyed the movies and the animated series from the early 90s and now would like to go back and actually read the original comic books? Are there any omnibus-type volumes that would help bring a new reader up to speed?
posted by John Smallberries at 5:53 PM PST - 20 comments 
It seems like when someone is doing file sharing on the network everything else slows to a crawl. Besides setting a limit on the bandwidth in the file sharing program, can I set it on the router? Lets say the bandwidth hog was a roommate who I didnt want to have to police. Could I just do something on my end?
[more inside]
posted by GleepGlop at 5:48 PM PST - 13 comments
Does John Frusciante or the Red Hot Chili Peppers have a charity organization to help battered women? (more inside)
[more inside]
posted by kuppajava at 5:33 PM PST - 5 comments 
What are the best deal aggregator sites out there that DON'T focus on hard drives, monitors and tech stuff? (Not that there's anything wrong with that)
[more inside]
posted by rileyray3000 at 5:24 PM PST - 9 comments
I've got too many nieces and nephews to buy christmas gifts for this year and not enough money. Please, oh great and wise collective hive mind of the metafilter abyss, grant me some wisdom as to some great cheap gifts.
[more inside]
posted by killThisKid at 5:19 PM PST - 31 comments
What are the most addictive, not-too-hard-to-master, good-for-casual-gamers multiplayer computer games out there? Cool graphics appreciated. Strategy games preferred, but not required...
posted by shivohum at 4:45 PM PST - 30 comments
Is there a way to search upcoming television shows for topics? For example, I would like to know if there are any upcoming television shows about the Black Plague. Short of getting a tivo, is there a way to do this via the internet?
[more inside]
posted by allthewhile at 3:59 PM PST - 3 comments
Any recommendations for a no b.s. sales lead service for a one person mortgage broker biz?
[more inside]
posted by swiffa at 3:13 PM PST - 1 comments
My creative coworkers aren't
famous, yet deserve some recognition for their efforts on a tough project with an impossible client. Internally, I'm singing their praises and making their successes known to management. Additionally, I'd like to get them a treat. Here's where you come in:
[more inside]
posted by cior at 2:48 PM PST - 9 comments
A member of my family has been entering my house in my absence when it has been particularly impressed upon that person that it is specifically against my wishes.
[more inside]
posted by aeighty at 1:55 PM PST - 40 comments
How to have an Ubuntu machine display a slideshow of the Flickr 'Interestingness' photos for that day?
[more inside]
posted by mattholomew at 1:52 PM PST - 3 comments
EconomyFilter: I have a difficult time figuring out why the Dow Index breaking 12,000 translates into anything good for the average person on the street. Help me understand!
[more inside]
posted by Funmonkey1 at 1:20 PM PST - 41 comments
Off to a Decemberists show tonight, and thereby wondering: What are some musical acts, especially predating 1980, with a simliar proclivity toward verbosity and the historical or arcane?
[more inside]
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:02 PM PST - 37 comments
I am a mac OSX user and I want to send Huge (>1GB) files via the internet.
Does anyone have a solution other than Yousendit, dropshare or AIM?
posted by lukeomalley at 12:53 PM PST - 14 comments
Do most white guys in Alabama have their hair cut like the guys on Two-A-Days? How about the rest of the south? Is this considered attractive?
[more inside]
posted by b_thinky at 12:19 PM PST - 21 comments
Need a bowling team name - work at an ad agency but having trouble being creative...
posted by cleve9 at 10:59 AM PST - 25 comments 
What's the most sensible way to add redundant storage to an existing Linux system using LVM?
[more inside]
posted by odinsdream at 10:55 AM PST - 7 comments
Seeking advice for someone relocating for his job from Israel to Palo Alto, CA.
[more inside]
posted by MLIS at 10:45 AM PST - 5 comments 
Help me prevent my Pointy Headed Boss from implementing a daily required karaoke session. Theres definatly
[more inside]
posted by Jonsnews at 10:45 AM PST - 63 comments 
I'm looking to identify an Eighties rap song for a friend. The only problem is that we don't know any of the words and I'm only (maybe) familiar with it through an FM morning show type Parody (Vaguely recalled from my eighties childhood). Warning: May involve Reagan.
[more inside]
posted by sourwookie at 10:43 AM PST - 7 comments 
Los Angeles Residents: Can anyone identify what the heck
these birds are, hanging from power lines all over Hollywood and the West Side?
[more inside]
posted by donguanella at 10:28 AM PST - 9 comments
Is anyone flying from the US to Mexico in the coming week? Would you like to bring me a computer? (Or: Does anyone have any ideas for getting a fair price on a Mac in Mexico City?)
[more inside]
posted by jacob at 10:21 AM PST - 9 comments 
I'm interested in displaying a system modal dialog on a Symbian S60/UIQ and/or a Windows Mobile device.
[more inside]
posted by oferhalevi at 10:20 AM PST - 3 comments
GreeceFilter: Traveling there for the first part of November, with my parents and 3 (adult) siblings. Itinerary inside, please suggest places to go, things to do, eats not to miss, how to avoid baby-throwing gypsies, etc..
[more inside]
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:57 AM PST - 5 comments
My company has a cartload of old zip disks with non-confidential info on them (and a zip drive). Is there any good way to dispose of these...? Someplace that could erase and reuse or resell them would be ideal, since we don't have the staff to go through and erase them ourselves. (We're in N. TX but could possibly ship them off). I just hate to put them in the landfill.
posted by emjaybee at 9:15 AM PST - 9 comments
What are some good biographical/autobiographical books about inspiring women I could put together into a set for my 12-year-old niece?
[more inside]
posted by troybob at 9:14 AM PST - 30 comments
What's the best way to go about going "back" to school after dropping out and taking a few years off? Of course, there is a ton
[more inside]
posted by atomly at 9:00 AM PST - 7 comments 
SSHFilter: How to restrict commands available to users who connect to a Linux box for file transfer, presumably via SSH?
[more inside]
posted by adipocere at 8:42 AM PST - 13 comments
Is there a program that can extract all of the metadata including ISRC codes from an audio CD in my drive?
[more inside]
posted by gfrobe at 8:24 AM PST - 2 comments
I'm looking for examples that turn the aphorism "form follows function" on its head. The idea that functions can be inspired by new forms.
[more inside]
posted by Jeff Howard at 8:18 AM PST - 24 comments
I've never been to a spa or had a 'real' massage...but I want to now. What can I expect?
[more inside]
posted by eas98 at 7:43 AM PST - 22 comments
The SO and I have been dating for over a year, and we have yet to take a vacation somewhere. I want to know if he and I travel well together, so I need a suggestion of a good city to visit for a long weekend (three days, four max) in the middle of November or December. Parameters inside.
[more inside]
posted by bibbit at 7:33 AM PST - 25 comments
Why would criminals have been branded
'Fleurdeliser':
Hollyband 1593: Fleurdeliser, to burne one with an hot floure-de luce betweene the shoulders, when the
Fleur-de-lis was employed by the French monarchy as a symbol of faith, wisdom and chivalry?
posted by tellurian at 6:27 AM PST - 6 comments 
In Windows XP, is there any way of discovering the WEP key that is saved for a particular wireless connection?
[more inside]
posted by blue mustard at 6:06 AM PST - 14 comments 
SydneySiders Filter: Where can I buy microsd to minisd converters in the Sydney area?
[more inside]
posted by ranglin at 6:05 AM PST - 2 comments
Has any on had problems with Adobe Breeze 5.1 Presentations made with audio not playing in IE?
[more inside]
posted by frogmoses at 4:55 AM PST - 4 comments
Im looking to purchase a DLP or Rear Projection HDTV, which brand is the best?
posted by flipmiester99 at 4:28 AM PST - 5 comments
I fondly remember an arcade game from my childhood at the local junk-food kiosk, but I can not remember the name. I have tried to search Google, but I have not found anything.
The game, as I remember it, was a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. You flew planes (1 player or 2 players) and on the ground beneath you dinosaurs where actively trying to kill you with their prehistoric might.
[more inside]
posted by Grums at 2:53 AM PST - 4 comments 
Food for Faulkner: My boyfriend just suggested we go on a road trip this Sunday to
Rowan Oak, Faulkner's old digs, to celebrate his finishing
The Sound and the Fury recently. I would like to pack a picnic lunch, or some kind of car-friendly food, and it just occurred to me it'd make me a super duper brilliant girlfriend if I could think of something Faulkner related. Best would be food mentioned in his books, but even something related to Faulkner's life would be cool.
[more inside]
posted by ifjuly at 2:27 AM PST - 17 comments
So, not that it matters, but, were I to make a paltry political contribution, what would be the most strategic fund for a donation?
[more inside]
posted by cytherea at 1:04 AM PST - 16 comments
Which Georgia judges preform weddings (on the weekends, at venues, not the courtroom)?
Does anyone have recommedations for a good one?
[more inside]
posted by gte910h at 12:46 AM PST - 3 comments
October 18
Is it legally binding in the state of Washington for a minor to accept a document delivered by a process server?
[more inside]
posted by jeffbarr at 10:55 PM PST - 7 comments 
What's the easiest way for a Canadian citizen to live and work in France for a few years earning a living doing freelance web work?
[more inside]
posted by futureproof at 10:38 PM PST - 10 comments
I've been having a bit of problem getting my WB set just right on my new 30D. I think the canon's have a tendency to AUTOWB a bit too cool for my taste. I'm thinking about getting an Expodisc or something like it. Do they really work as well as the advertising says in setting your custom White Balance? Could I achieve the same effect by putting tissue paper or tracing paper on the lens while setting Custom WB? Help!
posted by damiano99 at 10:15 PM PST - 8 comments
I just recieved a summons to appear for jury duty in Williamson County, TX, at the end of this month. I've read a lot of the first page of google results for "jury duty", but I am hoping that my favorite (ask)mefites can give me a more personal view of their experiences with jury duty.
[more inside]
posted by negative1 at 10:06 PM PST - 25 comments
Pacific Northwesterners headed to Costa Rica on a Honeymoon, any suggestions?
[mo