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December 2007 Archives
December 31
Hello, could anyone possibly translate this for me?
ΔΕΝΓΑΜΙΕΣΑΙ NA ΑΣΠΡΙΣΕΙΣ
hope it's transcribed right, sorry if it's offensive. And could you suggest a good reply? (to flatmate)
Ta!
posted by runincircles at 8:44 PM PST - 11 comments
Is it illegal for a business to close earlier than the closing time posted on their door?
[more inside]posted by thatgirl at 8:31 PM PST - 44 comments 
My dogs destroyed the house while I was shopping, how long do I have for damage control? Football filter of all things.
[more inside]posted by stormygrey at 7:28 PM PST - 9 comments
I live in a semi-rural area and am incredibly frustrated with my area's landline phone provider. The provider has a monopoly in the area and delays fixing constant faults for many weeks. I want to go completely Skype, wireless and mobile. What are my options?
[more inside]posted by zaebiz at 5:22 PM PST - 7 comments
What is a good workflow to capture and export video with the Canon HV20 using Premiere and After Effects?
[more inside]posted by austinlee at 4:27 PM PST - 11 comments
My hotmail acct has been hacked/cracked and is being used to spam people including a few MeFites. I'm pissed and concerned. Please hope me!
[more inside]posted by snsranch at 4:24 PM PST - 14 comments
Microsoft Word 2007 allows users to publish directly from Word to their blog account. I've read you can even have multiple accounts. If so, how do I set it up?
[more inside]posted by JaySunSee at 3:51 PM PST - 1 comments
Does anyone have experience with a bone bruise? I have one, apparently, just when I wanted to get serious about exercising again.
[more inside]posted by Countess Elena at 2:43 PM PST - 14 comments
I'm looking for flash "games" suitable in content for a preschool child (ie: no gore, violence, etc.) where you click the mouse or press a key and something happens, but where you're basically just creating random action. For example, clicking the mouse on the screen might cause a "firework" to deploy or a bubble to be created or burst. Any suggestions?
posted by anastasiav at 2:02 PM PST - 23 comments
My family members decided to suddenly start celebrating Christmas this year. I feel weird about it. Help me deal with these changes.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 1:48 PM PST - 28 comments
This september I was given a car by a friend of mine who was moving out of state (the car and I are in Ohio). We both signed the title and thought we had done everything right, but we did not realize that we had to sign the document in front of a notary or have it notarized to complete the transfer. (more inside)
[more inside]posted by mdienno at 11:12 AM PST - 15 comments
Please provide recommendations for companies to move my wine collection from Seattle to San Francisco.
[more inside]posted by jeffamaphone at 11:07 AM PST - 6 comments
If anyone has any experience with postdoc- or young faculty-type work as a foreigner in China, I'd be interested to hear how it worked out for you.
[more inside]posted by Coventry at 9:59 AM PST - 0 comments
How can I cultivate / find deeper conversations with people? In university it was always easy to find people ready to talk about philosophy, politics, psychology, etc. But now, as I have gotten older and supplanted myself into the corporate world, the art of conversation seems to have been lost. It would appear that most people are resigned to talking about kids, jobs, and pop culture. Am I just in the wrong social circles or does this type of small talk permeate our culture? I long to attend a French salon or dinner party whose primary purpose is the art of conversation. Where can I find groups of people who like engaging, face-to-face conversation? How can I steer people away from talking about what they saw on CNN and towards something with a little more substance?
posted by kaizen at 9:35 AM PST - 23 comments
[Photography] What is a better investment between Nikon D80 and Canon Digital Rebel XT and which one do you enjoy working with more?
[more inside]posted by bostonhill at 8:45 AM PST - 33 comments
I'm looking for an Eve-Online corporation to join, and I'm wondering if any Mefites might have suggestions of corporations that would be a good fit.
[more inside]posted by heresiarch at 7:52 AM PST - 7 comments
As a New Year's resolution, I want to quit visiting an off-topic forum that robs my productivity. I would like to change the password and keep it at a distance so that I will not have access to it earlier than a year from now. Are there any solutions that will curb my addiction?
[more inside]posted by timmins at 7:33 AM PST - 13 comments
I am in my third trimester of pregnancy - from the moment I knew I was pregnant, I cut out artificial sweeteners (in addition to other things) from my diet.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:33 AM PST - 23 comments
Where are the feminist blogs that aren't superficial and/or tending towards ranty? I want more thoughtful analysis and intelligent discussion than you tend to find on feministing et al.
posted by footnote at 6:58 AM PST - 10 comments
What's the best way to photograph a kid's judo tournament and have pictures ready for the parents right after awards are presented?
[more inside]posted by chengjih at 6:36 AM PST - 9 comments
Can you recommend some beautiful / well designed non-fiction books? Topic is (mostly) irrelevant.
[more inside]posted by wackybrit at 6:17 AM PST - 32 comments
Making a clean break -- with PC gaming, and transitioning to gaming on an Xbox 360. What will bowl me over? What will annoy me?
[more inside]posted by Gordion Knott at 6:17 AM PST - 25 comments
What is this pain in my tailbone? Last night while seated normally in a futon I shifted my weight slightly and a shooting pain went up through my tailbone area. It came back whenever I curved my spine forward slightlly. I hoped it would go away with a good night's sleep, but it hasn't and moving around difficult to do without feeling like I'm being stabbed. It feels like a badly pulled muscle. Has anyone had this?
[more inside]posted by schroedinger at 6:00 AM PST - 12 comments
I'm looking for an instance of a large-scale man made disaster (such as a war) that collided with a large-scale natural disaster (such as a hurricane) in the same territory. Any nation, any era ... as long as it's fact. Thank you for any help you can offer. :-)
[more inside]posted by coizero at 3:41 AM PST - 31 comments
Without getting into the old Blu-ray vs HD-DVD debate, which films would you recommend watching, which really benefit from the HD format?
posted by booksprite at 3:37 AM PST - 15 comments
Can you think of any children's books with texture which would be great for the visually impaired?
[more inside]posted by pootler at 3:33 AM PST - 7 comments
December 30
My in-laws are Catholics. My husband and I are not raising our daughter in a religious household. How can we effectively counter-program my in-laws' religious activities?
[more inside]posted by crazycanuck at 11:46 PM PST - 56 comments
Help us figure out a software solution for setting up Electronic Medical Records for an inner city walk-in clinic. Mac/Leopard, possibilities in Word, Excel, Acrobat, database software.
[more inside]posted by jroybal at 11:02 PM PST - 6 comments
When I was a child I was exposed to some very early anime. I remember fragments of it, but not what it was called, the plot or any reall relevant details. The general theme seemed to be that an evil...thing was trying to control the world. His primary henchman was a man whose power was to turn people into...mannequins seems to be the best fit.
[more inside]posted by Pontifex at 10:33 PM PST - 7 comments
How to take apart plastic items that are "snapped" together rather than screwed?
[more inside]posted by 0217174 at 10:16 PM PST - 5 comments
Continuing the New Year's Eve trend: What can a single, 20-something female do in San Francisco on New Year's Eve?
[more inside]posted by Nickel at 9:16 PM PST - 10 comments
My best friend has a host of medical complaints (cystitis, a recent herniated disc, upcoming spinal surgery) and I don't know how to help her.What did you need from your friends? Was there a book or movie that helped you feel less alone/less afraid?
[more inside]posted by The Clink at 8:48 PM PST - 15 comments
Domestic violence filter : Please help me to cope with my abusive und violent brother.
My twin brother gains satisfaction from ruining my life. What shall I do? (lengthy explanation)
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:06 PM PST - 39 comments
Can anyone identify a specific documentary that details a film maker's work with wolves?
[more inside]posted by bonobo at 7:53 PM PST - 9 comments
My eye is alive! My left eye won't stop twitching, specifically the area nearest my temple. I wouldn't post asking how to "cure" this, but it's been twitching for months! I tried massaging the area... help me kill this!
posted by princeofpersiaxz at 7:44 PM PST - 18 comments
Starting January 13th, the retooled Masterpiece Theater is showing adaptations of all six Jane Austen novels. Does anyone know in what order they're being shown, along with air dates? I thought it would be fun to read or re-read each novel in advance of the movie, but I can't figure out when each novel is going to be shown.
[more inside]posted by Ian A.T. at 7:38 PM PST - 5 comments
What's the significance of having a New Year's Eve date? Is it really the Big Deal I've been lead to believe it is, or is it more of a convenience come time for the midnight kiss?
[more inside]posted by MeetMegan at 7:12 PM PST - 25 comments
My sister wants to send a package to someone in Malaysia -specifically in Selangor - however, it seems packages don't always make it to the recipient for whatever reason. She is sending photographs and wants to be sure it gets to the recipient - any tips out there? What is the safest and least expensive way to send it (more photographs)? TIA
posted by Jujee at 7:10 PM PST - 5 comments
Identifyfilter: What kind of mold is
this on the tomato? What else can you tell me about that kind of mold? I'm curious partly because it's so pretty and also because I'd like to put the picture on Wikipedia as an example of...whatever it is.
posted by dreamyshade at 6:59 PM PST - 8 comments
Can I force iCal to display more than 7 days at once in its Week view? (Say, 9 or 10 days at once?) I'm not finding a definitive answer on the web, just other people wishing for the same thing (or suggestions of non-iCal programs, which I can't use). I'm running Tiger but would also be happy to hear if there are any differences here in Leopard.
posted by sparrows at 6:45 PM PST - 5 comments
Please recommend some books to me that deal with simplifying life and combating materialism from a Christian perspective. I'm looking for both modern writings as well as classics.
[more inside]posted by 4ster at 6:25 PM PST - 14 comments
What vacation destination would you recommend in New Mexico -- spa-like, quiet, upscale, desert environment?
[more inside]posted by pallen123 at 6:22 PM PST - 7 comments
Does anyone have any information and/or opinions about the Transformative Studies Ph.D. program at the California Institute of Integral Studies?
[more inside]posted by jackypaper at 4:22 PM PST - 7 comments
I'm hosting a New Year's Eve party. What music do you suggest I play?
[more inside]posted by Masi at 4:00 PM PST - 9 comments
What should my eBay listing schedule be for my products? (free HDMI cable to best answer if allowed)
[more inside]posted by weiler63 at 3:52 PM PST - 17 comments
I'll Query The Hive Mind For You Filter: late-eighties or early-nineties video game that involved a VHS tape and a light gun that may have resembled a rocket ship?
[more inside]posted by cmyk at 3:01 PM PST - 7 comments
Is visiting Joshua Tree a fun thing to do for this time of year and if we go, what kinds of things do people do for fun when they're there?
[more inside]posted by DarwinianDan at 2:54 PM PST - 9 comments
My husband has deformed toes. What are the chances that this will be passed on to our child if we have one? My husband's toes vary wildly in length--in particular, his 4th toe is longer than all the rest, and all of his toenails are kind of squashed and distorted. Apparently the rest of his family all have normal toes. What could have caused this, and what are the chances (yes, I'm looking for numbers here, if possible) that this deformity would be passed on to our child?
posted by Enroute at 12:45 PM PST - 24 comments
Can I buy a brand new 5-year-old car? For example, can I buy a brand-new *2003* Nissan 350Z? Or did they really sell each and every last one back in 2003? Where do unsold new cars go when the new models come out? Any car dealers out there that can explain this to me? They must end up somewhere.
posted by sidereal at 12:10 PM PST - 13 comments
25 year old girl that hasn't had anything past a 2nd date in 6 years, what is wrong (if anything) with me?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 11:57 AM PST - 44 comments
How do I hook all my media/game components to my wireless network through one wireless router? Instead of buying a wireless adapter for each device (Tivo/ Xbox/ Xbox 360/ PS2) I want to buy a wireless router that I can plug each device into and then wirelessly “bridge” the router to a wireless Actiontec modem provided by Qwest DSL in the other room. Is this possible? How do I make a “bridge?” -Thanks
posted by thewalrusispaul at 10:20 AM PST - 15 comments
I understand that hair straightening irons damage your hair, but currently I'm having to use a hairdryer to get my hair into any semblance of socially acceptable appearance anyway. Might the proper hair straightener, used with the right protective oils and techniques, at least do less (or about the same) amount of damage? If so, what one(s) should I consider?
[more inside]posted by zeph at 9:56 AM PST - 18 comments
Chocolaterie-filter: Is it possible to replace cocos fat with some other household-fat in an emergency? What's the best replacement (≈ least damaging)?
[more inside]posted by Rabarberofficer at 9:49 AM PST - 7 comments
I'm in Ireland. Was given a gift of a US version of a Wii game. It doesn't work on my european Wii. Am I boned?
[more inside]posted by ReiToei at 8:52 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm an amateur photographer. I recently took some quite close up pictures of a white flowered plant. I thought I'd better turn the exposure down (to -1) to avoid the flash picking out the whiteness of the flowers too much. But it didn't work out so well...
[more inside]posted by Don-da-lah at 7:36 AM PST - 18 comments
I'm a native speaker of English but I pronounce some words incorrectly. What other words am I pronouncing wrong?
[more inside]posted by pravit at 6:25 AM PST - 147 comments
I don't really use my car much in the winter but I park it outdoors. How do I maximize its chances of survival?
[more inside]posted by shothotbot at 5:50 AM PST - 7 comments
Windows Vista Filter: My Recycle Bin has disappeared from my desktop and I can't seem to get it back. I've also have had folders disappear from the desktop as well. Drag it out of a zipped folder for instance, and it won't show on the physical desktop.
[more inside]posted by wile e at 3:46 AM PST - 3 comments
Where could I find a beautiful beach on the Eastern seaboard with bland-as-hell life?
[more inside]posted by fujiko at 2:57 AM PST - 31 comments
I'd like to take a trip to somewhere outside the US, for about a month, for about $1k, during an undecided time of the year. Where are two or three good places to go and what are some good things to do for a single mid-20's dude who's looking for general first-time traveler stuff and a little culture shock?
posted by philomathoholic at 2:28 AM PST - 25 comments
Is anyone out there publishing analysis or actively tracking interesting developments/trends in blogging in terms of the emerging patterns in the form and functionality of the blogs themselves?
[more inside]posted by lhl at 2:02 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking for info about an MMA event that aired on the HDNet channel within the past few months.
[more inside]posted by Venadium at 1:03 AM PST - 1 comments
Did Ferdinand Magellan really say this? “The Church says that the Earth is flat, but I know that it is round. For I have seen the shadow of the earth on the moon and I have more faith in the Shadow than in the Church.”
[more inside]posted by micketymoc at 12:33 AM PST - 14 comments
December 29
How can I gets OS X Mail.app to display text attachments as attachments rather than dumping the text inline in the email?
[more inside]posted by badstone at 11:10 PM PST - 9 comments
What's the best way to configure an HTPC to easily manage and control 3 separate audio outputs and then flexibly route those outputs to 3 separate locations?
[more inside]posted by Embryo at 10:40 PM PST - 15 comments
Visual Basic communities. Where can I find a supportive community that will help me become a better VB .NET programmer?
[more inside]posted by grahamwell at 9:38 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm a person who is apparently too dense to understand poetry, but I'm looking for a collection of William Blake's work.
[more inside]posted by Jezztek at 7:59 PM PST - 8 comments
How can I find the replacement value of a Canadian Toyota Echo? Mine's toast, and I don't want to get screwed by the insurance company.
[more inside]posted by fish tick at 7:25 PM PST - 2 comments
I have been asked to put together a portfolio for a couple of jobs on the creative side of the advertising world. I am very quick with new ideas for marketing and advertising, but I have never put an ad together. Help me put a portfolio together!
[more inside]posted by parmanparman at 6:51 PM PST - 9 comments
Can I get photos uploaded to Facebook that include me against my wishes removed if the person who uploaded them will not take them down?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:51 PM PST - 24 comments
How can I get a prescription for an antidepressant from a GP or (preferably) a walk-in clinic, and how long would the prescription last?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:50 PM PST - 17 comments
Dan Simmons' amazing book, The Terror, has me now longing for more survival/failure to survive stories. What can you recommend?
[more inside]posted by TochterAusElysium at 5:45 PM PST - 29 comments
HaircutFilter: Where can I go in the Los Angeles area to get a good men's haircut?
[more inside]posted by sirion at 3:10 PM PST - 6 comments
Are the new burr grinder versions of Cuisinart Grind & Brew coffee makers better than the initial blade-grinder models?
[more inside]posted by morallybass at 3:02 PM PST - 5 comments
I have a bunch of pictures in Iphoto on my mac. Unfortunately, Iphoto uses a really wacky file structure. How do I get the photos out of itunes and sort them into folders labeled by date without including all the weird little dupes and thumbnails that Iphoto generates?
[more inside]posted by mecran01 at 2:43 PM PST - 8 comments
Has anyone used a collections agency to collect on a judgment from small claims court?
[more inside]posted by bove at 2:05 PM PST - 5 comments
My girlfriend and I need to find a doctor! We are in Vancouver (core) and we would like to find a doctor who will help us take maximum advantage of the health care resources available to us. And they should be ADD-friendly...
[more inside]posted by lastobelus at 1:13 PM PST - 6 comments
Why does my upstairs shower run out of hot water long before the one downstairs? I only have one water heater...
[more inside]posted by tomwheeler at 1:11 PM PST - 17 comments
Would it still be safe to make a soup today from Christmas turkey leftovers? (The meat has been stored in the fridge since Tuesday- the carcass was tossed out.)
posted by sophie at 12:53 PM PST - 15 comments
Trying to remember an animated film from late 70s, early 80s. I saw it in 5th grade classroom 1983. All I can remember is a musical song sequence where kids are in a forest (or bog) and are being chased/haunted by the spirits of the forest (or maybe one particular spirit?) the song is catchy and I think the chorus has the word "Who?" sung as if it was the sound a ghost makes. I think the movie might have had a slight pro-environment message as well.
posted by robotdog at 12:36 PM PST - 2 comments
My family and I will be in Australia from March 14th, 2008 to the 26th. We'll be staying in Sydney for most of the trip (friends' apartment) but we also want to take a leisurely road trip to Melbourne. Do you have any recommendations what to do in Sydney, Melbourne and during the roadtrip?
[more inside]posted by Kattullus at 11:51 AM PST - 18 comments
sometimes out of nowhere, my sense of physical orientation gets all messed up and i feel like i'm crooked. huh?
[more inside]posted by twistofrhyme at 11:36 AM PST - 14 comments
Any suggestions for a single piece of luggage for someone that travels light?
[more inside]posted by gtr at 10:20 AM PST - 32 comments
I just managed to screw up the lens on my Canon D400 and was hoping someone could give me some advice on how much it is likely to cost to fix? Basically, the focus seems to be slightly twisted and appears to come off it's 'thread'. I can turn the lens to focus but the action is stiff and jams rather than pulling the lens back towards the camera.
Obviously, I am no expert, but is it likely that the lens can be fixed, or am I looking at throwing down money that I don't have on buying a new one?
Thanks in advance!
posted by hairgelburrito at 10:03 AM PST - 6 comments
An upper class white Southern lady says of an athlete while watching sports on TV: "Look at him, he's dark. He's like charcoal." Is that a racist comment or am I oversensitive? There were no black people in the room when the comment was made. It made me uncomfortable but I didn't say anything.
posted by anonymous at 9:39 AM PST - 54 comments
Complete communication shut down as a means of ending a relationship: How often is this employed? And why can't people have some courtesy?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 9:39 AM PST - 21 comments
Austin shopping filter: Where has a good selection of ladies casual calf- to knee-high boots for reasonable prices in Austin that is not in a mall? See details for specifics.
[more inside]posted by fructose at 9:37 AM PST - 8 comments
My wireless router (Linksys) and/or DSL modem recently locked up. Resolved by 2.5 hours of Linksys and Verizon telephone reconfigurations. Apparently caused by my inadvertently restarting pc (Windows XP) from firewall update by MacAfee while on line.
Question: Linksys support says the router hardware contains firewall, so there is no need for firewall software such as MacAfee--they can conflict. Any similar experience?
posted by rasputin400 at 8:50 AM PST - 9 comments
Anyone got a recipe for a dry seltzer, like
these? Something that doesn't involve a syrupy or juicy base?
Corollary question: Is it possible to make a potable seltzer using a tablet, rather than cartridge, technique? I'm thinking Alka-seltzer, without the Alka.
[more inside]posted by DenOfSizer at 7:42 AM PST - 5 comments
I'm interested in attempting some work with Ruby on Rails. Other than some very elementary BASIC programming and HTML (yes, I know it's not a programming language), I have no programming experience.
[more inside]posted by joshrholloway at 7:22 AM PST - 6 comments
I would like to know how I can capture audio/video sessions on an HP laptop with built-in webcam for playback on the same machine. Some basic editing functions would be useful to clean up a session. I need to be able to take the file and play it on my Mac as well.
[more inside]posted by diode at 6:18 AM PST - 2 comments
I set my Dad up with an old computer of mine. At the default Flash quality (High), this computer renders YouTube clips at about 1 frame/sec. When he manually switches the quality to Low, they are fine; but he has to do this manually every time. Is there a way to make
all Flash animations default to Low quality?
[more inside]posted by hAndrew at 5:13 AM PST - 7 comments
How to find someone to be an intellectual mentor for them?
The difficulties I see in finding someone are: 1) I'm not around many new people (esp. younger) that would be interested and 2) why would they choose me?
[more inside]posted by Furious Fitness at 3:38 AM PST - 41 comments
My wife and I have a small family farm. While I run a few websites that are hand coded, Wordpress or Joomla based, with galleries and more, she can not handle that. We are trying to find a simple website creation program for her to maintain the farms website.
[more inside]posted by Leenie at 1:31 AM PST - 8 comments
December 28
What is going on with my Acer Crystal Eye webcam? It suddenly died and won't revive again.
[more inside]posted by divabat at 11:32 PM PST - 4 comments
For a jack of all trades bakeware, what is the best material? Ceramic, Metal (aluminium), Glass (Pyrex), or Silicone?
posted by riffola at 10:45 PM PST - 16 comments
I'll be travelling in the US (mostly California) in January, and looking for free (ideally) or very cheap (no contract) nationwide dialup service. I've downloaded Juno (http://www.juno.com) to try it out - though reading the reviews, it doesn't sound promising. Wondering if anyone have any experience with Juno and/or if there are other suggestions out there.
posted by nometa at 10:05 PM PST - 10 comments
(Possibly Advanced) Economics Filter:
How does new value created by industry and economy become money?
[more inside]posted by SlyBevel at 9:47 PM PST - 32 comments
Have you ever explicitly told your dad, or any parent, that for your own emotional well-being you need time away from them? Have you ever wanted to? Is there any way to do this? Details inside.
[more inside]posted by Ash3000 at 9:01 PM PST - 30 comments
I'm looking for images that combine human bodies with machine heads.
Two examples are the Freaky Flicks
mascot and Andrzej Klimowski's cover illustration for Faber and Faber's 1992 edition of Vargas Llosa's
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter.
Do you know any more?
posted by sushiwiththejury at 8:20 PM PST - 4 comments
What domestic devices can be operated effectively on solar power these days? Know any interesting alternative uses? Wide open question.
posted by vizsla at 7:51 PM PST - 11 comments
I was recently given a
print. It was one of at least a handful identical copies made in 1972 by a student. There's a blowup of a part of it
here. Knowing nearly nothing about art, I'm very curious to learn how was this made. The hatching & stippling scream computer to me, but that seems unlikely, given the time. It seems like it was done in CYMK, with a brown key, & the offset of the brown & yellow is a bit off. Can anyone shed some light on the process, start to finish, behind this?
posted by devilsbrigade at 7:41 PM PST - 16 comments
My genius cat is really letting me down lately. I know she's not blind, but why can't she seem to see her toy when we're playing fetch?
[more inside]posted by heyho at 7:26 PM PST - 15 comments
I let my company's domain name expire, and now someone else owns it. What can I do to get it back?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:34 PM PST - 11 comments
So, I got a shortwave radio for Christmas, and I've already picked up a weird signal....
[more inside]posted by fvox13 at 6:33 PM PST - 7 comments
Los Angeles CA Range Rover owners - If I buy a 2000 Range Rover in good condition/edmunds.com price where should I have it serviced in the Glendale or Silver Lake areas? Also, feel free to throw in comments on to buy or not to buy (I understand that this is a needy vehicle).
posted by guruguy9 at 6:02 PM PST - 1 comments
Help me identify this UK children's book about a sea monster kept in a house! It's not
The Water Horse!
[more inside]posted by subbes at 5:59 PM PST - 10 comments
I haven't owned a tv since 2004. Since then, I've been downloading my shows, at first at compressed HD quality, and then more recently 720p and 1080i/p. I don't want to watch broadcast TV that looks like YouTube, I want a beautiful picture. Should I wait until 2010 to get an HDTV and service?
[more inside]posted by stewiethegreat at 5:26 PM PST - 19 comments
Earlier this year, my cousin shot himself. I'd been estranged from him for several years, but we used to be close. How do I go about getting information about his death and about the last few years of his life?
[more inside]posted by desjardins at 5:24 PM PST - 7 comments
What is the best way to download online magazine/newspaper articles? In particular the Economist, which you can only access free for a certain length of time. Any plugins or software that can do this for free?
[more inside]posted by vegetableagony at 5:17 PM PST - 8 comments
Got an Xmas gift from my mother in law...
Tried searching Google for "better than sex and $50"
A sad, messy search result...
So what to does the Metafilter have to offer?
FUN things to do with $50?
(On the East Coast, or on the web, in the uSA?)
[more inside]posted by geekP1ng at 4:35 PM PST - 12 comments
I am trying to find the name of the comedian and what album the bit I heard on the radio was from. We were listening to the Foxhole on Sirius, and it was either a real or scripted prank call. The comedian was calling a young woman's father and asking permission to go away with her for the weekend. He kept calling the dad "playa" and mentioning that he was 47. It kind of spins out of control and he threatens to go fight the man? Any ideas would be appreciated.
posted by jules1651 at 4:19 PM PST - 2 comments
Are there good online resources where you can go to find out how movies were received when they came out? Collections of criticism and/or public reaction?
posted by hermitosis at 4:00 PM PST - 10 comments
Help! I just received an unexpected and unsolicited check for several thousand dollars from the sister of my best friend who died several years ago. What should I do?
[more inside]posted by Xurando at 3:11 PM PST - 22 comments
I have slightly wavy hair that looks different it dries after a shower, and it's not always a pretty. What can I do, short of blow drying or styling, to control how it dries?
[more inside]posted by jasminerain at 1:33 PM PST - 17 comments
Is there any reason why people need to stay awake to avoid freezing? I've seen this over and over in movie and tv plots where one person tries to keep another awake.
posted by srboisvert at 1:15 PM PST - 13 comments
I'm 6 feet tall, solidly built, in my early twenties, and I have an ankle-length black leather trenchcoat. It's swishy and sleek, with a button closure (no belt), like
this one (it may be the same coat). I got this coat after pining for it in high school for years, and went through a wearing-black Matrix phase with sunglasses and the whole deal. Now I have a girlfriend and some perspective, and I'm more likely to wear pullover sweaters.
[more inside]posted by lostburner at 12:55 PM PST - 49 comments
Is this piece of music, used in the film 'Forget Paris', just incidental music or a well known piece of jazz? If it is well known, what is it?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=O29IITBox2c (starts around 2:53) [mild expletive warning for the clip]
I bought the soundtrack, composed by Marc Shaiman, and it's not on there.
posted by Ulleskelf at 12:52 PM PST - 6 comments
I'm getting ready to make my first serious attempt at marinara. Recipes that I have seen vary on whether one should use whole tomatoes, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato puree, or tomato sauce. What effect does it have on the finished product to use or not use any of these in particular?
[more inside]posted by zebra3 at 12:49 PM PST - 30 comments
I want to cook chinese takeaway style food at home. Is there a website that will tell me how to do this?
[more inside]posted by Rabulah at 12:47 PM PST - 12 comments
I'm looking for the title of a children's book I read while growing up (early 80s) about a condemned house.
[more inside]posted by anonymous78 at 12:47 PM PST - 5 comments
I'd like to sample some distinctly regional or cultural snack foods without leaving the comfort of my own home using the magic of the Internet. Suggestions may include candies, chocolates, chips, cookies, crackers, cheeses, or
any item which fills a similar role in a specific culture or region... so long as the ordering process is online and the product can be shipped to the United States.
[more inside]posted by The Confessor at 12:46 PM PST - 28 comments
What's the difference between Title and Subject when it comes to metadata? And how do you use Title and Subtitle? Best practices, please...
[more inside]posted by blue_wardrobe at 12:46 PM PST - 4 comments
When I was a kid there was this idea that if you pissed in a public swimming pool the water around you will turn blue and follow you around. Today I asked a few friends and everyone got told the same thing. Is this just a myth invented to stop kids from doing this or is it real?
[more inside]posted by dydecker at 12:34 PM PST - 15 comments
How do I make my laptop "hibernate" and "sleep" while using Backtrack 2 Final? In other words, what is the command or where would I go to hibernate or put it to sleep?
posted by meta.mark at 11:53 AM PST - 1 comments
I remember a story about a scientist or mathematician who noticed he slept increasingly more each night. The increase followed some kind of mathematical progression. When the amount reached 24 hours, he died. Who was he?
posted by 999 at 11:48 AM PST - 11 comments
Little sister is working on a project and need to find sources that can help her identify several things for railroad workers, meatpacking plant workers, a Rockefeller employee, and a business employing child labor from 1885-1910. The things she needs are their job responsibilities, wages, number of hours, conditions of the workplace.
posted by Sgt.Grumbless at 11:45 AM PST - 2 comments
Lately I have been thinking about ending my six-month relationship with a guy but cannot find a good reason to do it.
[more inside]posted by Ria at 11:36 AM PST - 24 comments
I just got an R4DS, but I am at a loss for what homebrew to look into. What should I be running on my R4?
[more inside]posted by MaHaGoN at 11:30 AM PST - 6 comments
Does anyone know of any other desktop touchpads available for Windows (preferably Vista) other than the Cirque products?
[more inside]posted by dazzle at 11:21 AM PST - 1 comments
Question about the Writer's Guild strike and comparable situations in other industries: why are the studios allowed to negotiate as a single entity, the AMPTP? How does this situation compare to the various US sports leagues and the auto and airline industries?
[more inside]posted by mullacc at 11:20 AM PST - 9 comments
How do I upload my digital photos to Flickr and make sure the metadata stays intact?
[more inside]posted by Smarson at 10:53 AM PST - 6 comments
I got a new camera for Christmas. I love it and want to do something with it aside from taking photos whenever I'm out somewhere.
[more inside]posted by icarus at 10:47 AM PST - 13 comments
I went to glastonbury 2007 and on either the Thursday or Friday early in the day a human beatboxer played on a tiny stage (a tent) by the green fields, tried to find out who he was on the glasto website but to no avail. Can anyone help?
[more inside]posted by swisspotter at 10:33 AM PST - 11 comments
I'm developing an e-commerce project with business processes that are truly unique and might be patentable. I understand there is serious debate about the benefit and/or validity of many patents in this field, but I think my idea stands up to the bullshit test, and I don't think protecting it would be anti-competitive.
So, should I launch and go about protecting the invention later, or should I hire a patent attorney right away? I've searched the patent databases myself and found nothing remotely similar. But I'm not an expert.
posted by subpixel at 10:22 AM PST - 7 comments
Any examples of great works of literature that were written on scraps of paper or created using inferior devices?
posted by survivorman at 10:20 AM PST - 34 comments
Slightly weird one: I occasionally get what I think is a psychosomatic sinusache. It seems to be induced by looking at a sharp edge or point, and perhaps happens to me once every one or two weeks. I'm wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this, and/or has any input into what's going on (mentally or physically) and any fixes or things that alleviate what's going on. As always,
[more inside]posted by WCityMike at 10:18 AM PST - 4 comments
I'll phrase this as succinctly as I can - I'm looking for
fictional US cities featured in comic books. Can you help?
[more inside]posted by kbanas at 10:14 AM PST - 41 comments
The Russians have a saying that goes "the onion treats seven ailments", meaning, if person eats an onion every day,he will remain healthy and not need a doctor. What other health-related beliefs, that are indigenous and unique to a particular country, can metafites think of?
posted by PoopyDoop at 9:11 AM PST - 27 comments
I recently reinstalled Windows XP Professional on a "headless" machine—that is, one that I access only via Remote Desktop. Each time I've previously set this machine up, Remote Desktop has properly forwarded sound to the client computer; this time, however, sound doesn't work with Remote Desktop sessions. The hardware's the same as it's always been, and I'm using the same drivers and software. What's wrong?
[more inside]posted by cmyers at 8:52 AM PST - 2 comments
My skin is terrible. It's not just the acne, though I do have that. It is mottled and dull. I have deep shadows under my eyes. Wrinkles are spreading under my eyes and from the corners of my nose to my mouth. I don't (and never have) smoked, nor lived around smokers. I drink at least 2 liters of water a day. I'm a female in my early 20s, and I've got the skin of a nicotine and alcohol addict in their forties. What am I doing wrong? More treatment details inside.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:50 AM PST - 35 comments
What are my options as a landlord for a tenant who got a DMCA notice for illegal downloading under my internet connection and my name in CA?
[more inside]posted by razorfrog at 8:50 AM PST - 7 comments
Calculus II filter: I have trouble setting up the integral for the volume of a solid of revolution when it is being revolved around a horizontal or vertical line other than the x- or y- axis. Does anybody know a trick or mnemonic for these types of problems?
[more inside]posted by wittgenstein at 8:49 AM PST - 5 comments
I'm looking for the title of a Scholastic (I think) kids' book published possibly in the early to mid-1960s, and also the name of the author of a teen novel published in the 1950s.
[more inside]posted by droplet at 8:12 AM PST - 6 comments
As part of my work for a client I've begun researching online privacy, cryptography, and other sundry ways of protecting oneself online. And I'm now completely creeped out and must switch NOW to uncrackable passwords, multiple email accounts, encrypting the crap out of everything I do, and generally making sure that only the things I want public on the internet are publicly accessible. But we run into the question - how do I do that without driving myself nuts trying to remember my passwords, convince everyone I know to use encrypted communication, and maintain a reasonable amount of privacy in my web surfing? And how do I do that after 8 years of webwhorage where I wasn't too concerned who knew what about me?
[more inside]posted by saysthis at 7:29 AM PST - 15 comments
I'm a junior in college currently pursuing a chemical engineering degree...but what can I do that won't have me working for evil companies or make me part of Big Pharma or the military-industrial complex?
[more inside]posted by liesbyomission at 7:21 AM PST - 21 comments
Are things (in particular, wellingtons) really that cheap on eBay? How can I get them wholesale?
[more inside]posted by drea at 7:13 AM PST - 5 comments
My girlfriend and I will be participating in
La Tortuga Feliz in Costa Rica in early February for two weeks. When we arrive in Peru in late February, is there similar program we can get involved in to spend our time wisely and really dig into the local climate?
[more inside]posted by scabrous at 5:59 AM PST - 3 comments
I have a video (
here it is) that is 240 x 320 px. Youtube resizes it when I upload it, expanding the width and making it distorted. How can I easily change the video so that is the right dimensions for Youtube?!
posted by wibbler at 5:13 AM PST - 5 comments
As a Brit traveling to California do I need to be wary of snakes or spiders (or anything else for that matter?)
[more inside]posted by stackhaus23 at 3:10 AM PST - 33 comments
Help me composite some regex.
(That phrasing makes this question sound way less nerdy than it is) [more inside]posted by ChasFile at 2:12 AM PST - 13 comments
Like most mefites, I have far too many gadgets, and the wall warts to match. I suspect most of them could be replaced with a single USB charger - is this something that already exists?
[more inside]posted by spaceman_spiff at 2:12 AM PST - 8 comments
December 27
I want to make a play list of songs that have a reference to a US highway somewhere in the lyrics. Which songs do you know that have this?
[more inside]posted by markovich at 10:13 PM PST - 63 comments
Do our mostly-indoors, otherwise healthy cats really need to have their teeth cleaned at the vet's once a year?
[more inside]posted by Asparagirl at 10:03 PM PST - 19 comments
You know all the boring, tedious stuff that you have to do to keep your business running? The stuff that you think is a waste of your creative genius time that you'd like to just pay somebody else to do? The bookkeeping, invoicing, budgeting ... everything having to do with spreadsheets, numbers, QuickBooks and filing cabinets? Well, what careers might that describe?
[more inside]posted by iguanapolitico at 9:37 PM PST - 13 comments
Someone e-mailed and wants to buy one of my websites. Should I do it? How much should I ask for? Should I feel like a sell-out? There are complicating factors.
[more inside]posted by web-goddess at 9:30 PM PST - 24 comments
I want to find a cool winter jacket or coat - sorta like the Buzz Rickson "Pattern Recognition" jacket. Fashion details inside.
[more inside]posted by Mid at 9:13 PM PST - 12 comments
I'm Jewish. My wife converted many years ago. I found out that my Mother-In-Law secretly baptized my children.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:33 PM PST - 121 comments
Imminently divorcing parents, naive and idealistic father, playing therapist to adults - the works. Help me not hate my family!
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:32 PM PST - 24 comments
What is holding you back from doing the things you want to do? And if you were able to accomplish something special how did you do it?
[more inside]posted by philad at 6:59 PM PST - 26 comments
Mystery surrounding a miracle in Coachella involving a cross which burns bright in a window, even at night?
[more inside]posted by vacapinta at 6:52 PM PST - 16 comments
I have a huge mental block when it comes to writing songs that is the direct result of being ridiculed or sometimes even punished by my father when I was little. It's so bad that even when I try, a little voice in my head screams, "no, no, no!" and I just shut down.
Freewriting is great, but I need to be able to ignore that voice even when I'm writing thoughtfully and paying attention to conventions like rhyme, rhythm and melody.
I have plenty of ideas, but I need help learning how to get them out onto paper.
Any ideas?
[more inside]posted by freshwater_pr0n at 6:39 PM PST - 21 comments
What credentials can I gain quickly (>6 months), easily (effort is fine but not too much!) and cheaply (<$150)?
[more inside]posted by ZackTM at 6:29 PM PST - 23 comments
Why can't I format anything with my laptop? I can't format an external hard drive or an mp3 player with it. I'm using a Dell Inspiron 6000 with XP professional. I want to fix the problem!
posted by Eiwalker at 6:11 PM PST - 12 comments
How do I walk and stand correctly? My upright posture sucks and I want to change it.
[more inside]posted by JZig at 5:17 PM PST - 16 comments
Can someone out there help me become a ULC wedding officiant in Washington, DC?
[more inside]posted by scrump at 4:35 PM PST - 5 comments
I'm interested in buying a TV Tuner Card for my PC, but I don't know where to find good reviews. Does anyone have any recommendations for a cheap, decent-quality card that preferably comes with a remote?
[more inside]posted by Aanidaani at 4:27 PM PST - 9 comments
Where can I buy a padded jacket for the concrete pillar in my parking garage that I keep accidentally scraping my car against?
[more inside]posted by bonheur at 3:36 PM PST - 11 comments
How do I support my newly pregnant 18-year-old friend? She sent me a bubbly happy e-mail with her "good news" - I haven't responded yet.
[more inside]posted by pomegranate at 3:30 PM PST - 20 comments
Need an inexpensive indestructible cellphone for my SO. Since the ol' luddite has converted to this "cellular phone" business he's managed to bang the ever-loving crap out of
this phone.
[more inside]posted by desuetude at 3:11 PM PST - 28 comments
Please recommend consumer level video editing software for working with AVCHD in Windows Vista.
[more inside]posted by sockpup at 3:06 PM PST - 2 comments
Last Minute Travel Plans: I'm seeking advice on what to do in New York City this new year's eve.
[more inside]posted by gursky at 2:22 PM PST - 7 comments
Mid-February one-week vacation in the southwest U.S. Daughter will be turning five and we want to focus on awe-inspiring natural areas (accessible to non-hiking inclined girl) and sunshine. Ideas?
[more inside]posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 2:01 PM PST - 8 comments
How do I create a linux-based game station that's loaded with emulators and roms that I can hook up to my tv?
[more inside]posted by deeman at 1:19 PM PST - 13 comments
Is PCIe 1.x x16 a viable technology for a gaming PC intended to last for the next 3+ years? What about DDR2?
[more inside]posted by cyrusdogstar at 12:49 PM PST - 10 comments
I'm entering a Literature graduate program and I'd like to fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge of the British/American canon. I've been looking for a timeline of literary periods to assist me in identifying where my major gaps are.
It would (ideally) have major authors and for bonus points, their major works. I've been googling for about 45 minutes now and I can't find anything substantive. I would pay a pretty decent premium to have it poster-sized to hang above my desk.
[more inside]posted by damnthesehumanhands at 12:39 PM PST - 13 comments
Street Photography: any suggestions for photography books or or great photographers in that niche? I'm particularly interested in street photography of the 1930's thru the 1970's.
posted by bbranden1 at 11:47 AM PST - 14 comments
Cool old pinball machines are tough to find, especially outside of the city according to Google.
[more inside]posted by codybaldwin at 11:45 AM PST - 5 comments
Wild Blue Yonder-filter: After many years of saying I want to do it, I'm planning to take the plunge and get my pilot's license. The problem is that Google is giving me a bunch of results for instructors that look (if you'll excuse the pun) somewhat fly-by-night.
[more inside]posted by socratic at 11:42 AM PST - 15 comments
being a new mom i've read way too much about baby care. now i'm interested in the history of baby raising and care.
i'm
[more inside]posted by beccaj at 11:41 AM PST - 10 comments
Is there a javascript bookmark available that I can nest on my toolbar that will give me a word count for whatever text I have highlighted (in a text box or otherwise)? Or maybe a firefox addon or greasemonkey script that would do the same?
[more inside]posted by (bb|[^b]{2}) at 11:35 AM PST - 7 comments
In D.C. next week with more time on my hands than work to be done.
Any political rallies or events going on I should go to?
posted by Hugh2d2 at 11:28 AM PST - 7 comments
I've owned a domain name for quite a while that was intended for an "adult novelty" online store. I believe it to be an excellent name for that and now I'd like to sell it. How do I valuate that and how do I sell it without going to huge amounts of effort?
[more inside]posted by Kickstart70 at 10:56 AM PST - 7 comments
When I was in sixth grade many years ago, I passed out after gym class one day. When I woke up, I had vivid memories of cartoonish bananas dancing around a red pool of blood, chanting "E equals MC squared" over and over.
[more inside]posted by csimpkins at 10:50 AM PST - 6 comments
Why don't people who try to scam BestBuy out of a PS3 by saying they got an empty box get arrested?
[more inside]posted by nomisxid at 9:56 AM PST - 30 comments
I will be in Tempe for the New Year and my friends and I could all use some R & R - any recommendations on hot springs, mud baths, massage etc. in that area? (Or any other take-it-easy type activity).
posted by forallmankind at 9:50 AM PST - 7 comments
Where should we go in Montevideo, Uruguay? 40-something couple (M/F) seek tips on restaurants, sights, shopping, good photo spots (we're both serious Flickrites). We'll be there in February. Have already collected various guidebook and internet tips - looking for personal experiences of great places. Will also be in Colonia del Sacramento and probably taking a day trip to Punta del Este to photograph Casapueblo.
posted by matildaben at 9:31 AM PST - 1 comments
How can I get Japanese characters to show up on webpages, rather than those less-than-helpful little boxes?
[more inside]posted by santojulieta at 8:52 AM PST - 5 comments
When i try to upload images I made in Photoshop to Blogger the colours get screwed up. It seems like all the yellow gets removed or something.
Also, Photoshop won't let me save anything as a png. it just doesn't show up in the format box.
Any ideas?
posted by Andy Harwood at 8:29 AM PST - 9 comments
We're throwing a Mexican-themed New Year's Eve party. Where's the best place to buy the booze, food and decorations in Washington DC?
[more inside]posted by TrashyRambo at 7:56 AM PST - 10 comments
I know you aren't my doctor (or even my mother's doctor), but if you *a* doctor can you please help me connect these dots regarding a gallbladder?
[more inside]posted by Lokheed at 7:45 AM PST - 11 comments
I have a server down with about 20 domains on it and need an Adaptec 2410sa in the Phoenix area. I have been unable to locate one locally. It is rare but I find it now necessary to invoke the power that is Metafilter. Thanks ahead of time.
posted by Mr_Zero at 7:42 AM PST - 4 comments
I rear-ended somebody with my car. Twist: I'm moving in a week... background inside.
[more inside]posted by Jeanne at 6:59 AM PST - 2 comments
I'm heading on a long trip in a week, and need some reading materials. I enjoy "business biographies" - stories about business, deals, etc. Looking for recommendations for books I haven't read yet
[more inside]posted by um_maverick at 6:33 AM PST - 18 comments
My friend's just bought a nice new Moog Etherwave! Unfortunately, he plugged it in to the mains with just a plug converter, and since we're in Australia (240V) instead of the US, where the Moog came from (120V or something) - boom.
Can we fix this? Would he have just have fried the power supply rather than the Moog itself? If so, can we just cut the cable, buy a new power supply (and transformer), and splice it on? Would that be a horrible nightmare?
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 5:46 AM PST - 4 comments
ISO men's dress shoes that are appropriate with the most conservative business attire but that will stand up to New England winters and walking-intensive public transportation commutes without wrecking my feet. Bonus if there's a retailer out there that has juicy post-Xmas discounts.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 4:55 AM PST - 21 comments
I got a stand mixer for X-Mas! No, not the damn KitchenAid with the atom smasher attachment. I'm looking for some good, basic mixer recipes, breads and meatloaves in particular.
[more inside]posted by maryh at 1:42 AM PST - 7 comments
I got a Nintendo DS for Christmas! Given my logical style of solving sudoku, which of the scores of sudoku titles do I want?
[more inside]posted by booksandlibretti at 12:32 AM PST - 11 comments
I've been sleeping on a cheap Ikea mattress for a few years now and have finally decided to invest in a better one. I like the Tempur-Pedic beds, but I haven't really looked into them due to the high prices (I need a Queen). I recently came across these Bergad Isoform Mattresses while researching online and found quite a few good reviews on epinions. I'm a bit worried about having to purchase one without being able to test it, though I hear they are quite comparable to the Tempur-Pedics. What are your thoughts?
As an aside, I have a genuine curiosity about how these beds are for sex. I'm used to spring mattress beds which seem to be more buoyant than the foam beds, and I'm curious if that affects sex in any way. I don't mean to be crass, but it IS hard to find reviews on that other thing people do in their beds!
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb at 12:26 AM PST - 19 comments
December 26
Recommendations or help with finding low cost therapy in the Philadelphia area for anxiety and depression. Any particular schools, agencies or companies that you know of or have used would be great.
posted by antisocialiting at 11:08 PM PST - 2 comments
I'm trying to get a hot/tabasco sauce gift for a capsaicin-fiend friend of mine, recommendations?
[more inside]posted by griphus at 10:07 PM PST - 29 comments
I'm looking for resale shops, and especially resale shops that specialize in 20th century modern furniture or antiques in Chattanooga, Louisville, Nashville, Indianapolis, or Lafayette.
[more inside]posted by mike_bling at 9:45 PM PST - 1 comments
Periods after Miscarriage? I had a miscarriage on 10-28-07. The first period after that was November 28 through December 3rd. It was complete and there was no D & C. I had a follow up with my OB 11-28 . Before the pregnancy and miscarriage my body was more predictable. Can a miscarriage change my body and periods?
[more inside]posted by Snoogylips at 9:36 PM PST - 7 comments
When in Dreamweaver 8 setting up the "site definitions / advanced/ remote info - I enter my login-in an password information and when I exit DW, it erases the information. Note that I've check the save password box. I can't get DW to save my Login and Password. How can I get it to save it? Thanks in advance for your help...
posted by orlin at 8:42 PM PST - 3 comments
What's with the little bumps on the F and J keys on my computer keyboard? Yes yes ... I know they are guides for touch-typing, but I'm
sure that when I was learning to type back in high school on electric typewriters (pre-computer days) the bumps were on D and K.
Am I mis-remembering this? Did they change, and if so, when? And did every typist go crazy when it happened?
posted by woodblock100 at 8:26 PM PST - 22 comments
Simplifying life and purging my junk. I'm exhausted and I haven't even started. How to make it easier, less painful, and maybe even profitable?
[more inside]posted by miss lynnster at 6:43 PM PST - 57 comments
My girlfriend and I are housesitting in Manhattan for 10.5 days starting very shortly, and we have some questions. Things to eat, things to do, things to eat while doing things....
[more inside]posted by cmyr at 6:27 PM PST - 26 comments
Any satellite radio users able to offer some insight on the best method of installation?
[more inside]posted by Rewind at 6:04 PM PST - 4 comments
My wife and I are *finally* going to go on our honeymoon and we're aiming for mid-March. We live in Tokyo and we're thinking of going to New Zealand. Assuming we have a week (or perhaps shorter, like 5 full days), what could we do in NZ? How's the weather? North Island or South Island? Can we get around either island by train/bus easily or is renting a car a better idea?
[more inside]posted by zardoz at 5:03 PM PST - 7 comments
I've recently purchased a new external USB DVD drive, as I do not have a floppy drive or internal CD/DVD drive on this windows PC. I am trying to set it up now for dual-booting Solaris+Ubuntu but, even after updating the BIOS (Phoenix 6.00) I cannot boot a USB drive.
First, does anyone have a way I could somehow add USB drivers as a boot option (along with XP), so that I can then add Solaris and Ubuntu (making it four options at boot)?
[more inside]posted by christopherbdnk at 4:22 PM PST - 9 comments
On the sixth day of Vista, my laptop gave to me... (List of specific troubles within)
[more inside]posted by jinjo at 4:17 PM PST - 12 comments
I'm looking for a list of cult books. In other words, books that have acquired a highly devoted but relatively small group of fans.
[more inside]posted by JPowers at 4:02 PM PST - 60 comments
I have heard that prisoners will use a trick involving sticking a bit of metal in electrical outlets to get a spark in a rather Macgyver-esque process of lighting a cigarette. Is this more urban legend than reality.
[more inside]posted by gbinal at 3:57 PM PST - 14 comments
As part of my new-year-self-improvement kick, I'd like to track the amount of time I spend browsing the web. Is there an app that will track how long a single application (in this case, Opera) is open each day, and show the total time somewhere on the desktop?
[more inside]posted by ad_hominem at 3:50 PM PST - 11 comments
I found an rtf file in my documents folder in vista that contained instruction on how to get a free ipod by refering friends to a site. I have not downloaded this. Is my computer compromised? Should I do anything? Did it matter that i opened it in word?
posted by ilike at 3:26 PM PST - 5 comments
I am looking for brain teasers and puzzles like the ones here http://stores.brilliantpuzzles.com/
But I would like to actually look at them and feel them before buying. So I prefer if there is a store that sells them in the bay area. I am in mountain view.
Even if the place is expensive, at least I can see what I like and order it online from somewhere cheaper.
Thanks
posted by convex at 3:17 PM PST - 1 comments
Domestic help? How much? Laundry, dishes, beds, straightening up, occasionally driving the kids to the sports practices.
[more inside]posted by terrier319 at 3:01 PM PST - 9 comments
I'm thinking of changing to a wireless cycle computer. Is this a good idea?
[more inside]posted by pdb at 1:49 PM PST - 5 comments
How can I learn to deal with disappointment in a healthy, adult way? or: Help! My boyfriend's babymama is ruining my life!
[more inside]posted by kerfuffled at 1:14 PM PST - 37 comments
What is the best way to move my Entourage 2004 Email from one Max OS X machine to another? I had done this once before, and it wasn't as straightforward is it should be and totally forgot how to do it (Mac's help is no help).
[more inside]posted by Tommy Gnosis at 12:08 PM PST - 3 comments
How does one make a VBScript print to the command line without invoking Cscript before the script.vbs?
[more inside]posted by adipocere at 11:55 AM PST - 9 comments
It's time to replace our desktop computer. After threads like
this about the sluggishness of Vista, I'd prefer to get XP Pro, but it appears that some vendors, such as HP, only offer Vista. I'd rather not buy a computer with Vista and then install XP. Ideally, the new box would come with XP Pro and include a coupon for Vista that will still be valid in one or two years when Microsoft will presumably gets its act together. Does anyone have such a thing? Thanks and happy holidays!
[more inside]posted by lukemeister at 11:54 AM PST - 26 comments
A friend in Austria sent us
these silicone ...
things in a Christmas package. They're clearly promotional items for
this castle near Salzburg. Are they just random knickknacks, or do they have some other use?
posted by wtdoor at 11:52 AM PST - 16 comments
What should I know about academic publishing, as a researcher working outside academia?
[more inside]posted by paduasoy at 11:51 AM PST - 9 comments
I like the idea of "tour" audio that's loaded into my GPS unit, and as I drive through, say, Virginia, a voice tells me about Civil War battles and troop movements that took place in my immediate area.
Here's one vendor that makes these. Question is -- how hard would it be to make my own? What technical expertise/hardware/software would be required?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 10:50 AM PST - 5 comments
Help me get my new Airport Extreme working with my Linksys router. After running the set up utility the Airport disappears.
[more inside]posted by sauril at 10:15 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking at getting a new LCD that I'll be using with my computer and really like the HP
2408 &
LP2465. However, will I end up shooting myself in the foot for not having HDMI?
[more inside]posted by chrisWhite at 9:58 AM PST - 8 comments
Since the subprime market bust, how difficult will it be for my boyfriend to get a mortgage for a house with little-to-no money down? Are there things he should know before beginning the process?
[more inside]posted by scarykarrey at 9:18 AM PST - 19 comments
I love the whole Linux idea from start to finish. I've been using it for a year now, full time, and I want to go deeper. How do I contribute?
[more inside]posted by cdmwebs at 6:43 AM PST - 19 comments
How many people in America miss one or more meals per day because they can't afford to put food on the table? Any authoritative (citation) answer / statistic appreciated.
[more inside]posted by lasitter at 6:16 AM PST - 3 comments
A few years ago I came across some cool OpenGL 3D physics demo programs. Basically, they gave you a surface with various objects on it, and you could click and drag the objects around, and watch them bounce into other objects - knock down bowling pins, roll along the floor, all that stuff. I want to find them again, or possibly something much cooler or newer - any ideas?
[more inside]posted by Jimbob at 12:27 AM PST - 5 comments
December 25
My sister is having a rough month. She's toughing it out through a Jerry Springer-scale divorce drama while dealing with potentially serious medical problems. She's asked me to find songs for a compilation about difficult Decembers to help her get through.
[more inside]posted by MrVisible at 11:43 PM PST - 28 comments
How do you make everything good again after someone finds out you've kept a secret from them? Thing is, it's not your own secret you are keeping.
[more inside]posted by Jazz Hands at 10:43 PM PST - 30 comments
my powerbook g4 15" screen is often incapable of displaying the bottom 2/3 of the display. is it at all likely that this is a connection issue or do i probably just need to replace the screen?
[more inside]posted by defmute at 10:14 PM PST - 6 comments
Within 5 days, where should we take a roadtrip in Kentucky/Tennessee/other close-ish areas?
[more inside]posted by Quidam at 10:06 PM PST - 11 comments
What well-known (or lesser-known) plays are written intentionally so as to be unperformable -- only readable as scripts? I'm thinking stage directions along the lines of
pulls out a handgun and fires at random into the audience, or that instruct the actors to walk on the ceiling, or specification in the dramatis personae that goats are to be cast in speaking parts. Who's employed this device to the greatest artistic effect?
posted by electric water kettle at 10:00 PM PST - 24 comments
What kind of fixtures/joinery/wire is available for small-scale tensile structures? (i.e. project size ranging from an object/structure the size of a tent down to a model).
[more inside]posted by serial_consign at 9:54 PM PST - 5 comments
Salt and pepper shakers: Does the salt or the pepper go in the shaker with more holes? And does the salt or the pepper go in the shaker with bigger holes?
[more inside]posted by rawredmeat at 9:32 PM PST - 46 comments
Should I drive from Austin to Minneapolis to pick up a free car, and then drive it back to Austin spending approximately $380 on hotels and gas, or should I pay $750 to get the car shipped?
[more inside]posted by jeffxl at 9:22 PM PST - 15 comments
Please tell me you remember an episode of
Davey and Goliath where Davey steals a hypnotic, psychedelic toy from a friend and learns a valuable lesson in return.
[more inside]posted by item at 9:19 PM PST - 7 comments
Help me sort out my feelings about the relationship I’m in because I just can’t seem to figure it out. (long and complicated - sorry!)
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 9:02 PM PST - 27 comments
Coffee beans behave like busses apparently. I went with preground for a year, and then I got a 5lb bag and a 1lb bag of roasted coffee beans and a grinder today for Christmas. How should I store them, accounting for my specific situation?
[more inside]posted by mccarty.tim at 8:48 PM PST - 16 comments
I want to drop out of college because I'm unhappy with it. I don't think I really absolutely need a degree to do what I want. My goal is to work in a computer/network security or general (*nix) sysadmin position. Help me form a plan to a happy and successful life without a degree.
[more inside]posted by crypticgeek at 8:39 PM PST - 58 comments
Do most cultures have some version of "Spin the Bottle" or other kissing games? What kinds of similar games does the coming-of-age crowd play in other cultures? Did you play these kinds of games when you were growing up (and where are you from)?
posted by amyms at 8:30 PM PST - 10 comments
Independent camera stores - Canon 40d, lenses - in Broward county, Florida?
posted by VeniceGlass at 4:56 PM PST - 1 comments
I love Gmail, but with all the security and privacy concerns, I'm thinking of bailing. Whereto next?
[more inside]posted by melissam at 4:11 PM PST - 15 comments
Can I connect a Windows Vista Media Server directly to an XBOX360 to serve media content? I only have a PC, an Ethernet cable and an XBOX 360.
[more inside]posted by geoff. at 3:50 PM PST - 4 comments
I've been given a pair of Shure SE310 earphones for Christmas. This is fantastic. However, Etymotic makes the ER6s which can be fitted into custom earplug molds. I happen to already have the custom earplug molds for my musician's earplugs. Should I keep the Shures or exchange them for ER6s?
[more inside]posted by Evstar at 1:21 PM PST - 3 comments
I have been using tcsh for a number of years now ( at least 12), and it seems that most OSes and most users have moved on to something better. Is there a reason for me to change, and if so, what is the best shell out there? ( main os is OSX 10.5, but use all sorts of linux/unix OSs ).
[more inside]posted by brent_h at 12:28 PM PST - 25 comments
Is it possible to connect the new psp slim to a wireless network using a belkin 802.11g router?
posted by Student of Man at 11:31 AM PST - 10 comments
What sweet, silly gift can I give to a sweet, silly boy? This question isn’t as cliché as one might think.
[more inside]posted by fiasco at 11:06 AM PST - 46 comments
I loan an amount on
Kiva. Lets say it's $25, which at the time of lending is £12 GBP. When I get the money back 6 months later, I get £13 GBP back.
[more inside]posted by Solomon at 9:34 AM PST - 17 comments
OSX troubles - whenever I open or switch applications, all other open application windows disappear. How do I fix this?
[more inside]posted by djgh at 9:04 AM PST - 9 comments
My 8th grader wants to attend a very progressive local private high school next year. Are there some general guidelines for how long, or how deep, these non-college application essays should be?
[more inside]posted by ick at 9:01 AM PST - 10 comments
What's the best way to integrate an online photo gallery with an online shop?
[more inside]posted by Biblio at 7:04 AM PST - 6 comments
I really want a case for my DS Lite that can hold a few games
and doesn't suck in some silly way. It doesn't need to hold the power adapter, as my main concern is portability. Being able to play the DS while inside the case is also not something I'm interested in at all. It doesn't even have to be a "real" case built for the DS—it could just be something that works well for the job.
Do any MeFites have a case for your DS Lite that you're particularly fond of?
[more inside]posted by Mikey-San at 6:51 AM PST - 18 comments
What's a good gift for my wife? She's turning 50 next month and I better come up with something good. Ideas?
posted by JackO23 at 3:47 AM PST - 15 comments
December 24
How do I respectfully yet firmly request that a member of my extended family not say a prayer before a meal in my home?
[more inside]posted by photoslob at 9:56 PM PST - 89 comments
Posting this for a friend.
He has short sight and currently does not have insurance.
He has just passed out of highschool. He needs to get eye glasses. He got a part-time job just now and so very
frugal on money related matters.
Any discount program where he can get eyes checked
by an optometrist with reasonable/low fees.
He is in bay area.
Also any idea how much does an optometrist charge
for the above.
Thanks.
posted by tom123 at 7:46 PM PST - 15 comments
I want to get an external DVD burner for my new Windows laptop. Suggestions?
[more inside]posted by yoga at 6:57 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for a chess program into which I can simply type algebraic notation, and then be able to watch the game one move at a time on the board. For macs.
[more inside]posted by bingo at 6:02 PM PST - 7 comments
One of my clients insists that NO businesses expect to be paid up front, even in part, before beginning work...
[more inside]posted by dpcoffin at 6:01 PM PST - 59 comments
I, an immigrant on F-1 (expired, though I am still on status), am going to get married to an American next month. We decided that I should apply for work authorization and permanent residency. Some questions …
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 4:46 PM PST - 12 comments
How can I cheaply turn a twin bed frame, box spring and mattress into a full/double frame? (The current frame and mattress can't be disassembled or moved to a different room, so I need to expand/modify the twin frame + box spring so it supports a double mattress, then just store the twin mattress underneath it on the floor and bring in a double mattress for the top.)
posted by lorimer at 4:39 PM PST - 5 comments
How can I found out how many homes in the San Francisco Bay Area (East Bay in particular) were financed with Pay Option ARM mortgages?
[more inside]posted by mikeand1 at 4:38 PM PST - 12 comments
I once read a book about a couple of autograph hounds who ranked celebrities by their willingness to meet with fans and sign autographs. If this system were ported to the web and opened to the public, allowing anyone who's had contact with a celebrity to rank their experience, how could you validate that the encounter actually happened?
[more inside]posted by bjork24 at 4:18 PM PST - 5 comments
I need suggestions for an application (or database) to help my employer keep better track of live-trivia scorekeeping results. They are currently doing it all in various separate Excel spreadsheets, and this is (almost) 2008, so I'm sure there must be a better way.
[more inside]posted by jmnugent at 3:00 PM PST - 3 comments
I need help creating a web bot (for non-malicious purposes). Are there any tools out there to facilitate this?
[more inside]posted by chips ahoy at 2:57 PM PST - 11 comments
I need to submit my 2008 vacation requests soon and I need some help finding a week-long bicycle tour to go on this summer that is within a reasonable driving distance from western NY State (Rochester).
[more inside]posted by 14580 at 2:46 PM PST - 3 comments
Need to find very specific type of hat on the INTARWEBS. First seen in San Francisco's Chinatown. Picture follows...
[more inside]posted by rhoticity at 2:31 PM PST - 4 comments
My mom has fibromyalgia. She cries a lot - she's obviously in great pain.
However, if it doesn't involve taking a pill, she's not interested in any methods of alleviating the problem. She will not make lifestyle changes in food, exercise, etc. Even if it IS taking a pill, she's mostly not interested in methods of alleviating the problem unless they work instantaneously and with great efficacy. Which, with fibro, is pretty rare.
I don't need to find out how to help her, because I've done the research, found her multiple specialists, and none of it has helped. I need to help me.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:11 PM PST - 24 comments
I grew up in the California Central Valley - so I know nothing about ice. Now I'm in the Midwest. My question is: How do I know when it's safe to walk on a frozen river or lake?
[more inside]posted by crapples at 1:44 PM PST - 15 comments
Recommendations of shows in Las Vegas, for two people in mid-20s. Looking for a few to see and for advice on how to get tickets for cheap if possible. Thanks!
[more inside]posted by bread-eater at 1:21 PM PST - 9 comments
My 11 lb rib roast is about to be finished early (4:00 for a 6:30 dinner). The roast is currently out of the oven, wrapped in foil and a towel, sitting at 115 degrees.
[more inside]posted by donpardo at 1:11 PM PST - 10 comments
Can someone share their experience with firing a
pistol grip shotgun? I've been seeing a lot of these recently and I can't believe that your wrist would ever be the same after pulling the trigger.
Now I'm kinda curious, but I thought I'd ask before I tried it...
posted by tkolar at 12:29 PM PST - 12 comments
I have a piece of local, home-grown artwork done on a length of scrap shelving -- particle board with a laminate. I'm unsure how to hang it without damaging it.
[more inside]posted by amanda at 12:14 PM PST - 6 comments
I'm looking for an easy way for an older, non-technical artist to post a portfolio of some of her work online. A free solution would be fabulous but it doesn't have to be free as she would likely want to register a domain name to forward anyway.
[more inside]posted by rfarmer5r at 11:27 AM PST - 12 comments
I'm looking for an MP3 player that you can treat like a USB drive. In other words, I want to load MP3s onto it by just plugging the device into my machine and the copying files over. I do not want to use a specialized program like Itunes, and I want to use a standard USB or Firewire cable to plug the device into my computer.
[more inside]posted by Afroblanco at 11:15 AM PST - 32 comments
Does anyone know what live music will appear on the Hawaiian island of Kauai between December 30 and January 8, 2008? I'd like to check something out. Superduper thumbs up for any Okinawan music.
posted by billtron at 10:56 AM PST - 2 comments
Can someone provide me with the original French language version of Albert Camus's essay "Return to Tipasa"? Preferably an online version, because time is off the essence and I won't be able to wait to order a paper copy from somewhere.
posted by Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam at 8:07 AM PST - 3 comments
Help me find this Christmas book from my mother's youth-- the Christmas story from a cat's perspective.
[more inside]posted by summit at 7:53 AM PST - 2 comments
A doctor at an after hours clinic told me I have "a massive chest and throat infection" and prescribed Apo-Clarithromycin (250mg) which I've since taken 5 doses of at the prescribed time. I'm feeling better in some ways but MUCH worse in others. Should I go to the emergency room? Also, should I report this doctor? Pathetic details inside...
[more inside]posted by dobbs at 6:52 AM PST - 16 comments
Inheritance question: what can you do when a parent backs away from a signed agreement to distribute funds?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:27 AM PST - 33 comments
I've been a Wordpress user for years and have never encountered this particular problem. When I try to login using the proper password, I get the error message "Your session has expired."
[more inside]posted by maud at 6:20 AM PST - 2 comments
AOL IM clients no longer working, but only at home. Could it be my router?
[more inside]posted by kdern at 4:53 AM PST - 5 comments
Whenever I make a cake or pie in a baking dish, I always find that once it's done, I always wreck the first piece while trying to get the first piece out of the dish and onto a plate. After the first piece, getting subsequent pieces out is easy but that first piece is impossile. But there must be a way! Share your tips on how to get the first piece of pie/cake out of the baking dish and onto a plate without destroying it!
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:13 AM PST - 15 comments
I am in need of a replacement engine for my 1995 Mazda MX5 (Mata). I have found one online, but I'm possibly being overly cautious....
[more inside]posted by lemonfridge at 2:40 AM PST - 7 comments
December 23
So my loving seamstress mother is making some fancy something out of velvet. She's ironing part of it out, having just finished off the final hemming stages annnnnnnd... she slips, some of the velvet isn't protected by a velvetboard anymore and touches the iron directly for a couple of seconds....
[more inside]posted by ThomThomThomThom at 11:17 PM PST - 6 comments
LegalFilter: My foolish friend received a misdemeanor in CA for trespassing and apparently needs to be booked and appear in court. She's set to fly to NY for school in three weeks - is she allowed to leave the state?
[more inside]posted by coolhappysteve at 10:23 PM PST - 8 comments
I gifted my family a Wordpress blog (it's all up and designed and everything). I want a virtual center for our family that now spans the globe and can't get together often. However, how can I get the older coots to not only understand WHAT a blog is but how to use it. They use the interwebs. But only to look up the goofy stuff old people like - like when Murder She Wrote is on. Or to hate on George Bush. But not so much to interact. More inside.
[more inside]posted by tkchrist at 9:17 PM PST - 14 comments
Help a miserable 20something deal with her paranoid, overprotective father!
Long story short: I need help dealing with an overprotective parent. His behavior and beliefs have been debilitating both developmentally and socially, and I can't stand to watch another stagnant year go by. I need to start living my life.
I'm a 20 year old girl and a bit of an old soul. I've already graduated from college with honors and I'm almost done with my master's. I have a full time job. I'm attractive, I take care of myself, I have everything I want in the material sense, but I'm miserable. I don't have friends. I've never dated. I don't go out. I have no sense of enjoyment in my life. I don't know how to interact with people or cope with my anxiety.
[more inside]posted by sansgras at 8:26 PM PST - 51 comments
What store can I find Philadelphia Eagles merchandise (t-shirts, sweatshirts) tomorrow in the DC area?
[more inside]posted by eightball at 8:01 PM PST - 1 comments
Penis problem: Frenulum breve to be exact. Or in simpler terms, problem retracting the foreskin due to the band of tissue under the glans of the penis is too short.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:18 PM PST - 9 comments
Does the term "dulce de leche" always connote the presence of milk? Or is there such a thing as a dulce de leche flavored product that doesn't contain milk or other dairy? Additionally, in Spanish, would the term "dulce de caramel-o" connote a flavor similar to dulce de leche, but without milk?
[more inside]posted by scottso17 at 5:44 PM PST - 6 comments
I'd like to put together a nice photo montage (put together from digital stills) with dubbing and/or background music. I'm looking for a freeware program that'll deliver a professional look and will allow me to save in the more popular formats, to eventually upload to YouTube and others. I'd rather it be a downloadable program and not work online. Can you help me find a good app?
posted by watercarrier at 2:02 PM PST - 6 comments
Where to meet a friend in Madrid? We need something very precise, since our cell phones will not be working!
[more inside]posted by ohio at 1:41 PM PST - 7 comments
My roommate is dying from a toothache. However, with it being Sunday, no one is open. Is his only option the emergency room or waiting in pain?
posted by Ikazuchi at 1:22 PM PST - 36 comments
The Palm Foleo....everyone seems to have gone ga-ga over the Asus EEE, but did the aforementioned piece of kit reach production stage before it got pulled, and does anyone know where i might be able to acquire one?
posted by spyke23 at 12:57 PM PST - 8 comments
I'm looking at a frozen pheasant. Assuming I want it for Christmas dinner, what do I do?
[more inside]posted by tangerine at 12:47 PM PST - 8 comments
I would like to depart on an international trip over the next 48 hours. I'll go anywhere as long as it is cheap.
I depart from NYC.
Any ideas on how to find cheap last minute tickets? I've already tried Kayak and Orbitz and I was unable to find anything.
Thanks
posted by yoel88 at 12:03 PM PST - 13 comments
You're not my doctor, but please help diagnose me! I have what seems like it might be influenza, without a fever-aching joints, extreme fatigue, chills, no running nose or other cold symptoms. It's Sunday, doc is closed, and I really would like to figure this out before Monday.
[more inside]posted by purenitrous at 12:02 PM PST - 12 comments
I found a 1910 Indian head ten dollar gold coin in my childhood piggy bank. It looks like
this. I have seen it listed online for different values between $400 and $1700. I am broke and (regretfully) feel like I need to convert it into cash. How do I do this quickly, fairly, and for maximum profit?
posted by mr. remy at 10:54 AM PST - 5 comments
Why are the 404 pages on my server broken?! I get a 500 Internal Server Error instead. Link to my .htaccess inside.
[more inside]posted by lou at 10:40 AM PST - 4 comments
I have a new little alien on my home net, namely my daughter's xbox 360. I don't know what this will do to network security hereabouts.
[more inside]posted by jfuller at 8:16 AM PST - 10 comments
I am in the process creating a new blog/site aimed at US and European business owners looking to do business in Brazil. I have my past experiences, trials and tribulations to comment on; but, as it is my intention to offer posts geared towards the small business owner wanting to expand or explore the brazilian market; what types of topic would be of interest to you, the current and future business owners?
Note: The blog is not a commercial endevour and is being created with the intention of saving time, money, hairpulling, and headaches for its readers.
posted by zona_sul at 6:19 AM PST - 4 comments
I need help finishing my Christmas list. Looking for stores in Charleston, WV.
[more inside]posted by wg at 5:05 AM PST - 2 comments
I have a laptop with a completely discharged battery, but no power lead. I do have a power lead from my other laptop, but the outputs differ slightly...
[more inside]posted by edbyford at 3:16 AM PST - 6 comments
Childrens' book filter: I'm looking for a story about a mole, in which he tries to escape from a digging machine.
[more inside]posted by snarfois at 3:10 AM PST - 3 comments
im trying to get through the last level (20) in escape (clubhouse games) on the ds lite. im starting to think its geometricaly impossible, has anyone actualy gotten the block out?
posted by dent8101 at 1:19 AM PST - 1 comments
December 22
I'd like to decorate the hallway in my apartment with funky hooks and shelves like
these
and
these. Like the entire wall. All different. I'm looking for as many funky shelves and hooks as possible.
[more inside]posted by melodykramer at 11:11 PM PST - 14 comments
I have one of those pretty standard, leather, 'executive' chairs that you buy at Staples. it has the L-shaped yoke on the right hand side, and the phallic tube extending from the base. Recently it stopped reclining, like, all of a sudden. I remember playing with the Phallus until it reclined again, but that's not working. What do I do?
posted by tremspeed at 10:45 PM PST - 12 comments
Is it true that it is good for a car to fill it up with higher grade gas once in a while?
I usually fill up at Shell, and there is 87, 89 and 91 kinds of gas, with 87 being the cheapeast and 91 being the most expensive. I usually get 87. However, I heard that if you own a car and want it to last longer, it is beneficial to fill it up with the most expensive gas, to "clean the engine". Is that true? If so, what is the explanation behind it? I drive a 2002 Kia Rio, if that makes any difference.
posted by esolo at 9:50 PM PST - 24 comments
What is
this device (180KB jpg)? My dad has had it for years but doesn't know what it's purpose is. It has a jaw that
opens (103KB) and a
scale (67KB) that reads up to 72, labeled every six divisions, and closes with an odd spring. I don't think that's in degrees since the jaw does not open that wide. It's obviously for measuring something but what that something is we can't figure out. My brother's idea was something involving maps. It is made of steel except for the brass scale.
posted by 6550 at 9:03 PM PST - 13 comments
Why were the Germans allied with the Japanese in WWII?
Why were the Americans at war with the Japanese?
posted by TigerCrane at 8:51 PM PST - 15 comments
What's the best way to photograph big mostly all white drawings with tiny black details?
[more inside]posted by beckish at 8:49 PM PST - 11 comments
Why are solid-body electric guitars almost always made out of solid wood?
[more inside]posted by Tube at 7:56 PM PST - 20 comments
What is a reasonable amount of debt load for someone with a chronic illness? I come from a family that doesn't accrue debt, which I realize is a luxury many people don't have, so I haven't had a model for managing debt. Specifics about my particular situation follow.
[more inside]posted by RobotHeart at 7:23 PM PST - 13 comments
Cheapest prices, in the 5 boroughs of NYC, for Amy's frozen foods? Specifically, do you know any store where the Pockets are regularly less than $2.19, or the Tofu Lasagna is regularly less than $3.99? Those are best individual prices I've found (my freezer's too small for me to buy a case).
posted by sparrows at 6:24 PM PST - 30 comments
I'm finally going to college four years after I was supposed to get out of high school. Please tell me you've done it too, and everything worked out!
[more inside]posted by QuarterlyProphet at 5:41 PM PST - 41 comments
I just found out that I'm being written up by my HR manager. What's the best way to handle it so it's goes smoothly?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:00 PM PST - 14 comments
How did Kubrick do it? There's a scene in "2001 A Space Odyssey" that has always fascinated and puzzled me. It's the scene on a spaceship in which a character is walking down a circular corridor, moving away from the camera. At the end of the corridor is a rotating ring. When the character reaches the ring she starts walking around it, up the wall. Obviously the camera is linked to that far rotating ring, but the transition between the near corridor and the far ring is absolutely seamless.
[more inside]posted by schrodycat at 4:15 PM PST - 15 comments
[EtiquetteFilter] My sister and her new husband are giving me one gift for Christmas. Am I obligated to give each of them a gift, or is it acceptable for me to give one gift to the couple?
posted by HotPatatta at 3:57 PM PST - 27 comments
Back in the days when MTV had Donal Logue and Denis Leary doing promos, I seem to recall a brief bit where two comedians did an impression of Christopher Walken and Jeff Goldblum having a conversation. It was essentially a bunch of "umm" and "ahh" with the appropriate bizarro stylings. The Walken guy might have been Jay Mohr, he does a pretty good impression and it's about the right timeframe. Unsure who might have done the Goldblum. Any ideas? Any video?
posted by schoolgirl report at 2:30 PM PST - 5 comments
I played a piece in orchestra in high school that I think was named Aces Däd, but I can't seem to find that anywhere.
[more inside]posted by ZaneJ. at 1:43 PM PST - 6 comments
Yet another kitty question: When we got up this morning our 21 year old cat had left blood splatters all over the floor, around her food and in her water bowl (a little gross info. inside)
[more inside]posted by 543DoublePlay at 12:48 PM PST - 8 comments
I have an abundance of time this holiday week, and I finally got around to watching that
Japanese t-shirt folding tutorial video and learning how to do it. I wonder, what other quick, easy, and cool time-saving tricks can I learn this week?
posted by nitsuj at 11:41 AM PST - 11 comments
rare/weird vinyl filter: I have an LP that, as far as I can tell, has stumped Google itself. Help!
[more inside]posted by mundy at 11:36 AM PST - 5 comments
Is an online gift card (say, to a bookstore) okay as a Christmas gift for early teen girls? Or will the intangible nature of the gift make it seem like I'm not giving them anything at all?
[more inside]posted by JaySunSee at 11:00 AM PST - 21 comments
In mid-January, I will be going to Nicaragua and Costa Rica for about 10 days. We will be flying into San Jose, Costa Rica - and do a day there, with the rest of the time spent in Nicaragua. I need advice on inter-country buses.
[more inside]posted by waylaid at 10:51 AM PST - 6 comments
How to find a good massage therapist in Portland, Oregon? (and what kind of massage would be appropriate?)
[more inside]posted by Auden at 10:46 AM PST - 4 comments
PhotoshopFilter: How to make a colourised B&W photo look stunning [or at least gift-worthy]?
[more inside]posted by Chorus at 9:49 AM PST - 13 comments
Semantic markup and the world wide web: non-noob needs an explanation. What is all this semantic markup talk about, and where can I learn more?
[more inside]posted by josh.ev9 at 8:29 AM PST - 9 comments
My girlfriend finishes school in July and starts work in September. We'd like to spend a month abroad during August. What are good locations where we can live comfortably and be able to have a lot of experiences - touristy and not? While we don't have a budget set yet, I'd think we'd be looking at between US$3000 and US$5000.
[more inside]posted by chriswarren at 8:19 AM PST - 11 comments
What's the best way to create a website table that a) can be dynamically (via Javascript) and statically sorted by readers and that b) can be created and added to easily c) for a Blogspot blog. E.g. a list of products I like, with ratings and category (sort by any of these things)? Thanks.
posted by shivohum at 7:04 AM PST - 5 comments
I truly love my wife, but I am really angry at her for screwing me up financially. If you have been in a similar situation, what have you done to forgive and forget?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:21 AM PST - 77 comments
In tourist shops there are sometimes prints of watercolor or color pencil drawings of the city. The prints usually come in a bunch of sizes from postcard to 8x10. They cost a few dollars each.
I'd like to purchase a bunch of these, but I can't find any online. They're out there, but my Google-Fu isn't finding them. I keep getting stymied at art supply shops and gallery pages.
Can anyone find an online vendor for these? Thanks!
posted by 26.2 at 2:02 AM PST - 5 comments
December 21
Can anyone recommend a good mail-in service that will repair/resurface DVDs or Game Cube disks?
[more inside]posted by cgk at 9:19 PM PST - 7 comments
I'm an IT consultant with a broad set of skills and experiences, and I need help finding my niche!
[more inside]posted by thehickmans at 8:27 PM PST - 3 comments
I need to enhance facial detail in a 70 year old B&W 120 negative. The negative is both underexposed and out of focus. I am using PS Elements 3.0. I also have Photoshop 7. I will be using a Canoscan 8400F scanner. I can go to a local pro and have the negative scanned on his Epson V750 for $$$$$ if needed. What are good texts that can explain the mechanics of image enhancement? Any advantage in upgrading Elements? My computer does not have an internet connection and I do not need any of the net connected features that seem to be the reasons for upgrading Elements. I can also live with the 3.0 poor cataloging.
posted by Raybun at 7:39 PM PST - 4 comments
I have some novice questions about a re-install with dual booting in Windows XP. More inside....
[more inside]posted by Huplescat at 6:41 PM PST - 1 comments
My parents have been reading a lot of pretty pessimistic, doomsday books about the US, world, etc. I'd like to get them a book that has a more optimistic outlook, without being naive. Any suggestions, oh hive mind? I'm not too picky about topics, but I'd prefer broader rather than narrower.
posted by devilsbrigade at 5:59 PM PST - 25 comments
Is there any place in Chicago to go for free, extremely cheap, or sliding-scale-rate therapy/counseling?
[more inside]posted by white light at 5:36 PM PST - 9 comments
I am in Japan and want to buy a new cellphone to take back to Canada. I have an existing plan with Rogers in Canada, and I want to take the SIM card from my crappy Motorola and put it into a new phone brought back from Japan. How can I make sure whatever phone I buy will work with my Roger's SIM card?
[more inside]posted by KokuRyu at 5:36 PM PST - 7 comments
1) Why are some sicknesses "allergies" while others are things such as "colds"? Also, 2) how does the body know which is which?
[more inside]posted by sideshow at 4:42 PM PST - 11 comments
Somewhere, a while ago, somewhere on the internet (here? BoingBoing? somewhere else?) was posted a PDF (I think) of a cookbook (?) from the 19th century (?) that had various recipes used by kitchens in wealthy households. Somewhere in that cookbook was a detailed description of how to store turtles (for soup) long-term (cool, mostly dry) in stacked boxes. Please hope me find it!
posted by dmd at 4:34 PM PST - 6 comments
My Sis gave me her sax a while back and I have a few hours to fool with it. That leads me to 3 questions.
[more inside]posted by snsranch at 4:24 PM PST - 14 comments
I bought a refurbed Emachine for my kids. I've put 1.5 gb ram into it, but it came with Vista and feels sluggish. Should I upgrade to XP Pro?
[more inside]posted by mecran01 at 3:59 PM PST - 25 comments
What is the stringed instrument that plays the wistful tune at the beginning of the movie Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood? Mandolin? Banjo? Ukelele? I want to buy one.
posted by zaebiz at 3:30 PM PST - 6 comments
Hello, hive! Advice sought for acquiring, moving, and maintaining a used piano, and in getting my 12-year-old son set up with lessons.
[more inside]posted by not_on_display at 3:18 PM PST - 18 comments
Whats the best way to find a Wii in the Washington, DC area? Is there any chance at all of finding one?
posted by matkline at 2:55 PM PST - 14 comments
Where is the best resource that will clearly explain the differences between all the different XBox 360's? What comes with all the bundles and packages and what doesn't. Elite, Pro, Arcade, Holiday bundle. what does it all mean?
posted by Megafly at 2:53 PM PST - 7 comments
RandomPowerAdapterFilter: I need a suitable power supply for a Thrustmaster Top Gun Afterburner Force Feedback Joystick.
[more inside]posted by trokair at 2:48 PM PST - 2 comments
My wife and I want to buy a house in the Boston area, but have almost no down payment...maybe $10K. We both have good credit (725 and above) and make about $110K, together. What are my options to buy a house?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:40 PM PST - 26 comments
I would like to disable the Enhanced 911 feature of my cell phone that broadcasts my position continually via GPS tracking. As my phone doesn't allow me to turn this feature off through the settings, how can I modify the circuit to bypass the GPS
transmitter?
posted by moooshy at 2:22 PM PST - 13 comments
MeFi Parenting filter: What are appropriate consequences for an 8-year-old who has a history of carelessness with belongings, and has lost his $250 glasses?
[more inside]posted by liquado at 2:20 PM PST - 66 comments
Best place to get a stainless-steel propane grill TOMORROW in northwest Chicago suburbs? I'm talking about the big honkin' type you put on your patio.
[more inside]posted by desjardins at 2:04 PM PST - 6 comments
I need a tool to help me analyze the probability of certain events occurring regarding a pool of X dice for a game I am creating. See my examples below.
[more inside]posted by DetonatedManiac at 1:52 PM PST - 7 comments
I subscribe to an internet hosting service for my website. When I signed up I was provided with a URL that contains the name of my organization. Now I want to move to a less expensive hosting service. Can I retain my current URL?
posted by retiree at 1:48 PM PST - 7 comments
I missed my two brothers-in-laws' birthdays, and one of my sisters is mad at me. I'll see everyone at Christmas. Help me make things right and prevent family drama.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 1:18 PM PST - 24 comments
Server2003/Exchange - can I disable an account but still have its mail delivered/forwarded?
[more inside]posted by bartleby at 12:59 PM PST - 3 comments
California has a new law that specifies
limits for lead in jewelry products. Even though the answer to my question should be a no-brainer, I need to confirm:
[more inside]posted by edjusted at 11:30 AM PST - 11 comments
Where can I download a live recording of Electrelane's final show? I've emailed the band and gotten no response. Many of the places I used to look online for live recordings are gone.
[more inside]posted by rbs at 10:05 AM PST - 2 comments
Hair dye-filter, need to fix this mid-90's burgundy disaster I created on my head last night by 4 pm and I can't afford a pro at the moment.
[more inside]posted by sarelicar at 9:39 AM PST - 19 comments
Looking for gift ideas for A Single Guy, with essentially no other information. What to get my dad's wife's son for the gift exchange?
[more inside]posted by booknerd at 9:17 AM PST - 30 comments
I know very little about Christian gifts. Is there any taboo about getting my Catholic girlfriend a cross necklace?
[more inside]posted by Nerro at 8:15 AM PST - 22 comments
What'sThatBookFilter: A not-recent, nonfiction book by a female editor in which she, among other things, writes letters to her authors?
[more inside]posted by Drohan at 8:13 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm graduating but want to do something unconvential before I start my business career. What?
[more inside]posted by milestogo at 7:26 AM PST - 17 comments
I have recently been advised by my eye doctor that I need to significantly reduce my computer usage (no more than 2 or 3 hours a day). My entire career has been spent in the computer field (operations, programming, general systems work).
Anyone have any suggestions on how to leverage my skills and abilities into a new career field?
posted by sandpine at 7:25 AM PST - 15 comments
How do I completely disable folder redirection and offline files in Windows XP? More details inside.
[more inside]posted by gfroese at 6:41 AM PST - 10 comments
With the US economy apparently getting ready to go 'foom!', a friend of mine has become very excited about silver as an investment.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:40 AM PST - 32 comments
Can you help me find restaurants in Oklahoma City that are open on Christmas?
[more inside]posted by illek at 6:12 AM PST - 7 comments
I need a musical stuffed bear for my six year old daughter. She loves the one she has and says it "needs a friend."
[more inside]posted by ubiquity at 5:35 AM PST - 3 comments
Prozac filter: I've just been told by my long time psychologist that she feels Prozac may be helpful to me. (Have read previous answers on the topic...)
[more inside]posted by Rubyspicer at 5:32 AM PST - 18 comments
Can you really hold copyright to a business model/idea/concept, and disallow others from duplicating it? If not, then how is
The Sampler able to do so?
[more inside]posted by divabat at 1:01 AM PST - 26 comments
i AM Looking for an internet video of a guy reading a letter he found, he says something in it like "you always wanna hold hands" my friend said it was hilarious but i havent been able to find it
posted by madmamasmith at 12:58 AM PST - 2 comments
I know nothing about tea and want to correct that. What books would recommend to a tea newbie?
[more inside]posted by eisenkr at 12:13 AM PST - 12 comments
December 20
I want to read a book in Chinese to keep myself from getting rusty. What is a good novel for doing so? It has to be modern Chinese (classical Chinese twists my brain into noodles), and preferably available online.
[more inside]posted by jasminerain at 10:58 PM PST - 11 comments
Korean Book Gift Filter: What Korean books (meaning books written in Hangul) should I get for my parents?
[more inside]posted by ignignokt at 10:29 PM PST - 5 comments
An Egyptian friend of mine found
this rock in the West Desert of Egpyt. Can anyone tell us what it is? It's really abnormal-looking.
(All of my theories involve Sun Ra and pharaonic collusion with Saturn.)
posted by odasaku at 10:06 PM PST - 13 comments
What's the largest explosion I can make, legally, without any particular kind of license, and what would I use to make it?
[more inside]posted by pompomtom at 8:36 PM PST - 14 comments
I have a work PC and a home PC, both running XP. It's fairly important that my work PC stays connected, as the router has a habit of sometimes locking up.
Since I'm away from the office for the next two weeks, I need to keep an eye on the computer to make sure it stays connected, or at least lets me know if it isn't so I can go in and power cycle the router. I am thinking maybe automatic emailing on the hour?
[more inside]posted by tomble at 8:34 PM PST - 13 comments
Just switched from cable to DirecTV (7 HD channels on cable just wasn't cutting it), and we have a Mac Mini we'd like to use as a DVR. Possible? Practical?
posted by joshuaconner at 8:30 PM PST - 6 comments
Where can I find button-front casual shirts in paisley or paisley-like patterns, like the one worn by Peter Gibbons in Office Space?
[more inside]posted by Brian James at 8:00 PM PST - 5 comments
Can anyone help me find the most-sold NFL football jersey number? e.g., Have more #7's been sold than any other number, regardless of team or player?
posted by robstercraw at 7:47 PM PST - 4 comments
Posting for a friend-filter: What are the best resources for information about cutaneous mastocytosis?
[more inside]posted by debgpi at 7:32 PM PST - 2 comments
Recommendation for an all-night place to hang out in Washington D.C. Saturday night that is safe and clean, has wireless and bathrooms, serves food, and will let me stay there all night.
[more inside]posted by davidstandaford at 6:27 PM PST - 6 comments
Should the release mode wheel on a Nikon D300 (or D200) just spin or should there be click stops?
[more inside]posted by AstroGuy at 6:26 PM PST - 5 comments
How can I find out which states have towns or cities named Paradise? Also, it would be helpful if the database or whatever I was directed to had demographic information about the towns/cities, like population size, average income, local industries, etc. Thanks for your help.
posted by Cranky Media Guy at 5:51 PM PST - 15 comments
Is there a place to find a Drafting Table WITH a Parallel Straightedge? Bonus points if it includes the light and the chair. Even more bonus points if it's really well priced! More bonus points than can even be imagined if it is wood finished and has a couple drawers included in the table as well as the light and chair in one package.
[more inside]posted by adi at 5:42 PM PST - 8 comments
Hello. Does anybody recall the title or the rest of this scrap of probably Robert Burns poetry? goes something like: "... nor duke that ye dined with yester'een. A crab louse is still but (or yet) a crab (or louse) tho' perched on the c*** of a (or o' a) queen." I would like to know for a friend who is writing a book on Scottish nationalism. Thanks!
posted by runincircles at 5:40 PM PST - 8 comments
New home sound system, and now I've got more bass than I know what to do with! Help me take advantage of this with music recommendations that will make my house shudder and boom as I harness the power-- THE POWER.
[more inside]posted by hermitosis at 5:29 PM PST - 28 comments
My kid is transposing "s" to the end of the word, line snow->nows. I am curious is this is a common thing, has a name, or just something they go through...
[more inside]posted by lundman at 5:18 PM PST - 22 comments
What are some good modern travelogues where the author is retracing a historic route? Especially ones where the original traveler wrote an account that the author weaves into the narrative.
posted by rasputin400 at 4:52 PM PST - 27 comments
I'm looking for novels that are pageturners (genres preferred: science fiction/fantasy, magic realism, mystery/suspense/thriller) but also have psychologically acute character development. Any recs?
posted by Malad at 4:47 PM PST - 33 comments
Los Angeles shopping filter: Is there a big toy store like FAO Schwartz in LA? Also where can I buy a working mechanical typewriter?
[more inside]posted by Charlie Lesoine at 4:18 PM PST - 9 comments
Please explain to me what a cue, m3u, and log file are in layman's terms. (In regards to audio files.)
[more inside]posted by hazyspring at 4:09 PM PST - 3 comments
Books about anthropology, psychology, sociology, modern rituals...I think. Can you point me in the right direction?
[more inside]posted by lhall at 3:50 PM PST - 11 comments
In Excel 2007, I need advice on how to round a series of prices to either a $0.50 ending, or a $0.95 ending.
[more inside]posted by Futurehouse at 3:08 PM PST - 10 comments
So, I just messed with the electronics in my car and now the 2001 Hyundai Elantra won't start.
[more inside]posted by quelindo at 3:07 PM PST - 7 comments
For a good reason, I need some program, any program that I can leave unattended and will eat up CPU on a windows xp box. Recommendations?
[more inside]posted by vacapinta at 2:52 PM PST - 7 comments
If a company had a "clerical error" and forgot to charge my credit card for 3 months, do they have right to charge it now?
[more inside]posted by wflanagan at 2:38 PM PST - 11 comments
I recently added 2 gigs of RAM to my PC but Windows Task Manager/System properties do not recognize it, while BIOS and Crucial.com do. What could be causing this issue?
[more inside]posted by bostonhill at 2:29 PM PST - 11 comments
What tricks have you learned that make writing, editing, and formatting in web page "text areas" easier?
[more inside]posted by wfrgms at 1:57 PM PST - 9 comments
How much do parents tell each other about the stories/secrets their children thell them?
[more inside]posted by twiki at 1:49 PM PST - 32 comments
What was the site that mirrored allmusic.com's content but didn't suck?
[more inside]posted by Tuwa at 1:35 PM PST - 9 comments
Alternatives to staples, paper, glue etc for paper fastening in crafts and papercraft?
[more inside]posted by Iteki at 1:26 PM PST - 11 comments
In search of: dramatic, sinister, or fast music. Disastrous, villainous, swift and dexter melodies best set to chaos, tragedy, or discovery.
[more inside]posted by Phyltre at 1:22 PM PST - 24 comments
AutoFilter: In your experience, is it worth the higher price to take your vehicle to the dealer for routine service than a third party?
[more inside]posted by Industrial PhD at 12:53 PM PST - 21 comments
Corporate trainers, I need your help. I need to train some colleagues on the capabilities of an software package to prepare them for designing some upgraded features. However, they are not users of the software, so my standard new-user training is not going to cut it. Do you have any tips on how to do this kind of training/education? Any suggestions of training books or websites that can help?
[more inside]posted by cabingirl at 12:29 PM PST - 4 comments
I have serious tech lust. I think I want to get the American version of the Nokia N95. Please help me decide if this is the phone for me.
[more inside]posted by zerobyproxy at 12:17 PM PST - 14 comments
How do I create a table of contents for a PDF file that is composed of a variety of different source documents? Open source/free software or methods are best.
[more inside]posted by procrastination at 11:37 AM PST - 6 comments
Is it ok to mail a thin magnet along with a card in the regular mail? Do I have to do anything special to it?
[more inside]posted by tastybrains at 11:30 AM PST - 7 comments
What one font is the easiest to read on both on a computer screen *and* off a sheet of paper?
[more inside]posted by Lucinda at 11:07 AM PST - 30 comments
Anybody know where I can get a good quality copy of the cover of this month's Harvard Business Review? I got a subscription on Audible that I'm burning to CD, and I'd like to slap a copy of the current art on the case. Their site only has a crappy low-res version...
posted by richmondparker at 10:35 AM PST - 4 comments
Does anyone know where I can buy cheap generic gingerbread man cookie cutters in or around Mesa, Arizona? I want the regular size – not the mini, and I want around 20 of them.
[more inside]posted by Sassyfras at 10:29 AM PST - 5 comments
Software for keeping lists of terms and definitions organized? Help me tame the glossary monster.
[more inside]posted by gemmy at 10:28 AM PST - 4 comments
Need suggestions for an online collaboration tool for managing a reading list between friends.
[more inside]posted by sprocket87 at 10:25 AM PST - 5 comments
If I have a small corporation and intend to have officers (VP, Directors, etc.) who are currently corp-to-corp contractors, do I need to convert those officers to employees? In other words, do officers of a corporation need to be employees? I know, I know -- YANAL and/or YANML. :)
[more inside]posted by Merdryn at 10:15 AM PST - 3 comments
How can I write a good press release for an entire calendar of events? (As opposed to just a single event)
[more inside]posted by bubukaba at 9:58 AM PST - 5 comments
CookingFilter! I need tips and tricks for making the bestest peppermint bark EVAH. Also any favorite peppermint bark recipes.
[more inside]posted by Rosie M. Banks at 9:58 AM PST - 8 comments
Have there ever been any Indiana Jones-style booby traps discovered in real-world archaeological/exploration expeditions?
[more inside]posted by sherlockt at 9:47 AM PST - 8 comments
My Firefox updated recently and now a dialog box pops up occasionally titled, "Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer." It says, "Please enter your username and password to continue." I have no username or password for Firefox. My computer is not on a network. I cancel out of this and continue, only to have it pop up again a short time later. As far as I can see, synchronization of bookmarks isn't in the help files. How do I disable this?
posted by partner at 9:32 AM PST - 8 comments
Where can I find inexpensive plastic bins that I can keep my board games in that fit the game boards and all the pieces? I've been googling for over an hour and I can't find any 16 x 11 x 2 bins anywhere other than The Container Store. Call me cheap, but I don't want to spend more for a container than I spent on the game in the first place, and at $15.00 each, the Container Store is out. Any advice or recommendations on how you've stored your board games in plastic containers would be appreciated.
[more inside]posted by riverjack at 9:13 AM PST - 7 comments
Where to buy an unlocked simfree iPhone in San Antonio, Texas US?
There is a good possibility that the iPhone I purchase has firmware 1.1.2 and the new bootloader which has not been hacked yet.
Does anybody know a store where to get simfree iPhones San Antonio Texas.
A name, address of the store or any tips are much appreciated.
posted by flixz at 9:12 AM PST - 4 comments
Why does iphone mail client show unread messages even though the inbox is empty?
my iphone, on the main (home) view, shows that i have 50 unread
messages in my e-mail inbox. yet when i tap the mail icon, it shows
that the inbox is empty.
i've tried restarting, turning on and off, syncing, checking & rechecking e-mail, and for the past week or so it's shown 50 unread messages. (and no, it's not an IMAP or whatever issue - i check on POP only, and the POP box is definitely empty,
too.)
any ideas?
posted by cg2 at 9:11 AM PST - 3 comments
Does anyone know a good source for ready made "Store Closing" and related signs and banners, with quick delivery times?
[more inside]posted by The Deej at 8:58 AM PST - 4 comments
In Slate's
Explainer column today, they have the unanswered questions of 2007. Most are inscrutable, unanswerable or ridiculous... but I've wondered this one myself too many times to let it go: "Very rare to find a hotel room with a light on the ceiling, they're usually floor lamps or desk lamps. Is there some structural reason for that?"
[more inside]posted by eschatfische at 8:56 AM PST - 14 comments
Oklahoma City jewelry? Looking for something unique / simple. Where are the coolest local jewelry stores/craftspeople/shops in the OKC/norman/edmond area?
[more inside]posted by striker at 8:51 AM PST - 4 comments
Relationshipfilter: I'm agnostic. She's Christian. We've been dating for four months. We fit eachother well and are very happy together, but of course clash over our deeply-held ideologies. Should we worry about the ideological clashes now, or be happy with eachother now and worry about how to raise the kids if/when we have kids?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:42 AM PST - 79 comments
Tiny Accident, They're Claiming Injuries, How Screwed Am I? Last week, I had an accident. I was waiting to turn right behind a van, also waiting to turn. He went, then jammed on brakes. I braked, but couldn't avoid hitting him. Minimal damage for him, none for me.
[more inside]posted by jimmyjimjim at 8:38 AM PST - 22 comments
Is there some kind of trick to using these big card reader slots on the front of my PC?
[more inside]posted by CXImran at 8:24 AM PST - 8 comments
windowsbatchfile: Can someone give me the command/script for a simple batch file that will take a file from location A, copy it to location b, then add the current date to the name of the file> Thanks in advance!!!
posted by flipmiester99 at 7:55 AM PST - 4 comments
Mailing, from NYC to Seoul, a padded envelope (papers and a slim CD case) with no commercial value. What's my cheapest option if I want it there within a few weeks? (Mailing on Monday 31 Dec and want it to arrive by Monday 21 Jan.)
posted by allterrainbrain at 7:39 AM PST - 7 comments
My apartment was burgled and my Macbook was stolen. Can I transfer my old AppleCare account and iTunes library (or at least iTunes purchases) to a new Macbook?
[more inside]posted by mdonley at 7:11 AM PST - 5 comments
[PhillyFilter] Tell me what you know about the
Mummers Parade on New Year's Day in Philly. Good times with the family or a day spent wishing you were home?
[more inside]posted by pammo at 6:52 AM PST - 9 comments
Making DOS program get along with new Windows XP machine and ancient printer: How to change the name of the printer port from USB001 to LPT1?
[more inside]posted by chitlin at 6:41 AM PST - 3 comments
On my Mac (Tiger), I prefer to have the dock at the bottom, hidden. But all my applications insist on opening new documents and windows so that the new window touches the bottom of the screen. As a result, it often happens that when I go to resize the window by grabbing the bottom right corner, I invoke the dock instead. Usually, a second try will be successful, but this is annoying as heck.
Is there a global setting that will tell my applications to stay out of that last quarter inch of my screen? Or some other solution to this?
posted by bricoleur at 6:15 AM PST - 12 comments
Is there a program that can do "one to many" synchronization to a large amount of PC's?
[more inside]posted by sav2880 at 5:41 AM PST - 9 comments
Can I send homemade sealed raspberry jam from Canada to Japan and New Zealand?
[more inside]posted by remi at 5:41 AM PST - 7 comments
How long will it take to get from Mexico City Airport to Toluca Airport on the weekend of the 5th of January?
[more inside]posted by sueinnyc at 2:44 AM PST - 4 comments
We're heading home for Christmas. How do we make sure the 8 month old kitten we're taking with us doesn't freak out and disappear?
[more inside]posted by Happy Dave at 1:23 AM PST - 13 comments
December 19
I want to go to someplace cool and exciting with my friends for New Years.. I live in the LA area (Santa Monica) and would like to stay within 15 miles of the city. I'm fairly new to the area--having just moved here this summer--but still know a bit. I'm 22 so I still have the energy.
posted by evanm at 11:09 PM PST - 9 comments
In the last couple of months, I have gone from not thinking about children at all to being just. Plain. Baby. Nutzo. My biological clock has to be out of whack - I'm only in my late 20's. But for some reason, I am PANICKING to have a child. And I need one now.
I need stories, advice, anecdotes, what have you. Posthaste, people! Posthaste!
[more inside]posted by damnjezebel at 10:54 PM PST - 68 comments
I've been charged with redoing our Label Website pretty much from scratch, both back-end and front-end (yes, its a self-link but its relevant). Because this site is about classical music, there is a HUGE amount of metadata that will need to be collected, parsed and displayed (think 3700 titles * 10 tracks * performer, composer, title, length, etc for each track).
Has anyone done or know of anyone who's done work on this scale on either the back-end side or the design side before that they might recommend? I have an RFP pretty much already mocked-up. I would've liked to have used someone like 37signals but it seems like they don't do work for others anymore.
posted by softlord at 10:53 PM PST - 13 comments
Does emusic.com watermark mp3s and if so, what is in the watermark and can you provide technical details on this watermarking ?
posted by pixx at 8:00 PM PST - 18 comments
I have an upcoming meeting at work about standardizing technical reports from several different offices. The people writing and designing the reports are technical experts and not graphic professionals, and thus, we have some strange looking reports with a lot of information jammed on one page or series of nested tables surrounding a photo. I have trouble following the content of the reports due to the design and format issues.
[more inside]posted by buttercup at 7:44 PM PST - 3 comments
DoctorWhoFilter: When something bad happens to the doctor, why doesn't he just go back in time and fix it? He doesn't seem to have a problem with fiddling with time, so why not?
[more inside]posted by ranglin at 6:53 PM PST - 18 comments
(Question from Mrs. Wittgenstein) Is anyone using University of Kansas' Strategic Instruction Models (SIMS) to teach high school physical science or biology? If so, which models are you using?
posted by wittgenstein at 6:50 PM PST - 0 comments
So I didn't research as much as I should have, and I financed my new 2008 Toyota today with the extended warranty. Now it sounds like I should have waited or gotten other quotes, but with all the number juggling, I lost sight of the bottom line. I'm going back to the dealer tomorrow to cancel the extended warranty. Can I expect the dealer to try to change the APR or any other aspect of the financing of the car?
[more inside]posted by lychee at 4:44 PM PST - 12 comments
Russian-translation-filter: Please help me understand the linguistic nuances in Tolstoy's famous quote, "There was something terribly lacking between what I felt and what I could do." (
here in English) How accurate is this translation in your view? What is missing from it? What if anything does it add which is not there in Russian?
[more inside]posted by rudster at 4:33 PM PST - 12 comments
The appraisal came in low. Buying a house with no real estate agents involved. Offer contingent on appraisal. Re-negotiation strategies needed.
[more inside]posted by theora55 at 4:29 PM PST - 21 comments
I have an Intel iMac with Leopard, and via Boot Camp, a partition with Windows XP. The normal way to boot into XP is--after restarting Leopard or turning on the computer--to hold down the Option (Alt) key and then choose the OS. Is there a way around this? Is there some setting or third-party app that will reboot my computer from Leopard and automatically start Windows so I don't have to wait around holding down that key?
[more inside]posted by zardoz at 4:20 PM PST - 9 comments
What lotion can I use for my newborn's sensitive skin? I've tried the Mustela, Aveeno and J&J but it doesn't seem to work very well. What lotion do you recommend that I can use on her face?
[more inside]posted by albolin at 3:23 PM PST - 27 comments
Given a fair die with
s sides, what is the expected number of rolls
r before I get
o outcomes with the same value
v in a row? [Note this is emphatically
NOT a homework problem; I just really want to know, feel like I should be able to figure it out, can't, and it is driving me nuts.]
[more inside]posted by lucasks at 3:01 PM PST - 30 comments
Could you recommend books similar to
The Name of the Rose and
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell? There's something about the tone, the mashing of genres together, and the over-immersion in details that is unbelievably appealing to me. (But don't recommend Tolkien!)
[more inside]posted by flibbertigibbet at 2:57 PM PST - 49 comments
I run a small, clunky UK political blog. It needs a New Year spruce up. I love blogging but am as near as you get to being technically illiterate.
Fellow Brit bloggers are going to help me with the techie stuff but I need to give them a design specification. I don't really know where to begin. What goes into a good design spec and can you point me to examples of other well designed blogs?
posted by baggymp at 2:43 PM PST - 9 comments
I've been aware of a tendency toward winter blues for many years, but this winter is really kicking my ass
already. I think I'm ready to look into a little treatment, and I'd like some advice.
Yep, I've read all of the previous AskMes on this.
[more inside]posted by desuetude at 2:42 PM PST - 22 comments
I've always thought that tomato vines were quite poisonous, but now I am curious since I've seen one occurrence of someone on TV (celeb chef) cooking with one as flavoring.
[more inside]posted by barc0001 at 2:11 PM PST - 19 comments
Why would a server start refusing http requests from itself? Curl, wget, lynx- all of them used to work, now I just get "connection refused". FTP still works, though, and it's only a problem with Apache- requests to the Lighttpd server on the same box work just fine.
posted by paul_smatatoes at 2:10 PM PST - 6 comments
Which Creative Commons license is most like public domain? Does it make any sense to license the content I've posted if it's in the public domain?
[more inside]posted by cog_nate at 1:52 PM PST - 8 comments
Outlook calendar displays in vivid colors, yet it prints ONLY in pastel. This happens on multiple printers, so it's not the printer settings. I emailed with a MS geek and he offered no help - no surprise. The HIVE is my last hope. (It used to print in vivid color before 2007 was installed).
posted by quiverandquill at 1:51 PM PST - 1 comments
Ginger Ale ( the soda, not the beer) was supposedly invented in Ireland in the 1850s. However, I can't find anything more specific. Do you know of any history links that have concrete information about the invention of Ginger Ale in Ireland around the 1850s? If it could be pinpointed to a certain person or town or custom, that would be great.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:47 PM PST - 8 comments
Did you write your own vows when you got married? Should we? If you did, what part of your customized vows were you most happy with?
[more inside]posted by Happydaz at 1:30 PM PST - 31 comments
Where does the "stereotypical rich white guy" voice come from? I've been doing it for years, but have no idea how it originated.
Here's a good example, someone doing an impression of Judge Whitey on Futurama.
posted by emptybowl at 1:16 PM PST - 28 comments
I have a coworker I work very closely with who is actually in Manila. I'm in the US. I'd like to get her a little something for the holidays, is there a popular online shopping site for The Philippines (like Amazon?) that I could get her a gift card for?
posted by Kellydamnit at 1:15 PM PST - 4 comments
Does anyone have any experience using inversion tables to treat back pain? Do they work? Bonus: any credible studies you know about or can find discussing the use/pros/cons of inversion tables?
[more inside]posted by leahwrenn at 12:50 PM PST - 8 comments
I'll be teaching a first-year composition class at university. What I teach, I hope, is critical thinking, invention and arrangement of writing. The topic for the semester is American radical thought. I am looking for suggestions for essays, visual pieces (art, film, video), songs (audio & lyrics) that cover a wide range of radical response & resistance.
[more inside]posted by beelzbubba at 12:21 PM PST - 28 comments
Illustrator CS3 Filter: Process recommendations for a novice Adobe Illustrator user on building/using a "tile-set" (like you'd see in a 2d video-game) in AICS3...
[more inside]posted by joe_from_accounting at 12:17 PM PST - 6 comments
My in-laws would like to give my daughter 15 shares of stock (about $1500) to help with her college expenses. What is the best way to do this considering financial aid and taxes for both my in-laws and my daughter?
[more inside]posted by retrorider at 12:10 PM PST - 4 comments
Probably ridiculously obvious Excel question: how do I set it so that a URL is
never turned into a hyperlink?
[more inside]posted by Dreama at 12:06 PM PST - 7 comments
I want a simple mobile phone with a monochrome screen and a fast interface that can sync contacts with my Mac or PC via a cable or IR. Something like the
Nokia 1110 but with the ability to sync!
[more inside]posted by tkbarbarian at 12:01 PM PST - 3 comments
Because of an injury, I carry my laptop in one of those roller backpacks. I've heard that tiny vibrations (such as construction in the next office building) can be very damaging to computers. So does the vibration from the rolling on pavement potentially damage my laptop?
[more inside]posted by k7lim at 11:53 AM PST - 17 comments
I just started a paralegal job where my main task is to sort through boxes and boxes of documents. (Yay fun!) I know that I'm less likely to get papercuts if I keep my hands moisturized, so I brought in a bottle of lubriderm, but it doesn't seem to be quite doing the trick.
My next move is to get a very very thick lotion, like perhaps the
L'Occitane hand cream that everyone raves about. I've also read reviews of this "
gloves in a bottle" lotion that excema-sufferers use. Does anyone have any experience with this type of lotion and its effectiveness for preventing papercuts? Any other recommendations for lotions or creams?
If anyone has any tips on how to get the cuts to heal faster once I've been bitten, I'd love to hear it too!
Thanks!
posted by ahimsa at 11:21 AM PST - 19 comments
How do I format the cell in Excel so that when I cut and paste a series of data derived from a formula onto a new sheet, it pastes the numbers, and not the formula?
[more inside]posted by jujube at 11:18 AM PST - 7 comments
Hello MeFi peoples, I am trying to find the tool or tools to run my sustainable business consulting practice, which I started in August, and I've been going a bit nuts with too many choices. I've been looking all over, and am getting near hits, but all "not quite there"s. Highrise sort of works, but has some quirks that that it doesn't hit the mark, and it's missing some of what I want to do. Daylite looks interesting, but no...well I'll explain below. Basecamp, same thing. Copper, ditto. Help me find the needle(s) in the haystack!
[more inside]posted by healthyliving at 11:14 AM PST - 14 comments
JavaScript:— I want to call a function to make a scrip.taculo.us Draggable revert (fly back to its starting position). This is easy to do if you want it to revert when it is released from the drag, but I want it to happen when a different Draggable is released from a drag.
[more inside]posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:00 AM PST - 2 comments
Help me find all those small but necessary apps, as well as the fun and ostentatious bells and whistles, for my new desktop (linux)! What are your favorites?
[more inside]posted by Barmecide at 10:53 AM PST - 6 comments
Wireless routers: can I tell the router what devices to allow without having to enter passwords on those devices?
[more inside]posted by dpx.mfx at 10:25 AM PST - 10 comments
What's better/less worse: Telling someone now that they didn't get a job, or leaving him/her hanging until after the holidays? I want to do the humane thing here.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 10:14 AM PST - 37 comments
I'm looking for a dance/electronica track that samples Ozzy Osbourne's scream at the beginning of Crazy Train. I think I heard it when watching The Fast & The Furious but listening thru the soundtrack doesn't show it.
Does anyone know what it is?
posted by Pasa la bola chetu at 8:36 AM PST - 3 comments
Two quirky gals, ten days in March, plenty of expiring FF miles but sadly just US $ to spend... where in the world should we go?
[more inside]posted by Scram at 8:32 AM PST - 15 comments
I haven't played trumpet since I was a senior in high school in 1994. Recently, I picked up a good used student horn on eBay and am excited to start practicing again. Trumpet players of the green, I ask you- what are your favorite websites?
[more inside]posted by bobot at 7:41 AM PST - 13 comments
When a large business considers relocating its headquarters to a different city, is there a particular type of consultant they use to make this sort of decision?
[more inside]posted by LakesideOrion at 6:56 AM PST - 5 comments
Recommendations for things to see and do for two people who've never been to New Orleans?
[more inside]posted by LN at 6:47 AM PST - 27 comments
Can anyone help me select a high-quality recording device for fieldwork and speech analysis, please?
[more inside]posted by mateuslee at 6:13 AM PST - 12 comments
I can't send Word attachments any more. I have to, it is how I pay the rent. Please, please help me.
[more inside]posted by creasy boy at 6:04 AM PST - 43 comments
How do you politely tell an ex that they are invited to your parent's visitation, but not the funeral?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:01 AM PST - 18 comments
Pregnancy. Hand-held massager. Problems? My wife is 23 weeks in and having some back pain. I thought maybe one of these might be good... (I know it's not a "real massage" replacement). What I'm particularly interested in hearing is if anyone has "Don't Do It" experience...
[more inside]posted by paterg at 3:59 AM PST - 7 comments
Does anyone know where I can find the Italian chocolate
Torroni Baci in London or from somewhere that'll deliver?
posted by oh pollo! at 2:23 AM PST - 2 comments
December 18
I want to buy an "official" sign or sticker that implies to the reader that "THE ROOM YOU ARE ENTERING IS GODDAMNED COLD!!!"
[more inside]posted by melorama at 11:29 PM PST - 29 comments
there was a great clip at the end of a sonic youth video, which featured 4 kids in a band, cruising around and arguing. can anyone tell me where i can find a copy of the file?
[more inside]posted by edtut at 10:34 PM PST - 3 comments
As a follow up to
this question, can I use the following scheme to get all my popped emails back into my Yahoo account?
[more inside]posted by sk381 at 9:47 PM PST - 0 comments
What should I do with my old digital camera? The flash doesn't work, but otherwise it's fine for taking outdoor or brightly-lit indoor photos.
[more inside]posted by LiveToEat at 8:42 PM PST - 13 comments
How would I go about getting a legal prescription for HGH? (Bear with me, please.)
[more inside]posted by dzot at 8:21 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm trying to find audio recordings of MRT Stop landings (Singaporean) for a Christmas present.
[more inside]posted by TetrisKid at 8:02 PM PST - 3 comments
Plausibility-filter: Recently my car engine wouldn’t stop running, and eventually caught fire. Damage was pretty minimal, but how it started is a bit of a mystery. Does this sound plausible? Backstory (long) and the mechanic's explanation below:
[more inside]posted by robotot at 7:52 PM PST - 16 comments
Please help me be a gift-giving genius. I think I want to arrange a lovely but not-too-expensive lunch or dinner for my friend in Pietrasanta, Italy, where he is now living. I've never been there, know nothing about the town, and don't speak Italian.
[more inside]posted by amtho at 7:45 PM PST - 3 comments
Help me decide where to live: Mid 20s in San Diego or Seattle? The factors of importance are within. But any unique perspective will help.
[more inside]posted by |n$eCur3 at 7:19 PM PST - 25 comments
Jobs for people who hate people? For most of my life I have been working in sales and/or customer service. I am completely burned out and seeking to get into a new line of work with minimal public contact. What are my options?
[more inside]posted by LeeJay at 6:54 PM PST - 26 comments
My family is off doing their own thing (my parents are off traveling in another part of the world and my sister is on vacation with her family), my friends are off home and I am all alone. What can I do to keep up my spirits over the holidays?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:51 PM PST - 22 comments
I would like to keep a personal journal online so I can access it from any computer. I also would like the journal to be private meaning only I can read it. And very secure. I've thought of starting a private blog on Wordpress but would like a more secure environment. Does anything like this exist that would allow me quickly to search prior posts by date or content?
posted by dclawyer at 6:38 PM PST - 22 comments
Could you publish a book out of Yahoo Answers / Groups etc. and make it successful? I think it would be wicked to give one of those sites or the Green a good editorial scrub and create a tome filled with great nuggets of fact, reality, belief, and opinion. How would you structure the business?
[more inside]posted by jasondigitized at 6:37 PM PST - 6 comments
My 74-year-old father-in-law broke his femur skiing last week. Please recommend a physical therapist in the SF Bay Area for a very active older person.
[more inside]posted by harkin banks at 6:31 PM PST - 3 comments
I will soon be distributing a bunch of large scientific and research datasets, all entirely legal for redistribution, many as large as a few gigabytes. Bittorrent is the best solution for this. Many respectable webhosting sites don't allow Bittorrent trackers; too many of those that do seem fly-by-night. I have a budget for this and want something respectable and reliable. Recommendations?
[more inside]posted by mrflip at 6:01 PM PST - 20 comments
MorbidityFilter: What soothing yet depressing tune is this
funeral home's website using? I know I've heard it before, but I have no idea of it's composer.
posted by cdmwebs at 6:00 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm the recipient of a bottle of sloe gin. While I love plain old G & T's, what else can I do with this interesting purple stuff?
[more inside]posted by ninazer0 at 5:22 PM PST - 12 comments
Creative travellers: how can a guy get to Israel as cheaply and indirectly as possible?
[more inside]posted by Acari at 5:18 PM PST - 12 comments
A few questions about the availability of B&W photographic film and processing services in New Delhi, India
[more inside]posted by hellhammer at 4:12 PM PST - 3 comments
I'm probably moving back to the U.S. in August or September. I'm visiting this week and again in late March/early April. I already have a UK tri-band GSM phone. What should I do to get mobile phone coverage in the U.S.?
[more inside]posted by grouse at 4:00 PM PST - 8 comments
In high school (the late 1990s) I read an essay on marriage -- the writer's main contention was that it's unrealistic to think that a single person can ever be at the exact same life stages as yourself, e.g. Young & Passionate (teens), Ready to Have Children (30's), Wanting Intellectual Companionship (60's), and thusly, that having just one partner over the course of a lifetime is a near impossibility.
[more inside]posted by acorn1515 at 3:57 PM PST - 3 comments
Has anyone tried installing Windows Vista in BootCamp (On a Mac) using an upgrade disk? I've installed Vista perfectly using
this guide on a computer I built myself, but I want to do it on a new Mac.
[more inside]posted by Aanidaani at 3:39 PM PST - 2 comments
Is there any reason I shouldn't post my out-of-print poetry book on Gutenberg under a Creative Commons license?
[more inside]posted by joannemerriam at 3:35 PM PST - 7 comments
Our little dog refuses to walk outside when it is raining. This is problematic when it's potty time.
[more inside]posted by gnutron at 2:53 PM PST - 11 comments
Are there any simple sites that will help me combine a bunch of (RSS) feeds into a new page?
[more inside]posted by joshnunn at 2:22 PM PST - 18 comments
Help me repay a gift of 23 chromosomes: Is there a store in New York City that sells antique Christmas ornaments?
[more inside]posted by toftflin at 2:12 PM PST - 3 comments
A student of mine (college junior) asked me to give him a list of progressively-oriented blogs, films, and websites. I have a few ideas for him, but would like to solicit the hive mind for more.
posted by chicainthecity at 2:09 PM PST - 10 comments
Renting in Baltimore, my lease expired a year ago and I am month to month. The things that live on the first floor do not work or leave their apartment but spend all day every day smoking cheap, foul tobacco. The smoke fills the stairwell and rises to the third floor and enters my apartment. It is revolting. I've written a formal complaint to the landlord once. Do I have any legal rights in this? I find the smell sickening, it gives me headaches, sinus problems, and watery eyes and I can't block it, the building is so old it creeps in no matter what I do, I've even taped the door shut. Which mostly works except that I do work during the day and can't tape it shut every morning. Besides, that's insane. For my second complaint I'd like some precedent or legal argument. If I could afford to move I'd be gone in a flash but I am penniless.
[more inside]posted by Grod at 2:07 PM PST - 31 comments
flying-with-knives/holiday-shippingFilter: Fly with chef knifes in a knife roll, or ship them? Who will get my stuff there the fastest? Providence, Rhode Island to Dallas, Texas.
[more inside]posted by sindas at 12:19 PM PST - 20 comments
Looking for open source spreadsheet templates I can use commercially (if it comes to that) for recipes, fitness programs and the like. Why? Because my excel skills suck.
[more inside]posted by cameron.case at 12:13 PM PST - 5 comments
I have a gorgeous cast-iron mortar and pestle, that I use a lot for cooking. Unfortunately, it has some rust, especially on the bottom, probably from when it's washed and left to dry still slightly wet on its bottom.
How should I:
a) get rid of the present rust.
b) avoid future rust.
[more inside]posted by signal at 11:56 AM PST - 23 comments
What were the budgets for the previous "I Am Legend" movie adaptations? According to Wikipedia, they include "The Omega Man", "Last Man On Earth" and "I Am Omega". How much did it cost to make each of them?
[more inside]posted by BE ADEQUITE at 11:19 AM PST - 4 comments
I would very much love to attend Friday's
Christmas Concert at the Palau Musica in Barcelona with Jose Carreras (scroll down slightly to the 21st of December). Only problem is, it's been sold out for months. The box office, concierge, and Google haven't been much help, so it's time for Ask MiFi. I would appreciate any leads on ticket brokers/ticket exchange sites that might be of help. I only need one ticket.
posted by zachlipton at 10:52 AM PST - 3 comments
What wine grapes (if any) would grow successfully just outside of
Kelso, Washington? Ideally, they would be low maintenance as far as grapes go. Would be looking to graft 2 or 3 year old plants. It's cold in the winter, hot in the summer and wet all the time.
posted by guruguy9 at 10:47 AM PST - 10 comments
After 5 years of working in the US, I was laid off last week. My chances of being able to stay here are slim, and I'm rather upset at the thought of returning to the UK. If you were in my situation, and had a bit of savings, what would you do?
[more inside]posted by forallmankind at 10:38 AM PST - 14 comments
Is there an online store that carries nothing but humorously large versions (preferably functional) of everyday items?
[more inside]posted by Wild_Eep at 10:00 AM PST - 5 comments
Help me find gifts for remarkably un-greedy teenage girls: they are 14 and 15, and absolutely refuse to tell me what they want (I think their mother, my aunt, raised them too well.)
[more inside]posted by Mr Bunnsy at 9:56 AM PST - 24 comments
Is there a free clinic in Dallas? Or any kind of reduced-payment medical facility, more specifically, for treating injuries vs. illness?
[more inside]posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:51 AM PST - 7 comments
I am looking for a Maine coast restaurant with a really awesome ocean view. It needs to open be year round as I am looking to go around New Years. Preferably it's not more than an hour north of Portland and south of it is even better. Oh and good food too! :)
posted by fx3000 at 9:38 AM PST - 9 comments
Where can I find neighbourhoods that are lit up to the nines with Christmas lights in Vancouver, BC?
[more inside]posted by eurasian at 9:35 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm considering making a mixtape (okay, not on actual tape, but "mixCD" just doesn't roll off the tongue) consisting of songs with one word or phrase only repeated in the lyrics.
[more inside]posted by captnkurt at 9:14 AM PST - 65 comments
I'd like to spend $100 buying my teenage cousin some
drumsticks. He loves Green Day and KISS, and already asked for
these. I'll get him some of those, but thought instead of just buying him
tons it might be cool to pick up a pair of mallets/brushes as well? Can anyone recommend some higher-end brushes/mallets for a fan of that Eric Singer series?
[more inside]posted by Marquis at 8:51 AM PST - 9 comments
We are going to the Dominican Republic for Christmas. What should we do/see/explore/not miss while we're there?
[more inside]posted by DuckGirl at 8:11 AM PST - 10 comments
Is stubhub a good site for selling tickets (I just want face value)? If not stubhub, what would you use?
[more inside]posted by chndrcks at 8:03 AM PST - 7 comments
I'd like to donate money to charities on behalf of my family members, but I'd like to tailor it towards their occupations/interests.
[more inside]posted by cloeburner at 7:59 AM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for vintage diagrams from how-to books, online, for domestic arts. For example, instructions on how to make jam, with step-by-step drawings; or how to make a handkerchief, with step-by-step drawings.
[more inside]posted by Ollie at 7:44 AM PST - 4 comments
When the Diamond Rio PMP300 portable MP3 player came out, it had a bonus CD of songs, but they were lacking metadata. One of the songs was simply "vertigo.mp3".
I really liked that song, but I cannot find who the artist was. Help?
posted by bryanjbusch at 7:04 AM PST - 9 comments
I am looking for a place that sells used, stock parts for scooters. Vespa, genuine, kymco etc.....
A scooter graveyard if you will. Can't seem to find one
posted by citybuddha at 6:48 AM PST - 4 comments
How can I make an exact bootable copy of my 120GB mac hard drive to a larger hard drive? I am hoping that there is a way to make a copy of the existing drive so that I can just replace the current drive without having to install the new drive / OS/ software/ settings etc.... Any ideas?
Thanks in advance MeFites!
posted by pleuroma at 6:27 AM PST - 7 comments
Looking for recommendations on good mental health therapists in Pittsburgh for help with depression and anger management issues. East End area preferred. The last few I've tried have been pretty bad and I didn't get along with them- however, I am not sure of what I am looking for.
posted by anonymous at 6:11 AM PST - 4 comments
This is a very basic Word 2003 question. I have a list of 50 countries in descending alfabetical order. I've used the "convert text to table function" in Word (2003) to put them in a table (5 columns, 10 rows). Up to here, everything is fine.
[more inside]posted by juva at 5:12 AM PST - 9 comments
In older films, ill people are sometimes shown with an ice pack on their head. Presumably to bring down a fever? Did people really do this back then, or is the ice pack merely a comedic signifier?
posted by R. Mutt at 4:54 AM PST - 18 comments
Identify this song and band: American, male, R'n'B vocal group attaining brief mid-chart respectability in the UK in '92 or '93.
[more inside]posted by Jofus at 3:20 AM PST - 20 comments
Is there a service where I can send a physical Christmas card to someone, from a website? Sort of like Interflora, but for cards instead.
[more inside]posted by Solomon at 3:11 AM PST - 6 comments
Whats the wonderfully illustrated childrens storybook about a little yellow three eyed/eared alien rabbit who has lost his/her parents on Earth?
[more inside]posted by 6am at 2:37 AM PST - 1 comments
How do I search French ebay effectively for lots of used French childrens clothing?
[more inside]posted by taff at 2:11 AM PST - 6 comments
December 17
LongShotFilter: I'm looking for a 1990s recording of rap songs that were designed for teaching English.
[more inside]posted by streetdreams at 11:16 PM PST - 3 comments
Fastest, bestest, prettiest, lightest, freeest Windows download manager for large files. Did I mention fastest?
posted by Avenger50 at 10:55 PM PST - 18 comments
I'm looking for user-uploaded before, after, and in-progress fitness photos. I'm hoping that AskMeFi would be able to point me to some galleries or sites.
[more inside]posted by Weebot at 10:50 PM PST - 8 comments
What are some low fat snacks I can take with me travelling and keep in my suitcase to eat when dinner or other meals weren't suitable? Little to no preparation at time of eating is preferred but I can make or buy stuff before I go.
[more inside]posted by shelleycat at 10:31 PM PST - 25 comments
Any tips on getting an Xbox 360 to work with wireless hotel internet that requires signing in via a webpage? I'm looking for some sort of "wireless-to-wired bridge" that would let me sign on via my laptop and then leech internet with my 360.
[more inside]posted by MrHappyGoLucky at 10:14 PM PST - 16 comments
I'm in Kathmandu, Nepal for the week, and I have a big, very heavy suitcase that I really don't want to drag around on the rest of my trip. Any advice on shipping it home to the USA?
posted by Hollow at 9:59 PM PST - 9 comments
I seek recommendations for foreign language films which feature extensive narration or otherwise crisp, clear, lovely dialogue.
[more inside]posted by SassHat at 9:25 PM PST - 21 comments
I'm flying to New York tomorrow to tape an appearance on
The Maury Show and I need your help.
[more inside]posted by dhammond at 9:25 PM PST - 11 comments
Can I use a Logitech VX Nano wireless receiver with my MX Revolution mouse? If so, where can I buy just the receiver.
[more inside]posted by bkudria at 7:45 PM PST - 5 comments
I was drinking a tasty ginger ale today and wondering why it's so uncommon. Although you can find it in virtually any store in the USA, it's seldom available in gas stations and almost never in restaurants. Yet it's very popular on airplanes. Why is that?
posted by tomwheeler at 7:36 PM PST - 30 comments
In the movie "Shaun of the Dead" there's a mug that says "I am a genius." I want one.
[more inside]posted by NormieP at 7:36 PM PST - 10 comments
Can a total newbie very quickly teach himself to do (all of the) Billing for a small consulting firm?
[more inside]posted by GeckoDundee at 7:00 PM PST - 4 comments
Some co-workers and I are sponsoring a family for Christmas, and I picked the youngest (12 years-old) daughter of the family. Help me come up with some nice things that are are fun, functional, and long-lasting.
[more inside]posted by Optimus Chyme at 6:31 PM PST - 21 comments
What's the best way for two people with incompatible gameboys to trade pokemon?
[more inside]posted by baf at 6:18 PM PST - 2 comments
Should I get highlights/lowlights to make a boring but practical haircut look more interesting? And where can I get a boring but practical (read: no layers, long, cut straight across) haircut in Northern VA?
[more inside]posted by anaelith at 6:07 PM PST - 10 comments
My S.O. are thinking about a March getaway in Todos Santos, Mexico. Are there any Mexicans or experienced travelers who can advise us? We've never travelled in Latin America, but are in the mood for something new.
[more inside]posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 6:01 PM PST - 4 comments
Some friends and I are putting recipes on our website for easy reference, and for comparative analysis of different recipes for the product. As far as I can tell, ingredient lists can't be copyrighted. But how much do we need to change/reword the instructions to preempt letters from lawyers?
posted by jytsai at 5:21 PM PST - 11 comments
I made the mistake of trying to futz with my display settings in WindowsXP to make things easier on my old eyes, and now every web page is white and the text is all mashed up.
[more inside]posted by foxy_hedgehog at 5:10 PM PST - 4 comments
Preparing videos for youtube: what are the most efficient video/audio compressions to use when trying to keep a video under 100 MBs with sacrificing as little quality as possible?
[more inside]posted by Mach3avelli at 4:36 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm scanning old family photos and the scanner appears to be adding colored pixels to black and white photos. What do I do now?
[more inside]posted by Jupiter Jones at 4:21 PM PST - 16 comments
How much should I offer for a barely used iPhone and how easy is it to get service with AT&T on a used iPhone?
[more inside]posted by aristan at 4:11 PM PST - 7 comments
My boyfriend is a Canadian citizen working in the United States on a TN visa. Is he eligible to enroll in his employer’s retirement plan?
[more inside]posted by zgg105 at 3:53 PM PST - 1 comments
My previously installed MediaWiki is now asking to be installed again: "Please set up the wiki first." Like, sounds great, but what about the wiki that was
already there?!?
[more inside]posted by Ogre Lawless at 2:41 PM PST - 3 comments
I'm trying to make a blues harp "inspiration" mix-tape as a gift for some new players. They only have a C harp, so I'm trying to find songs in either G or C for them to play along with.
[more inside]posted by bingoes at 2:21 PM PST - 4 comments
It's holiday gift time, and once again I am presented with the problem of trying to send something to my in-laws on another continent. Usually, I spend a couple months shopping for tiny items that I can mail to the Netherlands for as much as I paid for them. Today it dawned on me...there must be an easier way! Please post your great online resources for sending gifts to Europe.
[more inside]posted by theantikitty at 2:17 PM PST - 16 comments
I'd like to set up an online calendar for my students so they could schedule appointments with me during hours I've marked as "available." but I would rather not set up 65+ google accounts. Is there a php script or a free web app that would work for this?
[more inside]posted by craniac at 2:01 PM PST - 13 comments
Non-chlorinated winter swimming options in or around NYC? (Sustained swimming, not quick dips like the Polar Bear Club takes at Coney.) Just asking in case there's some idea I'm totally missing, short of "go somewhere warmer."
posted by lorimer at 1:46 PM PST - 5 comments
My mother-in-law is under the impression that my wife and I are far wealthier than we actually are, and it's threatening to drive a wedge between us and the rest of her family. Help!
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 1:38 PM PST - 67 comments
Please help me make a kick-ass care package for my best friend, who is starting her third trimester of pregnancy.
[more inside]posted by gaspode at 1:23 PM PST - 12 comments
How can a once tech-savvy type who has fallen behind the times create a pseudonymous (or semi-anonymous) blog on his just-registered domain?
[more inside]posted by lionelhutz5 at 12:53 PM PST - 15 comments
Do you give service-providers a special gift at Christmas? Does it matter if they're federal/state service providers (mail person, garbage guys) or people who work specifically for you or your company? Does it differ by country, city, or culture?
[more inside]posted by arnicae at 12:24 PM PST - 20 comments
My girlfriend has made it pretty clear she wants dancing lessons for Christmas. Any recommendations for the San Jose, CA area?
[more inside]posted by Zaximus at 12:06 PM PST - 4 comments
I need statistics help. I badly need statistics help. Involves three groups, several tests that don't test exactly the same thing, missing data.
[more inside]posted by dmo at 11:57 AM PST - 6 comments
I'm currently using Photoshop Elements to organize my pictures, and have spent some time going through and tagging them. There's the option to write the tag information to the individual files via XML, and I have some questions. I'm a newbie to Elements.
[more inside]posted by canine epigram at 11:46 AM PST - 2 comments
I heard coca-cola is a good fat solvent. Are there any benefits to drinking coke when eating greasy food?
[more inside]posted by gttommy at 11:39 AM PST - 17 comments
I don't normally wash my clothes after each wearing. I'm lazy/cheap and I hate wastefulness. But I also don't like to fold them up and put them back in the drawer, because even a little smell or dust will negatively effect the surrounding clean clothes. Both my boyfriend and I do this, and we do not have a good place to put these limbo clothes in our apartment. Where/how do we store our not clean, not dirty clothes?
posted by bookish at 11:33 AM PST - 42 comments
There are gay bars, lesbian bars, and leather bars. Are there "geek bars"? In geek culture, what institution, meeting, or whatever serves the purpose that "meat market" single bars do amongst the non-geeky populace?
[more inside]posted by WCityMike at 11:23 AM PST - 51 comments
My regular doctor quit the medical group and I was assigned to a new doctor. Its the second time in three years. The new doctor wouldn't renew any of my prescriptions without seeing me first. During the office visit, we met, chit-chat a bit, and I get the refills. Now I get a bill for $198. (adjusted to $142 by my major medical coverage) The medical group is the having trouble retaining staff. Shouldn't this visit be on their dime?
[more inside]posted by jorlando at 11:14 AM PST - 20 comments
If toes and fingers are digits, and arms and legs are appendages (limbs, extremities), what's the general anatomical term for hands and feet?
posted by gottabefunky at 10:49 AM PST - 14 comments
This question is morbid, but I've always wanted the answer. How on earth do funeral parlors (especially those that do cremation) operate in neighborhoods or right next to them without smelling horrible?
[more inside]posted by mathowie at 9:27 AM PST - 15 comments
So i just got myself an iMac yesterday. Of course, I like it. But what cool things can I do with it that I probably don't know about? Also, what should I be concerned about or not do? I know a lot about Windows and PCs, but next to nothing about this fancy new machine on my desk.
posted by Pants! at 9:11 AM PST - 26 comments
Bachelor party in Playa De Carmen Mexico. Where should we stay? We would prefer a hotel that has all the amenities including pool, good food, beach, comfortable beds and nice showers.
posted by kaizen at 9:07 AM PST - 7 comments
We are looking at the idea of using a flat-panel TV in our new conference room at work in lieu of a projector. The advantages of this would be that A) we could keep our existing lighting system, and B) it would look classier. Are there disadvantages to a setup this? Problems? Gotchas? And what kind of hardware should I be looking at?
[more inside]posted by fusinski at 9:05 AM PST - 11 comments
Can you recommend a good, cheap and/or free tool for storyboarding a stage production I'm about to direct?
[more inside]posted by bovious at 8:47 AM PST - 4 comments
Sex is painful. I've been to the doctor, I've done what they told me to do. Sex is still painful. I know you are not a/my doctor, but please try to help me save my sex life. It's a long-ish one inside.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:32 AM PST - 33 comments
I'm in a living situation where there is a lot of constant, erratic noises throughout the day from repairs being made down the hall. There is nothing I can do about it for the time being, except suck it up and take it. My question is...
[more inside]posted by survivorman at 8:09 AM PST - 11 comments
Please refer me to a music shop (either online or in the MSP area) that sells classic metronomes (classic-looking, that is - either wood or metal).
posted by B-squared at 8:03 AM PST - 3 comments
I deleted an important message from my answering machine. Is there any way I can unerase it? The machine in question is Panasonic KX-TG6051B. There is a secondary question below.
[more inside]posted by eebs at 7:51 AM PST - 5 comments
SOMEBODY in my household made a sandwich and left the empty bread wrapper draped over an electric burner on my stove. Which is now melted onto the coil. What is the easiest way to clean this off???
posted by konolia at 7:18 AM PST - 13 comments
Most movies released lately are bad, unoriginal, trying to be good but failing at it, remakes of good movies, etc, etc.
Look at the list of movies I really like, and suggest me some good movies in similar genre.
I like many different types of movies but I don't like purely romantic movies or movies that are too slow paced.
I don't like movies dealing with war or combat (action is very ok).
The below list is not all the movies I've ever seen, it's just a selection of the movies I enjoy the most.
They don't have to be older movies, as long as they are quality movies.
Thanks!
[more inside]posted by PowerCat at 7:06 AM PST - 34 comments
So I have a cold sore coming on, and I have both Zovirax(Acyclovir) and Abreva(Docasonal) can I use both at the same time for a double dose of cold sore nuking ?
posted by zeoslap at 7:06 AM PST - 11 comments
My dog got hit by a car this morning. She is not allowed out unleashed (normally) but got out this morning and ran in front of a car. There are a lot of snowbanks around so I do not fault the driver. However, his car was damaged a bit, front skirt. Should I offer to repair the damages?
The driver did stop and was very concerned for the dog.
posted by anonymous at 6:56 AM PST - 39 comments
I'm looking for books that will help me improve my basic knowledge of geography, other countries and cultures.
[more inside]posted by shirobara at 6:54 AM PST - 5 comments
What is the logic in insurance companies requiring referrals from a primary care physician when you go to a specialist?
posted by josher71 at 6:50 AM PST - 27 comments
Will an inkjet or laser printer be more reliable if the printer will be turned off for 99.9% of its life?
[more inside]posted by puffmoike at 6:47 AM PST - 18 comments
TSAfilter: will there be any problem getting a laptop without a battery through the carry-on checkpoint at my local (American) airport?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:32 AM PST - 26 comments
2 months before the wedding. Fiance kissed another man while drunk. Told me about it. Now what?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:55 AM PST - 82 comments
BirthControlFilter: My girlfriend believes that in order to be properly safe during sex (in this case baby free) 2 types of preventative measures should be used (condom + pulling out). Any hard facts to back that up? I believe just a condom used properly will be fine.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:55 AM PST - 35 comments
FirstTimeTutorFilter: I'm plan to start tutoring Math, Chemistry, Physics and possibly ESL in January. Only problem is, I have *no idea what I'm doing*. Anyone have any textbooks, general teaching books, online certification courses, etc to recommend?
[more inside]posted by anonymoose at 1:49 AM PST - 8 comments
I have to cancel my end of the year vacation plan because I have to find a place to move in the beginning of the year. I still want to have fun and enjoy my vacation. Any suggestions?
[more inside]posted by icollectpurses at 12:36 AM PST - 2 comments
When did the word 'fire' first start being used as meaning 'discharge your weapon'
[more inside]posted by 0217174 at 12:06 AM PST - 9 comments
December 16
My girlfriend's hair comes out, too much! Every day she loses a small handful of it, and it won't grow past her shoulders very far. It's been this way for several years. What could be the cause of this?
[more inside]posted by Anthony84 at 11:48 PM PST - 27 comments
Excel/OpenOffice: How can I use XIRR to show an estimated percentage return based on account deposits/withdrawals/balances?
[more inside]posted by spacewrench at 11:11 PM PST - 3 comments
I'm after online resources about photographing a book. It may be that recommended sites photograph other objects but have systems readily adaptable for books. (Resources should preferably have images of the set-up and be aimed at say, an enthusiast but not a professional)
[more inside]posted by peacay at 10:13 PM PST - 10 comments
Addictive online game filter: Help me find a certain online game I miss. It's 'sort of' similar to Bejeweled.
[more inside]posted by Mael Oui at 10:01 PM PST - 31 comments
I'm going to get a 'customer loyalty card' from Bloom's (aka upscale Food-Lion) supermarket. The terms and conditions don't mention anything about the validity of the information, and I know enough about security and datamining that I don't want to distribute that information.
Do they have a policy, or is there any way I could get caught using a fake name/address/telephone no, etc.?
posted by tmcw at 7:35 PM PST - 36 comments
The gym I joined 6 weeks ago went belly up over the weekend and locked their doors. Supposedly a different gym not affiliated with the bankrupt gym is buying all the contracts, but nothing is clear at the moment. What are my rights in this situation?
[more inside]posted by 45moore45 at 6:50 PM PST - 9 comments
I (well, my boss) am/is inputting Chinese-language sub-station Alpha subtitles into VirtualDub for DVD's, and what comes out are, surprise surprise, piles of unicode. The citizens of the PRC are not known to be fluent in unicode, so what could be going wrong and how do I, his designated software monkey, fix it?
[more inside]posted by saysthis at 6:39 PM PST - 13 comments
Algorithmfilter: I have a set of tasks and a set of workers. Tasks vary in size. Each task can be done by only some of the workers. How can I find a mapping from tasks to workers that minimizes the load on the the heaviest-loaded worker, and assigns all the work?
[more inside]posted by jewzilla at 6:35 PM PST - 9 comments
I love homefries. Omigod I love homefries. What are your secrets?
posted by unSane at 6:24 PM PST - 36 comments
I am trying to replicate a recipe for vegan/macrobiotic tahini custard from
Masao's Kitchen. I have tried a bunch of recipes but none come close. The original holds its shape well, but has a nice mushy custard feel, with all of this sweet syrup/juice around it. Does anyone have any good recipes for tahini custard that comes close to this?
[more inside]posted by laminarial at 6:01 PM PST - 3 comments
Does anyone here have experience with the legalities of performance bonuses as they apply to someone living in Canada? This is complicated.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:38 PM PST - 5 comments
For a Friend: Recommend a book that will list all the movies my mother would have seen back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s if she'd had the time.
[more inside]posted by username68 at 5:18 PM PST - 6 comments
Can't get things deleted off my USB drive anymore. Think it's Windows-Media-Player-for-Mac's fault.
[more inside]posted by jinjo at 4:11 PM PST - 5 comments
Book Research Filter: How is jurisdiction determined when someone is arrested on Federal and State charges at the same time?
[more inside]posted by Xurando at 4:01 PM PST - 10 comments
My brother is about to achieve his dream and open a musicvenue/ restaurant / nightclub . I'm so very happy for him and want to offer encouragement. What would be a really good christmas gift in this vein?
[more inside]posted by mkim at 3:53 PM PST - 10 comments
Can you recommend a travel electric guitar with BUILT-IN AMP/SPEAKER? (more inside).
[more inside]posted by jak68 at 3:42 PM PST - 16 comments
Entry-level consulting positions: graduating in May, I have two standing offers from consulting companies, one in Dallas and one in Manhattan. Help me choose!
[more inside]posted by jckll at 2:43 PM PST - 32 comments
USAToday has embedded crosswords in Adobe .swf format: Is there any way to save these to my computer for later offline use? I tried Amazing Media Browser but it wants to re-download the game when I try to work the crossword.
posted by bbranden1 at 2:30 PM PST - 12 comments
I'm looking for a program that will simulate the experience of playing pen and paper Dungeons and Dragons, but allow online play. More inside.
[more inside]posted by GilloD at 2:23 PM PST - 22 comments
There is a piece of photography equipment that helps you take 3D/rotatable product images. What is the name of this equipment or where can I find it?
[more inside]posted by JPigford at 2:09 PM PST - 6 comments
Which night spots should I hit in Sydney? I'm a 28-year-old single male and I'm mostly interested in French electro/house-type music (Daft Punk, Justice, Ed Banger, Kavinsky, etc). The centerpiece of my trip will be seeing Daft Punk at Never Ever Land. I will be there for a week and I do not know anyone there.
Thanks!
posted by fac21 at 1:58 PM PST - 3 comments
What's going on at the Detroit Free Press? Terry Lawson and Mike Duffy have apparently accepted buyouts, and Susan Ager writes that she
was going to, but then decided against. This is wild stuff - essentially the identity of the lifestyle section for the last decade+. Massive cost-cutting, some sort of housecleaning, or what?
[more inside]posted by boombot at 1:09 PM PST - 10 comments
How do I maintain positive relations with a group of work friends recently turned neighbors?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 12:49 PM PST - 9 comments
I'm looking for a good acoustic/electric ukulele to add to my collection of instruments. My budget max. is around $400.
[more inside]posted by defenestration at 12:29 PM PST - 5 comments
Trying to dig ourselves out here in New England... snowblower problems... Anyone know how to find out what the sparkplug gap should be for a snowblower?? Can't seem to figure out how to find out on the web.
posted by beccaj at 11:49 AM PST - 6 comments
How can I get them to leave me alone? I have the court order. I have moved and rarely leave the house. So how do I get this person to leave me alone?
[more inside]posted by uh126 at 10:32 AM PST - 19 comments
I want to produce photobooks for sale. I would like to upload them to a printing site where others can go and see them and purchase them without further reference to me. They would deal directly with the printer. But I would like to receive a commission from the printer for each one sold. Does anyone know of a printer of photobooks who would provide this service or of a way I can achieve my objective?
posted by granma at 10:31 AM PST - 12 comments
I want to make stuff and do stuff in the Boston area (accessible by the T) that's not intellectual and academic, and as a welcomed respite during grad school. A friend and I have been thinking about things like shop class (making stuff you can use is incredibly fulfilling!) or stilts walking, or something interesting and fun and active - besides a dance class, sports, or pottery class - that we can do with some regularity (once maybe twice a week).
[more inside]posted by raztaj at 10:18 AM PST - 8 comments
Recently I've realized that I enjoy listening to piano music, but I'm not really familiar with it. Can you recommend CDs/compilations/pieces that I might like?
[more inside]posted by Quidam at 9:58 AM PST - 29 comments
I've never set foot in a gym or done any kind of non-phys-ed exercise... so how do I take advantage of my school's free gym?
[more inside]posted by showbiz_liz at 9:51 AM PST - 15 comments
How do two people who are both a) super-sensitive to criticism, real or imagined; b) prone to being critical toward others; and c) married manage to coexist peacefully?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 9:49 AM PST - 15 comments
I'm looking for an external storage solution that will play nice with an XP Desktop and a Kubuntu laptop...preferably at the same time
[more inside]posted by Rallon at 9:48 AM PST - 10 comments
I have an STD and don't know what time is the right time in terms of telling the partner. Please help, I'm scared out of mind!
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 9:48 AM PST - 46 comments
My wife is pregnant and due in June. She works in health care and up until now has been working a few different part-time jobs, juggling shifts to get to more or less full-time equivalent. She is planning on taking paid family leave when the baby arrives.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 9:47 AM PST - 1 comments
Tsk, tsk. I still need to file my taxes from 2006. Is there any website you can recommend that will help me do this?
posted by anonymous at 9:46 AM PST - 4 comments
Where can I find old Japan Rail maps? I saw hand-painted bird's eye perspective JR maps
like this at the Tokyo Hands department store while traveling, but don't have the language skills to navigate
their website.
posted by ioesf at 9:21 AM PST - 2 comments
Because of the relocation of a friends' academic department, I have come into possession of at least two, and potentially up to 7 overhead projectors. Besides selling them (which I am looking into) and donating them (which I will do if I can't put them to good use) what are some creative, interesting, or generally mind-blowing uses can I find for them?
[more inside]posted by cadastral at 8:04 AM PST - 16 comments
Is it crazy to consider quitting my job? I'm giving myself a deadline of four months so I have time to prepare.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:42 AM PST - 7 comments
Computer geniuses of all stripes: What the heck happened?? I hit the back button in Firefox, using OSX 10.4.11, and I got
this page!. I can't force quit Firefox, I can't shut down the computer (it times out), and I can't access the window that's behind the one shown in the picture!! Of course I could 'hard' reset the computer - but my questions are these....
[more inside]posted by crapples at 6:56 AM PST - 10 comments
I can't stop thinking, and it's destroying my life! I over think and over analyse every damn situation, it's causing me major depression and stealing my sleep, so how do I stop?
[more inside]posted by chrisbucks at 6:50 AM PST - 26 comments
I'm looking for a hassle free, preferably automated backup system for a small business (1 desktop computer).
[more inside]posted by NekulturnY at 6:44 AM PST - 11 comments
How to do this push-up exercise from
5BX?
I am working through the 5BX exercise program and got up to Chart 3. Exercise 4 in this chart is a form of push-up that i find almost impossible to perform properly. More inside
[more inside]posted by slimeline at 6:35 AM PST - 3 comments
"Liquor then beer, you're in the clear; beer then liquor, never been sicker." Is this true, and if so, why?
[more inside]posted by papakwanz at 12:18 AM PST - 35 comments
December 15
How do those internet ads that reference your hometown (or a reasonable facsimile) get that information and use it? Furthermore, is there any way to stop it?
[more inside]posted by phaded at 10:24 PM PST - 15 comments
What's a good
cheap way to get a degree online? I've seen a lot of ads for doing so, but upon investigation they are extremely expensive. I'm not overly concerned about having a degree from a well-respected college, but I'd like to have a degree.
[more inside]posted by Kickstart70 at 10:24 PM PST - 15 comments
How does Chicago's "No Parking if snow is over 2 inches" rule work out in practice? Are the blocks of cars parked on my street (Sheridan at 7600 N) all going to be towed overnight and tomorrow morning?
[more inside]posted by ztdavis at 9:54 PM PST - 18 comments
Calling to the hive mind! Is anyone aware of a (reasonably priced (sub $150)) external hard drive (or, better, HDD enclosure) that meets the following specifications?
[more inside]posted by TrueVox at 9:08 PM PST - 6 comments
In the spirit of DIY-holiday gifts, we're trying to put together a handmade travel/survival guide for the 4-month sabbatical our folks/in-laws will be spending in Orem, Utah from January through April of this coming year.
[more inside]posted by shelbaroo at 6:36 PM PST - 5 comments
What web site provides a "Design Your Own" service for unique personalized bath abd body products?
[more inside]posted by campy at 6:32 PM PST - 5 comments
Where can I buy retro 80's / 90's fluorescent leggings like
these? Is there a specific name for them? I've been searching for months without any luck.
posted by book at 5:55 PM PST - 10 comments
My girlfriend is having second thoughts about what she wants out of life. This could lead to a change and possible end our relationship. I'm scared.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:27 PM PST - 30 comments
Gah...
I was just asked. There's a martial arts movie where one of the characters blocks a punch from an attacker and then walks his hands up the opponent's arm and body locking him in place (using pressure points).
I can vaguely see the scenes (I'm pretty sure it happens more than once), but neither I nor my friends can remember the movie.
Help me hive mind, you're my only help.
posted by Ikazuchi at 4:57 PM PST - 13 comments
If I post bail bond (in Florida for larceny and grand theft), for a relative via a credit card the bond agent wants me to sign 6 pages of legalese documents including a promissory note to a Texas bank @ 12% interest'.
i thought this was a 1 way transaction.
can anyone tell me what's this about.? can't find anything on the Net.
posted by lemuel at 4:54 PM PST - 3 comments
Why do I get severe nasal congestion after I have, um, stomach problems? Horrific details follow.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 3:45 PM PST - 10 comments
Guerilla Gardening: I need a tree/shrub/bush that can survive on low sunglight and be planted via aerial bombardment.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 3:45 PM PST - 24 comments
I'm planning a New Year's Eve party, and I'm looking for inspiration. Have you attended a great New Year's Eve party in the past? What elements made it so successful?
posted by sotalia at 2:49 PM PST - 17 comments
I seemingly lost a bunch of programs from the Add/Remove programs list. Some programs are still listed, but many of them are gone.
There are some programs I would like to uninstall (like Y! Messenger for example), but they're not listed in the Add/Remove Programs list nor do they have an uninstall option.
What can I do?
I'm running Windows XP
posted by JackO23 at 1:39 PM PST - 16 comments
How can I find parking in New York from Tuesday to Friday next week? Ideally it would be on Upper West Side Manhattan and not very expensive, but I could park farther afield.
[more inside]posted by Dasein at 1:14 PM PST - 15 comments
USPS will ship an inflated ball without it being packaged (sendaball.com), it just sticks the postage information right on the ball.. My question is, what other items can be shipped this way, without being packaged in a box? I want to send something nifty to my niece this Christmas season!
posted by princeofpersiaxz at 12:52 PM PST - 23 comments
What do you think is the best noise reduction software out there for the Mac? Right now I'm using Photoshop CS2, which sometimes has positive affects, sometimes very little. I know the best solution is to know what I'm doing with my camera, but I just 'upgraded" to a Nikon D200 and am still learning the ropes. I've been using a 18-200 f3.4 VR lens, which is great, but which produces extraordinary noise when zoomed far in on subjects. I know I know, another case of a newbie with a camera out of his league, but I'm learning!
[more inside]posted by bronxteacher at 11:53 AM PST - 13 comments
My daughter has a stuffed kitten ("soft kitty") and lo, the whiteness and furriness of it is surpassing. When I washed its predecessor ("matted kitty") its fur became less-white and the fibres less separate. How can I wash the new one (whose odor doth verily surpass an outhouse) while retaining its new appearance?
The fur is synthetic and the animal is a white "Animal Alley" kitten, if that helps.
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:46 AM PST - 19 comments
I recently moved in to a small manhattan apartment which I share with a small dog that decides to bark in his high-pitched yelp during the middle of the night 2-3 days a week.
[more inside]posted by btkuhn at 10:59 AM PST - 9 comments
What's a good charity to give money to in someone's name as a Christmas gift? Caveats: The intended recipients are quite concerned with poverty and the third world. Ideally, the charity will send some kind of card that I can give the recipient to inform him, and they would send the card in time for a December 25th exchange.
[more inside]posted by jaybeans at 10:20 AM PST - 26 comments
How do I find out the results of a trial?
Every so often you hear about a murder or crime or something and somebody gets arrested. But it seems like you rarely hear how it ends. For instance,
this one has bugged me for a long time. As much as I search, I just want to know what happened to the guys they arrested.
Where do people look for how things end?
posted by CrazyJoel at 9:51 AM PST - 11 comments
We are driving from New Hampshire to St. Louis over a two day period (12/26 - 12/27) with our 3 1/2 and 2 year old children. Any suggestions for keeping our sanity on this 20 hour drive (and the return trip 7 days later)?
[more inside]posted by beachhead2 at 8:44 AM PST - 11 comments
Gorillas -- does anyone know of a good online (or near Seattle) source for large, good quality pictures of gorillas, suitable for framing?
[more inside]posted by Pantengliopoli at 8:25 AM PST - 9 comments
The boy and I are trying to make a sort of bulk Thai seasoning paste, which we've previously freezed in portions pretty successfully. One thing is holding us back, though -- the absolute )*&^&*$ we have to go through to chop the lemongrass properly. What with us using a pound or two of lemongrass, even chopping it roughly to do the rest in the food processor is a pain (literally), and the last time we did this we ended up with a whole bunch of stringy bits. Yes, we've peeled off the outer layers and chopped off the tough bit at the bottom; we typically use a large, properly sharpened chef's knife. Any other tips?
posted by Madamina at 8:18 AM PST - 10 comments
Looking for remote PC access that support twin-screens.
I use Logmein but it doesnt seem to support twin-screens. Is there any remote PC access / control software that supports multiple screens?
posted by priorpark17 at 7:01 AM PST - 11 comments
Every Monday, I look forward to the Metropolitan Diary column in the New York Times. Can anyone recommend similar columns, podcasts, etc. for me to try?
[more inside]posted by Shebear at 5:17 AM PST - 11 comments
What is the best way to ask my current employer to offer me a part-time position? I'm a single young male with no other responsibilities or commitments.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 4:51 AM PST - 5 comments
Does basil fried rice taste like marijuana to anyone else, or is it just me? Am I tasting the spice wrong?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 4:50 AM PST - 10 comments
I need help in stopping my campus IT group from their hostile tolerance of macs to outright banning of them on campus though a multi-platform environment is supported in the rest of the university system. Long explanation to follow...
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 4:50 AM PST - 24 comments
How much do you spend on Christmas presents for your significant other / spouse (don't worry, you can give me a percentage!)
[more inside]posted by LyzzyBee at 3:58 AM PST - 37 comments
I have just been given a load of fresh chillies by a colleague at work. Apart from using them in a Chilli or a curry not really sure what else to use them for. One thought I have had is make a chilli sauce. Any tips on the best way to make a chilli sauce?
posted by lloyder at 3:42 AM PST - 10 comments
December 14
Is there such a thing as an 'invisible' virus - have biologists stumbled across any 'diseases' that have no noticeable symptoms?
posted by unmake at 11:58 PM PST - 20 comments
My student loans were put on deferment against my will -- how do I prevent this from happening in the future?
[more inside]posted by mahamandarava at 11:26 PM PST - 11 comments
Visual Web Interfaces for Workflows - I have a complex workflow that I need users to be able to set up quickly and easily. I need suggestions and examples on how to visually / interface-wise represent this complex workflow.
[more inside]posted by SpecialK at 10:43 PM PST - 1 comments
I live in Illinois and just sold a house that I own. How soon after closing will I be able to access the funds that I will receive from the sale of the house?
[more inside]posted by shawnmk at 9:57 PM PST - 5 comments
I hate my girlfriends little dog. I told her not to get it from the beginning. It's going to break us up.
[more inside]posted by gradient at 9:54 PM PST - 54 comments
What is the origin and reasoning for abbreviating "contract" as "K"?
posted by JakeWalker at 9:08 PM PST - 14 comments
I am looking for a particular kind of skirt to give my daughter for Christmas. She's a dancer, and she's looking for a particular black dress with a ragged hemline (angular, or slanted, I'm not sure what to call it). We have seen them all over the place on other girls, but never FOUND one on the web or in stores. Picture inside.
[more inside]posted by jwhowa at 6:39 PM PST - 7 comments
ObviousFilter: What current hip-hop song has a chorus that goes "I'm rich, can't help the money I spend, (something something) car I'm driving..."?
[more inside]posted by kidsleepy at 5:24 PM PST - 6 comments
Anyone familiar with nursery schools or grade schools in the East Los Angeles or Pico Rivera, CA, area in the mid-to-late '70s? A name to go with the memories would be most welcome.
[more inside]posted by bonobo at 5:01 PM PST - 2 comments
Is there a straightforward and cheapish way - let's say ready-made software, or a web-based service - to create a dynamically-updated and custom-designed selection of YouTube movies on a blog?
[more inside]posted by londongeezer at 4:56 PM PST - 4 comments
Looking for recommendations of great New Zealand movies, tv, books, music, etc. Would be best if it is available in the US, but if not, it's not a dealbreaker.
[more inside]posted by wsquared at 4:53 PM PST - 24 comments
I want to synchronise calendar information between my Outlook 2007 and Google Apps for my domain.
[more inside]posted by chairish at 3:04 PM PST - 7 comments
Who's written fiction within the last 5-10 years, that deals realistically with the experience of American people under 40?
[more inside]posted by toomuchkatherine at 3:04 PM PST - 26 comments
I'm awake by 7 AM, but don't feel truly mentally "awake" and in the "zone" till the afternoon. Caffeine and exercise early in the morning help a little, but mainly they seem to affect my physical energy more than my mental energy.
Does anyone else feel this way, and what can I do to get my brain up to speed earlier in the day?
posted by parallax7d at 2:45 PM PST - 29 comments
Question regarding the real-life legality of Marijuana dispensaries in California. A friend of a friend invested in semi-passive ownership in some dispensaries, and apparently it’s paying out very handsomely for him...
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:11 PM PST - 12 comments
I've never really understood the economics of donating something valuable like a car for a tax write off. I am wondering what I will save in taxes by donating this item versus selling it. I'm having trouble calculating the exact value of the tax deduction to me...
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:11 PM PST - 18 comments
How can I add lights to a table-style vanity for best results (i.e. applying makeup, etc.)?
[more inside]posted by zephyrian at 1:52 PM PST - 3 comments
What, if any, are the effects of express warranties by landlord and landlord's agents under New Jersey landlord tenant law?
[more inside]posted by bunnycup at 1:24 PM PST - 6 comments
Where can I get a hat like the argyle cap that Ricky Lizalde wears on Project Runway? It's a kangol-style cap with a black/white/gray argyle pattern.
[more inside]posted by matildaben at 12:50 PM PST - 4 comments
Anyone familiar with the wooden/ceramic (?) "eye" that is mounted over doorways by adherents of Santeria.
[more inside]posted by Heatwole at 11:50 AM PST - 2 comments
Broken Promises: Looking for stories of the damage that broken promises can cause an individual. Can be personal (maybe childhood stories), read somewhere(biographies?), recommendations where to find them, etc. Preferably something that can be easily told within a couple of minutes...Any help is appreciated!
posted by stevyb at 11:46 AM PST - 9 comments
Looking for good, guitar-driven new music that rocks, but that's away from the early 80s influenced, quirky indie pop that's been so ubiquitous of late. Can you help?
[more inside]posted by psmealey at 11:37 AM PST - 44 comments
I need new MIDI sequencing/editing software. Something as close to Logic as possible, given that I'm using a Windows PC at home.
[more inside]posted by lekvar at 11:31 AM PST - 12 comments
Not to start a fight but I am curious about this one...If the entire atmosphere is 100% and nitrogen is 89% and the inert gases are 0.9% and the rest is the O2 we breathe and more and more CO2 is being made [carbon burning made that is] from that O2 and not going back out of the system as released O2 will we see a drop in the amount of O2 we have to breathe?
Does the actual % of the various gases get checked on by anyone?
And would we see it first decline at higher altitudes or in the deaths of animals who need more O2 for their specific needs..........which ones are the mine canaries here?
posted by Freedomboy at 11:25 AM PST - 12 comments
It’s almost the New Year! There’s a lot I want to accomplish in 2008, but I find New Year’s Resolutions to be kinda lame, plus I always end up forgetting them by February. I’d like some sort of substitute that will get me excited about self-improvement right away and still keep me going strong for months/years to come. Ritual value is nice, but more importantly, it has to
work. [more inside]posted by Metroid Baby at 11:17 AM PST - 16 comments
What is the best codec, settings and software to backup animation (Disney, Pixax) DVDs?
[more inside]posted by dinkyday at 10:58 AM PST - 7 comments
DIY Music Toys - The
DIY Music Box Kit is the kind of thing I'm looking for. I've also got enough links and resources about circuit bending toys, etc. What other music doo-dad toys are out there for not-so-serious music making?
posted by agregoli at 10:48 AM PST - 7 comments
I've got a friend with an adopted son. The kid has some adjustment problems from his early treatment and adjustment here. She's looking at using meds to change his behavior. I think that's not a great idea and she should look to enrolling him in martial arts classes. They are in San Diego. Can anyone recommend a program in that area?
[more inside]posted by diode at 10:42 AM PST - 13 comments
What are the major issues for the 2008 presidential race, and what are the best links that support your view of those issues?
[more inside]posted by bove at 10:32 AM PST - 28 comments
I have a need for a CCTV system in an area with no power or wired connections. The images/video would only need to be retrieved in the event of a break in or something of that ilk. What are my options?
[more inside]posted by lemonfridge at 10:26 AM PST - 2 comments
Here is an example... My Boss: "We want to use the Can Can song. Our music guy has done a recording for us. Is it in the Public Domain?" Me: "Yes. The composer, J. Offenbach, has been deceased since 1880 and if we are doing our own arrangement we are fine." My Bosses Boss: "About 5 years ago, I tried to clear this song for use in a TV production and discovered that it was NOT in the Public Domain. Elle Vator, can you research this and let us know the answer two months ago?"
[more inside]posted by Elle Vator at 10:12 AM PST - 13 comments
Are there any companies in the US which sell either heat pump or mechanical steam compression dryers?
[more inside]posted by brujita at 10:08 AM PST - 2 comments
I'm doing some research, a timeline, on the evolution of user-experience on the web. I know, via AskMeFi (thank you!) that it was late in 2005 when amazon.com began testing tagging in general but does anyone know, specifically, when amazon.com began allowing users to flag or vote on the relevance of individual tags?
posted by bz at 9:39 AM PST - 2 comments
So, I was listening to the new Saul Williams album and its awesome. Can you recommend other more intellectual hip hop.
posted by khaibit at 9:28 AM PST - 40 comments
Where can I get a hat
like this? I'm looking for an adult-sized hat exactly like this, with the goggles and everything. Thank you!
posted by interrobang at 8:36 AM PST - 9 comments
Is there any other way (other than the passing of time and being completely truthful) to help better regain someone's trust after a lie or two has been committed?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:21 AM PST - 15 comments
My roommate's long-distance boyfriend asked me to help him surprise her. But I'm afraid he might be the one who gets surprised, if she's sleeping with someone else (I'm not sure). What do I do?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:20 AM PST - 30 comments
Besides researchers, In the US, who is allowed access to a person's Protected Health Information (tm) after they're dead? Who can get their death certificate (listing cause of death)? If these people aren't me, what can I do to cope with feeling that a loved one died because of someone's uncaring/ineptitude/etc?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:19 AM PST - 9 comments
Which are the good/acclaimed live-action television shows from around the world outside of US/UK/Canada?
[more inside]posted by Gyan at 8:06 AM PST - 13 comments
My dumbass friend bought a well-used golf cart. Without a charger. or working batteries. Help us get it running.
[more inside]posted by itheearl at 8:00 AM PST - 6 comments
Is it possible to use the modem in an iBook running Tiger to send and receive voice messages?
[more inside]posted by ooklala at 7:29 AM PST - 4 comments
In middle school I read a story about time-travel. Can you help me identify it based on these inaccurate and erratic details?
[more inside]posted by sambosambo at 7:01 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm going to be in New York with my dad on Christmas Eve. What should I expect, crowd- and activity-wise?
[more inside]posted by shiu mai baby at 5:43 AM PST - 5 comments
What questions do I NEED to ask during the inspection of the home I just bought? Also, what questions should I ask the seller/seller's agent during the inspection?
[more inside]posted by elquien at 4:50 AM PST - 27 comments
December 13
If I have the data "A is friends with B, B is dating C, C is cousin of A, D is old schoolmate of B" etc, how can I easily make a chart of everyone's connections to each other? This should preferably be software, as trying to map it out manually is way too timeconsuming and difficult.
posted by divabat at 11:51 PM PST - 16 comments
Looking for a small hotel or bed and breakfast in Seattle (or close by, but not in the San Juan Islands), with water views that is romantic. Perhaps within a one hour or so drive of Seattle.
posted by america4 at 11:42 PM PST - 5 comments
I don't use blogger, but I post comments on a blog that does. I happen to run my own blog (impressed?), which I used to link through Blogger's "URL" field. Apparently Google has removed that field from the commenting form. Instead it goes to my "Blogger Profile" which of course is empty, and even if were full, it still couldn't link to my self-hosted blog. What is Google thinking? Anyhow, is OpenID my friend?
posted by apetpsychic at 10:49 PM PST - 9 comments
My new Macbook screen has poor contrast and doesn't have to vividness expected from glossy screens. Is this normal or did I get one with a bad screen?
posted by herbiehancock00 at 10:18 PM PST - 8 comments
Why do mathematicians (and/or programmers) describe information passed to a function as an 'argument'?
[more inside]posted by b33j at 9:31 PM PST - 14 comments
What is the best rental car option for winter driving? I am going to be renting a car in Boston and driving up to Vermont. The rental agencies won't guarantee a car with 4 wheel drive. So am i better off with a regular car or an SUV?
posted by metahawk at 9:05 PM PST - 22 comments
I have a t-mobile cell phone, which I hate. It accepts a sim card. Can I buy a t-mobile branded phone off of ebay and pop my sim card in and have everything work? T-Mobile isn't being very helpful; they'd rather I buy a new cell phone.
posted by boo_radley at 9:04 PM PST - 16 comments
I'm working to transfer a person on oxygen from San Diego to Oregon. It's a long trip and this person is mostly wheelchair bound. Overexertion causes breathlessness and anxiety. We are trying to effect this ourselves and the oxygen is proving the most problematic. At 12 liter flow, getting enough oxygen is a major technical issue if moving by vehicle. We're talking a 3 day trip with a stop halfway in Watsonville for a day.
[more inside]posted by D-ten at 8:44 PM PST - 15 comments
ProposalFilter: I'm proposing in New York City tomorrow, can a New Yorker or someone with good city knowledge make sure my plan will work alright?
[more inside]posted by jpcody at 8:00 PM PST - 28 comments
Multiple requests for dismissal in a trial I just took part in were denied, even though they seemed to be extremely basic and logical. Do I have any recourse?
[more inside]posted by joshrholloway at 7:37 PM PST - 38 comments
What are some good books focusing on dental anthropology and evolution?
[more inside]posted by Loto at 6:17 PM PST - 3 comments
Grad School Filter: How technical and specific should my statement of purpose for my Computer Science PhD application be?
[more inside]posted by christy at 6:10 PM PST - 10 comments
I'm compiling a list of popular bon mots of the kind that are usually written in yearbooks, memory books, autograph books, etc. Things that are typically written by adolescents and teenagers to their friends and classmates.
[more inside]posted by amyms at 5:52 PM PST - 50 comments
Where would be the best place to go to view the meteor shower tonight? The shorter the drive from San Francisco, the better.
[more inside]posted by tumbleweedjack at 5:30 PM PST - 5 comments
The scrollwheel-click has suddenly stopped working in Firefox. I don't recall making any changes in preferences, but all of a sudden, what used to open up links in new tabs, no longer does so. Instead wheel-clicking on a link does nothing. Any idea how to fix this problem? I feel like I'm browsing with one less finger! (Mac OSX.4.11, Firefox 2.0.0.11, Safari is unaffected by the problem.)
[more inside]posted by ruwan at 5:30 PM PST - 6 comments
I'm looking for a photo booth near Minneapolis, MN or preferably, in the western suburbs (Minnetonka, Plymouth, etc.). A
Google search brings up lots of people willing to rent out a photo booth but I just need a few pictures.
[more inside]posted by pithy comment at 5:13 PM PST - 9 comments
My husband needs some time away from the rat race and from us rats (his family). Any suggestions for a health or medical spa/resort where he could spend a week long vacation?
[more inside]posted by notcomputersavvy06 at 4:25 PM PST - 4 comments
So I'd like to compile a list--better or at least easier to peruse than the ones I've found on the interwebs--of all of those crazy catch phrases Frank Zappa used on all his records and at shows. So far I have "It's a way of life" and "Add water; makes it own sauce!", both from
Joe's Garage. Maybe there's a great site I'm missing 'cause it's got no GoogleJuice?
posted by littlerobothead at 4:07 PM PST - 7 comments
I am trying to understand the film, Eastern Promises. How authentic are the portrayals of the vory and ex-pat culture? With some googling I understand that the Russian spoken in the film was done well. But what about the rest?
[more inside]posted by jadepearl at 3:14 PM PST - 4 comments
OS X-filter: I've been searching but having a hard time finding an answer anywhere. I have a command I put into the terminal each time I boot my Mac that disables some third party firewall I can't find to delete. I'd like a shell script that would launch and just execute the command each time I start up my computer.
[more inside]posted by mattoly at 2:31 PM PST - 8 comments
I'm having trouble cleaning my electric stove top. My main problems are the eye pans underneath the burners.
[more inside]posted by k8lin at 1:52 PM PST - 14 comments
I break keyboards. Help me find a Macintosh keyboard that I will not break, or one that is easy to repair if I do.
[more inside]posted by Mwongozi at 1:22 PM PST - 12 comments
Where can a tall woman go to buy a dress for a company holiday party tomorrow that she forgot all about until today? The person in question is in Lawrence, KS.
[more inside]posted by mezzanayne at 1:15 PM PST - 5 comments
My nearly-60-year-old father has just gone through a breakup. What can I do to help him feel better?
[more inside]posted by slyboots421 at 12:27 PM PST - 4 comments
Is there any way I can get my hands on some cool Scalino marble run pieces before Christmas?
[more inside]posted by Soliloquy at 12:13 PM PST - 1 comments
Please recommend classical music related to Christmas/birth of Jesus - preferably including comments on specific recordings.
[more inside]posted by medusa at 11:21 AM PST - 12 comments
Our cheapo Linksys just gave up the ghost, so I am looking for a new wireless router for my company . Any recommendations?
[more inside]posted by baggers at 11:11 AM PST - 14 comments
If my Irish friend orders the Nokia 7500 Prism from the UK, will it be unlocked when he gets it?
[more inside]posted by Wilder at 11:09 AM PST - 4 comments
Help me shoot my wife: suggest a first-person shooter we can play against each other. I'm on a Mac (pentium macbook pro); She's on a PC (about four years old, without the latest and greatest graphics card). We have a home network.
[more inside]posted by grumblebee at 11:00 AM PST - 27 comments
Is there a way to tell the difference between real emotions and crazy emotions caused by temporarily messed up hormones or brain chemicals or whatever? Is there even a difference?
[more inside]posted by kerfuffled at 10:48 AM PST - 30 comments
Help me remember what book I read this in: In this sci-fi dystopia, you don't have to buy books or recordings. They're free for the taking. But at regular intervals, you have to report to a "copyright center" to have your brain scanned, at which point you are charged for the media you've consumed. Not reporting...
[more inside]posted by raconteur at 9:54 AM PST - 12 comments
Question for my boyfriend: Grad student wigged out before exams. He now needs excuse to get out of missing exams, and probably a 1/2 year off.
[more inside]posted by Phalene at 9:42 AM PST - 23 comments
How do I lay a stone/brick path over an area which is uneven due to tree roots? Instructions available on the web or books?
[more inside]posted by sLevi at 9:33 AM PST - 5 comments
Recommend a really good, friendly online fashion forum (or bulletin board, or LJ) for a funky fortysomething.
[more inside]posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:56 AM PST - 6 comments
Help me get my wireless console gaming groove back on after a change from WEP to WPA security (and help me understand the difference between a wireless ethernet bridge and wireless access point).
[more inside]posted by de void at 8:49 AM PST - 3 comments
How to properly display part of an Army uniform in a display case? A customer of ours has a 'by the book' army husband and wants to make sure she doesn't break any rules displaying it.
[more inside]posted by whoda at 8:09 AM PST - 7 comments
I want to build a website centered around maps, mapping, geography, GIS, etc., but I need help narrowing down my focus.
[more inside]posted by desjardins at 7:56 AM PST - 8 comments
I've heard of studies that having a day of rest in the week (like Sunday) actually increases productivity than had they worked all seven days. Does anybody know of any studies or statistics to support this claim?
posted by JaySunSee at 6:19 AM PST - 11 comments
How do I setup Windows Server (2003) to default newly created domain users to be configured with a roaming profile path?
[more inside]posted by arathorn at 6:16 AM PST - 2 comments
I recently got one of my guitars out of its case to find the frets covered in green stuff, and small patches of rust on a few of them....
[more inside]posted by chrissyboy at 6:10 AM PST - 13 comments
I need help putting some data in a pleasing graphical form. In short, it is a history of a particular industry, with all of the companies, their founders and where they came from. I would like to build some sort of corporate family tree like
this famous one. Does anyone know any good tools for this?
posted by blahblahblah at 6:00 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm looking at purchasing a MacBook Pro for my job at a non-profit. I do web design and IT (as well as Accounting, which is what I'll need to keep running Windows XP for, and Outlook for the Exchange server). I'll install Bootcamp for XP, but much of the time, I will not want to reboot into XP. Would Parallels or VMware Fusion to a better job of meeting my needs? Does either one do a better job of running off the Bootcamp partition?
[more inside]posted by mac-way at 5:12 AM PST - 14 comments
Last year I was in Strasbourg and was lucky enough to visit the Christmas Markets. I was amazed by the variety of Christmas ornaments, I've never seen anything like this in the US. That's the problem. I bought a few small ornaments, but would like to buy more. Does anyone know where online I can find these?
posted by revan at 4:46 AM PST - 12 comments
Does my cat have a chronic respiratory infection, or is it possible she just naturally has poor breathing passages? Ever since my partner and I adopted her and her sister in August she has had periodic coughing and hacking fits that have been relatively unaffected by three separate rounds of antibiotics. Now I wonder if maybe she just has the equivalent of a deviated septum, or whether it's time for hospitalization.
[more inside]posted by schroedinger at 4:42 AM PST - 14 comments
Is there anywhere in the UK that will refill empty cosmetics bottles? You used to be able to take empty bottles back to The Body Shop to be refilled from jumbo tubs behind the counter, but since they stopped I've never found anywhere else that does it.
[more inside]posted by penguin pie at 3:09 AM PST - 5 comments
What free or cheap software, or webapps, can I recommend to help my friend manage and build her small business, a salon? Although there is software out there specifically made for this purpose, it seems out of her price range and shares a lot in common with more general software.
[more inside]posted by abkadefgee at 2:04 AM PST - 8 comments
Good places for me to sell my used cds, books, guitars and old computer/computer parts in London, that would offer me reasonable/good money? (You'll be helping me pay my bills - any help much appreciated!)
posted by Ira.metafilter at 1:31 AM PST - 3 comments
What happened to my little herb garden? They were growing really well
[1] [2] [3] [4] (just-watered), and then they've sort of died off
[5] [6] [7] [8]. I've been growing them under my oven light. Can you help me figure out what went wrong and if I can save my herbies?
posted by lpctstr; at 12:12 AM PST - 20 comments
December 12
I read online that AIDS spreads faster in societies where the women are less promiscuous. What is the best way of creating a model which will show me the development and spread of the virus in the case where women are less vs the case where women are more promiscuous?
[more inside]posted by markovich at 11:07 PM PST - 35 comments
I found armadillos for sale at a meat market in San Francisco's Chinatown. My question is who buys them, and what do they do with them? And where did they come from? That market has had them on several occasions, so someone must be buying them.
[more inside]posted by freshwater_pr0n at 10:20 PM PST - 20 comments
What's the best way to find out whether or not an older online multiplayer game still has an active user base? Short of purchasing the game and looking for myself, of course.
[more inside]posted by iamisaid at 10:07 PM PST - 9 comments
Seeking a word: Is there a term
other than "euphemism" for couching an insult in fancy-sounding words, so your insult sounds less harsh to the inattentive ear?
[more inside]posted by LobsterMitten at 9:45 PM PST - 63 comments
I am currently working at a consulting firm and consider myself to be a half-decent writer. Before I apply for my MBA, I'd like to enhance my application by writing articles for business magazines. How could I do this? Do you recommend any particular publications that might be willing to take a freelancer?
[more inside]posted by moooshy at 9:37 PM PST - 8 comments
I just took a trip to Atlanta and became addicted to sweet tea. I googled for recipes and noticed a few variations in the way it's prepared (besides amount of tea bags, sugar, water). That is, some recipes call for boiling the tea, then adding the sugar, then adding *room temperature* water. Some call for adding boiling water to tea, steeping, adding the sugar, then adding *cold* water. I think one called for adding the boiling water to tea, adding the sugar, then adding *room temperature water*. etc. etc. What I'm curious about is how do the differences affect the final taste?
[more inside]posted by edjusted at 8:59 PM PST - 33 comments
I long for the carefree, halcyon days of my youth (or even my early 30s) in which boots regularly fit my legs snugly. Now, evidently, I am the last narrow-calved woman on the planet. Help me not have to wear the same boots for the fifth season in a row!
[more inside]posted by scody at 8:49 PM PST - 25 comments
CarMaintenanceFilter: Do I really need new spark plugs and a fuel-injector cleaning when I just got them done?
[more inside]posted by bitteroldman at 8:46 PM PST - 12 comments
Do I really need winter tires in Denver? I lived in Chicago for 30 years and never bought winter tires. Granted, I was young and foolish for many of those years, but still.
[more inside]posted by FlamingBore at 8:12 PM PST - 17 comments
Very poor, sometimes non-functional, video DVD playback on my Dell laptop. The related features have no problems in any other context. I don't even have any idea what could be wrong, so no idea what to Google for help...
[more inside]posted by rhoticity at 8:05 PM PST - 5 comments
Jogging or biking makes my back teeth ache (throbbing nerves!) when I first start exercising after maybe a month off (and also, I get violent itches deep in my leg muscle tissue.) Why? Yes, it goes away once I'm back in shape.
posted by Shane at 7:48 PM PST - 6 comments
Car in PA, registered in DC, now living (and insured) in NY. Geico wants a LOT of money from me. I don't want to pay NY rates. What can I do?
[more inside]posted by kdar at 7:08 PM PST - 10 comments
I'm looking for things to see and do between Atlanta and Chicago, as well as a cool place to stay somewhere in between.
[more inside]posted by mike_bling at 6:55 PM PST - 5 comments
i've lost a few earring backs over the last year or so, where can i get replacements? the posts are different widths so i can't swap between the ones i have left. online stores or lower manhattan, preferably.
posted by lia at 6:27 PM PST - 10 comments
I need help with a Simpleshare NAS. Details are below if you have experience with the device.
[more inside]posted by COD at 6:19 PM PST - 6 comments
YANAD, but maybe you can help me find one: Any doctor recommendations in Brooklyn/lower Manhattan?
[more inside]posted by doift at 5:35 PM PST - 5 comments
Does anyone know if there's any good software to turn a mac into a news display kiosk? Nobody will actually interact with the computer -- the contents will dynamically update via the internet (RSS/other).
[more inside]posted by evanm at 4:41 PM PST - 7 comments
Is it possible to legally declare someone your next of kin or the equivalent? I know that you can make a will for estates, and medical care proxies and the like, but next of kin make decisions about funeral arrangements and other issues and I'm not sure how to go about covering all the miscellaneous bases out there. I'm in the US/NYS, gathering info before talking to a lawyer about specifics.
posted by voidcontext at 4:31 PM PST - 14 comments
What is the official procedure (in New York, say) for selling or distributing a canned product imported from another country? Are there specific licenses that need to be obtained?
[more inside]posted by dminor at 4:28 PM PST - 3 comments
What should a good doctor check for when giving a physical/basic medical exam consist to a 26-year old male.
[more inside]posted by GardnerDB at 4:18 PM PST - 19 comments
I want to see what my cats do when I'm not around... from their perspective. I know
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