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Piano Drill Books. Not very sexy, though always a highly practical tool for learning an instrument. This time its piano -- what do you have laying around? (similar: here, here, here) [more inside]
posted by Ogre Lawless at 11:21 PM PST - 9 comments

I've been living in Boston for about 2 years now and the only really good place I've found is the South Street Diner, but even that is really small and the wait is long.
posted by vodkadin at 11:19 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm having a lot of trouble finding a logical solution to a Sudoku problem. [more inside]
posted by obiwanwasabi at 9:54 PM PST - 13 comments

Color in the Linux command line. My slackware 10 system uses contextual color for directory browsing, my RedHat 9 system uses it for vi. Both uses of color make life easier for me, but the difference between the two systems does not. Is there an easy way I can get both computers to use these colors? [more inside]
posted by caution live frogs at 9:22 PM PST - 15 comments

I am going to New Orleans in October. Can anyone recommend good places to stay and things to do?
posted by mystic cheezewhiz at 9:19 PM PST - 19 comments

I'm in a band, and we practice in our drummer's basement. He has a next-door neighbor who can't stand our noise. Do we soundproof? Do we relocate? [more inside]
posted by cortex at 9:11 PM PST - 19 comments

I've recently broken the cheapass earbuds I use at work to listen to internet radio and am trying to figure out what cheapass replacement I should go look for. [more inside]
posted by Karmakaze at 7:52 PM PST - 14 comments

Basically, I am looking for the exact opposite of a Speak 'n Spell. A durable, portable device that allows the user to key in text, and have it played as speech. [more inside]
posted by Lokheed at 7:17 PM PST - 8 comments

I am looking for an on-line resource that lists atrocities committed against Jews, preferably going all the way back to Biblical times. [more inside]
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:02 PM PST - 6 comments

Just where is the best place to see jazz in Chicago? My Australian father-in-law is coming for a visit to the US for the first time and is a huge jazz fan. My husband and I will be taking him to Chicago. I have never been there myself, and am looking for some suggestions. [more inside]
posted by cyniczny at 6:56 PM PST - 13 comments

What are your favorite songs featuring steel guitar (lap/pedal steel)? [more inside]
posted by rxrfrx at 6:19 PM PST - 28 comments

Has anybody come across an iPod scratch-remover/iPod cleaner worth recommending? I've got a 4G that's starting to look a little sad and would appreciate any input. Thanks.
posted by mathis23 at 6:05 PM PST - 11 comments

Are there any natural languages that allow pronouns to appear in sentential position? [more inside]
posted by painquale at 5:51 PM PST - 10 comments

My boss has a desktop running Windows 2000, attached to it is a non-network hp inkjet. Also on boss's desk sits a g4 powerbook with a wireless connection to the school. [more inside]
posted by craniac at 5:24 PM PST - 4 comments

HowdoImakemyspacebarstopstickingonmyPowerBookG4?Help!
posted by adrober at 5:14 PM PST - 4 comments

InternationalCarRentalFilter In May, the girlfriend and I will be going to the Domincan Republic, flying into Santiago, DR courtesy of cheap JetBlue tickets. We plan to rent a car (she is Dominican/Puerto Rican and speaks Spanish fluently) so we wanted to rent a car to see all the country that we could (we shy away from tourist places). Its the first time shes been there so its sort of a time when she really wants to see her country. I've never rented a car internationally before. How can I keep this as cheap as possible? [more inside]
posted by jare2003 at 5:12 PM PST - 3 comments

Which way should you store your drinking glasses in a cupboard? Should they be stored right side up so the lip isn't contaminated by the surface? Or, should they be stored up side down to prevent dust from getting into the cup?
posted by quadog at 5:04 PM PST - 26 comments

I purchased a 160GB external LaCie USB 2.0 drive last month from CompUSA, and today it quit working. I have an iMac G5 running OS X 10.3.8, which told me the drive could not be recognized, and whenever I turn on the drive, it gives me a pulsating screeching sound as it tries to access itself. I called LaCie, who says its a hard drisk mechanism failure (read: "our shit crashed and lost your data") and will repair the drive, but everything on it is lost unless I recover it beforehand somehow. DriveSavers is going to cost me some $2,000 or so which is outrageous, considering I'm a college student, and the drive was investment enough itself. It has some 40GB of music, and almost 100GB of video -- I'm looking for a service that can recover my data cheaply, and without voiding LaCie's warranty would be a plus. Does anyone know of any alternate solutions, have you heard of this happening to someone else or has it happened to you? WTF?
posted by jruckman at 4:56 PM PST - 11 comments

If I register my interest in a local contestant search at the Jeopardy website, what are my odds of getting contacted for an interview? [more inside]
posted by greatgefilte at 4:53 PM PST - 13 comments

What are a few of the top 19" LCD monitors in terms of picture quality? My cat destroyed my CRT. [more inside]
posted by Justinian at 4:51 PM PST - 13 comments

Domain mapping to a TypePad blog. For the past 10 days, I have desperately been trying to map a domain name to my TypePad blog. Every solution offered to me by either TypePad or my registrar seems to undo something else. I am trying to: have the domain mapped seamlessly (masked, I believe it's called), but also for the Permalinks (unique urls) to work. I am in over my head! [more inside]
posted by fionab at 4:33 PM PST - 10 comments

The book was probably published in the 1970s or 1980s, with green on the cover, black-and-white photographs throughout, and talked about the death of a bird. I vaguely recall a photo or two of the bird being buried in a shoebox. What is the name of this book, and who is the writer/photographer?
posted by itchie at 4:32 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm looking for some examples of popular movies that cast technology, specifically networking technology, in a good (or at the very least a non-paranoid) light. [more inside]
posted by thewittyname at 3:00 PM PST - 29 comments

Internet Explorer has been on thin ice for a while, and recently it crashed through. I can't even launch the damn program. I've installed Firefox and several delicious extensions, but my knowledge is limited in this whole area. How do I get rid of the old plague? [more inside]
posted by lazaruslong at 2:46 PM PST - 14 comments

I have a pretty fancypants guitar that I'm trying to sell. Should I try to sell it on eBay, or go to a local guitar store? [more inside]
posted by cmonkey at 2:15 PM PST - 17 comments

I recorded a solo album, the first recording I've done since the dissolution of my old band after 8 1/2 years. It's a typical breakup album, in the sense that most of the songs are in some way connected to the relationship I had with my ex-girlfriend, the breakup, or my life since. Should I put a dedication in it for her? [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 2:11 PM PST - 20 comments

What are the wooden tunnels you see on the mountains along I-80 (on the right hand side) as you go from Truckee to Reno ? They are too small to enclose railway lines, and are not continuous. They also appear to be a little run-down, and are probably not used these days. [more inside]
posted by zergot at 2:06 PM PST - 8 comments

I have several rare/autographed books that I'm interested in selling due to financial issues. I don't want to be ripped off. Help! [more inside]
posted by u.n. owen at 1:45 PM PST - 12 comments

I love barbecue. Wait, that's not a question. Um. What's your favorite barbecue restaurant? I've flown here and there and I've eaten at various places, but I think I need to take my BBQ to the next level. I would even be willing to schedule a trip around a really good BBQ joint, so don't worry about where I am, just let me know what your favorites are. Suggestions?
posted by taumeson at 1:35 PM PST - 70 comments

How accessible should the archives of one's blog be? In terms of privacy and security, are there certain things that should not be able to be Googled? [more inside]
posted by themadjuggler at 1:33 PM PST - 11 comments

Hi. Is there a sweet spot time period for buying airline tickets? A friend is flying from Illinois to North Carolina in the next year, and was wondering if anyone has mastered the best interval in which to buy tickets (several months out, 3 weeks out, etc.). Thanks.
posted by Zosia Blue at 1:16 PM PST - 13 comments

What's up with the noise in speakers when a Blackberry or GSM/GPRS cell phone is nearby? [more inside]
posted by sublivious at 1:09 PM PST - 8 comments

Anybody know the name of the $49 helicopter place south of the hoover dam on the 93? When you leave Las Vegas going south, there is a hotel and casino off to the left after you pass through the hoover dam. There is a big sign that says $49 helicopter flights. Either that hotel has helicopter tours, or their neighbor is a helicopter place. Anybody know what it's called? (The hotel or the tour place)
posted by gummo at 12:51 PM PST - 4 comments

What is the best modern day Rubik's Cube type of toy/game/puzzle? [more inside]
posted by gluechunk at 12:46 PM PST - 4 comments

I can't get one of my computers to communicate on the network...and I feel as if I've tried everything [more inside]
posted by Hands of Manos at 12:43 PM PST - 21 comments

I was looking at mathowie's weblog: a.wholelottanothing.org, and he talked about the "theme" of the baby shower they just had - "bring your absolute favorite book you owned as a child". What was yours? [more inside]
posted by slactoid at 12:43 PM PST - 67 comments

I am getting into running, and would like to start planning routes for my runs. [more inside]
posted by benjh at 11:47 AM PST - 15 comments

This guy I work with told me that if one were to put steel wool inside a microwave and turn it on, it would cause a large explosion. Normally I would call his bluff, but the dude was in Nam and has an extensive understanding of improvised explosives. I'm tempted to drive out into the middle of nowhere (one of the perks of living in the West) with a long extension cord and a generator (or car engine adaptor) and giving it a shot. My question is, have I been had? Is this guy telling me the truth? [more inside]
posted by punkbitch at 11:42 AM PST - 16 comments

I've been unemployed for a few months, and have been actively looking for work, with no luck. All I have to go on are classified ads and limited online resources. I have two sneaking suspicions: 1) there are lots of jobs that don't show up in those venues, so how do I find them? and 2) HR departments are generally an impediment to getting a foot in the door, so how do I get past them? [more inside]
posted by yesster at 10:46 AM PST - 20 comments

I got my iPod wet. Am I screwed? [more inside]
posted by Hat Maui at 10:18 AM PST - 23 comments

Apologies for what is undoubtedly a topic that has been covered before, but I can't seem to find a relevant thread. Making the PC to Apple switch. Right now I have a Dell PC from '98, which is creaky and slowly failing and therefore gets only minimal usage. I'm having trouble figuring out how much computer I need. I'm not looking for a minimalist machine -- part of the reason that I'm willing to take the plunge is so that I can expand my home usage pretty significantly. [more inside]
posted by desuetude at 9:26 AM PST - 23 comments

Hopefully fairly simple question - I seem to remember coming across a bookmarklet once which would turn a webpage into links to wikipedia entries. So basically any subject/object on the page that had a wiki entry would be hyperlinked to that entry. Now I can't find the thing. Anyone know where it might be? Thanks
posted by juniorbonner at 9:08 AM PST - 2 comments

What font was used for the Silver Age Fantastic Four cover? [more inside]
posted by COBRA! at 7:51 AM PST - 5 comments

My cat died. Quite suddenly. Web searches don't show up anything which matches the symptoms or suddenness. I'd like some idea of what caused it, especially if it might be contagious (as there are two more cats to worry about). [more inside]
posted by handee at 6:49 AM PST - 18 comments

I was accepted into an art program and now I'm trying to apply for financial aid. Problem is, I've never done this before, and I need to include a "statement of need and intent" with my portfolio. I'm pretty solid on what a statement of intent is (what I hope to get out of the program, etc.) but I have no idea how to approach a statement of need - exactly how do you politely phrase "I need help paying for school because I'm broke?" [more inside]
posted by annathea at 5:18 AM PST - 6 comments

I've found these fun liittle toys for Nokia S60 mobile phones: http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/yewnes.shtml http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/vnes.shtml http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/symbnes.shtml [more inside]
posted by gaby at 4:04 AM PST - 3 comments

What is the difference between "attention deficiency disorder" and "attention deficiency syndrome" and how are they related? It seems as if they are interchangeable, but I don't want to make the mistake of referring to either one if they are not. Please help.
posted by timyang at 3:49 AM PST - 3 comments

About three weeks ago I had a nasty cold. Headache, congestion, nose running 24-7. Since then, I wake up every morning to blow my nose out, thick, green, blood speckled mucus having accumulated there. This morning I blew my nose and afterwards a fresh stream of blood poured out. I've never had a nosebleed in my life nor have I ever stuffed any junk up there. Does this warrant a visit to the doctor? ps: I'm not a hypochondriac, it's just that I've never been sick.
posted by jsavimbi at 3:11 AM PST - 23 comments

I'm new to the consulting world AND my mind has erased anything practical it might have learned in college accounting courses. My client is really slow to pay me, and I want to start charging them interest for overdue balances. My google-foo is failing, I can't seem to find any bookkeeping tutorials that tell me how to calculate this (daily? weekly? how much?), or even how to format/word it on my invoices. Can anyone either tell me how to do this, or direct me to an appropriate web resource?
posted by Kololo at 1:59 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm setting up my Mac OS X Mail for the first time and while I've figured out how to check my AOL mail through it, I can't figure out the logistics of how to use it to view my College E-mail address. How do I go about finding all this "Incoming Mail Server" and "Outgoing Mail Server" stuff out that I need to set up a mailbox in Mail? More inside. [more inside]
posted by StopMakingSense at 1:56 AM PST - 10 comments

Boogie to the boogie say up jump the boogie to the bang bang boogie! What songs use this lyric (or some clear variation of it?) I'm pretty sure it originates from Sugarhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight'. At the very least this song popularized it. And it appears in, for example, Kid Rock's 'Bawitdaba', Will Smith's 'Freakin it', and 311's 'Welcome' So what other songs make some use of this classic hip-hop lyric??? [more inside]
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 1:23 AM PST - 14 comments

My parents want to convert from landline to cellphones. They are 84 and 76 years old, and their top priority when choosing a phone are buttons that are big enough for them and a display that is large enough to see (large print screens?). Other features are not important to them. What cellphones should they get?
posted by neuroshred at 7:33 PM PST - 19 comments

How, and where, does a twenty-something guy find a rich sugar momma? [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:28 PM PST - 39 comments

A few year ago I had to pay AMT on some ISO stock. Since I've sold it for far less than the amount of AMT tax that I paid in, I've got a large AMT tax credit hanging out there. Are there any strategies that anyone can suggest to get some of this money back? [more inside]
posted by wflanagan at 7:09 PM PST - 6 comments

Why, when driving through a tunnel, does my FM radio receive noise, and not silence, when it loses the signal? [more inside]
posted by Mwongozi at 6:27 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm trying to find out about a conviction for assault. The case was in the 1980s in a UK magistrates court. Would I be able to get access to the records? Would it show up on a criminal record check? The local newspaper doesn't look like a good bet. Are there other ways I could check? Thanks.
posted by Flitcraft at 4:33 PM PST - 2 comments

A couple of days ago, I noticed something very odd in my bathroom - something seemed to be growing out of the wall. It looks kind of like a plant sprout than anything else I can think of, but it doesn't really behave like one - for one, it shriveled up after about two days. [more inside]
posted by DoomGerbil at 4:22 PM PST - 6 comments

Why do incandescent light bulbs make my pale yellow walls look completely white? [more inside]
posted by ParisParamus at 4:16 PM PST - 23 comments

I am a fan of radio music documentaries, like the BBC's 6 Music Plays it Again or The Edge's The Ongoing History of New Music. Is there any place online where I can listen to such things? Some sort of archive is preferred so I can listen at the odd hours I keep rather than tuning in at a certain time. [more inside]
posted by synecdoche at 4:05 PM PST - 4 comments

If you had to organize your life into categories and subcategories, what would they be? (I'm looking for the more general, applies-to-everyone sort of categories, like Transportation [-motorcycle -van] or Recreation [-music -canoeing], etc., not stuff like "Yamaha SR500" or "Captain Beefheart obsession.") I'm looking to get better organized, and I don't want to overlook anything.
posted by bricoleur at 1:04 PM PST - 15 comments

I have a Motorola V220 mobile phone, and it's got a USB connection. I can't find a driver for Win XP. ? [more inside]
posted by petebest at 1:02 PM PST - 4 comments

Anyone have recommendations for home construction / design software? I'm looking for a reasonably powerful software package that will let me do both design and 3D visualization of the results. [more inside]
posted by true at 12:34 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking for free (or cheap) basic CD ripping software for Windows so I can make MP3s to play on my PDA. [more inside]
posted by AstroGuy at 11:38 AM PST - 19 comments

Is there any way to find how much time each state governor (in the US) has spent outside of their home state?
posted by punishinglemur at 10:58 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm going to Kansas City this week on business. I would like to eat at a steakhouse. I will have a car and money really isn't an issue. What is the best steakhouse in Kansas City, MO?
posted by sciatica at 10:51 AM PST - 7 comments

My wife got a free pen from a drug rep a few months ago, and she has completely and utterly fallen in love with it. Help me figure how I can buy her more. Does anyone recognize the model of this pen?
posted by Plutor at 10:44 AM PST - 22 comments

I've just recently set up my first wireless home network consisting of a Win XP box on a cable modem hooked up to an AirPort Extreme sending a signal to an iBook. It's working great except for problems with my favorite p2p program (WinMX). I now have to use a "secondary" connection to the network which yeilds less effective search results and performance and I am unable to upload files to the network. My research tells me that I need to do some fiddling with my firewall to make things work better, which is uncharted territory for me. Does anyone know what I need to do, and can you explain it to me in basic, clear terms. Thanks.
posted by jonmc at 10:32 AM PST - 17 comments

I'm working on a project for a content management application and need to create an icon for each of 2 types of documents. I'm stumped. [more inside]
posted by idest at 10:31 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm looking for an online backup solution for my personal computers. [more inside]
posted by delmoi at 9:27 AM PST - 14 comments

I need to find an a site that streams/broadcasts the Oscars live. [more inside]
posted by Po0py at 9:04 AM PST - 10 comments

1. I want to buy/install small satellite speakers for my TV and to play music through my computer (AirPort Express). Do I need an amplifier or a receiver? Can someone guide me through this? Please help! [more inside]
posted by scazza at 10:55 PM PST - 12 comments

Is there a launching tool for Windows with capabilities similar to Butler or QuickSilver on OS X? I've tried tons of different launcher tools on Windows, but haven't found any that match the power of either of these. Ideally, this tool would periodically index start menu items, and provide a command line window to enter launch commands (with partial/abbreviation matching). Thanks!
posted by arathorn at 10:36 PM PST - 6 comments

Is there a current-gen cell phone that offers internal recording of conversations held on the phone, which can be activated and deactivated by the phone's owner mid conversation? I need to be highly available to conduct interviews over the next month and this would change 'impossible' to 'possible.' It would also sell me my first cell phone.
posted by mwhybark at 10:02 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking for a simple descriptive list of each of the files in the OS X usr/bin/ directory. Something like this but more complete and including the OS X specific apps. [more inside]
posted by gwint at 7:26 PM PST - 14 comments

As a white man in New York City, I've become conscious that when I pass some black men, they often spit immediately after I pass. Another white friend says it happens to him, too. Is it a statement about our race? [more inside]
posted by Mo Nickels at 6:45 PM PST - 41 comments

What are the best websites about oragami, and how to do it? I'm looking for sites that give instructions and offer a wide variety of patterns for a lot of different objects--animals, shapes, and so on.
posted by interrobang at 5:30 PM PST - 6 comments

Can anyone identify either the name, or the purpose of a piece of headwear in this pastel by symbolist artist Lucien Levy Dhurmer? [more inside]
posted by fire&wings at 4:42 PM PST - 4 comments

Whenever I watch a show like cops, I notice that the police always seem to know what direction they are headed (ex. "suspect is heading east on franklin, turned north on vine"). Even when they are on foot they call out directions on their handheld radios. I don't see them with a compass. So how do they know what direction they are going?
posted by vronsky at 4:36 PM PST - 26 comments

How can I find a map of London that shows which postcodes are in each Borough? I can find lots of maps that show the Boroughs and the postcodes separately, but not a single one with both. Anyone? (Fanks, innit in advance.)
posted by eatcherry at 3:15 PM PST - 2 comments

I'm looking for a good book on Roman history. [more inside]
posted by gsteff at 3:07 PM PST - 13 comments

I bought shrimp paste. I wanted to make vietnamese grilled shrimp paste. But I'm not sure I bought the right thing. Did I buy the right thing and if not, what do I do with the stuff I bought? [more inside]
posted by duck at 2:17 PM PST - 7 comments

I want to go buy a lobster from a supermarket and keep it as a pet. However, I can't find anything beyond how to keep it alive long enough to cook it. [more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa at 2:07 PM PST - 14 comments

Is there a way to access files on a hard drive from another computer? [more inside]
posted by oflinkey at 1:20 PM PST - 11 comments

Emails I send are being flagged as spam. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 11:58 AM PST - 20 comments

I have an iPod and a truck with a crappy factory stereo. I have tried 3 different FM transmitters and I'm giving up on using them to play the iPod through the car stereo. If possible, I want to avoid buying a new stereo that has aux-in. It's a big expenses and invites theft. Can I add aux-in to my existing stereo? I've heard that car stereo places will do this, wiring a headphone-jack cable to your seat/dashboard. Is that true? How do they go about it? And how would I "tune it in" after such an installation?
posted by scarabic at 11:36 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm taking a pretty intensive ColdFusion class next quarter and I'm not sure if the book for the class is going to cut it for me. I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good ColdFusion book for beginners that is tutorial based. [more inside]
posted by Kimberly at 11:16 AM PST - 5 comments

What are the best books on Walt Disney and his Golden Age (the early 50's through mid 60's)? [more inside]
posted by TetrisKid at 10:47 AM PST - 6 comments

Is orthodontal work (braces) cheaper outside the city? Physicians don't really like giving quotes as they discourage rate-checking. I've heard it is cheaper in the country. I don't want to believe 6 - 10,000 dollars is normal. [more inside]
posted by uni verse at 10:13 AM PST - 7 comments

Using a PHP, Perl, or cron, how do I grab a xml page from a my TiVo that requires https authorization? I have the username and password. [more inside]
posted by riffola at 9:11 AM PST - 16 comments

I want to start an Internet radio station (streaming and archived). How do I deal with the royalties issues legally? [more inside]
posted by wackybrit at 7:53 AM PST - 4 comments

I really want a new PDA and am considering the Dell Axim X50v, but I've heard that Windows Mobile 2005 is due to be released "soon." Considering that I'm going to plunk down $500+, should I wait? Big questions is, how long will I have to wait to buy a PDA using the new OS? I really want WiFi and don't want to buy a card for my HP Jornada 568.
posted by Joleta at 6:14 AM PST - 5 comments

Why is a specific part of my eye bloodshot? There is no pain at all, but across a part of my eye (from nose to iris left side) there is a streak of "bloodshot". I now I should just wait it out, but why does this happen? [more inside]
posted by Dean Keaton at 5:48 AM PST - 15 comments

I need to make real PDFs but I'm far away from civilization and my own computer. I downloaded the "30 day" trial version, and it told me my 30 days were up after a week! Could someone point me to some free?
posted by fucker at 4:10 AM PST - 11 comments

Does anyone know if the soft, intermittent clicking in the background (of all tracks) on Departure Lounge's album "Jetlag Dreams" is an intentional effect that exists on the original? I burned a copy from a friend, I want to buy the album cuz I love it, but I find the clicks distracting. Would like to know in advance if it's just some sort of artifacting from the copying process.
posted by damn yankee at 12:22 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm curious as to whether any MeFites have done the Southwestern Summer Program. [more inside]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:02 PM PST - 3 comments

I bought a tape at goodwill the other day. It's in a chinese dialect and there is no english on the packaging. It's got a great Mandarin/Chinese cover of Addicted to Love and I'm hoping you guys can help translate the artist's name, and hopefully the name of the album, too. Copyright 1987, by the way. Here's a scan of the sleeve.
posted by Evstar at 10:09 PM PST - 6 comments

"cow-orkers" -- why do you write this? I see it on Usenet and elsewhere, and the term seems insulting, but by context is not always meant to be... if it's not always implying one's co-workers are large, slow-moving, cud-chewing beasts, what else is going on?
posted by Rash at 9:01 PM PST - 28 comments

If I were to show up in Roubaix France the day of the Paris-Roubaix Cycling race, April 10 this year, would I be able to get into the Roubaix Velodrome without any advance tickets, be able to see and hear the progress of the race then watch the finish live? If this is not possible where else would be a good place to watch the race? I don't know the area at all so trying to dash around the back roads for good vantage points would be difficult.
posted by jholland at 7:54 PM PST - 3 comments

Did anyone used to play Dark Castle on the old Macs? I spent a lot of my childhood playing it... and I'm thirsting for more. Now I have a PC - does anyone know of a way for me to find it online? Or elsewhere?
posted by ORthey at 7:09 PM PST - 17 comments

Is there a Creative Commons license that would allow me to sell prints of other people photos on Flickr? [more inside]
posted by rschroed at 6:56 PM PST - 17 comments

I am looking for free physics software (as in beer *or* speech) to model motion of a solid object in 3D. More specifically, I am looking for a package of java classes or other low level constructs that I can extend myself. Any Ideas? [more inside]
posted by kuatto at 6:30 PM PST - 7 comments

Last summer when I was in NYC I was doing the tourist thing and I was on the Empire State building and saw three objects fly overhead which I can't identify. I managed to get a photo so hopefully someone here can help. [more inside]
posted by daveirl at 4:26 PM PST - 27 comments

Help translating two lines from Goethe's Faust, Part 2? [more inside]
posted by scody at 3:10 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking for a large-ish general (or political) textbook store in, or accessible from, Boston, preferably one open on Saturdays and/or Sundays. Basically, I need to acquire the book "Comparative Politics: Notes and Readings" by Bernard Brown (9th Ed.) ASAP. [more inside]
posted by Firas at 2:48 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking for the name, and, if possible, a place to purchase / obtain a replica of a timepiece that I believe is Elizabethan. [more inside]
posted by Bugbread at 1:50 PM PST - 5 comments

Help me identify something from my childhood. I remember having a bunch of little "army men" style Martian figures between 1984 and 1986. They each stood about an inch tall, were made of rubber or resin of some kind (no plastic), and were basically a "Smurfs in Space" knock-off. What were these little guys? [more inside]
posted by Servo5678 at 1:45 PM PST - 9 comments

Looking for a link (posted on the blue before) of paintings by an artist who's art consisted of creepy Victorian style paintings of children/animal/technology nightmarish hybrids. The style was very similar to Mark Ryden's, but I'm convinced their not his...
posted by iamck at 1:34 PM PST - 5 comments

I've been reading up a bit lately on cord blood. It's kind of a cool idea, to capture stem cells your child may need someday -- kinda like always having "spare parts" available if anything goes wrong and technology continues to innovate. But I get the feeling that it costs a grand or so to start, and hundreds per year. I also hear that it may only help in childhood leukemia instances, so I'm on the fence. Is it worth the money? Are the applications for it real and tangible? Is it a smart insurance policy at this point or a silly thing worrisome parents are being bilked over?
posted by mathowie at 1:07 PM PST - 25 comments

I'm interested in acquiring a little comfort with spoken French - passively, by listening to it. I looked through a Podcast archive (and looked through some AskMe threads), and could only find French music. I'm interested in news, stories, interviews -- basically just listening to French people talking. Even stuff intended for children might be good. [more inside]
posted by amtho at 12:33 PM PST - 14 comments

Some friends and I are going on a week-long road trip in the beginning of March. We'll mainly be around the Arizona-New Mexico border. What are some cool things we can see and do? [more inside]
posted by driveler at 12:29 PM PST - 23 comments

Has anyone ever used tattoo cover-up makeup? [more inside]
posted by dual_action at 12:09 PM PST - 7 comments

So, if your microwave oven has a carousel, is it necessary to stop the cooking halfway through and rotate the food, like most prepared food packages suggest? And do you place the item in the middle or slightly off to one side of the carousel? [more inside]
posted by crunchland at 12:00 PM PST - 11 comments

This thread has me wondering: What's your favourite Google trick? How do you get past the torrents of lousy links to sites trying to sell you stuff or bombard you with pop-ups to get to the gold?
posted by gompa at 11:59 AM PST - 17 comments

Classic Rock Road Trip Music? I am looking for stuff that was popular and has a driving theme.
posted by srboisvert at 11:26 AM PST - 55 comments

I want my 100.3! What happened to Y100, the Philadelphia radio station? Yesterday morning Preston and Steve were playing rock, today the station has new DJs and has changed to a hip hop/rap format. [more inside]
posted by iconomy at 10:46 AM PST - 20 comments

Anybody have a good list of Quark characters with diacritical marks that would include such specialized items as an o with a line over it and an r with a hacek (as in "Dvořak")?
posted by languagehat at 10:45 AM PST - 4 comments

How quickly should I be able to learn to drive a manual transmission vehicle well enough to manage some tricky conditions (large van, driving from Berlin to Brussels)? What are some tips and tricks? How often (and in what conditions) should I be practicing before I get there? Tips specific to German driving are welcome too. [more inside]
posted by xo at 9:37 AM PST - 23 comments

How do A&R guys get paid? Talent Scout newbie seeks advice. [more inside]
posted by mds35 at 9:37 AM PST - 8 comments

Why is it "a bad idea to change [leaders] during a time of war"? Is this just political rhetoric, or is there also some historic fact backing it up?
posted by me3dia at 9:30 AM PST - 17 comments

Praxis II -- Subject Assessment in English. I will be helping my sister study for this test this weekend. I'm looking for hints/tips/methods for helping someone study for a standardized exam. General advice welcome, but if you have information specific to this exam, even better. [more inside]
posted by Otis at 9:20 AM PST - 2 comments

My dad just switched from a Hewlett-Packard to a Mac mini. His clinic keeps its records and email accessible via a dial-up network, which he would access on his PC with AccuTerm's terminal emulation software, emulating a Viewpoint A2 Enhanced session. What are his options on the Mac? Is there a solution that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? [more inside]
posted by jbrjake at 9:14 AM PST - 17 comments

Printing checks without your address on them? [more inside]
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 9:12 AM PST - 14 comments

I need a simple Windows application that will show me a list of my Windows servers and whether they are up or down. [more inside]
posted by bondcliff at 8:52 AM PST - 4 comments

The soon-to-be-Mrs. and I have a wedding coming up in about six months, and we're in the planning stages right now. Married members - what do you know now (about wedding planning) that you wish you had known then? What are the little things that we should be thinking of now, but aren't? Others - what were some little things that you remember about weddings you've attended? What worked, and what didn't? [more inside]
posted by UKnowForKids at 8:50 AM PST - 53 comments

And what happened to Nestles? [more inside]
posted by rtimmel at 8:24 AM PST - 15 comments

I've had this question on my mind a lot lately, and not coming up with much of an answer. Why do some performers have it, and some don't? What is the essence of what separates Vanilla Ice from Dr. Dre? Michael Bolton from Van Morrison? Nirvana from Nickelback? [more inside]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:09 AM PST - 32 comments

I reconnected with an old acquaintance at my highschool reunion. We've spoken a few times since then, and this person speaks very enthusiastically about their experiences with Landmark Forum. (MI) [more inside]
posted by extrabox at 7:49 AM PST - 42 comments

I recently got hold of a PowerMac 5500/2275 (the black one with the TV tuner), but the ethernet port has been upgraded, and is now a modem. While this is all very nice, I'd much prefer it to have LAN functionality. What, exactly, am I looking for on eBay to equip this Mac with a network card, and how difficult are they to install?
posted by armoured-ant at 7:40 AM PST - 3 comments

InsuranceFilter: Who is entitled to my car? [more inside]
posted by whatisish at 7:30 AM PST - 5 comments

Is a plane easier to pilot than a helicopter? If so, why?
posted by jimmy at 7:27 AM PST - 17 comments

I just bought some Mr. Bubble for my children and it has not worked at all. I live in NYC and put the required amount under a running faucet and agitate but still a measly froth. Any child friendly suggestions appreciated.
posted by mookie at 6:52 AM PST - 10 comments

Is there some way within Windows XP or using 3rd party software that I can password protect individual folders on my pcs so that you cant see or get access to what is in them with out entering a password? Just to be super clear, I want to do this one folder at a time not as a general login.
posted by nightocean at 6:09 AM PST - 8 comments

This may be more of a Slashdot question, but as those super geeks would rip me to ribbons; I am asking yall instead. I have recently become enamored with the idea of running MK Linux or PPC Linux on an old beige Macintosh. What is the best distro to use? What is the ideal beige Macintosh model (Performa 5200CD?) Have any of you actually done this? Is ALL the hardware supported? Any horror stories? Thanks!
posted by Livewire Confusion at 5:14 AM PST - 12 comments

Why do films & TV programmes have credit sequences? I don't get a list of nut & bolt technicians, headlamp designers or airbag testers when I buy a car, so why do I need to be told who pulled the focus, who was an electrician, who swept the floor when I am watching a film or TV programme?
posted by ajbattrick at 4:26 AM PST - 13 comments

How did you manage to get over your food phobias? [more inside]
posted by gyc at 12:39 AM PST - 45 comments

Moving, got new queen bed. I have a metal frame on wheels, but find the idea of rolling my bed around the room retarded. How do I make my bed stay put like the piece of furniture its supposed to be without spending the $$ for a wooden platform bed? [more inside]
posted by sirion at 11:31 PM PST - 11 comments

What on earth happened to Hershey Bars? [more inside]
posted by shmegegge at 10:18 PM PST - 20 comments

I'm female and have girly facial hair to boot (i.e., peach fuzz). But, a few pores on my face predictably sprout whiskery, dark hairs. They're always in the same place. Why? What's up with these specific holes?
posted by mudpuppie at 10:16 PM PST - 15 comments

Can anyone identify this animated character?
posted by arielmeadow at 8:41 PM PST - 19 comments

Weddings and formal affairs oh boy! This next year will be chock full and since my regular job attire does not include a suit I am clueless when it comes to what is necessary and/or nice to have. I do not need anything different or special, but well-fitted is a must. What type of suits are best all year round, easy to alter (by a tailor, not myself), and just look good?
posted by purephase at 7:32 PM PST - 22 comments

I'm thinking of quitting my job to start my own business. However, I need to have decent health insurance, mostly for perscription drug coverage. What is the best company to go with, and is there an optimal type of insurance for my needs (occassional doctor visits, perscription coverage with reasonable co-pays)? And what can I expect to pay?
posted by skechada at 7:22 PM PST - 14 comments

Homework Filter: My child is doing a homework project, and she needs to come up with a word that begins with the letter "Y" to describe some aspect of herself. I suggested Yipee, Yikes, Yellow...and then ran dry. Any word-savvy MeFites have ideas? Much obliged.
posted by davidmsc at 7:20 PM PST - 25 comments

Is there a, preferably automated, way of transfering all messages & attachments from one gmail account to another? [more inside]
posted by PurplePorpoise at 7:07 PM PST - 4 comments

I wish to capture some footage from television, edit it in final cut pro, and output it in as high a resolution as possible. [more inside]
posted by puppy kuddles at 6:41 PM PST - 10 comments

What's the best novel writing software for Mac OS X? [more inside]
posted by sugarfish at 6:36 PM PST - 10 comments

What do you do when someone hates her job and tries to make everyone else hate theirs, too? What do you do with someone who almost literally seeps anger and discontent into the air around themselves? [more inside]
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:09 PM PST - 18 comments

Is it a press release or is it spam? Or both? [more inside]
posted by jca at 6:00 PM PST - 10 comments

I just quit my job at BC Hansard, where part of my job duties included writing technical documentation. One of my major projects was a word processing manual for our editors (most of whom are not technically savvy), explaining the various in-house Word macros, general computer use and so forth. But Hansard refuses to give me a portfolio copy of my work; not because of any hard feelings, but because they just don't do this. [more inside]
posted by solid-one-love at 5:53 PM PST - 8 comments

Ever notice how films from a few decades back (say, the early 70s and before) have all the credits before the film starts? And that newer films put all the credits at the end, except for maybe the title and the stars? When did that switch over start, who started it, and why? Obviously it looks better at the end cause we can all leave the theatre, but why was the decision suddenly made to switch it?
posted by about_time at 5:29 PM PST - 26 comments

What's the best dog food for a large breed puppy that is 10 weeks old and seems to have a sensitive stomach? [more inside]
posted by Mid at 4:48 PM PST - 26 comments

I'm building a large (about 12 linear feet) corner desk as a general workspace, with an emphasis on computing. Since it is being built from the ground up, I'm planning on doing things like installing an iPod dock flush with the desk, as well as a bank of usb/firewire/media cards ports. I've a few more thoughts, but would like to like to know your good ideas. [more inside]
posted by ArcAm at 4:40 PM PST - 21 comments

A company has a disgruntled customer who started a gripe website. As part of a settlement, the company wants him to turn over the domain names to them, so they can try to prevent a re-occurence. What's the correct way to do this? [more inside]
posted by tizzie at 4:24 PM PST - 8 comments

PartsFilter: I foolishly felt pity for a widow and purchased, alakazam, a metric ton of stuff. Bolts, nuts, screws, washers, doohickeys, whatchamacallits, whozits, and whatnots. [more inside]
posted by five fresh fish at 4:10 PM PST - 17 comments

A powerful PC with a fresh XP install acts quite sluggishly when compared to its previous 'messed up' status. What can be wrong here? [more inside]
posted by kchristidis at 3:56 PM PST - 10 comments

does anyone have any suggestions for finding a remanufactured chevy v-8 small block (on the web or otherwise) (early 70s)? and what should one expect to pay to have a shop deinstall a blown one and install the remanufactured engine? [more inside]
posted by specialk420 at 3:34 PM PST - 6 comments

I had a business that I think could be possibly be very lucrative, I'm curious to whether it's actually possible or if anyone does it. [more inside]
posted by drezdn at 3:25 PM PST - 14 comments

I have a client database with about 200K records in it. Addresses were fed in by a variety of people so there're tons of typos/missing information and not much in the way of standardization. I need to do some postal processing (CASS, DSF2, LACS and NCOA) on the file. Is that something that's mostly done in software and so could be done in-house, or does it require a lot of specialized human intervention and so something that it makes more sense to outsource? If it can be done in-house, where would I look for software to do it? If it should be outsourced, what should I expect to pay for a file with 200K records?
posted by willnot at 2:25 PM PST - 2 comments

It appears that Cheap Tickets is no longer the major sponsor of the weblog Gridskipper. While this may be due to many things (ie-content, low stats), do you foresee a future in which major blogs will regularly attract major sponsors to the extent that staff members could be hired, and millions could be made?
posted by bamassippi at 12:30 PM PST - 4 comments

Any DC locals or small-business types have a preferred telecom provider (CLEC)? MCI wants an absurd amount of money and minimum 45 days to install three new lines at the startup for which I now work. I've looked at the DC Public Service Commisssion lists of carriers and contact info, but don't know who's respectable and who's dodgy.
posted by piro at 12:12 PM PST - 5 comments

A couple years ago I ran accross a site that was keeping track of which domains a company owned. Now I can't find it. I'm NOT talking about a whois search here... this was a business oriented site, not a techie site like network solutions. The article that linked me to it was on the subject of randomcompanySUCKS.com and other domains that companies have purchased out of fear or foresight.
posted by bkibbey at 12:05 PM PST - 5 comments

So, are there nine nails, all one inch long, or is there an undisclosed number of nails, all nine inches long?
posted by TiredStarling at 11:40 AM PST - 25 comments

Being new to writing contracts, I wish to receive information on the process. [more inside]
posted by Scottk at 11:35 AM PST - 6 comments

How can I save a Gmail email to my hard drive? [more inside]
posted by DakotaPaul at 11:27 AM PST - 8 comments

Historically speaking, what are some great examples of men occupying a woman's place in society, business, etc.? [more inside]
posted by BrodieShadeTree at 11:20 AM PST - 28 comments

Does anyone know what the most common and/or best Landscape Architecture programs are for use in a small professional landscape arch. firm? Do they use the same programs as large firms? A friend is looking to switch careers and would like to become familiar with the software most in use. Thanks.
posted by R. Mutt at 11:02 AM PST - 8 comments

Whenever I insert a new disc into either my (internal) DVD drive or my (USB external) CD-burner, Windows XP Explorer refuses to refresh itself with information about the new disc: still shows the old disc's name, double-clicking brings up the content of the old disc (or tries to autorun), etc. Only thing that fixes the problem is to reboot with the new disc inserted. Why, and what's the solution?
posted by WolfDaddy at 11:02 AM PST - 4 comments

Have any of you guys worked with a reputable invoice factor / someone that does receiveable financing? [more inside]
posted by Flem Snopes at 10:40 AM PST - 3 comments

How do I get all the map features I want on a website? [more inside]
posted by atchafalaya at 10:28 AM PST - 1 comment

Someone I know wants to get a dog, more specifically a Pug. We've looked online at breeders, but the dogs cost more than $900, is there a place I should be looking, animal shelters, rescue societies? And if the pug is through a breeder, how do I know the breeder is reputable? I wouldn't want to spend more than several hundred dollars.
posted by patrickje at 10:23 AM PST - 17 comments

EUTravelFilter: say I have a EU residence permit and as expected leave for my home country (Argentina) before it expires. How long I'm required to wait before I can re-enter the EU as a simple lowly tourist? [more inside]
posted by Iosephus at 9:42 AM PST - 9 comments

About five years ago I stumbled across a website that contained a terrific "map" of the various Olympia-based post-grunge indie rock bands (such as Sleater-Kinney,Cadallaca, The Softies, Quasi, Sarah Dougher), and the interrelations between them (for instance Sarah Dougher has been a vocalist for both Cadallaca and the Crabs; Corin Tucker is a member of Sleater-Kinney and was also in Cadallaca with Sarah Dougher"). But now, for the life of me, I can't find that site, despite using all of my google-hacking skills. Does anyone else know where that page, or a page like it is?
posted by jrieffel at 9:36 AM PST - 12 comments

On Monday, I'm flying to Buffalo, NY for a one day meeting on Tuesday morning. Any suggestions for a good place to eat dinner? A museum to see? A cool shop to check out?
posted by marcschil at 9:36 AM PST - 20 comments

My electric razor died, and I need a new one. Any good suggestions?
posted by graventy at 9:27 AM PST - 13 comments

I received an email from orbitz about getting a $100 flight coupon if I purchased a flight by a certain period of time (I think the end of this month). Well, stupid, I wasn't planning on taking a trip but now my brother is being shipped out and I'd like to visit him, but I trashed the email. It came this week, does anyone happen to have redemption code?
posted by Andrea at 9:16 AM PST - 4 comments

my favorite book when i was a kid was a book with a series of 2-minute or so short stories. inside the front cover there were pictures that symbolized the stories and i would point to the one i wanted my dad to read. i remember some of the stories. one story was of a little girl who wanted a yellow raincoat. a second story was about a boy named Pele or something. a third story had to do with Couscous the detective. i have a 1 yr old son and i wanted to get that book for him but i can't find it. anyone have any ideas what this book might be called or how to get it? thanks
posted by dstrouse91 at 8:52 AM PST - 10 comments

Years ago, I saw a method for flying paper/model airplanes by walking forward holding a board in front of you. A young man appeared on the PBS show Newton's Apple demonstrated this technique in the 90s, but searching the episode guide doesn't yield any additional clues. Is there any information on the person who develped this technique, characteristics of planes that will work and does it play an ongoing role in paper airplane design and competitions?
posted by jhritz at 6:48 AM PST - 6 comments

"I will be out of the office this week. If you need immediate assistance, screw you." I need help writing and recording away messages for email and voicemail! [more inside]
posted by ferociouskitty at 5:07 AM PST - 13 comments

Ok, so for the past ~4 days, I haven't been able to get any of my hotmail mail. I can see the mail in my inbox, but when I click on the sender's name (which is how you retrieve mail), nothing happens. I tried using different computers, including a nice new mac, and the problem remains. Have any other Mefites had any such problems, or know anything about this, etc.? [more inside]
posted by clockzero at 4:20 AM PST - 15 comments

Via a FPP, I found this: a "Mindjet brainstorming tool" that can be integrated in Word. It seems like a good way of structuring your thoughts , even better than paper (I always seem to mess up the structure). The only downside is the price: is there any freeware that does something similar, that is easy to use and integrate in Word? Thanks.
posted by NekulturnY at 3:45 AM PST - 5 comments

I need to convert several dynamic websites (database driven and templated) into static ones so that they can put on a CD. [more inside]
posted by Hartster at 3:44 AM PST - 13 comments

If you have caught a slight cold rather than rampant flu, will it do you any harm to continue exercising? Is the answer the same for both aerobic exercise and doing weights?
posted by lunkfish at 2:44 AM PST - 10 comments

SauceFilter: starting with just a can of diced tomatoes, how do you make spaghetti sauce? I'm looking for simple recipes. [more inside]
posted by zardoz at 10:30 PM PST - 42 comments

How to print a book? I would like to print and publish a book, it may be 10 copies or it may be 1000 copies, depending on demand. What are the options for low volume small scale book printing?
posted by stbalbach at 8:45 PM PST - 12 comments

I went and saw I <3 huckabees the other month, and after having a lengthy discussion about what a friend and I decided were its strong points, I wondered if other movies dealing with such issues in a comedic light exist, or even movies enjoyable in the same sense, since it seems like most enjoyable movies draw inspiration from lesser known predecessors.
posted by angry modem at 8:28 PM PST - 13 comments

Is there a way to add an item to the right side of the WinXP start menu? [more inside]
posted by BevosAngryGhost at 8:11 PM PST - 5 comments

Windows keeps crashing....[come inside and watch me melt down....]
posted by szg8 at 8:10 PM PST - 6 comments

With a move to Jakarta, Indonesia on the horizon for me, I'm wondering if any MeFites can recommend particularly good web resources? [more inside]
posted by cosmonik at 7:42 PM PST - 3 comments

Is there some way to determine the religion of the various members of President Bush's cabinet? It seems like information that should be readily available, but Google is failing me.
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:15 PM PST - 8 comments

A few years ago I recall reading a website where lyrics to several popular rap and hip hop tunes were posted with a line by line translation of the slang terms. It also had annotations of some of the more obscure culture references that were in the lyrics. I have searched on Google to no avail. Anyone know what I'm talking about or have seen something similar? [more inside]
posted by achmorrison at 6:56 PM PST - 4 comments

Has data ever been assembled showing the religous convictions of Americans over time, starting at the countries conception? A sort of compendium of the religious history of the United States... It seems as though such a thing should certainly exist, but I've yet to find it.
posted by phrontist at 6:24 PM PST - 8 comments

Have you ever found yourself in a banner ad? [more inside]
posted by stefnet at 5:47 PM PST - 21 comments

Can anyone tell me what this Chinese lettering says? It's on a silk jacket I now own.
posted by joelf at 4:54 PM PST - 6 comments

A dear friend just became a father (scant hours ago.) He and I go back a long way, and I'd love to do something nice for the new parents. My wife, a master knitter, is already at work on various soft and cuddly baby items, but having no similar handcrafting talents, I am looking for something purchasable that would be appreciated by a new father, mother, and male infant. [more inside]
posted by enrevanche at 4:46 PM PST - 16 comments

Can I legally print a list of celebrity names within a fictional work? [more inside]
posted by dotComrade at 4:40 PM PST - 9 comments

Anyone have any favourites when it comes to mobile hard drives? I'm looking to replace a 40GB+ Lacie Pocketdrive unit. [more inside]
posted by jonathanbell at 3:46 PM PST - 8 comments

This is incredibly disgusting, I know, but has anyone on here ever had giardia, and how were you treated? Was it successful? Any info would be appreciated because I think I may have it.
posted by fabesfaves at 3:21 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm interested in obtaining either CDs or audio files of cats purring. Ideally I'd like to have samples from various breeds without any noise contamination. All of the items I can find on Google have background music tracks or other such nonsense. I just want high quality audio of purring cats. Can such a thing be found? I've been tempted to try and record my own cat but I suspect the effort would result in hissing rather than purring...
posted by pookzilla at 2:17 PM PST - 8 comments

What does 'natch mean? Origins? Uses? [more inside]
posted by asterisk at 1:42 PM PST - 35 comments

Moviefilter: I'm looking for movies with conversations where people talk at the same time, in a realistic and nonconfrontational way. [more inside]
posted by Aknaton at 1:40 PM PST - 30 comments

I'm considering giving my daughter a small animal (hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, etc.) for her birthday. Which one is best for her/my needs? [more inside]
posted by anapestic at 1:21 PM PST - 52 comments

The abbreviation R.I.P. stands for the Latin "Reqiescat in Pace." I'm trying to get past the insensitivity of not bothering to spell out the epitaph on someone's tombstone and instead concentrate on understanding why and how this convention originated. [more inside]
posted by Jeff Howard at 1:01 PM PST - 25 comments

For those with it, what's your experience with hypertension? [more inside]
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 12:58 PM PST - 23 comments

Is there any reliable, secure, open source and/or freeware online store software that supports digital downloads? If so, any that allow the site adminstrator to do nifty stuff like set a time limit on how long after paying users can download?
posted by eustacescrubb at 12:58 PM PST - 2 comments

Is there something going on with all the Weblogs Inc sites that we should know about? [more inside]
posted by braun_richard at 12:33 PM PST - 17 comments

Anyone here doing Mono Development on Windows? Or other platforms? What's your development environment? General advice for learning the platform? [more inside]
posted by namespan at 11:35 AM PST - 6 comments

Advice on dating someone significantly younger. [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:23 AM PST - 40 comments

What is a good strategy on obtaining entrance to the mile high club?
posted by five dollars worth of thank you cake at 11:22 AM PST - 29 comments

I often do line art that is 11" x 14" at original size and I cannot work at a smaller size. Standard Scanners are some variation of the 9" x 11" maximum scanning area, and therein lies the dilemma. Looking for recommendations on "medium" / "B" Size scanners or tips on overcoming this issue with a standard-sized scanner and "oversized"-art. [more inside]
posted by safetyfork at 10:49 AM PST - 9 comments

I need to buy new boots. Requirements: comfortable (I'll be wearing them 70-100 hours a week), medium grippyness (Canada has all this frozen water half of the year), shinable, black, plain looking. I'd like to avoid spending much more than C$200. [more inside]
posted by Mitheral at 10:21 AM PST - 19 comments

I am one of those people who will give you the shirt off their back. Problem is, sometimes it's a little chilly being half-nekkid in this damnable British weather... [more inside]
posted by longbaugh at 10:19 AM PST - 31 comments

Can anybody help me help my older, foreign, single father take a vacation? [more inside]
posted by crazy finger at 10:19 AM PST - 10 comments

NYC: In a city where advertising posters of all kinds regularly get defaced, sometimes to reveal the latent cultural politics, sometimes just for the humour of it, why does it seem like all of the NYC2012 Olympic Bid posters remain 100% pristine? (For those outside of the area, these are an extremely prolific series of posters presenting various pithy phrases in colored text over black.)
posted by nobody at 10:17 AM PST - 18 comments

What's the best way to fall asleep on an airplane? [more inside]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:12 AM PST - 34 comments

Why do stores often charge .99 cents? A loaf of bread selling for $1.99 as opposed to $2.00, for example. Is there psychological research showing that this makes the price seem cheaper somehow? If so, how significant is the effect?
posted by banished at 9:15 AM PST - 38 comments

If you were creating text for an invitation, and the reception following the event was at a specific family’s house, but you wanted to omit the actual noun “house”, what would be the proper (or more common) way to implement the apostrophe? [more inside]
posted by naxosaxur at 9:09 AM PST - 21 comments

Yesterday's Get Fuzzy comic strip appeared in my newspaper with one balloon smudged, one completely blank and a head-scratching graphic in the last frame. I assumed print problems, until I looked at the online version which displays exactly the same way. I looked at the previous few days' strips, and it still makes no sense. Is it an in-joke? Does anyone have enlightenment to share?
posted by initapplette at 8:49 AM PST - 14 comments

On a fairly regular basis, even if I'm in the middle of using it, my cable modem connection vanishes. Fixing it involves unplugging the modem and router, waiting a few minutes, replugging them and crossing my fingers. I gather this phenomenon is extremely common. What can I do to prevent it, and more importantly, why does it happen in the first place?
posted by squidlarkin at 8:32 AM PST - 16 comments

I want to buy my kids a small bedroom CD player each and I'm having trouble finding something affordable but with decent quality. Any recommendations? I'm in the UK. [more inside]
posted by sagwalla at 8:26 AM PST - 8 comments

I am in the middle of a year off from college and im still not sure if I want to go back. I know that "college is important" but I don't see myself working 9-5 in an office for the rest of my life. I often day dream about going to the carribean or costa rica and living there for a couple of years. (+) [more inside]
posted by pwally at 8:17 AM PST - 46 comments

If I had a tasty recipe for a snack of some kind and wanted to bring it to market, would it be legal to use an already existing product as an ingredient - Rice Krispies or Planters Peanuts for example? The ingredient names would be something like 'puffed rice' and 'peanuts' respectively, and not the actual product name. [more inside]
posted by jikel_morten at 7:57 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm a senior Unix system administrator who will shortly be responsible for maintaining an Active Directory 2003 installation as well. I'd like to build up a small ad2k3 reference library. I've had training and am finding my way around fine so far and I'm not a stranger to NT4, so I'm not lost, just trying to be prepared. What books do you recommend for an experienced sysadmin who is new to Active Directory 2003?
posted by mendel at 7:41 AM PST - 2 comments

Any tips on posing for a (photographic) portrait? [more inside]
posted by monkey closet at 7:15 AM PST - 14 comments

I know they are throw away items these days, but I have a pretty new CDRW drive that just ejects the CD as soon as it closes....is there a way to repair this or should I just order a new one?
posted by keep it tight at 6:42 AM PST - 5 comments

PianoFilter: Help me find somewhere to trade in my baby grand! [Sing us a song, you're the More Inside] [more inside]
posted by softlord at 5:54 AM PST - 2 comments

Any reccomendations for a good photography/arts magazine that has more than just drool over the latest lenses followed by 100 pages of ads? [more inside]
posted by thedevildancedlightly at 11:19 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm looking for a safe/convenient/cheap place on the outskirts of Paris to park a car for a few days. [more inside]
posted by monkeystronghold at 10:40 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm scheduled to leave for Tijuana, Mexico this Thursday .. I've tried but have exhausted all possibilities for getting a copy of my birth certificate before then. Someone told me that I only need a driver's license if I'm going less than 100 miles past the border ( in San Diego ). Is this true ? Will I run into trouble if I decide to go with only my driver's license? I don't have a passport either. Thanks !
posted by jason9009 at 10:10 PM PST - 15 comments

What's the most you can cost someone who sent you a prepaid business reply mail envelope? I just got one of these, fishing for a tax-deductible donation to a 501(c)(3) group, one I would pay money to see stomped to death. I want to hear from people who've done this and suffered no repercussions, as well as any former or current USPS employees who might know where that fine line is. I'm also open to anything that keeps me on the mailing list, but still costs them more in postage than it's worth.
posted by trondant at 9:27 PM PST - 15 comments

After toiling in freelance obscurity for the past 3.5 years, where I have been working from home 90% of the time, I have FINALLY landed a significant long-term gig working at a large company (technical product manager for a large financial data/systems provider). How on earth do I break my bad work habits developed during this time? E.g.: checking email 20x per minute, posting on MeFi all day long? Are there any tricks to getting back that heads-down focus, any exercises, any advice?
posted by psmealey at 8:31 PM PST - 13 comments

Last summer I drove a rented Camry for my job and I was impressed with the simple and functional temperature controls on the dash: Three knobs (for temperature, fan speed, and circulation area) with a button in the center of each [illustration]. Do any other cars have similar temperature controls?
posted by stopgap at 8:28 PM PST - 15 comments

What do you put in your hip flask? I will soon attend an event that would benefit from a pocketful of liquor, but can't settle on a spirit. [more inside]
posted by Eamon at 8:25 PM PST - 65 comments

I need assistance in saving a voicemail message as an audio file. [more inside]
posted by karmaville at 8:24 PM PST - 10 comments

Hoping to figure out how this URL redirects. [more inside]
posted by alkupe at 8:18 PM PST - 20 comments

as an 80s child, i grew up with the whole tin-foil hat stereotype (or should i say, at this point, archetype?) i've never been able, however, to find the origin of the puzzle. any clues?
posted by yonation at 7:46 PM PST - 17 comments

I have a Maxtor 250GB OneTouch FireWire and USB external hard drive. It has been connected to a LinkSys NSLU2 network storage device. That is until I could no longer access my drive last Friday. [more inside]
posted by rglasmann at 7:07 PM PST - 9 comments

Can a travel agent be held legally responsible for costs incurred due to providing incorrect information? When our plane was delayed (and despite what the airlines told us), we spent an additional (unplanned) $1600 to make a connecting flight on the recommendation of our travel agent. [more inside]
posted by Bearman at 7:07 PM PST - 6 comments

What is it with the British and big brother? I've seen countless pieces of British that have to do with Big Brother. It really seems like a very British theme. TV shows like the Prisoner, comic books like Braintax's Futureghost, books like 1984 (british right?) all seem to hold to this. Am I right in thinking that it is a predominately a British theme? If it is, why? Also what good/popular British media deal with this subject? [more inside]
posted by Napierzaza at 6:57 PM PST - 10 comments

What is this? Where did it come from? (found on themaxx.com)
posted by Krrrlson at 6:55 PM PST - 16 comments

Have you experienced the inexplicable? [more inside]
posted by Tarrama at 6:11 PM PST - 40 comments

Text in Gmail looks like like this after I have sent (or rec'vd) an email. Any idea how to fix this? Blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah [more inside]
posted by mlis at 5:58 PM PST - 5 comments

What is a safe and friendly way to dispose of hot charcoal at a sandy, lake side beach? With no fire pits or steel drums handy, should I just wait for the coals to cool and carry them out in the grill?
posted by tomharpel at 5:50 PM PST - 3 comments

What are your tricks for staying motivated while trying to lose those last few pounds? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by Bella Sebastian at 4:30 PM PST - 24 comments

I'm going to Austin for a couple of days on business. Where should I eat dinner? Preferrably something close to downtown/sixth street so I can catch some music after. I don't eat too much beef, but steakhouses are ok as long as they have other stuff (chicken, fish, duck, even lamb).
posted by jonah at 4:00 PM PST - 23 comments

Help me fix the timestamps in my Wordpress RSS feed... [more inside]
posted by sanitycheck at 3:57 PM PST - 4 comments

Another car question. I have a nine year old automatic car with a seven year old engine. Lately in the cold when I put it into reverse and put on the gas, the car just revs. Then after a little bit I feel a shifting clunk and the car is in reverse. I back out of my space and put it into drive at which point, if it's cold enough, the same thing happens. I coast in neutral, accelerator does nothing but rev for a little while, then I feel it push into gear and can go forever, including to full stops and on again the whole day. Even on cold days, after being parked it works fine. When it's not cold, this doesn't seem to happen. So 0.5) is this related to my transmission at all, 1) is my transmission on the way out, 2) is it more dangerous than I think to drive it, and 3) will I need a whole new transmission or just a minor repair? [more inside]
posted by ontic at 3:53 PM PST - 18 comments

Can anyone recommend good blogging software for ASP or ColdFusion? My IT department said no to PHP/MySQL. Cost is no concern. The only stuff I've found so far is weak. One feature I need is comment registration.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 3:50 PM PST - 12 comments

I'm looking at getting into making kids' wooden toys and decorations (picture frames, bookends, that sort of thing) as a hobby/pocket-money earner and a few people have told me that the best tool for the job is a scroll saw. I know sod-all about them and even the hardware salespeople aren't very informed - when I called a bunch of places about hiring one for a weekend, I had to explain what a scroll saw was. Does anyone here know anything about scroll saws? [more inside]
posted by tracicle at 3:44 PM PST - 14 comments

What is the best format for a resume? I realize this is subjective and often based on field of employment. [more inside]
posted by FlamingBore at 3:26 PM PST - 9 comments

I am interested in putting together a playlist of music featuring depressing / creepy holiday music [MI] [more inside]
posted by Julnyes at 3:03 PM PST - 40 comments

Does anyone know of a program for Windows 2000/XP that will bring several different types of document files and image files together into one interface? This application should be able to reorder and renumber the pages accordingly. Also the tool must be able to export the end product into a universal format such as PDF or Word. [more inside]
posted by airguitar at 2:35 PM PST - 4 comments

For the past two days, I've heard and felt repeated popping noises/sensations in my nose, sort of like I shoved some pop rocks up there (I didn't) . Yesterday, they were distracting; today, they are slightly painful and coupled with a miserable sinus headache. What the hell's going on up there? [more inside]
posted by bibliowench at 1:37 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm considering a career change, but to what? [more inside]
posted by ursus_comiter at 1:36 PM PST - 8 comments

How can I keep my car battery from dying in the rain? [more inside]
posted by rooftop secrets at 1:18 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm considering taking a weight loss supplement (something like TrimSpa or Ripped Fuel), and was wondering if anyone had personal recommendations or knew of an independent site that reviewed supplements for effectiveness and safety/side-effects. Now that Ephedra has been banned, I'm operating under the assumption that these supplements are more or less safe, is that correct? What are the differences between the different brands? Any ingredients that I should look for or avoid? [my google-fu has failed miserably, what with all of the sites trying to sell this stuff]
posted by rorycberger at 1:17 PM PST - 9 comments

Where can i buy/rent a big money wheel (like an upright roulette wheel with black and white areas) like in casinos? NY area a plus.
posted by amberglow at 1:14 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm looking for a good (but not pro-level), not crazily expensive Firewire film scanner, 35mm and 120, for OSX. thanks
posted by matteo at 1:11 PM PST - 6 comments

Has anyone had success selling music on gemm.com? [more inside]
posted by hydrophonic at 12:12 PM PST - 11 comments

I am looking to buy a web cam for my iBook. I noticed there seem to be a few iSight owners here. Is an iSight worth the money? Are there any other FireWire web cam's I should look in to?
posted by chunking express at 11:48 AM PST - 9 comments

With the recent decision by kottke.org to be solely reader-supported, I'm curious to see how you value your reads. Would you be willing to pay $30 a year for Metafilter? More? Less? How about for some up-and-coming web magazines that operate on a daily basis, say The Morning News, The Black Table, etc.? And how much for up-to-the-second pro blogs in the Gawker empire where advertising is used? Gawker? Gizmodo? Wonkette, etc? How much for Boing Boing were it to be ad free? How much for Fark? How much for the individuals' blogs you frequent? And for some Kottke.org fans who don't see $30 as a micropayment, how much would you be willing to pay for a year of his content? Curious to see what range of dollar-value folks assign to their daily reads that are currently free to access. Please name and value other sites of your choosing.
posted by Dukebloo at 11:39 AM PST - 49 comments

During a recent trip to the optometrist, I was told my nearsighted eyes had improved, and was given a new prescription, only to find the new specs left me blurry. [more inside]
posted by frykitty at 11:35 AM PST - 16 comments

Ok, so it says that the typical person earns $14/hour, and the typical household earns less than $40k/year. Yet everywhere I look, I see displays of wealth. Expensive homes, cars, boats, TVs, activities, etc. So my question is: how are people paying for all of these expensive things? [more inside]
posted by eas98 at 11:06 AM PST - 46 comments

God is pretty clear that the Jews are his chosen people, how do Christians reconcile this with the basic tenet of the faith, namely the acceptance of Christ?
posted by Keith Talent at 9:53 AM PST - 42 comments

Please help me hide my surround sound speaker wire in a finished basement! [more inside]
posted by xmutex at 9:52 AM PST - 10 comments

I've been called upon to immunize a friend's PC against all sorts of malware (after re-installing the OS and apps to recover from the current infestation). Since I moved completely to Mac a while ago, I've lost touch with the current state of PC health. I intend to install NAV, AdAware, Spybot S&D, and SpywareBlaster, as well as the latest Win2k patches. I'll push Firefox, too. What else should I do to protect my friend's PC? What's the latest in anti-malware?
posted by jdroth at 9:48 AM PST - 14 comments

I would like to buy a voice chat headset for my Windows-2000 based computer to use in UT2004/other games and also with Skype. I would like a quality piece but I don't want to pay a lot of money. Suggestions?
posted by selfnoise at 9:39 AM PST - 4 comments

I have a number of X10 switches controlling lights throughout my apartment. I have a number of problems with them... [more inside]
posted by Caviar at 8:54 AM PST - 9 comments

I had an app a few years back, that would create a collage of the images floating around in real-time, over a local wireless network. It ran on OS X or OS9 and I remember a fellow blogger talking about it. I can't remember the name of it, but maybe someone else does.
posted by mkelley at 8:52 AM PST - 6 comments

Does anybody have a map of the street art space invaders in Hong Kong? [more inside]
posted by codger at 8:41 AM PST - 2 comments

Should I apply to law school? [more inside]
posted by OmieWise at 8:39 AM PST - 44 comments

Two friends of mine have decided to take the plunge and elope in Las Vegas. I completely support the idea and am trying to think of a gift for them. [more inside]
posted by jmevius at 7:49 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm having problems IDing and removing a parasite... where / who / what can sort me out? [more inside]
posted by missbossy at 7:42 AM PST - 10 comments

My company has been having some email problems. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by MegoSteve at 7:02 AM PST - 4 comments

Can any recommend a good, free and, most importantly, secure web-based forum? [more inside]
posted by emptybowl at 5:32 AM PST - 7 comments

Mac vs. PC. Thinkpad vs. Powerbook. Yet another laptop question: recommend me the best laptop as desktop replacement for a web designer. [more inside]
posted by lychee at 1:31 AM PST - 24 comments

What's the best way to ensure 99.999% service of a MySQL server? I'm looking for information on best practices for redundancy, and what the best way to acheive hot-failover would be ... or if it's better to use a cluster. [more inside]
posted by SpecialK at 12:19 AM PST - 7 comments

I have a venus fly trap which seems to be sickening and dying, and I'd love to save it. [more inside]
posted by tomble at 9:28 PM PST - 4 comments

I constantly hear about the Western Literary Canon, but I can never find a copy of it. Is it because there isn't just one canon, but many, written by many people, over many time periods? If so, wouldn't I hear references to Literary Canons instead of THE Literary Canon? [more inside]
posted by jessicool at 9:12 PM PST - 71 comments

What is the psychology behind celebrity worship?
posted by Mean Mr. Bucket at 8:26 PM PST - 32 comments

Having discovered Flickr group Collage Kids and radiated out to such gems as Fashions Past and Boring Photos, I'm wondering, who else is using Flickr in interesting ways? [more inside]
posted by kmel at 8:22 PM PST - 7 comments

A couple of days ago, my iBook (G4, dual USB, 800Mhz) hard drive started making excessive noise, like it was continually writing, and the computer slowed wayyy down. I backed up all the important data, then ran several diagnostic programs: TechTool Pro 4, Drive 10, Norton Utilities 8. All came up with major errors, first with the volume bitmap, then with the disk surface itself, i.e. bad blocks. None of them could fix the problem (although Norton said it did), so I erased the disk with the option to write zeroes selected. After erasing three times, TechTool Pro still found bad blocks on the surface scan test. [more inside]
posted by letitrain at 7:40 PM PST - 14 comments

Wondering if there's a name for a little guitar trick I've noticed in old blues records. [more inside]
posted by ITheCosmos at 7:13 PM PST - 22 comments

What song forces you to get your ass on the dancefloor? And/or - DJs - what's that surefire track that gets folks moving? [more inside]
posted by hellbient at 6:17 PM PST - 46 comments

Have you reconciled with your ex-spouse? If you did or if you tried and it didn't work, what was it like? [more inside]
posted by nj_subgenius at 5:35 PM PST - 18 comments

I have a home with old school door handles on the bathroom/bedroom doors. It's the push button type lock with no lock on the outside, or even screws on the handle. How would I open this up without breaking down the door? [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 5:04 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm trying to figure out how to convince my Powerbook to connect to a WinXP share (that part works) and then have write access to the resulting share. [more inside]
posted by socratic at 4:37 PM PST - 12 comments

Request for music recommendations! I'm looking for more music similar to Beck's Hell Yes EP and bands like Treewave and old school Nintendo music, but not campy "hey, I sampled a video game!" type stuff like Richard D. James's Powerpill Pacman. You know, stuff that's true to the SID chip and isn't kitschy and maybe has some vocals. Whacha got?
posted by mcsweetie at 4:02 PM PST - 20 comments

How safe is it for me to store passwords in Firefox? [more inside]
posted by Nelson at 3:28 PM PST - 13 comments

I work in a public library. We do not renew books or extend borrowing times, and instead issue items for slightly longer than what is usual. This is a fairly unpopular policy, and library patrons often insist that our library is the only one on the planet that doesn't renew. Is it? [more inside]
posted by malpractice at 2:52 PM PST - 34 comments

Macs and RAM. I just bought 1 Gig of RAM for my (single 1.6GHz processor) G5, and after installing the two DIMMs and rebooting, the system profiler is now reporting that I have TWO Gigs of RAM. What gives? [more inside]
posted by Robot Johnny at 2:28 PM PST - 20 comments

I'm looking for examples of language survival for many generations among small groups within a larger mono-linguistic society. [more inside]
posted by beagle at 1:58 PM PST - 27 comments

I've got two s-video signals and one s-video jack on my TV. What's the cheapest way to mitigate this, assuming I don't have easy access to the back of my TV for constant switching? [more inside]
posted by blueshammer at 1:23 PM PST - 12 comments

My wife knits, sews, etc, and wants to sell her stuff online. We're looking for a web host, and I'm confused about the options. [more inside]
posted by schoolgirl report at 1:13 PM PST - 14 comments

I recently restored a nice stained glass window that we have hung on a wall. [more inside]
posted by Heatwole at 12:37 PM PST - 9 comments

PageMaker7 on Windows XP now screws up exported PDFs where it didn't before. [More inside] [more inside]
posted by Captaintripps at 12:36 PM PST - 7 comments

My laptop crashed and I've been reloading all my software on it. Most of it has worked fine except that when my built-in wireless network card connects to my base station, it disconnects ever 2-5 minutes (and then reconnects). What is going on? [more inside]
posted by Hands of Manos at 12:31 PM PST - 8 comments

I would like a recipe for a low fat white sauce to use as sauce for pizza crusts. I suppose I could buy some pre-made lowfat Alfredo, but I would prefer to make it from scratch. It needs to be fairly thick to not run off of the pie whilst baking/eating. I'm planning on using Mozarella, mushrooms, and chopped/cooked spinach as a topping. Any suggestions?
posted by sharksandwich at 11:54 AM PST - 12 comments

Where would I find a copy of the documentary "Fourteen Days In May" for private viewing. [more inside]
posted by yetanother at 11:35 AM PST - 5 comments

My partner has a PowerBook G4 with 40GB disk - how should she backup her work? [more inside]
posted by andrew cooke at 11:33 AM PST - 20 comments

Should I book a band for my wedding through a talent agency? [more inside]
posted by i love cheese at 11:29 AM PST - 11 comments

How do you find a good legal recruiter? [more inside]
posted by jewzilla at 11:12 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm looking for two movies directed by Penelope Spheeris. Specifically, Hollywierd and We sold our Souls for Rock n' Roll. [more inside]
posted by Freen at 11:07 AM PST - 4 comments

It's my brother's birthday tomorrow (his 21st!), and I know that he is getting an iPod. I would like to buy him a gift voucher that he can redeem for some tunes, but am getting stuck... [more inside]
posted by altolinguistic at 10:48 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking for this : http://www.gonzo.org/hst/ht/funstopped.html [more inside]
posted by mrs.pants at 9:43 AM PST - 1 comment

The windows in my flat do a lousy job of keeping heat in and cold out. Is there a way to improve the insulating properties of window glass without installing double glazing? Ideally it would be something I could install myself (and if necessary remove when I move out of my rented flat.) Googling turned up various window films, both do-it-yourself and have-somebody-do-it-for-you. Any experience with these or similar products? Any other suggestions?
posted by yankeefog at 9:40 AM PST - 12 comments

I'd like to improve my French comprehension and pronounciation and retain what I know of the language, so I'm looking for quality French films and music. [more inside]
posted by heatherann at 9:19 AM PST - 31 comments

My boyfriend will be spending 4 months in Oxford, England as a visiting researcher. He needs to find a place to stay [more inside]
posted by darsh at 8:59 AM PST - 16 comments

What side effects of medication for adult ADHD have you experienced? I'm interested in discussion on both stimulants and non-stimulants (Strattera). I'm particularly interested in any sexual side effects you may have experienced.
posted by cahlers at 8:42 AM PST - 11 comments

I am meeting some friends in Madrid on Mar 30th, but have a few days before that and I thinking of flying out early. The friends and I are headed to Ronda, so before that journey, I want to try something else. I am leaning toward Portugal. . . (more) [more inside]
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 7:41 AM PST - 11 comments

Instructional materials for Italian My new favorite bits of culture -- Calvino, Antonioni, and Fellini -- are making me want to learn Italian. Now, I've studied French for a while, I've had a year of Portuguese, and I'm a linguistics major, so I don't need (much) hand-holding. I.e., I'm looking for (a) textbook(s) with the usual exercises, gradual introduction of vocab, and short readings, all without trying to make the explainations "easier" and therefore less straightforward and complete.
posted by Utilitaritron at 7:31 AM PST - 6 comments

He has a Mac, I have a PC. Is there a way we can all come together on my iPod via iTunes or other program? [more inside]
posted by zombiebunny at 6:54 AM PST - 13 comments

Does anyone have a link to a web site I vaguely remember seeing that summarizes classic novel plots in one or two sentences? For example, Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment could be "Special guy wonders if he’s entitled to commit murder. Turns out the answer is no." I stole that one from an article in the Scotsman that I did find, but I can't seem to find the site in question by googling.
posted by hazyjane at 6:20 AM PST - 9 comments

Painquale's question from yesterday reminded me of the disclaimer broadcast before the Simpson's last night, and I was wondering if it was just a local thing (Georgia) or national? [more inside]
posted by x_3mta3 at 6:03 AM PST - 22 comments

Advice on staying in hostels in general, and Glasgow and Edinburgh in particular. [more inside]
posted by amarynth at 5:44 AM PST - 13 comments

Is there a software that can create mp3 playlists using tags (or something like it)? MI [more inside]
posted by saysthis at 11:03 PM PST - 7 comments

My fiancée is Filipina, I'm an American citizen. Currently we're working on entry visas and need some advice. [more inside]
posted by nathan_teske at 10:33 PM PST - 18 comments

I’m trying to find out the proper name of a kind of dagger. I believe it is of Middle Eastern origin but it is not the traditional blade worn by the Bedouin. It often appears in cartoons among the assortment of weapons thrown at someone for, say…entering a cloak-and-dagger bar unwelcomed. I would describe the blade as being serpentine, but trying to google that has left me with mostly fantasy blades that have serpent designs on the handle and/or hilt. What I mean is, the actual blade is serpentine, curving back and forth giving it what could be called a serrated edge. Also, it is possible that some of these daggers might have a zig-zagging blade, but that may be an exaggeration by cartoonists of the original design. [more inside]
posted by waldo at 10:15 PM PST - 11 comments

A Game Boy Advance/GameCube connecting problems so my son can play Pokemon on the television. [more inside]
posted by nuala at 9:20 PM PST - 5 comments

I want to purchase envelopes similar to the ones NetFlix uses. Where can I get these? [more inside]
posted by amandaudoff at 9:19 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm stuck instancing a Microsoft Access form. According to Litwin, Getz and Gilbert (Ch 8), the statement 'Set frm = New Form_frmMyForm' should create a new instance of frmMyForm, referenced via the 'frm' variable. However, when I try this I get a compile error "User-defined type not defined", and it highlights the code 'New frmMyForm'. [more inside]
posted by Ritchie at 8:32 PM PST - 6 comments

Whence come the joys of self-denial? [more inside]
posted by dame at 7:02 PM PST - 37 comments

Patty's coming out on tonight's episode of The Simpsons made me wonder how often it happens that one sibling in a pair of identical twins is gay and the other straight. Does anyone know of any twin studies about homosexuality?
posted by painquale at 6:11 PM PST - 21 comments

I want to find a guide on the Web to help me work through statistics problems. Google finds plenty of terse definitions of terms, but not examples of how to solve equations. [more inside]
posted by inksyndicate at 5:48 PM PST - 6 comments

Why are some of my icons in OSX being randomly replaced with icons of unrelated things? [more inside]
posted by rustcellar at 5:27 PM PST - 8 comments

I recently fell in a trap. A popup asked me if I wanted to update my Trillian software. I foolishly clicked yes. Now I cannot access #mefi in spite of following all of the same steps I did with the old program. Does anyone have a tutorial?
posted by scottymac at 5:12 PM PST - 4 comments

I want to build a guitar from parts, I've figured out most things but I can't find a reference on placing the pickups. [more inside]
posted by substrate at 4:42 PM PST - 6 comments

How do I get rich quick? [more inside]
posted by Mwongozi at 4:24 PM PST - 33 comments

Is there any issue of certification for a paralegal / Attorney's Assistant to worry over when moving from one state to another? [more inside]
posted by salsamander at 4:18 PM PST - 3 comments

Me and a friend of mine are planning a 9-day trip to South America, likely Brazil or Peru. Are there any specific things we should know/do before we go and destinations we should see when we get there? [more inside]
posted by Big Fat Tycoon at 3:59 PM PST - 6 comments

My friend and I had sweet-deal buddy passes on Delta from Atlanta to Buenos Aires. Desafortunadamente, these passes have fallen through. We live in Utah (god help us) and have been toying with the idea of driving a truck (which we're willing to kill in the process) to Argentina. [More...More...More] [more inside]
posted by punkbitch at 3:13 PM PST - 9 comments

Why would a bank hold part (less than half) of a deposited cheque for an entire week after the cheque has been deposited at a bank machine? It was a paycheque, not a personal cheque. I had to go to a branch and look annoyed at the teller to get him to release the hold on my money. And he couldn't explain why they were holding the funds. [more inside]
posted by SoftRain at 2:52 PM PST - 20 comments

Are no-flip mattresses a scam? [more inside]
posted by BradNelson at 2:37 PM PST - 9 comments

Has anyone seen a good website that has bike route maps of major cities? Even better, a site that has "start" and "finish" options and directions by bike route, complete with distances and estimated time. My dream is a hack or filter for maps.google.com.
posted by FairWitness at 1:33 PM PST - 8 comments

I was in my local Apple Store on Saturday, and the desktops all had some kind of one-click launcher, with mouseover titles and things you couldn't drag off. It felt kind of like Active Desktop. Anyone know what it is? [more inside]
posted by mkultra at 12:07 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm in the market for a Cordless Finish Nailer. I've only ever used Paslode, but I think they're a bit more than what I need. I'll be using it on 1-3 jobs a month, doing door jambs, casing and baseboard. I'm not against buying something slightly used off of ebay. Any suggestions?
posted by clubfoote at 11:14 AM PST - 5 comments

I've just bought some leeks, and am looking for some tasty leek-oriented recipes. Any suggestions?
posted by Dr. Wu at 10:58 AM PST - 33 comments

Trgnalafilter: I'm looking for the words to and preferably a translation of the Bulgarian folk song "Trgnala e malka moma." [more inside]
posted by The White Hat at 10:10 AM PST - 5 comments

Seeing as I managed to snap the tip of my headphone jack off inside the computer, its time to upgrade. I've been doing my research, and I've narrowed it down. My burning question now deals with open-air vs sealed headphones. [more inside]
posted by true at 10:05 AM PST - 7 comments

I used to play this game for the PC called Mercedes-Benz World Racing, and there was a song on the soundtrack that I would consider the worst song in the history of all music - help me find it! [mi]
posted by nitsuj at 9:03 AM PST - 6 comments

We've recently bought a manual type pasta maker. Looks like fun and operation mostly make sense. One thing though: when I'm rolling sheets of pasta how do I determine what the proper thickness is for the type of pasta I'm making? The machine has seven settings. Some things are obvious: angel hair at the thinnest setting for instance, but how thick should fettucine or linguine or plain ol' spaghetti be?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:11 AM PST - 19 comments

How do I switch between different windows of the same program in OS X using the keyboard? [more inside]
posted by chill at 6:12 AM PST - 20 comments

How do I do this love fortune thing? When I was in junior high, I learned how to tell love fortunes using playing cards, where... [more inside]
posted by Katemonkey at 5:15 AM PST - 5 comments

What are your favorite 'trippy' movies? [more inside]
posted by marsha56 at 1:41 AM PST - 77 comments

Recommended online guide(s) for the total neophyte interested in starting a simple personal site? [more inside]
posted by sueinnyc at 1:36 AM PST - 4 comments

Does anyone know of a book (site, magazine, DVD, anything) that, preferrably communicated in a non-specific programming language (e.g. - pseudocode, if possible), illustrates real world pros and cons of procedural vs. OOP coding and vice versa? I don't want a religous war on why one is better than the other; but rather a (fairly) objective look at both with the who/what/where/when/why/how of any specific reasons for more efficient use of either.
posted by crankydoodle at 1:27 AM PST - 10 comments

A friend was asking about this, and he aroused my curiosity as well. A strange symbol is turning up in graffiti all over the campus of our university and we are wondering about what it means, if anything. [more inside]
posted by synecdoche at 11:54 PM PST - 18 comments

When did Los Angeles drivers begin to consistently make illegal left turns, against a red light? In LA last week, my wife and I noticed that the last two or three cars making a left turn at an intersection did so even though the green arrow had stopped showing. And are there other places besides Southern California where these (belated, illegal, dangerous) turns happen regularly? [A bit more inside] [more inside]
posted by WestCoaster at 10:08 PM PST - 36 comments

A friend of mine here in Seattle is going to be traveling to St. Louis on business in a couple of weeks and would like recommendations for cool stuff to do there for a couple of days. He's a 30-something urban hipster-geek with the usual tastes that entails. He specifically asks if there's good live jazz.
posted by matildaben at 10:00 PM PST - 10 comments

PHP programmers: what would a well-laid-out PHP project look like to you? I'm a computer science grad student who's never used PHP for anything much and not in many years, but I now have an opportunity to write a small-to-moderate-sized site for somebody and thought I'd give PHP another go. I'm well versed in generally writing tasteful programs and I even have a pretty decent amount of experience with writing web sites using other technologies; what I'm really interested in is specifically how PHP programmers use the language in practice to make maintainable sites. For instance, what's the best way to separate content from HTML so it's easier to make site-wide HTML tweaks? What are the sorts of things that you wish someone had told you about how to build PHP projects?
posted by jacobm at 8:47 PM PST - 10 comments

LyricsFilter: Regarding word usage in Queen's "Fairy Feller's Master-stroke" ... what does "quaere" mean? [more inside]
posted by Kosh at 6:53 PM PST - 4 comments

What's that "game" that was posted on Metafilter about some Australia based website that recruited people after they filled out several forms?
posted by Like the Reef at 6:06 PM PST - 1 comment

Is there a name for the multi-coloured TV error screen? [more inside]
posted by Count Ziggurat at 5:46 PM PST - 13 comments

File Hosting question: What is a good Hosting Provider or other online service where I can upload (ftp?) any type of file (digicam movies, legal mp3s, huge zipfiles etc.) for a reasonable price for bandwidth and storage. This is not for a website so hosting tools, domain services etc. are not a concern. Any OS is fine although Linux/Unix would be coolest.
posted by vacapinta at 5:15 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm in school in the US- I'm interested in finding short-term programs abroad in the summer term (volunteer/intern/or other) that are fairly inexpensive. I'm also interested in doing something that stays away from a vacation-volunteering type experience. Preferably to Latin America or Asia. Any ideas/thoughts for basic resources to get started with? A lot of web searches turn up programs that are very expensive and seem to be geared at rich American youth.
posted by jare2003 at 5:10 PM PST - 11 comments

Spoilerfilter: What happens in books 2 and 3 of Tad Williams' Otherland series? I read the first book and liked much of it, particularly some of the characterization, but dreaded the long, rambling stretches where characters like Paul Jonas wander aimlessly through a series of detailed-but-not-plot-relevant virtual landscapes. Reviewers almost always mention that the series drags in the 2nd and 3rd books -- "nothing significant happens," "the characters seem to jump from one exotic locale to another without any real explanation about why they're there" -- so I've decided to jump to book four. What useful plot information do I need from among the 1400+ pages of aimless wandering in books two and three?
posted by mediareport at 5:05 PM PST - 7 comments

Can I create mp3 CDs in iTunes using music from a shared library on another computer? [more inside]
posted by melissa at 4:49 PM PST - 7 comments

What accomplishments have been achieved by the current Bush administration? [more inside]
posted by DeepFriedTwinkies at 4:29 PM PST - 25 comments

I've got a three day lift ticket good for Breckenridge, Keystone, Beaver Creek, A-Basin and Vail. Which of these are most snowboarder friendly, and which would you recommend?
posted by etc. at 3:38 PM PST - 4 comments

Mathematical imbecile question: what's the simplest, most universal way to add a list of vectors? [more inside]
posted by Jimbob at 3:31 PM PST - 7 comments

My cat peed on my mattress about 24 hours ago. I removed all the bedding for laundering. Google's results are either ambiguous (both 'vinegar works' and 'stay away from vinegar' advice) or commercial sites. Any success using homemade remedies such as baking soda?
posted by pants at 2:47 PM PST - 12 comments

Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced tax accountant in NYC or environs?
posted by insideout at 2:24 PM PST - 3 comments

Paypal is causing me troubles, anyone had experience? [more inside]
posted by null terminated at 2:16 PM PST - 10 comments

I have a friend coming to visit in mid-March. He usually stays at my place (East Bay, SF Bay area), but just for fun, he'd like to stay at a hotel in the Castro (SF) or thereabouts (wink wink nudge nudge say no more). Anyone know of anyplace reasonably priced (read: cheap) where he could be adventurous, but that doesn't smell of urine (or worse)?
posted by al_fresco at 1:14 PM PST - 4 comments

What are your favorite untranslatable words or phrases? I'm wondering after reading this thread. [more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa at 1:13 PM PST - 26 comments

Help me remember the name of a board/strategy game... [more inside]
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:03 PM PST - 11 comments

Filing taxes for first time in 4 years - yikes. [more inside]
posted by eggerspretty at 1:01 PM PST - 10 comments

What sort of effect, if any, do department and pet store security scanners have on live aquarium life? I'm referring to the scanners at the entrances/exits of the store that go off when you buy something that isn't properly deactivated at the register. [more inside]
posted by chickygrrl at 12:40 PM PST - 9 comments

I remember back in the 70s seeing a story on TV about an artist who filmed himself punching a timeclock every hour 24/7 for a whole year. At the end of the year he had a short time-lapse film of himself punching a clock 365 times. He had shaved his head at the beginning of the year, so you could see his hair growing over the duration of the film. He described how he had to structure his life in order to be able to do the filming every hour and how his mind began to short circuit from not getting enough REM sleep from sleeping in only hour-long stretches at a time. I'd like to see that film again. Does anybody else remember this story and/or who this guy is?
posted by wsg at 11:47 AM PST - 5 comments

The British have the histories and diaries of Churchill and Lord Alanbrooke. Whose are the most important American memoirs for the Second World War, shedding light on the American view of events and their opinions of their Allies? [more inside]
posted by alasdair at 11:41 AM PST - 6 comments

Have you ever come across a site that gives you driving directions, like yahoo maps or mapquest, but lets you fiddle a bit with which roads to take/not to take? I want to be able to avoid traffic jams, or find directions that make the least possible turns and change of roads. (Like when I don't want to risk getting lost and ending up in a bad area of town after dark.)
posted by parma at 10:45 AM PST - 6 comments

Killing, not just deterring, moths. [more inside]
posted by bingo at 10:28 AM PST - 8 comments

What type or brand of tennis shoes is most appropriate to use when working out on an elliptical trainer? [more inside]
posted by tidecat at 9:27 AM PST - 12 comments

My wife's dad bought an Ibanez acoustic when they were travelling to Guatemala in the mid-to-late seventies...It is kinda flashy, looks to have been made in Japan, but that is all I can find out about it. Oh, and the tag inside says 2605...I am looking to see if there is more to be found....Can anyone suggest a good site for such things?
posted by Richat at 9:15 AM PST - 9 comments

Is there an evolutionary drive towards more complex organisms? Douglas Rushkoff believes there is: ”It appears obvious, yet absolutely unconfirmable, that matter is groping towards complexity.” [link] I've taken it for granted, but is it really true? What do we know about this?
posted by Termite at 9:14 AM PST - 25 comments

Can anyone recommend a moderately priced (i.e. less $ than an iPod) MP3 player that has BIG, EASILY-MANIPULATED CONTROLS? I have 20 CDs worth of Mandarin language instruction that I want to rip to MP3 and use as a companion on a daily walk. Because I'll be playing language instruction instead of music, I expect to need to pause, back up, and restart a given section frequently. I'd like a player that can be manipulated easily by feel without stopping to look at it. If it can be set to loop a particular track over and over that's a big plus (though I expect that's an uncommon feature because how many people want to hear the same song again and again?) Thanks very much for any and all suggestions!
posted by jfuller at 8:57 AM PST - 9 comments

How to deal with a sore loser? [more inside]
posted by elgilito at 8:47 AM PST - 9 comments

After consulting with my cardiologist, I have the green light to push myself to my limits so long as I use a heartrate monitor and follow a graph. He suggested that I hire a personal trainer. However, except for my 12-week vacation at Parris Island when I was 20, I have no experience whatsoever with health clubs/gyms or hiring such a fitness expert. How do I start? And, what should I watch out for? [more inside]
posted by mischief at 8:44 AM PST - 12 comments

A large client i do some work for is considering sending out a targetted 20k unsolicited email. I need some good arguments and facts against it. [more inside]
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 7:44 AM PST - 14 comments

Can anyone translate these Japanese lyrics for me?
posted by Tlogmer at 7:06 AM PST - 2 comments

The (rented) property I'm about to move into only has a cable to the external aerial in what I'm going to be using as the bedroom. This is no good to me - I need tv reception in the living room. I don't want to have to run a cable through the house and I've tried amplified indoor aerials elsewhere with disheartening results. So is there some sort of wireless device I can plug into the back of my tv and into the aerial socket in the bedroom that'll give me decent reception?
posted by john-paul at 6:53 AM PST - 4 comments

Is there a word or concise phrase in any language that means "to walk away from a problem, and return to it later with the solution immediately obvious"? Also, if there's a word or phrase (again, in any tongue) that means "the unquestionably perfect solution, so right that there can be no better answer," I'd like to know that as well.
posted by melissa may at 2:15 AM PST - 31 comments

I'm looking for some algorithms for generating binaural sounds. [more inside]
posted by Ryvar at 1:48 AM PST - 10 comments

I have recently purchased a 75 gallon fish tank. I would appreciate any help on what makes for a good tropical community of fish in a tank this size. [more inside]
posted by sourbrew at 1:09 AM PST - 11 comments

Can I have my car send a GPS signal to my web site to let me know where it is? [more inside]
posted by kirkaracha at 12:17 AM PST - 8 comments

What are some up-and-coming topics in biological research, and who's investigating them? [more inside]
posted by greatgefilte at 8:59 PM PST - 13 comments

I’m looking for ways to increase my appetite. I’ve always had a fast metabolism, and now that I run 30+ miles a week, I know I’m not consistently getting the calories I need. Developing an appetite would certainly help me get the necessary intake. In addition to appetite boosters, I’d also be interested in (vegetarian) foods that are particularly calorie / nutrient rich so I can get more out of each meal. Protein shakes help, but I wouldn't mind actually wanting food more often.
posted by yorick at 8:16 PM PST - 26 comments

Have you ever taken part in a class action lawsuit? [more inside]
posted by NoMich at 7:36 PM PST - 15 comments

My computer has been making random "Device Detected" and "Device Unconnected" sounds all the time, even when I'm not at it. Any idea on how to correct this? I'm on XP with SP2.
posted by sciurus at 6:09 PM PST - 9 comments

Every once in a while, when clicking on an item up for auction at eBay, I get a page with generic message saying "Unfortunately, access to this particular category or item has been blocked due to legal restrictions in your home country..." and cannot see the item. But I'm in the US using a US IP address; why would there be a legal restriction? Going by the most recent incident, from what little I could see of the item's information--basically, the title--it didn't seem to be anything remotely offensive or illegal. Why and how does eBay block certain auctions from certain countries or IP addresses? Is the US one of those countries? How can I view these items? I don't even necessarily want to bid on them, but my curiosity is piqued.
posted by Asparagirl at 5:27 PM PST - 6 comments

Whenever real butter is used for a topping on my popcorn it seems to work well, coats the popcorn, does not make it soggy. When I use margarine it seems to "melt" the popcorn, making it soggy. [more inside]
posted by sled at 5:02 PM PST - 9 comments

I need help figuring out how to get my Windows PC with iTunes to recognize and read an 'enhanced' music CD. The CD plays fine in a CD player and I can see the 'extra' files with one particular PC, but no song files. iTunes thinks its blank. I've updated iTunes and my CD drive drivers and I even flashed my BIOS. No help. Anyone have any ideas? I really want to listen to this new CD on my iPod...
posted by kittyoneil at 4:44 PM PST - 11 comments

I am hooked on this (semi-)sweet little song by French-Canadian indierock artist Lederhosen Lucil, Semi-Sweet [cute, funny music video in Windows Media format]. But I can't figure out the lyrics -- which are in English, with a spot of French -- and my Canadian friend is stumped as well. [more inside]
posted by gentle at 4:14 PM PST - 11 comments

I have a friend who's in university in Nimes and is coming to the US for a four-week internship in August. She's been told she can come over for the four weeks on a tourist visa and doesn't need the J-1 visa because she won't be here for the two months that would require a J-1. She's asked me for help. Any MeFiers out there understand what I need to find out and who I'd ask to get the definitive word on this?
posted by alumshubby at 3:42 PM PST - 5 comments

Is there a technical name for a song in no particular key? [more inside]
posted by StephenE at 3:23 PM PST - 21 comments

I'm going to need to buy a car sometime soon and, from past experiences, I find this to be completely unpleasant. How can I make this easier or less painful? Have you used services that take care of negotiations/haggling? [more inside]
posted by milkrate at 3:12 PM PST - 28 comments

I read a book about 15 years ago called the Sociology of Sex. Judging by the condition of the book, it must have been published in the late 60s or early 70s in the UK although I might be wrong on the place. It was a paperback with a grey cover. I've forgotten the author's name, and googling/powelling comes up short. I think the book may be out of print. Can the all powerful Askme help point me in the right direction? (There is a more recent publication out there called the Sociology of sex; I've checked and its not an updated version of the book i'm talking about)
posted by ramix at 3:08 PM PST - 5 comments

Which is better, a gas stove/oven, or an electric stove/oven? [more inside]
posted by benjh at 1:45 PM PST - 32 comments

I'm curious which bloggers and media people have gotten their 15 Minutes (or longer) after affiliation with Metafilter. [+]
posted by ParisParamus at 1:38 PM PST - 18 comments

I need to buy voice recognition software for someone I supervise. I want to provide him with a range of options to choose from, but also informed opinions on the pros/cons of each. What have been people's experiences with the various brands out there?
posted by Kat Allison at 1:25 PM PST - 5 comments

Is it possible in PHP to monitor if a function is called? [more inside]
posted by grefo at 1:24 PM PST - 9 comments

In following the excellent, comprehensive research being done by MeFites ericb and amberglow in covering the Gannon scandal, I am curious what the average lag time is between the occurrence of any politically controversial event and the resulting coverage in so-called MSM outlets and newspapers? [mi] [more inside]
posted by AlexReynolds at 1:15 PM PST - 8 comments

Question about male reproductive organ inside. [more inside]
posted by Kwantsar at 1:15 PM PST - 26 comments

I'm singing in the chorus of an opera, and the director wants me to remove my tongue stud, because it glints in the stage lights, and it's pretty anachronistic. How long can I have the stud out without the piercing closing over? [more inside]
posted by wilberforce at 12:15 PM PST - 8 comments

I am cooking for my girlfriend. The recipe asks for "2 fresh green chillies, deseeded and chopped very finely". I don't have any. What I do have, are some very small, dried, red "Pimienta de Cayena" - cayenne chillies, I assume. How many of those should I use for the equivalent bang? (Meal needs to be ready in 90m minutes from now!)
posted by benzo8 at 12:10 PM PST - 7 comments

Do any of you have any advice for buying screenwriting software? I am looking for something fairly cheap, but want to hear about your experiences with the different software products available. Are there any that just suck? Are there any quality WORD add-on programs you've had success with?
posted by brheavy at 11:21 AM PST - 23 comments

I'm working on a grant-funded project, and need to compress long lectures (captured with a DV cam) into a web-ready format- I've purchased Quicktime Pro and need help with the settings... [more inside]
posted by fake at 11:17 AM PST - 4 comments

I am on my way to getting a MLIS degree, but since I am more interested in the tech side of things, I was thinking of switching to my school's MIS graduate program. Advantages, disadvantages? Are MIS degrees worth anything anymore, or is the tech job market still so bad that I would be better off sticking to a MLIS?
posted by TheIrreverend at 11:13 AM PST - 5 comments

What is American sidewalk protocol? Is it the same in Britain? [+]
posted by Frank Grimes at 11:00 AM PST - 17 comments

Where can I see badass graffiti in Los Angeles?
posted by lbergstr at 10:59 AM PST - 4 comments

Browsing on ebay I have noticed many ads for ipods and other electronics either for free or for about $40. Can they be for real? [more inside]
posted by Amizu at 10:52 AM PST - 9 comments

Today I tendered my two weeks notice at my job of 4 years. I spoke directly to my manager on this matter and have told no one else (at work). What is the proper etiquette regarding telling my co-workers? [more inside]
posted by evilelf at 10:49 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm looking for quite recent (past 30/40 years) films of westerners who go to Japan and have a good time. Sort of the opposite to 'Lost in Translation.' The more recent, the better. Madame Butterfly need not apply. [more inside]
posted by carter at 9:41 AM PST - 15 comments

What's your favorite recording of Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess"? The whole opera, not just excerpts or selections. [more inside]
posted by rkent at 9:10 AM PST - 3 comments

How can one (easily?) identify a location based upon a single image? [more inside]
posted by Chunder at 8:56 AM PST - 8 comments

I know there're a lot of MeFi librarians, since I've searched on this topic, but my specific questions don't seem to have been addressed yet. First, do you think there are a decent amount of entry-level public library jobs out there? The gubmint says so, various librarian blogs say no. Also--this would be a career change for me, so by the time I get the MLS I'd be around 40. Is it laughable to think anyone would hire a 40-year-old entry-level librarian? I've been in publishing for a while and am burned out but good. As a callow youth I worked quite happily in bookstores, and now as a grown-up I think a library job would provide similar psychic gratification but with better benefits and pay. Someone set me straight. TIA.
posted by scratch at 8:36 AM PST - 15 comments

So all of us mad inventors now know about eMachineShop and PIC microprocessors and interesting connectivity devices. And some of us have designed truly wicked little systems just begging to make it onto the front page of Engadget. [more inside]
posted by felix at 8:31 AM PST - 2 comments

I like to fall asleep while watching DVDs on my Windows XP PC in Windows Media Player. The problem is that on DVDs with loud menu screens after the movie is over the DVD returns to the menu and blasts loud exciting action music, waking me up. Is there a freeware program out there that will mute Media Player after the movie is over? [more inside]
posted by Servo5678 at 8:22 AM PST - 7 comments

Ok, this is a bit odd. I am getting married at the same venue as Charles and Camilla. My SO and I are the next couple to use the place after them and media interest has arrived today.. [more inside]
posted by Frasermoo at 8:19 AM PST - 17 comments

My employer often conducts a lot of its business based on zip codes (locations of things, addresses of people registered on our site, etc.), so I'd like to generate some maps that can show statistics down to a zip code level. [more inside]
posted by patgas at 8:09 AM PST - 7 comments

Sports on satellite dish question… How can I confirm (really really confirm) if a game will be on and who can I complain to if it does not come on [more inside]
posted by Tallguy at 8:08 AM PST - 0 comments

As Alzheimers progresses do a persons IQ drop? Does a formerly really bright person have a lower IQ and is that part of the reason they do not understand or follow complex thoughts? I am wondering about this with my husband who now finds a lot of things "boring" LAG
posted by lag at 2:31 AM PST - 6 comments

Can this be done with snazzy DOM scripting, or do I Flash or (shudder) Iframes? [more inside]
posted by Pericles at 2:24 AM PST - 15 comments

Yesterday Howard Dean debated Richard Perle at Pacific University (Tom McCall Forum). The topic was "American Foreign Policy Post 9/11". I've been dying to find a transcript (or better yet, a c-span stream) of the event, but to no avail. Anyone?
posted by dagny at 2:22 AM PST - 4 comments

I need help finding the production status of the drug methotrexate in injectable form. [more inside]
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. at 12:41 AM PST - 6 comments

How do you handle money within your relationship? [more inside]
posted by croutonsupafreak at 11:42 PM PST - 37 comments

Where are some good places to go in Manhattan to smoke cigars? I'd prefer a casual place where I can go and read and maybe have a cup of coffee or a drink. Indoor and outdoor suggestions welcomed. [more inside]
posted by LGCNo6 at 11:11 PM PST - 4 comments

With long term heroin use, does one's body "upregulate" or "downregulate" the amount of opioid receptors? [more inside]
posted by icetaco at 11:04 PM PST - 6 comments

I would like to go to Boston for Spring Break. I am 20.5. Do you know of any hotels that do not have a 21 check in policy in Boston? [more inside]
posted by moooshy at 10:01 PM PST - 14 comments

A friend wants to include headlines from my website on his site. Is there a simple way for him to publish headlines as links using my RSS feed, preferably without the branding of a third party service? [more inside]
posted by neuroshred at 9:50 PM PST - 8 comments

How long does an open bottle of sake keep before it goes bad? [more inside]
posted by tinamonster at 9:30 PM PST - 6 comments

How can I glut my powerful lust for sweet sweet dried apricots without enduring such dire consequences as gaining intimate familiarity with tiled flooring and experiencing spewful crappings?
posted by kenko at 8:40 PM PST - 12 comments

RFID proponents always point out that its effective distance is only a couple of meters at best and therefore couldn’t pose a significant privacy concern in the future if used on people. However, wouldn’t that effective distance be much larger if more powerful transceivers were used than current models?
posted by trinarian at 8:38 PM PST - 17 comments

It looks like I'll be dusting off some of my Flash skills to do some contract work. There's a snag though. I'm used to (light) coding with ActionScript circa Flash v.5 and the company uses the newer Flash MX and ActionScript 2.0. I'm wondering how hard it will be for me to catch up and figure it out. Has anyone had to make the leap (and quickly at that)? [more inside]
posted by picea at 8:30 PM PST - 3 comments

I need help solving a logic puzzle. [more inside]
posted by thewittyname at 8:27 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm looking for some interesting ways to work a punching bag into workouts. [more inside]
posted by ttrendel at 8:06 PM PST - 7 comments

I work for a company of about 100 people whose product is information, but it manages information in a really crappy manner. Nobody knows what's going on elsewhere within the company; often crucial people are unaware of events staged by other departments. We are thinking of getting a CMS to fix this: [more inside]
posted by By The Grace of God at 7:40 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm in the process of applying to grad school this coming september and have already received two letters of acceptance. One of the two offers is better than the other--however, I would rather attend the other school. How do I go about trying to encourage them to match or better their offer? [more inside]
posted by vernondalhart at 7:07 PM PST - 13 comments

Can anybody identify this aerial photo? Take a quick peek and let me know if it looks familiar. [more inside]
posted by MiG at 6:30 PM PST - 46 comments

Atlantic city site seeing [more inside]
posted by moift at 6:26 PM PST - 8 comments

Where can I find sample questions and answers to create a technology survey of computer software and hardware in use in my office? The goal is to have office workers complete the survey on line using surveymonkey.com or a similar tool. [more inside]
posted by madandal at 5:18 PM PST - 1 comment

I am looking for a web resource that shows ancient empires/kingdoms/etc superimposed on the modern map. I am specifically interested in the middle-east, but the entire globe is up for grabs here. Obviously, I prefer a site dedicated to exactly this, but anything close will make me quite happy.
posted by SkinnerSan at 5:07 PM PST - 5 comments

What was the first image posted on the internet? I'm sure it was research related, but what was it?
posted by gtmcknight at 5:06 PM PST - 15 comments

I recently fried my motherboard. At least I'm pretty sure I did. Burning smell and all. Anyway, now I need to replace it. I wanted to get advice and experience from people who have done this. [more inside]
posted by billybunny at 4:58 PM PST - 6 comments

SXSW: is there a way open to common plebes to get in cheaper than the full pass prices? If not, is it worth it to pay the full price? Or alternatively, just going and hanging out in Austin and catching what one can? [more inside]
posted by weston at 4:41 PM PST - 10 comments

How does Apple prevent piracy of OS X updates? You always hear so much about Microsoft's Windows Product Activation and CD keys that I'm curious how Apple deals with the same issue.
posted by smackfu at 4:38 PM PST - 24 comments

My wife is a district manager for a corporate food service company. They provide cafeteria service for law firms, insurance companies, etc. One of her accounts was recently reviewed by a restaurant reviewer for a major metropolitan newspaper. She feels he used this opportunity to take a backhanded swipe at her company, which also provides food service at the major metropolitan newspaper, but under different terms and conditions. [more inside]
posted by fixedgear at 4:15 PM PST - 6 comments

is there an online version of nijinskys diary that i can look at - or long excerpts from it ? [more inside]
posted by sgt.serenity at 3:34 PM PST - 2 comments

What are some good music blogs? (With a slant towards old skool hip hop or reggae would be best, but I'm open to give a listen to anything/everything.) [more inside]
posted by gummo at 2:45 PM PST - 3 comments

A while back, a friend of mine introduced me to Kurt Halsey Frederiksen and I immediately fell in love with his work. Since then, I've been on the hunt for artists who have an equally "simple," yet beautiful and eloquent style. Can any of you recommend artists in a similar vein? (Preferably with online galleries or printed books of their art that I could purchase.) [more inside]
posted by ibidem at 2:21 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm hoping to sell some items online in Japan. specifically ebooks/information and other goods. Which payment service is most comfortable for Japanese people? [more inside]
posted by onekat at 2:11 PM PST - 2 comments

Cleaning fountain pens. How? [more inside]
posted by archimago at 2:09 PM PST - 6 comments

does any one have any experience with the 323i/it series? if so, recommended? warnings? experience? thanks in advance. other used cars in the class users would recommend?
posted by specialk420 at 2:01 PM PST - 10 comments

What would a cubic world be like? [more inside]
posted by ac at 1:29 PM PST - 24 comments

MusicFilter: I really like the track "Happy" by Max Sedgely, and "You can't go home again" by DJ Shadow but I don't really know this genre of music too well. What other artists/tracks can you recommend that are in this style? It's a sort of deep funk house type thing.
posted by gaby at 1:29 PM PST - 4 comments

I need to find some basic, very cheap, web hosting for an informational site about a special event. [more inside]
posted by anastasiav at 1:19 PM PST - 12 comments

How can I learn to just let stupid shit go? [more inside]
posted by LittleMissCranky at 1:12 PM PST - 26 comments

If you have siblings, do you think there's anything your parents did or didn't do that had a big effect on how you relate to your sib(s) today? My kids' futures hinge on your answer. [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 1:07 PM PST - 34 comments

Can someone please direct me to a technical specification of the US FCC-mandated Broadcast Flag? [more inside]
posted by Netzapper at 1:07 PM PST - 3 comments

I've been living in New York for only about six months, and was a bit surprised when one of my friends asked if I tipped my superintendent. He told me after the fact that upon your first meeting, you should tip anywhere from $50-100 (and possibly more) to ensure any of your needs are met further along the line, in addition to providing a small tip whenever any small bit of work is done in the apartment. Am I alone in never hearing of this practice? Do you tip your super, and if so, how much?
posted by dogmatic at 1:03 PM PST - 12 comments

Do you have experience, good or bad, with a credit counselor or consolidation firm that you'd like to share? [more inside]
posted by o2b at 12:53 PM PST - 16 comments

Any Magic: The Gathering players out there in MetaLand? What are some of your favorite cards? How about favorite combos? Do you have any seriously killer decks whose secrets you'll share? Lastly, how do you feel about the newest editions WotC have been putting out?
posted by baphomet at 12:02 PM PST - 37 comments

What kind/ how much car insurance do I need for a 1996 Honda Accord with 175k miles? I'm considering dropping the collision/comprehensive coverage. [more inside]
posted by electroboy at 11:59 AM PST - 9 comments

Hi, i'm looking for a place to keep a rental car in or around New York City. My friends {travelling from toronto} and i will be staying at a hostel on 891 Amsterdam Ave and will be staying arriving Friday, overnight Friday and Saturday, leaving early sunday. [more inside]
posted by striatic at 11:36 AM PST - 15 comments

Does anyone have any suggestions for interesting techie office art? [more inside]
posted by milovoo at 11:28 AM PST - 8 comments

I don't trust public hotspots. I'd like to sit in a coffee shop, connect via VPN to my local network at home and use my home internet connection (cable modem) to access the outside world. Does anyone have any experices with Sveasoft's firmware hack that supposedly lets you do this. I'm using a Linksys WRT54G and their Satori-4.0 v2.07.1.7sv firmware but having a hell of a time getting it to work. Is this even an option? [MI] [more inside]
posted by pwb503 at 11:15 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm looking for quirky, contemporary autobiographies such as those written by Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris. (MI) [more inside]
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 10:42 AM PST - 25 comments

I'm looking for red and white wine substitutes for cooking purposes, due to a severe sulfite allergy. Ideas? [+] [more inside]
posted by spinifex23 at 10:30 AM PST - 18 comments

Mac/AppleWorks Filter: How do I grab or move the spell-check window in Apple Works to get it back on my screen? Some time ago I managed to move the spell-check window off of my computer screen to a point that I can only "see" the very bottom of the window (where it displays # of "questionable words"). [more inside]
posted by turtlegirl at 10:26 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm looking for really any information on Mars and Mars colonization, but in particular two questions: Would the sun rise in the east and set in the west? and What would the night sky look like? What would the prominant objects be?
posted by dagnyscott at 9:24 AM PST - 14 comments

Does a software-based router exist so that I can have essentially two internet connections accessed from one Windows XP computer at the same time? (more) [more inside]
posted by TeamBilly at 9:22 AM PST - 6 comments

I just lost my broadband virginity and installed windows xp, both in a single day, and I'm reeling from the implications of this brave new world. What do I do about firewalls and antivirus? [mi] [more inside]
posted by mecran01 at 9:20 AM PST - 20 comments

One of my cats has had a loud and contentious history with a neighbor cat. I have not seen then fight but they hissed and screamed and generally did not like one another. Well the neighbor cat showed up dead under one of our bushes (it had been like that for awhile but when the weather warmed up a tad, whew. .that is when we found it). I am wondering if it is possible that my dear kitty did this other cat in. I have not heard of such a thing but it creeps me out to think that I might be harboring a murderer among our menagerie of pets. Has anyone had any experience with this?
posted by Danf at 8:43 AM PST - 16 comments

TRAVEL COFFEE MUGS: Mine leaks. Which do you use? I want one that's sturdy, benign-to-subtly-attractive in appearance, and will never, ever leak from any of its cracks, crevasses or segment joints in perpetuity throughout the universe. [more inside]
posted by gramschmidt at 8:40 AM PST - 24 comments

How to deal with sitting in a small cubicle during assigned (non-flexible) hours, with extremely boring work to do (or no work to do), with no web access? [more inside]
posted by lustra at 8:29 AM PST - 32 comments

A friend of mine will be working in Nigeria for a while and he will be having lots of free time. He wants to do a long-distance MBA through the Internet(s). Any clues on good and cheap programs?
posted by carmina at 8:25 AM PST - 8 comments

My weekend hobby band likes to jam to particular themes when the calendar dictates. Last week it was all love songs and anti-loves songs. This coming Monday being Presidents' Day in the U.S. we thought we would rock the basement with songs that fit the theme. But what songs? [more inside]
posted by terrapin at 7:55 AM PST - 37 comments

I'm looking for the best example of a film, book or television show with a plot based around a spoiled rich kid - one that doesn't involve Paris Hilton. Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by nyterrant at 7:16 AM PST - 55 comments

My grant-funded contract job is wrapping up in two months. I've never left a job without quitting or taking another job before and I'm not sure what's expected or what to do. What did you do when you left your job? [more inside]
posted by jessamyn at 6:58 AM PST - 8 comments

Electricityfilter: standard grounded outlet works fine with a lamp, radio, etc., but I plugged a Belkin surge protector into the outlet and it popped the circuit breaker. [more inside]
posted by badger_flammable at 6:43 AM PST - 19 comments

Is there a keyboard shortcut in Firefox that checks or unchecks (toggles) a checkbox? If there's no built-in shortcut, can I easily program one? Is there a shortcut in IE for this? I have Googled in vain.
posted by acridrabbit at 6:43 AM PST - 13 comments

In an abstract sense, what would be the best way to steal a car? [more inside]
posted by jeremias at 5:24 AM PST - 27 comments

Does anyone have any advice for calming squabbling infants? [more inside]
posted by davehat at 4:50 AM PST - 15 comments

My husband and I will be staying with my very retired aunt and uncle in Punta Gorda, FL, near where my very retired parents stay in their RV. Main objective of the trip is total relaxation, but are there any cool things we should try to see and do that might be under the radar of the snowbird set?
posted by ferociouskitty at 4:50 AM PST - 4 comments

What do you put in your red sauce? I like mine, but I think I want to try out some elements from yours. Please tell me how you make it.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:13 AM PST - 34 comments

Resources for online R&B guitar tablature? [more inside]
posted by the cuban at 3:47 AM PST - 2 comments

I am not too familiar with electronica sub-genres (do people even call it electronica anymore?). Could someone in the know please tell me how to classify LCD Soundsystem? Specifically the more electronic songs.
posted by Quartermass at 12:05 AM PST - 22 comments

Music advice needed: I've found that I am a total sucker for vocal harmony. Think Beach Boys' "Wouldn't it be nice", Crowded House "Woodface", Simon & Garfunkel, doo wop and barbershop, etc. Are there any modern day, hip equivalents ? My music taste is rather eclectic, so any genre will do.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 10:11 PM PST - 55 comments

Moleskine -- why the fuss?

It's just a notebook. The heritage? (Hemingway & etc.)
The accessories?
posted by Rash at 9:44 PM PST - 57 comments

Computer music with graphical inputs:
My roommate is doing a research project on experimental/computer music where the input is some sort of visual or graphical something and the output is sound. Help him out by sharing your best links. [+]
posted by mai at 9:22 PM PST - 20 comments

What blogs do you read? I'm on the search for intelligent, thoughtful blogs like everyone's favorite, Metafilter. Sure, there's Fark, and Linkswarm to name a few, but these sites are a bit chaotic and, frankly, too big. The Fark I started reading years ago now has too many silly local stories--why are so many about dumb criminals?

I'm also not looking for personal blogs, but more community-based. Any suggestions?
posted by zardoz at 8:58 PM PST - 24 comments

ParisFilter: My husband and I are going to the City of Lights for our honeymoon. We're definitely going to try some of AskMeFi's previous suggestions! But us, we're big geeks (comics, anime, computers, games). Are there good geeky places to visit in Paris? Where are the best BD (bande dessiner) stores? Or sci fi bookshops? Anything else a good geek shouldn't miss?
posted by debgpi at 8:26 PM PST - 13 comments

Windows Media Player will no longer load in Firefox or Safari. I have reinstalled twice, I remember seeing similar problems with WMP and OS X on AskMe or MeFi (I can no longer find where I saw it) without an answer, help!
posted by scazza at 7:31 PM PST - 0 comments

HomeStudioFilter: I have a Tascam 688 cassette 8-track recorder, and I'd like to get a MOTU 896 HD. Will that enable me to put all my 8-track analog glory to digital? [+]
posted by petebest at 6:48 PM PST - 8 comments

Where does the phrase "X, Y, Z Oh my!" come from? I read it all over the web, but I don't get the reference.
posted by DangerIsMyMiddleName at 4:46 PM PST - 5 comments

When I wear polo shirts, the tips of the collars are always flipping up. I don't want them to do that. How do I stop that from happening?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 4:37 PM PST - 13 comments

A friend is hosting an event at her house tomorrow night, a kind of "salon" evening featuring a few authors, wine, and conversation. I'd like to get her some kind of hostess gift, but not the usual bottle of wine, since we'll have wine galore, and not the Bath & Body Works gift bag, since she's not that kind of gal. Any ideas?
posted by mothershock at 4:17 PM PST - 21 comments

Minidisc question: Is there a quick way to record music (mp3/cd) from a Mac to a Minidisc? (more inside)
posted by dhruva at 4:06 PM PST - 9 comments

DressyRunningShoeFilter: I run everywhere, all the time. So I wear running shoes. Any suggestions for dressier footwear, that will still allow me to run, and won't give me blisters? This would be useful, for example, to look nice, attend business meetings, or get into "no sneakers" clubs.
posted by Turtle at 3:25 PM PST - 12 comments

ComputerMusicFilter: Is there a good piece of OS X software for learning to play the piano? I'd like to buy one of those inexpensive USB keyboards and noodle around in GarageBand, but my actualy musical skills are sorely out of practice, and I don't think they're going to just come back to me, either.
posted by symbebekos at 3:09 PM PST - 3 comments

What are some good conversations starters for a first date with someone from a completely different culture (and therefore not likely to have many common reference points re: pop culture, entertainments, sports, the usual chit chat stuff.)?
posted by Kololo at 2:07 PM PST - 30 comments

I'm looking to buy a velvet jacket something like this. Is this something you would need to have custom made?
posted by mildred-pitt at 2:02 PM PST - 10 comments

A few years back, a company (Intel, perhaps?) put out a basic memo on how to manage your email. Nothing earth shattering or complicated, but just basic, simple suggestions. I used to have a copy, and now I can't find it. Does anyone know what I'm talking about, and can point me to a copy of it?
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 1:45 PM PST - 7 comments

Short version: How can I tell if my neighbor is stealing phone service from me?

Short version of a much, much longer story inside:
posted by pieoverdone at 1:37 PM PST - 26 comments

Laptop lockup whodunnit: the power to the hard drive, the hard drive itself, or something else entirely? Help! [+]
posted by gramcracker at 1:28 PM PST - 3 comments

Cold/Flu Contagion:

1) Is there any truth to the rumor that "once you manifest symptoms, you're no longer contagious?"
2) If you're recovering from one illness, are you more or less suceptible to others? eg: If I've just gotten over a cold, is my immune system weak and susceptible to strep throat? Or is it on high-alert and likely to protect me better?
3) Following on number 2, why don't more people get multiple viruses/bugs at once, or in rapid sequence? Anecdotally, it seems that most people enjoy an interval of good health after recovering from something. Is that true?
posted by scarabic at 1:20 PM PST - 4 comments

What's the best (cheapest) way to handle renters insurance?
posted by cmonkey at 1:16 PM PST - 13 comments

Firefox and Quicktime problem. More inside.
posted by eatcherry at 12:57 PM PST - 4 comments

The primary colours are red,yellow & blue. All other colours can be made from them. Why then do computer screens etc use red, GREEN & blue?
posted by TiredStarling at 12:50 PM PST - 23 comments

How do you handle depression? [+]
posted by edgeways at 12:44 PM PST - 48 comments

steak grilling: what's your technique? [mi]
posted by beaverd at 12:27 PM PST - 25 comments

Is there a map program or website that selects a midpoint between 2 or more locations? I often need to meet people around town (LA) and am in frequently need to pick a central meeting place between 2-4 people with offices over wide distances. Any suggestions?
posted by Carsey at 12:04 PM PST - 11 comments

What are your favorite foods? [+] [more inside]
posted by Jonasio at 11:53 AM PST - 36 comments

For my job, I'm usually on the Photoshop-end of web design, but right now I'm working on the 'buildout' phase of a project in HTML that has run into a problem: getting a certain table to display at 100% height. [+] [more inside]
posted by dhoyt at 11:29 AM PST - 5 comments

Need to know the author of some pretty well known children's books...(+) [more inside]
posted by fabesfaves at 11:26 AM PST - 6 comments

While some of us as children were reading Life is Hell and Mad Magazine, Marjane Satrapi was reading comic books on Marxist theory. In her book Persepolis she mentions her favorite comic book as being titled Dialectic Materialism. I've also seen this book referred to as Dialectic Materialism for Children but can't find it anywhere. Has anyone heard of it or know where I can find a copy?
posted by rokabiri at 10:47 AM PST - 6 comments

Interested in percentage of blind since birth persons who are homosexual. [mi] [more inside]
posted by billysumday at 10:35 AM PST - 8 comments

I burned out my roommate's electric food chopper by trying cheese, so I need to get her a new one. Can you recommend a fairly priced model that won't go all stinky and smoky when I stuff it full of Wisconsin's best?
posted by Mo Nickels at 10:29 AM PST - 12 comments

What's your favorite alarm clock and why? I'm looking for one with a CD player and maybe a dual alarm and the selection I've seen in stores hasn't impressed me.
posted by frenetic at 10:00 AM PST - 25 comments

Need help with a condescending doctor. This may be girls-only so if you have a problem with words like "ovaries," goodbye. It also involves my being a fat girl, so if you have the HURF DURF BUTTER EATER attitude, goodbye as well. [a lot mi] [more inside]
posted by u.n. owen at 9:59 AM PST - 79 comments

I'm trying to remember a particular Saturday Night Live spoof of Jeopardy featuring the always hilarious portrayal of Sean Connery. My workmates and I are trying to recall how he drew his answer to Final Jeopardy so that at first it was a letter (?), but then upon the full reveal it looked like a drawing of a middle finger. This is my first post, BTW... :-)
posted by driko at 9:36 AM PST - 8 comments

The keyboard settings on my laptop changed (seemingly without cause or explanation) in the middle of a computing session. Did I do something to cause this? How do I fix it? [MI] [more inside]
posted by jeffmshaw at 9:17 AM PST - 8 comments

Conferences and trade shows. What makes a booth at a trade show particularly compelling? Do schwag, trinkets, gewgaws, etc. do anything for you? What have been some of the more creative / innovative approaches you've seen to conference booths? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by Alt F4 at 9:03 AM PST - 25 comments

Best steak in Boston? Staying in Copley Square so if its walking/taxi distance even better!
posted by omidius at 8:58 AM PST - 12 comments

I am looking for software that will generate charts and graphs that isn't Excel. [MI] [more inside]
posted by donovan at 8:21 AM PST - 17 comments

I've got a new webcam, and I'd like to find some free, spyware-less software that would monitor the image and email an alert to me if it changes. Anyone know of any good programs? [more inside]
posted by ascullion at 8:11 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm in the market for a new fixed-gear/single speed bike in the $400-$600 range. The Bianchi Pista or Fuji Track seem to be the best bets as far as price vs. quality, but finding good reviews on the internet seems to be pretty "miss" as far as "hit or miss" goes. Does anyone have experience with or recommendations for/against either the bikes above or other similar bikes (Specialized Langster, KHS Flite 100, etc) in that price range? I'm looking for assessments for quality, durability, goodness of ride, etc. Thanks MetaCyclists!
posted by The Michael The at 7:58 AM PST - 7 comments

Relatively high-quality headphones for work ... [MI] [more inside]
posted by kuperman at 7:57 AM PST - 13 comments

What, to your knowledge, is the law of obligation to attend a court date as a witness (MI)?
posted by mic stand at 7:30 AM PST - 13 comments

Document scanning and archiving? (MI) [more inside]
posted by mireille at 7:22 AM PST - 8 comments

When I was a kid, my dad had framed photos of the ships he'd served on during his time in the Royal Navy. Both he and the photos are long gone, but I've decided I'd like to put something similar together.

First problem is getting hold of his service history - I've only got a vague idea of the time he served (he was involved in Korea and Suez I think). Second is getting the photos.

Any ideas on either?
posted by monkey closet at 7:02 AM PST - 3 comments

What is your favourite online music review site. I am looking for a good site that has comprehensive reviews of new releases from all genres. I know of sites such as Pitchfork, but they are all too genre-specific. I want something like Pitchfork which will also cover the new releases in world music, Jazz, soul, etc
posted by juniorbonner at 6:15 AM PST - 11 comments

So I have a big conference coming up and we’re considering giving each attendee a usb-drive with all the presentations on. The problem is that if I don’t find a way to automate the copying of files I have to do it manually by myself! (+) [more inside]
posted by bering at 5:23 AM PST - 19 comments

When I look at an analogue clock the second hand seems to pause before racing off on its 360-degree journey, is there an explanation for this phenomenon?
posted by Navek Rednam at 5:20 AM PST - 17 comments

My girlfriend (white, both parents English) and I (dark-skinned, both parents from Sri Lanka) met an American couple in a bar (here in Australia). They seemed very adventurous, educated and intelligent but became very VERY serious when we said we planned to travel in the Southern States of the U.S., suggesting that - after dark at least - the whole area is still (and I quote) "maybe a bad idea for a mixed-race couple." Are they right?
posted by bunglin jones at 1:18 AM PST - 61 comments

I want to bootleg concerts that I attend so I can listen to them later. Can anyone here recommend a good set up for recording concerts in small venues? I have an iPod, and was thinking of using the Griffin iTalk to do the actual recording. Has anyone tried this particular setup before?
posted by anonymous at 10:57 PM PST - 16 comments

How much time can I ask potential employers for before starting if they say they’d like someone in the position “as soon as possible?” [+] [more inside]
posted by Xelf at 10:54 PM PST - 10 comments

What's your favorite webcomic? I mostly read Something Positive and Liliane but I'm looking to branch out. I'm up for anything but as recs go I'd prefer more than a link so a sentence or three about the comic and why you like it would be cool.
posted by nooneyouknow at 10:31 PM PST - 35 comments

I've got a day to decide between which of two ergonomic chairs I want to use in the office (doing IT/coding work). (+) [more inside]
posted by fishfucker at 8:39 PM PST - 12 comments

My wife and I have this crazy idea to start an import business. The notion is to drive a big van down into the heart of Mexico, load up on cool homewares, (pottery, etc.) and drive it back across the border. How realistic is that? Does NAFTA apply? Will they pull out the latex gloves every time I come back across the border?
posted by Dag Maggot at 8:36 PM PST - 4 comments

A couple of years ago I told some friends that I thought that the major reasoning behind the State Quarters was to design a project that would cause money to be intentionally taken out of circulation by collectors.

I am terrible at math, but I figured that if only a million people collected all fifty of them, it's still a lot of money, and should have some impact on inflation. Does it? [more inside]
posted by interrobang at 8:05 PM PST - 21 comments

I'm attending college soon, after having already been in the job market for over a decade. For quite awhile now, I've wanted to pursue a degree in Philosophy. The question of completing a degree simply for the sake of making my resume look better is actually not a major consideration in my return to education. I can't say that it doesn't factor in at all, however, so my question to the MeFi populace is: How does a major in Philosophy affect possible employment and salary ranges? Is the perception among employers that it is completely useless when applied to most fields or is there a recognition of its value in the job market?
posted by melt away at 7:49 PM PST - 25 comments

Tenant problems. Is there a way that I can temporarily block a fireplace so that it cannot be used? Is there a way that I can rig a washer and dryer so that they cannot be used either? [+] [more inside]
posted by Juicylicious at 6:48 PM PST - 32 comments

I'm not a morning person, and I usually just grab 'n' go. The problem is most grab 'n' go stuff is loaded with carbs and light on protein. I've noticed if I have some protein with my breakfast, I feel more energized and awake. Can someone recommend some quick, cheap, easy (possibly portable) breakfast recipes for a lazy, poor college student?
posted by keswick at 6:26 PM PST - 34 comments

How do I pull apart the two pieces of my brand new and very gimlet-stuck martini shaker? I've tried hot water, cold water, tepid water, soap, and good ol'-fashioned brute force, all to no avail. Please help!
posted by Succa at 5:48 PM PST - 11 comments

ArtsAndCraftsFilter: Can you help me come up with a project to do using old photographs? [more inside]
posted by tristeza at 5:10 PM PST - 12 comments

Our social network organization is looking for a web tool. Think Yahoo Groups with a few more features and better customization. Any suggestions which tools or service providers to look closer at? (More inside) [more inside]
posted by Triplanetary at 5:05 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm in Boston, Mass., and she's in Boulder, Colorado, with my heart. How do I tell her I love her? [more inside]
posted by koeselitz at 4:48 PM PST - 25 comments

ChillyFilter: Stray's question reminded me of one that's been bugging me for a while. If I'm out in the cold for any length of time, I start feeling very faint. I've passed out from this once or twice in normal Midwestern winter weather. Other people out in the same weather don't seem to suffer the same effects.

Anyone else have the same problem? Anyone know what causes it? [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone at 4:25 PM PST - 8 comments

For you pickers out there: I'm in need of some online resource for country & western guitar riffs. It can be any style or period of country (Merle Travis to Ricky Skaggs). Would prefer tab and/or video but mostly just a big emphasis on country music. I've tried a number of sites but maybe I'm missing a good one?
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 4:23 PM PST - 4 comments

Our relationship just isn't the same. My needs aren't being met anymore, no matter how much I communicate. Is it time to break up...with my stylist? [+] [more inside]
posted by scody at 4:21 PM PST - 9 comments

If I go outside in very cold temperatures, then enter a warm environment, the skin on my buttocks and ankles often becomes intolerably itchy. My sister has a similar problem with the skin on her thighs. What might this be? [more inside]
posted by stray at 4:15 PM PST - 11 comments

DogFilter
What's the best way to approach someone, who doesn't seem to care in the least for their pet, and ask them if they would like to give the dog a better home by letting me take him? (MI) [more inside]
posted by fenriq at 4:08 PM PST - 12 comments

Has anyone ever sent you really nice steaks in the mail? I have a coworker across the country I'd like to reward, and as he's on Adkins, my usual Belgian-brownie shipment isn't going to cut it. Any vendor recommendations based on experience?
posted by clever sheep at 2:10 PM PST - 30 comments

Where do we get a keg of good beer in Manhattan? My friend is having a party and the best keg they have found is Yuengling, which is good, but we want better. Like Unibroue, Ramstein (local to the area and quite good), something really good like that. The boroughs are unfortunately out as apparently this keg is getting to the party in a taxi. The party is on 13th street, so the closer to there the better.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 1:54 PM PST - 10 comments

Bike touring [+] [more inside]
posted by lorrer at 11:38 AM PST - 14 comments

Linux music-playing application with specific features needed [moencide]. [more inside]
posted by Capn at 11:23 AM PST - 6 comments

My 11 yr old has iron deficient anemia related to colitis. I have been giving him a liquid iron supplement but it makes him feel nauseous. I have also tried pills - same result. I've tried administering multiple small doses - same result. Diet is as iron rich as I can make it. Does anytone have any suggestions as to how to increase his iron intake without this annoying (and uncomfortable) side effect?
posted by Neiltupper at 10:53 AM PST - 26 comments

Never make a suggestion in a committee. 'Cause you'll be the one getting the action item. Even if you know nothing about it. Committee is concerned with promoting metro networking standards. My friend's suggestion was that online interactive gaming should be part of an upcoming tradeshow demo in Chicago. [+] [more inside]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 10:14 AM PST - 8 comments

Stupid Windows question: Every time I shut down or log out of Windows XP, my My Computer and Network Places icons move. How do I make them stay put? Trying to google an answer has left me humbled.
posted by willpie at 9:30 AM PST - 6 comments

How do I know when a bruise is something that I should have a doctor should look at? [mi] [more inside]
posted by bDiddy at 9:29 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm worried about the aggressive attempt at cultural and political dominance being perpetrated by evangelical groups like this. Can anyone point me to grassroots watchdog groups / info clearninghouses / think tanks? Basically, I'm looking for any organization that is tracking and analyzing the strategies and propoganda of evangelical christian groups. I want to start paying some serious attention.

(No matter how I construct my terms, My Google searches are only returning grassroots watchdog groups made up of evangelical christians who are keeping an eye on the rest of us). [more inside]
posted by Miko at 9:19 AM PST - 14 comments

I have free time during the day, and I love to pass it with a good story. Since I can't often make it to the library, I'm looking for stories on the web. I'm familiar with literature.org and classicauthors.net. Are there any other sites MeFiers can recommend?
posted by Miss Bitchy Pants at 9:11 AM PST - 15 comments

Learning programming via web apps. [+] [more inside]
posted by daksya at 8:58 AM PST - 22 comments

Any suggestions on contacting video game companies regarding a fund raiser? (MI) [more inside]
posted by xorowo at 8:43 AM PST - 3 comments

Belize {mi} [more inside]
posted by muckster at 8:40 AM PST - 10 comments

What is the best way to bulk up in addition to losing existing body fat? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by dustinAFN at 7:59 AM PST - 18 comments

How do I delete the Google Desktop cache? I can't find it anywhere!
posted by johnnydark at 7:25 AM PST - 5 comments

I badly need a recommendation for an audio-recording instrument (and directional mike) for print interviews. Many thanks beforehand. [More inside.] [more inside]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 4:32 AM PST - 16 comments

Hardware problems - my old LG flatron 795 monitor does not work with my new ati-radeon 9800. More inside [more inside]
posted by FidelDonson at 2:47 AM PST - 5 comments

When you think of Cincinnati, what do you think? [more inside]
posted by airguitar at 2:21 AM PST - 44 comments

Why are electric guitar pickups designed the way they are? Wouldn't it be a lot more effective to run a weak current through the strings and have single coil pickups without magnets? The wiring would be slightly more complicated, but I'd think the increased signal to noise ratio would justify this. I'm assume I'm missing some big drawback or inviability though.
posted by fvw at 12:52 AM PST - 9 comments

I've always hated jazz. Loathed it. But in the last year, it has snuck up on me. I can't stop listening to Miles Davis's Kind of Blue but am scared of his Bitches Brew. I really enjoy the melancholy and soft aspects of the former, but am certainly wanting to spend more time with the likes of the latter. What else should I listen to?
posted by xmutex at 9:12 PM PST - 45 comments

FoodFilter: What is swallow's nest? I was watching an episode of Iron Chef where something called swallow's nest was used in a dessert, and I have no idea what it is. It looks like a gelatinous noodle. The only somewhat promising result on Google is that it's the spit from a swallow, but I'm not sure of the source. Does anyone have more info?
posted by smich at 8:53 PM PST - 10 comments

Flash cards have a limited number of write cycles per area of the memory (cells). While this may be very high, for the time being, assume I'm going to use them up at some point. [MI] [more inside]
posted by Caviar at 7:50 PM PST - 5 comments

CD packaging: How much does it add to your enjoyment of the music? Does it influence your listening experience to any degree? Feel free to mention both positive and negative examples.
posted by davebush at 7:37 PM PST - 44 comments

I cannot access lclark.edu or cihost.com. It just doesn't work. Other websites work fine, my hosts file contains nothing that would cause this, I have no blocking software, I have no spyware, and these two web sites are not down.

I have been able to access both in the past, but for whatever reason they just stopped working. Ideas? I'm running Mozilla 1.7.1 on Windows XP SP2, but I have the same problem with Internet Explorer.
posted by punishinglemur at 6:20 PM PST - 28 comments

Can you lay Pergo over concrete? We are negotiating with a builder to buy a house he's built. The negotiations revolve around what kind of flooring he will install. There's a family room with a concrete floor in the lowest level of the house, and we'd like to have Pergo on the floor. the room has a door to the back yard, and we figure laminate is the most durable, comfortable compromise.

The builder doesn't think you can lay Pergo on concrete, and is pushing carpet. We don't want the maintenance burden of carpet next to an outside door. Tile would be too cold. All the web sources say if you put down a vapor barrier first, Pergo is OK. Anyone have experience with Pergo on concrete?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:46 PM PST - 14 comments

I've made a website for a relative; she wants to be able to add photos to it. I'm get her using WordPress to update the site, and she's got no problem with its upload procedure.
The problem is that she hasn't got good image editing software. None of the various options avialble to her (she's running Windows XP) allow her to crop an image to an aspect ratio; most don't even let her crop an image to a particualr pixel size. She shouldn't have to spring the big bucks for Photoshop. So my question is, what freeware/shareware is out ther for Windows users that allows users to crop to aspect ratio and pixel size?
posted by eustacescrubb at 2:50 PM PST - 19 comments

The other kind of Valentine's Day heart: My 40-year-old brother was diagnosed today with congestive heart failure. Bad heart genes run in our family, and I'm taking this as a wake-up call to get my own bod in order. [+] [more inside]
posted by mudpuppie at 2:25 PM PST - 20 comments

I'm mixing an album and I want all tracks to have the same apparent loudness. [that noise comes from inside] [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 2:10 PM PST - 15 comments

I often walk past artists painting/airbrushing photorealistic billboards on the sides of buildings. Talent aside, how do they do this? I would imagine that an original image would be projected onto the building, and then traced, but how do they avoid image distortion if the environment doesn't allow for a perfect straight-on projection? Do they project an already-distorted original onto the wall?
posted by Robot Johnny at 2:07 PM PST - 10 comments

I just bought a dozen roses on my lunch break. Can't leave for work for 5 more hours. While I'm storing them in a glass of water, should I also snip the ends? Then do it again after surprising my sweetheart? Or just let them sit in peace?
posted by danny boy at 1:38 PM PST - 7 comments

SoftwareRAID0AndCan'tLogInToWindowsXPFilter: My userinit.exe is gone after a routine Windows update, and I can't use the recovery console or a boot disk to access my hard drives [+] [more inside]
posted by tumult at 1:26 PM PST - 8 comments

My wife and I were at IKEA last week and noticed a big batch of sheep skins for sale, rather cheaply. I know these are popular for some as car seats and the like, but we got to wondering, what happens to the slaughtered sheep from which they are taken? Do people still eat mutton at all? Whether or not one is a vegetarian, at least leather and similar hides presumably come from cows that are also slaughtered for their meat. But what happens to the meat of sheeps?
posted by jgballard at 1:13 PM PST - 16 comments

ZombieFilter: I have recently developed an interest in zombie movies. I'm having trouble finding a good list though; can anyone recommend some new ones I haven't seen yet? Preferably North American releases but any foreign suggestions are welcome too. [+] [more inside]
posted by id girl at 12:59 PM PST - 38 comments

Attention sound peoples: I work for a non-profit that runs a historic theatre that's getting set to re-open. We're looking to lease or purchase sound equipment, as the primary use for the facility will be live music [MI]. [more inside]
posted by Hat Maui at 12:47 PM PST - 6 comments

Does anyone have experiences with an organization called Save the Children? The website looks legit, but the volunteers (paid?) they have roving through downtown feel scetchy. They are as aggressive as fanatical knife salesmen. Is this a good organization with a bad public presentation of itself? Or is there something darker (profit driven) going on? [more inside]
posted by elwoodwiles at 12:40 PM PST - 20 comments

What is the easiest way to eliminate computer monitor flicker (from the refresh rate) that shows up in digital video? I'm taping some people for a company documentary and need to shoot them at their computers.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 12:29 PM PST - 12 comments

I've finally started to "get" RSS feeds and I'm now reading a lot of stuff through an aggregator. What are the coolest uses for RSS feeds out there? I'm looking for information that isn't just "newest posts" on a blog, or NYT headlines, but something more along the lines of rssweather.com or Netflix's RSS feeds. What are the most outside-the-box uses of syndication?
posted by Plutor at 12:27 PM PST - 11 comments

del.icio.us: am I missing something? (more inside) [more inside]
posted by designbot at 12:06 PM PST - 14 comments

What bad movie(s) do you love? Not in an MST3K way, but you actually enjoy unironically, even though you know they're bad (or considered bad by the majority of humanity)? [more inside]
posted by Gucky at 11:37 AM PST - 141 comments

I've got several pairs of lightweight wool dress pants from Ann Taylor. They are marked dry clean only. Suppose I hand-wash these pants in cold water and lay them flat on a towel to air-dry. Will the laundry gods punish my impudence?
posted by naomi at 10:57 AM PST - 12 comments

GuitarTechFilter: I have purchased some replacement pickups (humbuckers) for an old Les Paul. Rather than paying the $60-80 bench time to have the local music shop do it, I was considering doing it myself. In order to do this, what kind of soldering gun do I need? Any particular gauge/weight of solder? What else do I need in terms of equipment to pull this off? [more inside]
posted by Flem Snopes at 10:42 AM PST - 12 comments

Arcade filter: I collect and restore arcade games and pinball machines. I'm always looking for more games, and the main way I find them is by watching the classified ads. What are the best classified ad search engines for both online ads and newspaper ads? Can anyone suggest a better way to find games?
posted by cosmicbandito at 10:14 AM PST - 5 comments

What do you wish someone had told you before you went to Japan (or, indeed, anywhere outside the United States) for the first time?
posted by jjg at 9:58 AM PST - 42 comments

I just got a tanning booth subscription at my gym. I've never really been able to tan in the sun but I don't spend much time outside as it is. I have gone twice, 5 minutes at a time. (mi) [more inside]
posted by Dean Keaton at 9:33 AM PST - 14 comments

As a kid, at age 16, I was sexually abused. This continued until I was 18, and went to college. The guy is my stepfather, and I still run into him when I visit my mom, but we dont talk about it. I've been having bouts of reoccuring depression, and this is playing a large role. I think it's interfering with my schoolwork, however it comes and goes. When I feel ok, I hardly think about it anymore. I was thinking about using the university's free student counselling, but I dont want this guy arrested, because my mom doesnt know, and I dont want her to. I cant afford therapy that's not free. What should/can I do?
posted by anonymous at 8:40 AM PST - 29 comments

How can I hire, sight-unseen, photographers in at least 12 countries? I have a photo-essay project I'm working on, and I need specific photos from a large number of countries. Semipro or "prosumer" photographers would suffice, I believe. Stock photo houses don't have what I need, and I'm completely at a loss as to how to proceed [MI]. [more inside]
posted by aramaic at 7:48 AM PST - 22 comments

Why shouldn't I let my Salon premium subscription lapse?
posted by MattD at 7:35 AM PST - 16 comments

Instead of hosting a big Easter dinner, I've decided to take my one and a half year-old son and sixtysome year-old mother to the zoo. I live in the Morris County section of New Jersey, and don't want to spend most of the day in the car. What zoo would you recommend to me, that would keep my son's attention while offering some handicapped amenities? Bonus if it has an elephant. My son loves elephants.
posted by FunkyHelix at 7:23 AM PST - 11 comments

Has anyone ever been Machu Picchu? After seeing countless documentaries and TV specials over the years, I'm thoroughly convinced that I must go and expericence the power of this place. But honestly, I don't know JACK when it comes to planning something like this. Can someone recommend a starting point... and if you've taken this particular vacation before, feel free to toss out some "key points to remember". I've searched the web of course, and found plenty of tours-this, tours-that. But like I said, I wouldn't know what to focus on and what to avoid. Luxury accommodations are far from necessary. I WANT TO SLEEP WITH THE GODS! :)
posted by Witty at 6:48 AM PST - 10 comments

I am looking for a bar in NYC within walking distance of this location. It should serve pub food (burgers, etc...) and should accomidate a small group of friends looking to catch up on old times without having to yell over the music.
posted by quibx at 6:40 AM PST - 15 comments

How does copyright / intellectual property work on recipes? [+] [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 6:37 AM PST - 17 comments

My girlfriend and I moved in, and she told a friend of mine that we could take care of his cat for one week while he's on vacation with his girlfriend.
Then I read about sofa scratches, cat pee, ruined furnitures and marking territory. The cat is male, and roughly 6/8 months old. Uncut (both nails and *there*). Rather on the hyperactive side.
1) How can I get out of the promise without sounding too harsh, or making my g/f look bad ?
2) If I can't, what should we be prepared for ?
We don't know anything about cat handling (we both come for dog families), we love our furniture, have breakable things on higher but reachable places, long thin curtains, wood floor, computers cables, old family sideboard...
posted by XiBe at 1:20 AM PST - 16 comments

T. Coraghessan Boyle. I've never read any TC Boyle, but I want to begin reading his novels. What's the best order in which to read them?
posted by NortonDC at 1:04 AM PST - 18 comments

Calling all ST:TNG geeks! I'm looking for an example where a Starfleet member shows blind loyalty, honor, or duty that is against his/her own personal interests. [more inside] [more inside]
posted by sbutler at 12:08 AM PST - 23 comments

80s instrumental syth-rock filter: The soundtrack of a commercial I saw on TV yesterday tickled my memory. I remembered liking the song as a kid, but I do not know its name or the name of the band. (Heck, I can't even remember what the commercial was.)

I threw together a midi file of a the choru, which should be instantly recognizable to anyone who knows it (despite my poor attempt at reprocucing it): What is this song?
posted by pmbuko at 11:53 PM PST - 10 comments

What color socks should I wear with brown shoes and blue jeans?
posted by willnot at 11:49 PM PST - 43 comments

I work a standard full-time job. How do I keep the amount of rubbish generated from lunch down to something I'm not ashamed of? [Would you like to know more?] [more inside]
posted by krisjohn at 11:49 PM PST - 10 comments

Can CSS be used to transform an unordered list of links into a horizontal navigation bar which occupies a fixed (total) width but has equidistant padding between each link, regardless of content length? ( css layout tooth-grinding insanity ) [more inside]
posted by Danelope at 10:34 PM PST - 10 comments

Podcatchers, with so many feeds available, which podcasts do you recommend? [more inside]
posted by mds35 at 9:45 PM PST - 8 comments

IntelFilter: What (if any) advantage does my Prescott core CPU have over a Northwood core one? [MI] [more inside]
posted by Stunt at 8:38 PM PST - 6 comments

Amateur artist needs help setting a price... I'm a Canadian college kid and an amateur artist. I got an email a few days ago from a musician in England asking me to design a CD cover for his band, based on him having seen a picture online of the only commissioned artwork I've ever done (a small painting that I sold for $125 American).
He's asked me to set my price, and I've got no idea. I'm not a professional by any means, and I'm just a kid, and pretty broke anyway, so I'd be happy with relatively little, but I don't want him to think he's getting some kind of bargain-basement deal. What should I take into account here, and how should I go about negotiating a price with him? Is there anything else I should know about this kind of transaction?
Thanks in advance.
posted by anonymous at 8:33 PM PST - 16 comments

I sure wish that one could just input coupon codes (from, for instance, newspaper inserts) online and have them link up to our userids at whatever groceries so where-ever we are, our coupons would redeem at the checkout.

Googling coupon-related terms results in the spammiest craplinks evar. My queries, then, are: does this exist today? Did someone try to build it back in the dotcom era? If so, what was its' fate?

(At dinner tonight, my wife mentioned that when she last visited our local Safeway, she'd saved $10 via coupons. When I last visited, coupon-free, I saved nothing, though our initial bills were the same. We share a Safeway big brother card number, as do we at QFC, the other dominant chain in our neck of the woods. I grumbled that it would be nice if we could, you know, live in the twenty-first century.)
posted by mwhybark at 8:30 PM PST - 15 comments

I have a Windows XP machine, and recently bought a new hard drive now C:, my old drive now D:.

When I go to access my old pictures and documents, D:\Documents and Setting\user, Windows tells me I don't have permissions to access the folder. WTF? How can I access my stuff? [more inside]
posted by Mean Mr. Bucket at 8:30 PM PST - 5 comments

The outlets in my new apartment are two pronged. I've been tearing the third prong off of power strips in order to plug them into the wall. Is this bad?
posted by tomharpel at 8:07 PM PST - 18 comments

I have a Toshiba e310, that mysteriously stopped starting up when I turned it on. It's not completely dead, it comes up with the default bootscreen and then just sits there. Windows XP detects an unknown device, and that's it. I've tried doing a hard reset, soft reset, and letting the battery drain. Is there any use for it? Does anyone know of a way to recover it? [more inside]
posted by jackofsaxons at 7:54 PM PST - 6 comments

DogCameraFilter - our somewhat newly adopted mostly Australian Cattle Dog is literally terrified of cameras - digital and cell phone. She'll run, shake, and avoid them at all costs. Any ideas why, and what we can do to assure her we just want to show her off to friends and preserve her cuteness for wallpapers and memories and the like? It's nearly impossible to get a photo of her where she doesn't look scared shitless. [more inside]
posted by tr33hggr at 7:40 PM PST - 22 comments

What books have defined your generation?
posted by Wayman Tisdale at 7:32 PM PST - 53 comments

External hard drive: I need something reliable, solid, and QUIET, in the 120-200GB range. Quiet is key, since it would be predominantly a music server and it's very annoying to have high-pitched hard drive whine in the background of everything I listen to. I'm currently using a LaCie 120GB Firewire drive, and it's been great except for the constant (not aggressively loud, but certainly noticeable) whine. Am I a spoiled brat, or is it possible to get a whisper-quiet external disk? (Tips for silencing or quieting an external drive are also welcomed.)
posted by logovisual at 7:22 PM PST - 7 comments

I have about 15,000$ saved up and was thinking of investing it in something. Whats the best thing? I want something that is SOLID and dependable so I was thinking of buying real-estate. Is that a good idea?
posted by Napierzaza at 6:53 PM PST - 23 comments

I did my taxes this weekend and was surprised to find out my husband and I made about 120k last year. After a few rocky dot-com years and a new job for both of us, I knew we were doing ok, but had no idea we would break the six figure barrier for the first time in our lives. The problem is, not much seems different. I always thought making $100k/year meant we could have anything. We don't live paycheck to paycheck and we don't sweat going to the grocery store, but we don't have a huge plasma tv and we both drive economical cars. Our house is worth less than $200k. Are we bad with money? Should we see a financial planner and budget everything to see where it is all going? I feel like we should have tens of thousands of savings given what we make (we have a few grand in the bank for emergencies is all). I feel like we're living just as we did when we made half as much and I'm also concerned if we'll have enough for kids someday. Or am I doing everything right and the $100k/year american dream isn't all it's cracked up to be? This honestly took me by surprise.
posted by anonymous at 5:35 PM PST - 45 comments

I was raised by an abusive father. Now in my early 30's I am looking ahead to the future when I may become a father. I am determined not to recreate the family environment I grew up in but know how these things sometimes turn out -- that people determined not to recreate something sometimes wind up doing so in an unforseen manner. I was in therapy for 2 years in my 20's to work on the issues but therapy is not an option now because of money. I have worked hard not to be my father, but part of me is afraid that I will wind up being like him as a parent. (In particular, I worry about being a father to a son because of my history). I am looking for information about the father-son relationship as well as information about how to be a good parent when you have a background like mine. Please offer advice, books, suggestions - anything that can help.
posted by anonymous at 5:35 PM PST - 16 comments

Embarrassment of riches filter: I have a Bank of America account, and about two weeks ago I noticed that they had erroneously deposited approximately $1,400 of extra interest from some savings bonds into my account. I called to notify them of their error, and after playing phone tag, they eventually realized that the deposit was a mistake and assured me that they'd take back the money. Bizarrely, they still haven't, which is starting to get annoying. After a certain period of time, do I get to keep the money? If not, can I do something to get them to actually take it back?
posted by anonymous at 5:35 PM PST - 26 comments

stereofilter: I'm interested in replacing my subwoofer. I have some cheap RCA thing that really overemphasizes a single note. I'd like to replace it with something that has better frequency response, preferably a self-powered sub, and I don't want to pay a fortune for 'stereophile' stuff like so many people seem to do.
posted by delmoi at 5:13 PM PST - 9 comments

Can anyone recommend a Windows XP utility that lists details of what's plugged into my USB devices? I need more info than what Device Manager tells me, but don't need the full USB device developer suites I find searching the web.
posted by Nelson at 4:57 PM PST - 2 comments

Php session help requested. [MI] [more inside]
posted by Scottk at 4:27 PM PST - 10 comments

HTPC owners: need recommendations, based on your direct experience, on a remote control for my XP-based mp3/video player. More requirements inside. [more inside]
posted by aberrant at 4:15 PM PST - 4 comments

While I was in Taiwan this past month, I was sure that I heard a Mandarin version of Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" on the radio/sound-system while browsing through a store... does anyone know what the song/artist is? Or, on a similar note, other Mandarin songs/artists that either cover or steal their melodies from American/English songs?
posted by numble at 3:42 PM PST - 3 comments

Extended warranty-filter on a Sharp LCD HD 37" t.v., do I really need it? Any experiences with repairs/cost on this or similar t.v.s?
posted by 6:1 at 2:25 PM PST - 3 comments

BossFromHell/HRToolFilter: How many of you encountered the boss from hell and the HR zombies who defended him/her? What did you do? Are you glad you did what you did, or would you have done something different?
posted by nj_subgenius at 2:19 PM PST - 21 comments

I seem to remember in the last month or so there was a question about simple scripts or html that could be used to set up a simple picture gallery with clickable thumbnails? I thought I bookmarked it , but I gues not, and I can't seem to find the thread by searching.
posted by alball at 1:42 PM PST - 12 comments

Laptops (again). I want to buy one. Specifically, I want to know which laptop is the best for multi-track audio editing (and why). Aditionally, which software should I use if I want to create stories "pro" enough for radio journalism? Do I have to get pricey studio stuff? Finally, when people out there submit already-produced audio stories to say BBC, NPR, PRI, Pacifica . . . is there a simple way to send the files via email? What kind of file would it have to be?
posted by punkbitch at 1:00 PM PST - 9 comments

Some punk spraypainted my car last night. Is there any product I can use to get the graffiti off without ruining the finish on my car? [MI] [more inside]
posted by ch3ch2oh at 11:52 AM PST - 8 comments

How do you pronounce the word 'Wilhelmine' used as an English adjective to describe things pertaining to the German Second Empire (1871-1918)? wil-HELM-meena, as in the female name? wil-HELM-meen? I've only read it, never heard it, and on-line dictionaries fail me.
posted by mojohand at 11:30 AM PST - 6 comments

Too many devices question......[mi] [more inside]
posted by szg8 at 10:16 AM PST - 4 comments

I saw a site once that featured a world map in which each country was identified in its native spelling (i.e. Spain is Espana). Any leads for me finding it again?
posted by Heatwole at 9:26 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm going to have a reasonably large scar on my nose. What can I do now to minimise the long term visibility of the scar? [more inside]
posted by handee at 9:09 AM PST - 18 comments

AccountingFilter:
I purchase a car for 10,000. with a $1000 rebate
The state levies a 5% sales tax of $500 . Am I not entitled to to a tax refund of $100 ?
My good buddy Google is uncharacteristically mum about this query.
posted by Fupped Duck at 8:51 AM PST - 7 comments

I've recently made the switch to Mac, and would like to do web development on the platform too (PHP webdev stuff). With PHP, I need frequent access to the backslash key, which on my Swiss-German layout is mapped to alt-shift-7 by default. This will Not Do.

Does anybody know of a (preferably free) program that allows me to re-map any key to another key? All the keyboard remapping tools I've tried just offer to map the modifier keys to a different modifier keys, akin to swapping keys, not remapping
posted by slater at 5:24 AM PST - 10 comments

For those of you fluent in Japanese, I'd like to hear your best advice on the subject. I've studied for about 4 years, and have been living in Japan for nearly a year, but despite this, achieving true "fluency" still seems like an insurmountable task. Although I am conversationally fluent, at times I become incredibly frustrated. How long do you think it takes to become fluent? And now for the oh-so-impossible question: what should I do to speed up the process? Advice, experiences, suggestions would be welcome from any students of foreign language.
posted by dead_ at 5:06 AM PST - 9 comments

Um, oops.
So I changed my disk partition a bit, changing my big data drive to a 'logical' partition of the same file-type (without changing the start or endpoint of the partition), and now Windows isn't recognizing it... Is there a good way to undo this horrible thing? The data should definitely still be there - no actual formatting occurred, just a changing of the partition table. Is there a way to undo this?
posted by kaibutsu at 1:31 AM PST - 3 comments

Copyright law questions; what is the minimum number of notes in a song/melody for it to by copyrighted? Is there anything stopping you from using a computer to generate all the possible combinations of melodies of that lenght and then using some ai (or people distributed over the internet), to filter out all the non-horrible and already existing ones, and then copyrighting the rest? Thereby owning almost all future music?
posted by Iax at 10:46 PM PST - 27 comments

What's the difference between a dental plan and dental insurance? My employer doesn't provide any dental insurance, and I don't know which I want or why. Oh, if it matters, I'm in PA
posted by filmgeek at 9:29 PM PST - 3 comments

I am traveling to Scranton, PA in a couple of weeks. What is there to do there? I should say I am not a big party girl. More like local history, local restaurants, etc.
posted by davenportmom at 9:20 PM PST - 10 comments

An old friend (and one time fling) from out of town wants to visit for a few days. But there's a problem: he's on probation and wants to do a little traveling. He knows that he'll reap the whirlwind when he returns (which he says that he will do) but swears that no one will be interested in looking for him for the time he'll be away. I'm not so sure that leaving the watchful eyes of probation won't ensue a manhunt. I'm feeling a bit nervous about the whole thing. My question is this: in this circumstance, how do you turn a good friend down?
posted by anonymous at 8:44 PM PST - 15 comments

My girlfriend chews food with her mouth open. In the past four years, I've tried everything from polite admonition to blunt, borderline rudeness. She's not stupid, and she's generally well-mannered -- but she can't drop this habit. She's 23. Any suggestions?
posted by anonymous at 8:44 PM PST - 37 comments

Headphonesfilter - in the mid 90's I tried out a set of headphones at a CreativeLabs developer's conference that featured open-air behind-the-head design.[+] [more inside]
posted by plinth at 6:34 PM PST - 6 comments

(RIAA-filter) Concerning downloading copyrighted material, is the act of downloading illegal, or just possesion? If you download a song and delete it, are you stil culpable? Of what offense? And is intent a factor?
posted by Edible Energy at 6:23 PM PST - 18 comments

I have a Dell running XP. Sometimes it wants to boot and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't boot, it's because it can't find the hard drive. If I try to boot from the OS CD that came with the box, it chugs along reading the disc, but then it blue-screens. So I restart lots o' times and eventually it works. When it does boot, obviously it can find the hard drive, because that's where the OS is. Then everything works well until maybe the next reboot.

So what's that likely to be? Something like a disc controller failing? Or a software problem? Why can it find the hard drive sometimes but not all the time.
posted by pracowity at 5:53 PM PST - 8 comments

I have a friend who's cat is sick. What can he do to help make it more comfortable? [more inside]
posted by daver at 5:18 PM PST - 9 comments

We were rearranging the shelves in my house today, and we found a bunch of old tapes from my
Dad's friends from when he lived in Spain (he was born there, as was I). His friends mixed
a bunch of bands together to make this very cool-sounding tape, and the thought struck me: Why not
rip this? (edit: also found bunch of old tapes my brother made of a punk radio station. woot!)

Of course, I lack the knowledge required.

So my question essentially is: what sort of process, programs, and materials is one required to
go through to convert these tapes to mp3? Would the machine I'd have to buy also double as a
tape-pl-ayer itself? What about records? I've been wanting a record player for a while, and I've
been wanting to rip some records as well. Are there record-rippers which double as players? Are
there record/tape player/rippers all combined into one machine? How complicated is this process?
How expensive does it have to be? I don't want to end up with really badly ripped files, but I
don't want studio equipment, either. Basically, what do I have to go through to get good
sounding, 192-320 kbps mp3s from my tapes and records that I could then distribute via
BitTorrent? Thanks.
posted by Lockeownzj00 at 5:04 PM PST - 17 comments

My father's eyes sting when we use the kitchen... [more inside]
posted by crazy finger at 3:29 PM PST - 12 comments

I am looking for a web host that also has IMAP email access. I'm not looking for anything fancy. I would like at least 1 GB of storage. All I read is horror stories and none of the rating sites seem very reputable. Could you please post your recommendations?
posted by whatevrnvrmind at 1:23 PM PST - 8 comments

Windows partition advice needed: re. deleting the OEM D: drive to release storage space after upgrading to XP. [Lots of details inside.] [more inside]
posted by dash_slot- at 11:31 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm making a documentary/mockumentry in old newsreel style, and I'm looking for old cheeseball educational film/newsreel music to use as a background soundtrack. Hints? Links? Free would be nice...Cheap OK.
posted by cccorlew at 9:56 AM PST - 7 comments

Anyone have any trustworthy online sources for recipes? Right now, I'm looking for a good baked ziti recipe, but I'm also looking for recommendations for the future. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by amarynth at 9:34 AM PST - 18 comments

Yet another PC game question. Help me find a puzzle game that I really do not have a lot of information about, but hopefully something will tweak someone's memory. [+] [more inside]
posted by purephase at 9:26 AM PST - 7 comments

ObscureMacGameFilter: when I was in college, I spent too much time playing an old Mac game with a somewhat... unique ending. I've forgotten the title — can Mefi help? [more, including spoilers for the ending, inside] [more inside]
posted by Johnny Assay at 8:29 AM PST - 5 comments

I am looking for images/art/photos of moths suitable for stencilling and/or tattooing. Google is the first place I looked, and while there's a lot of material out there, I'm hoping the human element can help me narrow my search. [+] [more inside]
posted by Jairus at 7:31 AM PST - 8 comments

I have a room with six computers, each with a copy of a few new FPS games. I want to play deathmatches, etc. (using all 6 computers) with people outside the room. What is the minimum recommended bandwidth to connect this room to the internets in order to maintain a high quality gaming experience? Does it matter how many people outside the room are playing or is the amount of data being passed in and out of the room fairly consistent regardless of whether there are, say 6 or 18 people playing outside the room?

Super bonus points for estimated monthly bandwidth costs at a commercial location in the DC metro area.
posted by i love cheese at 6:45 AM PST - 7 comments

I'd like to get my wife a kitchen mixer. We really can't afford a proper kitchen aide as we'd like, so I wanted to ask the foodies here at Ask.Me. If it matters she'll be using it mainly for making cakes and cookies.
posted by TuxHeDoh at 6:04 AM PST - 27 comments

Need help identifying a computer game. [MI] [more inside]
posted by LeeJay at 3:00 AM PST - 7 comments

BlockbusterPseudoTheftFilter: OK, not really stealing, just curious. I rented a DVD from Blockbuster the other day only to find (on returning home) that the clerk had not removed the yellow security tab. On calling the store, I was given the go-ahead to cut the box apart so I could watch the movie without making the trek back. It was easy enough to cut it open from the other side, but it's made me really curious about that security tab, which I thought would come apart much more easily. Which brings me to the question, which has been brewing in the back of my head forever ... does anyone know how these things work, exactly? The best I've been able to discern so far is that magnets are involved.
posted by Sinner at 2:26 AM PST - 8 comments

What are your experiences with online dating? [+]
posted by slipperywhenwet at 12:40 AM PST - 29 comments

What's the world's most busker-friendly city?
posted by Wolof at 11:49 PM PST - 21 comments

Law school + dog: I'm starting law school next fall, and I am currently looking at my housing options. I'm specifically looking for places that are pet friendly, but I need to know whether it is really possible for me to have a dog as a first year law student. Anyone out there been to law school recently? How much extra time will I have? (Assume that the neighborhood/apartment size is not an issue, and I've had dogs before so I know how to care for them.)
posted by ohio at 10:16 PM PST - 15 comments

Aside from this AskMe thread looking for a particular resume service, I can't find anything about resume-writing services in general.

Has anyone used one, especially in the sciences, where there are lots of industry jobs and lots of resumes flying around? I'm wondering if I should pay a professional to make sure my resume has a good chance of ever getting read by a human. Also, if you have any biotech/pharma-specific resume tips, feel free to chime in...
posted by rxrfrx at 8:25 PM PST - 6 comments

Where to download music? I only listen to music when I’m in my car (3 to 4 hours a day) and I plan to give my XM Radio to my father. I need to be able to burn the songs into CDs. I don’t need to find rare songs. Free is good, but I’d rather pay than have my PC full of spyware. [more inside]
posted by Penks at 7:27 PM PST - 29 comments

I'm looking for good restaurants in San Francisco near Moscone Center. [more inside] [more inside]
posted by JDC8 at 6:54 PM PST - 18 comments

The Gates could be "the most photographed thing ever." Could be! To date, what is the most photographed thing ever? A landmark like the Taj Mahal or the Grand Canyon? A sporting event? New Year's Eve in Times Square? Something totally different?
posted by djacobs at 6:32 PM PST - 33 comments

On the Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeney album Superwolf the song Blood Embrace features a sample of dialogue from...something. Could be a movie, tv show, play...anything. Anyone know what this dialogue is from?
posted by Doug at 5:21 PM PST - 17 comments

There's a guy out there on the web that has chosen to name his blog after me, Armando Bellmas. Instead of feeling flattered, I feel used. As a photographer my name is my business name, too, and I can't have this guy moving in on my turf. I don't know him nor have I given him permission to use my name. Plus, his blog is coming up in the top ten search results for my name at Google. He has not replied to any of my email inquiries and, short of calling an attorney for advice, I'm turning to you guys and the web for help. Thanks in advance.
posted by armando at 5:02 PM PST - 32 comments

I once saw a website for folks willing to share a place to stay for travellers. Hosts would describe the accommodations and conditions, photos were posted. As I recall it was started by college students but people of all ages now are members. There may be a fee involved. Google fails me. TIA to pointers.
posted by NorthCoastCafe at 4:31 PM PST - 6 comments

Ladies- what yummy foods do you crave when it's that time of the month? Also, how do you keep yourself from wolfing down every last source of it in your kitchen? [more inside]
posted by invisible ink at 4:17 PM PST - 39 comments

I can't seem to figure out how to make an image that is in .pdf format into the wallpaper on my desktop, OS: XP. I've tried saving it in another format and it doesn't seem to work. Any ideas?
posted by pinkkitty at 3:56 PM PST - 13 comments

Is it possible to set up a wiki in such a manner that anyone can read but only those with a password can edit? [mi] [more inside]
posted by me3dia at 1:33 PM PST - 9 comments

TeaFilter: I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I rather enjoy a good cup of tea. And, I often take a travel mug of Earl Grey with me to work each morning. However, I don't always want the caffeine, and so I've been trying to find a good full-leaf Earl Grey. I buy my non-decaffeinated Earl Gray from The Republic of Tea but it seems that they only sell decaf Earl Grey in tea bags (which just wouldn't be my cup of tea, so to speak). Can anyone recommend a good decaf full-leaf Earl Gray? I live in Texas but I'd prefer to buy it mail-order as that would save me a trip to the store. And, cost is not of primary concern to me.
posted by Handcoding at 1:06 PM PST - 12 comments

A friend of mine is teaching someone to sing, and is looking for well known popular songs with male / female duet. Think Sonny and Cher's `I got you babe', and you're in the right sort of area. Some singing together, but plenty of separate male / female singing going on. Any recommendations?
posted by tomble at 1:06 PM PST - 42 comments

ShoeFilter? Six months ago, I bought a new pair of Skaters sneakers. Recently they started to make a weird "clack" sound while I was walking, and I discovered that protuding from a small hole in each sole, close to the heel, is a solid-looking metal strip, about 1cm wide and 1mm thick, looking as though it's been slowly grinding its way out. What are the strips for? Is it really necessary to reinforce the rubber with metal?
posted by gentle at 12:56 PM PST - 8 comments

Non-Googlable tech support! I have a friend doing hosting off courier-imap. I am forced to use Outlook 2003 as a client. With Outlook, no matter which machine I go to, I cannot access my IMAP account and only return an error (detailed inside) about Outlook is unable to download folder (null). Here are links of people with the same problem but no solutions, 1, 2, 3. [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 12:52 PM PST - 10 comments

Let's assume, for a second, that I've maybe used LokiTorrent a few times to download a few things. Now, assume I've done this through a router and cable modem. How traceable am I? Is there any chance I could get sued? (i.e. should I take my computer and any CDs I have and make a big bonfire?)
posted by anonymous at 11:52 AM PST - 32 comments

Interesting / quirky suggestions for Valentine's Day? I'm based in London but it doesn't have to be UK-specific - I would be happy to hear your more general anecdotes of memorable romantic or eccentric activities. NB: She doesn't like expensive meals and is afraid of heights. (Posted anonymously so the lady in question doesn't figure that I've turned to AskMeFi for inspiration!)
posted by anonymous at 11:51 AM PST - 4 comments

For those on SSRIs, does anything weird happen if you accidentally miss a dose?
posted by anonymous at 11:51 AM PST - 39 comments

Mac OS X Mail.app putting annoying line breaks into long URLs. [more inside] [more inside]
posted by jragon at 11:24 AM PST - 4 comments

I have an old-ish Mac (Dual G4/500) I'd like to donate to a worthy cause. What's my best bet for doing so, and making sure that it's a valid 501(c)3 company who can provide a receipt? Also, how do I determine its worth as a contribution? I'm in NYC, and I don't want to be bothered contacting individual places- is there a central bulletin board for this kind of thing?
posted by mkultra at 11:13 AM PST - 8 comments

Amazon A9 Yellow Pages. I'm curious about people uploading their own images. I haven't been able to find any locations that have user-submitted photos. Is there some string of text that's unique to such pages that I might be able to use to speed up the search? Or anyone just want to point me to some examples you've found?
posted by Jeff Howard at 10:18 AM PST - 2 comments

I have narrow ankles and fairly "large" feet (I have to wear size 10 shoes in order to have a comfortable fit). But because of my narrow ankles, I am having a hard time finding shoes that fit. I have tried thicker socks, a couple of different lacing techniques etc but nothing seems to help. My heels always move inside the shoes! Please help me!!!
posted by ataraxian at 9:52 AM PST - 9 comments

Is there an online service that can help me set up a new company (either as a GP or LLC) and get Federal and State Tax ID's quickly? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by Tommy Gnosis at 9:35 AM PST - 16 comments

What do they put as your country of birth if that country no longer exists? [More inside.] [more inside]
posted by Captaintripps at 9:20 AM PST - 16 comments

I've been listening to audiobooks for a few months now. I like them, but some are better than others. I'm looking for recommendations for great audiobooks, and, in particular, great readers. (Also: any recommendations for great courses from The Teaching Company?) [more inside]
posted by jdroth at 9:12 AM PST - 29 comments

I'm looking to sell my car in the next few weeks (never done so in my life). It runs perfectly, has low milage (35,000 mi. at 4 years old) and has a well-kept interior. However, the exterior has some minor to moderate cosmetic damage. Is it worth the cash to take it to a body shop and make it pretty? [MI] [more inside]
posted by Boydrop at 8:59 AM PST - 8 comments

Email.etiquette.filter - How do you all battle those annoying email relationships in which responses never come or questions you ask never get answered? Email etiquette seems to be lacking amongst many people and I have some acquaintances that send out emails, but never bother replying, or when they reply, never answer my questions or acknowledge my response. The obvious answer is to just ignore them or lower my standards, but have any of you found a method to improve the email etiquette of your friends? It can be so annoying!
posted by brheavy at 8:56 AM PST - 16 comments

Training the dog not to sleep on the bed … [MI] [more inside]
posted by boomchicka at 8:43 AM PST - 11 comments

Since installing XP professional in November, I have experienced a spontaneous shutdown and restart of my desktop. When it returns, it tells me the system has recovered from a fatal error that is caused by an unspecified device driver. I have uninstalled both software and hardware one by one over the last several weeks in hopes of identifying the problem. Nothing. Even system restore does not solve it. Is is time to reinstall XP, even with the risk that it will likely happen again?
posted by terrier319 at 8:40 AM PST - 13 comments

Are there any (US) places where I can freely dispose of very old/dead computer equipment in an environmentally correct manner? (more inside) [more inside]
posted by pmurray63 at 8:35 AM PST - 9 comments

I need suggestions for a computer networking/troubleshooting/general I.T. specialist (either a consultant or a company) for a small nonprofit in Brooklyn. [m.i.] [more inside]
posted by naxosaxur at 8:31 AM PST - 3 comments

My bathroom has mirrored walls instead of tiles. When I look at myself in one wall/mirror, I seem slightly shorter and wider than I seem in the other mirror, creating the illusion of a 5 lb difference in my appearance. Is there a way to figure out which mirror (if either) is accurate?
posted by xo at 8:13 AM PST - 9 comments

I need advice on energy-bestowing foods. I'm currently in my 5th month of pregnancy, I work full time, I have a toddler, and I am about to drop. I'd like some suggestions (and preferably recipes) for foods that might up my energy level, so I can drop the zombie mom routine. [+] [more inside]
posted by bibliowench at 8:07 AM PST - 13 comments

I want to go to a bar in NYC that has a mechanical bull. Is there such a place?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:52 AM PST - 11 comments

I want to gain more muscle mass and strength. I don't want to look like a bodybuilder, but I do want to look very fit. (I'm a male nearing 40.) My problem is, I don't have a good gym nearby and I live in a small apartment. I don't have room for a free weight system. Can one build the sort of body that I want without weights or a machine, simply by doing exercises (pushups, etc.)? How reasonable is that approach? If that won't work, what sort of machine should I buy that doesn't take up much real-estate space and is pleasing to the eye. (I've looked into these, but they only go up to 52lbs. Is that enough?)
posted by grumblebee at 7:30 AM PST - 20 comments

Pet monkeys? Something smallish, like the ones I've seen assisting the wheelchair-bound around the house. I've heard lots of stories about them flinging poop and throwing tantrums, but there must be some polite potty-trained ones out there.
posted by sharksandwich at 7:28 AM PST - 13 comments

I just hooked my Mac Mini up to a new 17-inch flatscreen Viewsonic monitor. At unpredictable intervals, the display fades to blue for a moment and then comes back. What's going on? Are my settings wrong or is something broken?
posted by inksyndicate at 7:25 AM PST - 9 comments

BioFilter. Saw The Aviator last night. My natural instinct after seeing a decent bio-pic is to find and read an actual biography of the subject, but I'm having difficulty discerning just which of the available Howard Hughes biographies are worth my time. So I ask you ... can anyone recommend a Hughes bio? Furthermore, do any of you have a favorite biography in your collection? If so, what makes it worthwhile? Accuracy or entertainment?
posted by grabbingsand at 6:45 AM PST - 5 comments

I just recently signed up for a 3 months broadband trial and was wondering what online resources I could access to get the best value out of it. I am looking forward to the great choice of Radio Stations and archived programmes, but what other value could I get from it to make it worthwhile. I dont have a television and would like to get max entertainment value from it as well as anything else you think worthwhile.
posted by kenaman at 5:52 AM PST - 9 comments

Why do new cars supposedly depreciate in value (up to 20%) as soon as someone buys it and drives it off the lot? I just do understand why this happens and who determines the rate it happens.
posted by jasonspaceman at 5:31 AM PST - 13 comments

How do I stop my suit trousers wearing out so quickly? The area between thighs always seems to pill up and eventually wear out, especially on pure wool suits. [more inside]
posted by viama at 4:35 AM PST - 7 comments

Ashtanga Yoga: I just started a few months ago and I love it. I'm having some trouble practising outside of class though, it's hard to remember the beginner sequence the instructor takes us through. Does anyone know of a site with descriptions/diagrams of the Primary Series? (Hopefully with alternate poses for neophytes) Google finds a heck of a lot of not much.
posted by philscience at 2:45 AM PST - 6 comments

Firefox extensions: anyone know of one for saving all my tabs upon exit? [MI] [more inside]
posted by DaShiv at 12:45 AM PST - 10 comments

Looking for a good to-do list application (Windows XP).
I used to use Microsoft Outlook with some vb behind it, and especially liked the ability to send Action Items between coworkers. However I switched to Mozilla Thunderbird for personal use and haven't seen any plugins for this. Integrated Time Tracking and remote access would be a plus. Open Source and or freeware is nice but not essential. Any recommendations that meet some subset of this criteria? Or should I get to coding...
posted by Manjusri at 12:26 AM PST - 4 comments

In this thread, people mention a few times that the Windows disk defragger is horrible and can have negative long-term effects on hard drives. What suggestions do you guys have for a defragger to use instead? Preferably freeware...
posted by swank6 at 11:04 PM PST - 14 comments

My laptop can't produce sound clearly, but last night it could. I know next to nothing about computers. What's with this?
posted by saysthis at 10:43 PM PST - 12 comments

How do you build a house? [+] [more inside]
posted by spacewrench at 9:52 PM PST - 12 comments

RelationshipFilter: The boyfriend is moving in. Anyone have any advice that you would have liked to know when you and your significant other started living together? [MI] [more inside]
posted by Meagan at 8:59 PM PST - 38 comments

I catch colds with alarming frequency- five or six times a year. If I make any sort of contact with somebody else who is sick, I can expect to have what they have within a day or two. I'm 21, HIV negative (recently tested and long abstinent), a vegetarian with a healthy diet, I excercise frequently and I take vitamins. I'm also currently taking Lexapro for depression. My question is twofold: first, what's wrong with me? Doctors insist that I'm fine. Second, what can I do to keep from getting sick so often in the future?
posted by anonymous at 8:20 PM PST - 41 comments

What are some good strategies for studying language with notecards or flash cards? Anyone have experience with the so-called Leitner system? Are software/online notecard systems any better than the real thing? Vocabulary-building tips are appreciated, as well.
posted by swift at 7:08 PM PST - 3 comments

RelationshipFilter: In a new relationship where you fell for each other rather quickly, how do you get the other person over the hump when they find out that you're not their perfect, ideal knight in shining armor? [more inside]
posted by SpecialK at 5:12 PM PST - 28 comments

I'm looking for a pair of not-too-expensive clip-style headphones to replace my current MDR-Q33s. Earbuds irritate me and I like being able to keep one phone on while using the other ear for short conversations and the like. Any recommendations?
posted by casarkos at 5:04 PM PST - 5 comments

eurotrashfilter >> names of goofy europop/dance bands to put on the ipod and take to the gym? the kind you would never tell your friends about?
posted by subpixel at 4:58 PM PST - 35 comments

Any tips for coping with a broken heart? Particularly the immediate aftermath.
posted by penguin pie at 4:57 PM PST - 39 comments

TwingeFilter: I was doing some lifting (moving furniture) and now whenever I climb steep stairs my right knee twinges in a "Don't push it" kind of way. The lifting was over 6 months ago. Will this fix itself or is there something I should be doing to assist it?
posted by hifimofo at 4:22 PM PST - 8 comments

OSXFilter. My girlfriend has a problem with playing sound in her browsers: "I just got a new G5 running Panther. I have Safari, IE, and Firefox installed, and suddenly none of them will play any sound. Flash, Java, media files, nothing makes sound when it's running through a browser. Other applications play sounds fine." [+] [more inside]
posted by kenko at 3:53 PM PST - 12 comments

What was that movie you had to leave or turn off when you were in your more impressionable years? Or, was there a specific one that marked a loss of innocence? Lastly, did it affect your "growing up" in any way? [mi] [more inside]
posted by hellbient at 3:23 PM PST - 105 comments

HomeDeodorantFilter: My friend recently moved into a new place where the prior tenants had left a rather strong scent. She's tried airing the place out, air fresheners, a few candles here and there, but nothing really gets the smell out for good. Any tips?
posted by drpynchon at 2:57 PM PST - 25 comments

What's the origin of the drum roll, "ba-dum-bum-CHING", used by old-school comedians after a joke's punchline? [more inside]
posted by deshead at 2:16 PM PST - 14 comments

What are good places on the internet to waste a short, pre-determined amount of time? (more inside) [more inside]
posted by sid at 12:38 PM PST - 19 comments

How do I learn to build... stuff? Carpentry, woodworking and construction-like activities are foreign to me (I get scared hanging pictures on a wall), and I can't seem to find anything that talks down to my pea-size brain. Can anyone recommend activities and/or reading materials that will help me become handy around the house? [MI] [more inside]
posted by monkeystronghold at 12:11 PM PST - 18 comments

I have never liked the taste of brown rice, but I would like to try to develop a taste for it, since it is so good for you. Is there something that I can add to the rice to make it taste different (and possibly better?) Other suggestions for cooking or preparing the rice, besides the standard are appreciated.
posted by lilboo at 12:10 PM PST - 31 comments

Name that application: a client is looking to move their partner referral tracking online and I would like to avoid hand-coding a solution for various reasons. But I'm having trouble finding suitable "boxed" solutions as most Google results are for "referral tracking" of the spamish kind. Detailed description inside. [more inside]
posted by yerfatma at 11:41 AM PST - 5 comments

Me and my spouse are looking to get a shared cell phone plan. What plans and phones would you recommend. Any plans to stay away from? Guide me with your wisdom.
posted by chiababe at 11:32 AM PST - 20 comments

Excel Purgatory - Help!

How do I take an average of two individual data items within in a field in a Pivot Table? (More Inside) [more inside]
posted by JPD at 11:06 AM PST - 9 comments

Is cat puke just a fact of life? [+] [more inside]
posted by mdn at 10:56 AM PST - 49 comments

At what age should a cat's gender be obvious to a vet? {mi} [more inside]
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 10:40 AM PST - 13 comments

What do you consider to be the bare essentials of function in a blog?

My soon-to-be "blog" is going to be a collection of my crappy creative non-fiction and fiction. I like simple. But I don't know that everyone else does. Do you miss stuff like referrers/trackbacks, feeds, email notification, archives by category, searches, commenting, etc., if they aren't there?
posted by mealy-mouthed at 10:32 AM PST - 14 comments

How can I become a unix super-geek? [more inside]
posted by timeistight at 10:13 AM PST - 33 comments

All my firefox extensions in the Extensions window are greyed out, none of them work, and right clicking doesn't give me any workable options that are not greyed out. What's up? They used to work.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 10:12 AM PST - 3 comments

I live in a small town of 8,000. It is really a development plopped in the middle of some fields. Like many developments it was sold as a planned community. Currently, however, the city government is selling the town to the highest-bidding developer, rewriting the city code to encourage stupid levels of density, cramming the city center with unvariated low-income housing, and in general being the toady boy of developers. Oh, and the mayor is a "consultant" to developers. Makes $8k a year. Is building a big mansion on the golf course. The city just removed the $500 cap on campaign donations, and the last election was purchased by a single developer. Other than shrugging my shoulders and saying, "It's Chinatown" (reference to movie, not ethnicity) or uprooting my family, how can I best fight this pestilent, corrupt fascism and still have time for my hobbies? (mostly reading Metafilter). Oh, the town is Eagle Mountain Utah.
posted by craniac at 9:41 AM PST - 15 comments

What is the proper netiquette for editing a Wikipedia entry about yourself? I just stumbled upon mine recently. Since it is written in the third person there is the presumption of objectivity. But then, it is my life, and I am the world's expert on it. What would you do?
posted by kk at 9:22 AM PST - 15 comments

Remotely controlling iTunes / WinAmp on Win2000 with a PDA?
posted by skwm at 9:10 AM PST - 4 comments

Art Theory Question: If somebody electronically adds an artwork into another virtual canvas (ex: a Moleskine page scan ), can he rightfully call it "Moleskine Art"?. Same goes for Photoshopped art on a quilt, graffiti on a blank wall, et c. Is it unethical for an artist to suggest that a work was done manually when it has been manipulated electronically? Your opinions or links to pertinent discussions elsewhere is much appreciated.
posted by azul at 8:46 AM PST - 15 comments

What program should I use to create visual representations of some large tree stuctures? [+] [more inside]
posted by gsteff at 8:33 AM PST - 11 comments

I want a big red button with a USB connection that I can program a macro to, like mute all sounds or something. I found some promising looking devices (X-Keys and Switch Click), but this isn't something I want to spend a hundred bucks on. Radio Shack has a red button for $2. Any ideas on how to make something like this work?
posted by andrewzipp at 8:23 AM PST - 19 comments

Acrobat Distiller/PDF Panic (Mac Classic 9.2) I can take Word files, and create .PS files, and then distill them into PDFs, but when I try to do it all in one step, ERROR 5751. Since the Web is of no help, is there someone here who can help?
posted by ParisParamus at 8:21 AM PST - 21 comments

I'm in a profession where I am often speaking loudly *all* day, are there any good remedies for taking care of my throat/voice? I've found lots of tips on the web but am having a hard time distinguishing the worthwhile from the useless.
posted by jeremias at 4:32 AM PST - 24 comments

Main Q: I wish to host my bookmarks on my webspace now. Am hosting with Dreamhost (MySQL/PHP/Python/Perl..etc). Want code with 1)mefi-like tagging 2)nice selection filter(ALL flash AND word-games BUT NOT anagrams OR java) and quick search. You get the idea. 3)Ability to set 'shared' and 'private' access. Bonus points for three options i.e. bookmarks visible only with my password, those visible by all, and those accessible by others with "guest" privileges. I looked at Yahoo! directory. Most seem to be hosts like furl or del.icio.us.
Slightly-related Q: How do I extract all my stumbleupon sites in the Firefox profile directory to a nice HTML file?
Tie-in Q: How do I make the bookmark app I choose, import these StumbleUpon links?

Thanks! [more inside]
posted by Gyan at 3:07 AM PST - 5 comments

Please help me understand why so many people pronounce Valentine's Day as ValenTIMES Day? I'm noticing this more and more and it's driving me crazy. Are these the same people who say 'libary' and 'supposibly', because those two I can almost tolerate, but Valentines Day with an M?!?! Please explain! Thanks and I hope I haven't offended anyone with my first post on here. :)
posted by camfys at 2:37 AM PST - 73 comments

CopyrightFilter: If I want to adapt a copyrighted(?) book into a theater performance, do I need to get the rights? Can I write a script, maybe even do a workshop production or do I need to get the rights before I can even think about adaptation? Who do I talk to to get the rights, and how much does this usually cost? Does it matter if the venue is tiny, and the theater company has no money?
posted by geryon at 1:14 AM PST - 7 comments

PropogandaWarFilter: How many TV networks is the US funding in Iraq?
Al Iraquia (that doesn't have a site) and Al Hurra and..?
posted by ruelle at 12:52 AM PST - 2 comments

I have been told by a few people something that I don't really believe and I would appreciate confirmation of its untruth, They have said that Condoleeza Rice referred to GW Bush as her husband - in some interview or in answer to some question. Could this be true?
posted by donfactor at 11:59 PM PST - 13 comments

Has anyone ever become a notary? I'm interested in making some extra money and am wondering which notary schools you recommend, what tips there are to drumming up business, etc. (This is in California). [more inside]
posted by calwatch at 11:48 PM PST - 19 comments

What free hit counter do you guys recommend for a blog?
posted by guictx at 11:17 PM PST - 7 comments

DRM Filter: I've got some material I'd like to distribute online in a print-friendly format... but I'm considering limiting electronic pass along. PDF or Post Script would probably be the ideal format, but can they be machine-locked or something else that would prevent someone from forwarding to all their friends? [more inside]
posted by namespan at 9:02 PM PST - 11 comments

What percentage of unprotected intercourse results in pregnancy? [more inside]
posted by event at 8:39 PM PST - 30 comments

Any advice on inspecting audio CDs for errors? Ideally, via software.
posted by romancer at 7:58 PM PST - 3 comments

A friend of ours reads Us Weekly (tabloid news magazine). That's not the problem, I like me some celebrity gossip as well. However, she pronounces it "You Ess Weekly" (ike U.S. News and World Report) vs "Us Weekly" (which I would assume from the spelling/punctuation). I figured this was an aberration, until I heard someone on TV using the same pronunciation. So - how is it actually pronounced? I'd like to keep laughing on the inside when she says it. Bonus points if you can tell me how to google for this - I'm stumped.
posted by true at 7:54 PM PST - 23 comments

Baby-girl shopping- ahem. Favorite places, anyone? [more inside]
posted by Quixoticlife at 6:53 PM PST - 11 comments

ComicGeekFilter: I recently downloaded my favorite comic ever (Grant Morrison's The Invisibles!), and look forward to reading them again--thing is it's just a series of jpegs, which makes it difficult to browse through. I seem to remember a comics viewer application but I don't know the name. Can anyone suggest software that would be good for viewing comics?
posted by zardoz at 6:40 PM PST - 11 comments

Ridiculous Job-Interview Filter: We have a new person coming on my team at work. He's actually been filling in for someone (as a project manager) for a couple months and doing a great job. Due to HR formalities, we had to post the formal job opening for a week. No other people submitted for the job, and he doesn't have to interview to get hired, but he doesn't know that. We've decided to 'initiate' him with a stressful interview... (more inside) [more inside]
posted by skechada at 6:36 PM PST - 63 comments

I am trying to play music from my remote computer on my terminal server. Here is my setup. I have iTunes installed on my TS as well as a USB device that transmits the music to my stereo. What I would like to be able to do is login from my laptop via terminal server and start iTunes, getting the sound to come out on the terminal server which in turn will play on my stereo, all without having to go to my main computer. However, when I hit play on iTunes via the terminal server client nothing begins to play.Does this need clarification? Any ideas?
posted by tirebouchon at 6:00 PM PST - 7 comments

USAID.

THe US Agency for International Development) What are your feelings on it? Can anyone provide some information, besides the agency website itself on the work it does? Is it like the World Bank in the sense of its development philosophy? I know so little and want to learn.
posted by jare2003 at 5:47 PM PST - 4 comments

NaughtyFilter: My new fella and I are going to Paris for a week, staying in Montmartre. We'll do the usual touristy things by day, but I would love to surprise him by coming up with a more 'adult' nighttime tour of the city of lights. Nothing too hardcore, just some good clean dirty hetero couples fun. For example, I've heard Moulin Rouge is kind of cheesy. Any hipper alternatives? Shops, bookstores, clubs, all suggestions welcomed.
posted by thinkpiece at 4:47 PM PST - 4 comments

CatFilter: In an AskMe thread a while back, I saw the Klaw Kontrol bag described as a good way to control your cat for various necessary procedures. Our usually sweet-tempered girl cat has taken to randomly destroying things while we're not here, and we want to install these things as an alternative to declawing (which we will not do). Anyone have any experience with these, or other "Kitty Stop It" aids?
posted by Medieval Maven at 4:30 PM PST - 8 comments

I need to concatenate ~32000 jpg files into a movie. Impossible? [mi] [more inside]
posted by metaculpa at 4:10 PM PST - 12 comments

VOIPFilter: How can Vonage afford not to charge a per-minute rate on calls to the PSTN? ($.01/minute to read inside) [more inside]
posted by schustafa at 3:45 PM PST - 20 comments

How hard do you work? [+] [more inside]
posted by coriolisdave at 3:24 PM PST - 31 comments

[CD FileSystemFilter] - Trying to burn HTML onto a CD and making a shortcut that links several dirs deep WITHOUT specifying a drive letter/name or running a Web server [MI] [more inside]
posted by bkdelong at 1:56 PM PST - 18 comments

I recently accidentally destroyed my Canon Powershot and now that I'm in the market for a new camera, I'm toying with the idea of upgrading to a more professional camera--an SLR(?)--perhaps the Canon Rebel. Are there any amateurs out there who made this move who can offer some advice? I know nothing about photography but I'd like to learn---and I have an audience for it (my website is photo heavy). Thanks!
posted by adrober at 12:48 PM PST - 21 comments

I need a CMS which will let me specify which categories a particular registered user can view - e.g., A can view categories 1, 3, and 4; B can view 2 and 4; C can view 1, 2 and 5; and D can only view 5.

Does such a thing exist? Don't mind paying if that's what it takes.
posted by humuhumu at 12:40 PM PST - 9 comments

I'd like to build some furniture without advanced (or possibly any) woodworking skills. Say I wanted to make a basic chaise (seems easy enough) or a Stokke Ekstrem knockoff (harder.) What are some easy ways to put together some just-for-me modern furniture? For example, you can put together some simple stuff with PVC tubing, but it isn't very attractive and isn't that versatile. Are there easier materials/techniques to work with?
posted by callmejay at 12:17 PM PST - 9 comments

If police found a container that to them obviously contained drugs (but there were no drugs in it, except for maybe a small coating of dust in the case of cocaine, or a few flakes of marijuana), could they charge you with anything? (The container in this instance would be a baggie or a box, nothing that is explicity "drug paraphanalia.")
posted by agregoli at 10:55 AM PST - 26 comments

How do I find and hire good people to do a data collection task that requires some intelligent decision-making but is also tedious? [+] [more inside]
posted by bove at 10:49 AM PST - 33 comments

What do you drink with your lunch/dinner? I'm trying to cut Pepsi out of my life (again) and serving dinner with water seems too bland.
posted by unsupervised at 8:58 AM PST - 83 comments

I live in a very depressed urban area (Baltimore) where there are blocks and blocks of boarded up or burnt out houses. I see signs around town that say "We Buy Houses-Any Condition." Why are these folks buying houses? [+]
posted by OmieWise at 8:54 AM PST - 25 comments

A long time ago, I was taught to store to currency values in databases as cents (or the local equivalent) to avoid rounding problems with floating point column types. Is this a sound practice, or a bunch of hogwash?
posted by alana at 8:39 AM PST - 10 comments

I know I'm being a bit of a hypertext pedant, but are there any grammatical rules for linktext? Any stylistic rules for linktext? Linktext is the stuff that goes in between <a> and </a>. I know to never use "click here" as linktext but I'm interested in other rules about syntax and style. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by revgeorge at 8:33 AM PST - 24 comments

Searching for a specific type of book scanner....maybe it only exists in my imagination, but I would like to scan sketchbook pages without ripping them out...{mi} [more inside]
posted by eileen at 8:25 AM PST - 9 comments

You're hosting a party for lots of people. How do you manage the music to be played? If you decided to allow people to pick and chose their favourite tracks from your large MP3 collection - how would you go about doing it? [more inside..]
posted by ralawrence at 7:22 AM PST - 15 comments

Microsoft Access: I might be asked to use Access to get information from a series of online EU databases, merge them and produce a series of reports. I know very little about this, and would have to get up to speec very quickly as the reports are time critical, and if they are not done well, there would be problems for the NGO who have approached me. Could anyone recommend some low cost books or other resources that could help me?
posted by quarsan at 10:20 PM PST - 2 comments

Several years ago, I heard, on some TV show that the total number of people who have died up until now is less than the number of people alive today. Then I saw this. (+) [more inside]
posted by arse_hat at 10:17 PM PST - 24 comments

HIGH SCHOOL BULLY QUESTION.
I'm 30 now and very recently discovered an old school reunion site which brought up a couple of questions for me. When I was 13-15 I had a really nasty bully through the first part of high school (I'm in Australia). She made my life so freaking miserable and then, when we could leave school at 15 she left. My questions are as follows. Has anyone ever had the chance to confront their high school bully?? or (even though I know we're wonderful folk here on mefi), been confronted by someone they bullied?
I don't want to do anything but tell her that she made my life miserable and that it left lasting scars on my childhood.
PS She's not actually on the reunion site but I was toying with the idea of tracking her down.
posted by Civa at 10:01 PM PST - 75 comments

I've searched and searched, and can't find an answer to this simple question: What was the last year in which McDonalds used the "two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun" jingle in a commercial?
posted by jammer at 8:17 PM PST - 3 comments

PodiaFilter: I am off to SE Asia for extended holiday in less than a week. I bought some birkenstock sandals for the journey as recommended. However, being spoilt rotten by sneaker snugness, I am getting some serious blistering across the tops of the inner sides of my feet after but one day in the saddle. Any tips to toughen my feet up before departure, or have i left it too late? Any lateral band-aid solutions?
posted by elphTeq at 7:27 PM PST - 16 comments

Wireless Networking: How can I get my Netgear WG311v2 card to connect to my Linksys WRT54G router? It was connected for about a day or so and now, not so much. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by shinji_ikari at 6:27 PM PST - 6 comments

DivorceFilter: I've revealed some past infidelity (going on for at least five years with a number of men) to my husband and, being an engineer, he's googling the situation to try and find people that have gone through the same thing and kept their marriage together. He's looking for statistics/probability of marriage survival. He's only found people that have split up and are now bitching about their exs on boards. We're in couples therapy, I'm in individual therapy, he's getting some treatment but both of us have this "is it best to cut our losses?" feeling. There is a small child, a cute dog and an expensive house in the mix, besides a marriage now in its tenth year. Anyone have any ray of hope? Or, if not, advice on being friends and keeping this from damaging the elementary school-aged child?
posted by anonymous at 6:19 PM PST - 55 comments

I'm currently on maternity leave from a job that I love. I had planned on returning to work once my leave was up, but I've now made the decision to stay home with my baby. However, I would still like to work for my current employer on a freelance basis. What's the best way to break the news to them that I'm not coming back while hopefully leaving the door open for future freelance/contract work? I don't want to burn any bridges.
posted by anonymous at 6:19 PM PST - 12 comments

I've been driving a car for about a decade now, and it's suddenly occurred to me that I'm now completely paranoid about anyone else driving me somewhere. I'm constantly checking the mirrors while they drive, and getting stressed because I think they should be braking sooner or driving in a different lane. It even happens when I catch a bus. Has anyone else experienced this? How did you get over it?
posted by Jimbob at 6:07 PM PST - 27 comments

Trackballs for left-handed? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by kchristidis at 5:33 PM PST - 11 comments

Due to a relationship breakup, I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping, and it's wreaking havoc with my life. I just can't sleep, I toss and turn most of the night. I never feel rested. I've tried Tylenol PM, but it just doesn't seem to work most times. I don't really want to drink myself into a stupor. Any suggestions on how I can fall asleep? [more inside]
posted by patrickje at 5:29 PM PST - 45 comments

I'm trying to build a library on education issues, especially alternative education and private schools. I'm skipping the dry or textbook-y stuff. What books or publications shaped the way you think about schools and teaching? [mi] [more inside]
posted by argybarg at 5:26 PM PST - 20 comments

EmploymentFilter: I'm leaving a professional position tomorrow after eight months and the requisite two weeks' notice. It hasn't been a particularly good match for me (skills, interests, etc...) but my boss has nevertheless been a good guy to work for and has both tried to find ways to use my background and skills, and to give me opportunities to learn more. Once, in passing, he mentioned a bottle of whisky he was about to try. Should I get him one to say "thanks," since I don't think there are any alcohol sensitivity issues? [more inside]
posted by piro at 4:07 PM PST - 16 comments

Name that Martial Arts Movie: several years ago I saw a martial arts movie (that was more of a documentary) about Shaolin Monks. It showed them performing incredible feats of skill, discipline, fortitude and strength. I think they even had a clip of a young (~6 year old) Jet Li performing a routine, and I remember sequences including the monks hanging upside and lifting buckets of water, a monk that was "immovable" by any outside forces, and a monk pulling a large weight or boulder with his Special Parts. Ring any bells? Google and movie searches reveal a lot of martial arts movies with Shaolin Monks, but can't seem to find this documentary.
posted by robbie01 at 3:24 PM PST - 5 comments

Which way do you wipe and why? [mi] [more inside]
posted by quiet at 3:23 PM PST - 38 comments

I created a web page using FrontPage (no snarks, please) and put it online. IE shows the new, updated web page. However, Mozilla and Firefox show the old web page. I thought it was just a cache problem with me, but I've loaded it on several different computers with the same result. How can I fix this?
posted by Arch Stanton at 1:59 PM PST - 6 comments

I dropped out of elementary school, junior high, high school, and three colleges. Despite this, I've managed to always get good jobs and earn a fair amount of money. My question is this:

How do I get into grad school (Masters, Ph.D., M.D., whatever) without having any other sort of degree? All semi-reasonable ideas would be awesome.
posted by thethirdman at 1:22 PM PST - 57 comments

Can a Best Buy service plan be returned for a full refund? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by TBoneMcCool at 12:23 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm looking for an application that can monitor the free space on several hard drives and generate email alerts if certain conditions are met, I've googled but haven't been able to find any capable, free software for this, little help?
posted by Cosine at 12:12 PM PST - 8 comments

What's the going hourly rate for building complex web apps these days? An acquaintance asked me if I could help them add functionality to their existing web app suite. (More details inside) [more inside]
posted by Triplanetary at 11:46 AM PST - 9 comments

Intellectual History / History of Science Question: Examples of thinkers, scientists, artists, critics, etc. who theorized that you can understand a system by examining either a single component or a small set of components of that system. [More Inside] [more inside]
posted by safetyfork at 11:40 AM PST - 18 comments

My new leather jacket is wearing very strangely. [+] [more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa at 11:34 AM PST - 3 comments

SushiFilter: I wanna go to a sushi restaurant for my birthday. Never had "real" sushi before, just the stuff you get at the supermarket (..i know, i know). Any suggestions on what to get/avoid for a first-timer? I am not crazy about the idea of raw, but will be willing to try. Also any locals have any suggestions on where? Domo arigato.
posted by ShawnString at 11:08 AM PST - 58 comments

PortalFilter: For a new website, would you go with a CMS that does everything, but only marginally well, or multiple applications (requiring multiple upgrades and patches)? [MI] [more inside]
posted by pzarquon at 10:59 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm new t Adobe Illustrator. Where the heck are all the built in vector shapes in Adobe Illustrator 10? Even PowerPoint has tons of premade shapes ready to go. Why do I only get a rectangle, oval, polygon, and some other freaky looking thing? Help?
posted by punkfloyd at 10:22 AM PST - 8 comments

NNJ/Staten Island: I recently got engaged and my fiancee and I would like to book a hall for our wedding reception. We're planning on May/June 2006 and need space for 200-300 people. She lives in Staten Island (surrounding areas OK). Any suggestions?
posted by seinfeld at 10:12 AM PST - 7 comments

How bad is it to (temporarily) keep using a computer power supply in which both fans have died? [+] [more inside]
posted by Who_Am_I at 10:09 AM PST - 10 comments

What was the hot video card a year or two ago? I'm looking for something cheap to go with a slightly old system I've acquired. [specs inside] [more inside]
posted by Grod at 9:37 AM PST - 19 comments

I'm looking for really good romantic movies.

The kind where you're cheering for the couple to overcome whatever is keeping them apart and you feel like they really deserve each other. The kind that has substance to it and isn't all fluff - unlike most recent romantic comedies. The kind where the chemistry between the main characters leaps off the screen, and it isn't just about making it into the sack. The kind that makes you feel great and uplifted and happy to be alive, even if the ending is bittersweet. Come on, MeFites, I know you're up to the challenge! Nope, not a Valentine's Day question, but feel free to get inspired ~
posted by widdershins at 9:29 AM PST - 109 comments

I absolutely heart Mark Mothersbaugh's "Ping Island/Lightning Strike Rescue Op" from the Life Aqautic Soundtrack. Does anybody make music like this?

Epic Bleep Bloop Lo-Fi Casio Dance Music?
posted by hughbot at 9:05 AM PST - 20 comments

When I'm lying in bed sometimes I can concentrate and send what feels like a charge of electricity down my spine. Am I actually doing anything or is this entirely mental? My back will physically move a bit as I do it and it feels quite nice, but is it just some sort of illusion?
posted by jheiz at 8:29 AM PST - 26 comments

Based on past recommendations by members I recently read Operators and Things. I loved it, and I have some questions inside...
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:29 AM PST - 2 comments

I need a simple hand held scanner that will scan text and allow the scanned text to be converted to something that can be imported into Excel or a database as text. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by spicynuts at 8:23 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm sure I'm mangling the pronunciation, and I'm sure I misheard a few syllables, but last night while waiting for a bus in Brooklyn, a man came up to me and more than once said something that sounded like "Sheh-deh-mah-shen-see." Does it mean anything?
Some clues: He was polish, also spoke -- in english -- about having just gotten out of a hospital, about how he was crazy, about how his wife was in poland, not america, about how he hadn't eaten, about how he was crazy, about "oh my god" (x3). I gave him some food and a cigarette: he walked a few paces away, looked up at the windows of a second-floor gym, laughed, and did a little dance that mimicked the man on the treadmill. Oh, and he kept apologizing: "I'm so sorry. I so crazy. Oh my God." (x3). Any ideas? I hope to see him again, and I hope to be able to reply appropriately.
posted by nobody at 8:18 AM PST - 15 comments