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March 2006 Archives
March 31
I'm wound so tight I feel like I'm crawling out of my skin, but sitting and meditating is achey and boring and too time-consuming.
[more inside]posted by blahtsk at 11:21 PM PST - 33 comments
How do I copy videos FROM my PC TO my TiVo????
I see plenty of ways to copy video the other way, including TiVo's own TivoToGo, but what I'd like to do is copy videos I have on my computer (in various formats) TO the TiVo. Is this possible?
[more inside]posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 10:53 PM PST - 6 comments
Michael Wex, in his Born to Kvetch, mentions a book called Toldot Yeshua (or possibly Toldos Yeshua), a medieval Yiddish manuscript that proposes that Jesus was a parlor trick artist, Mary an unclean woman and that Peter was a devout Jew that diverted Christianity out of Judaism (or something along those lines). Now, I'd quite like to learn more, ideally reading the book myself. Do any of you have any more info on it? Does there exist an English translation?
posted by Kattullus at 7:24 PM PST - 8 comments 
I have a friend (seriously) who has serious problems with social anxiety, to the point she is sometimes paralyzed with fear or depression. She cannot hold a job because of it, and therefore has no insurance for medical attention - what can she do?
[more inside]posted by twiggy at 7:21 PM PST - 15 comments
Good answering machine? I need an answering machine that has good microphone sound pickup for recording outgoing announcements.
[more inside]posted by shannymara at 5:37 PM PST - 3 comments
What's a great April Fool's Day prank my 5-year-old daughter and I can play on her Mom (my wife) tomorrow? Nothing too devious or disturbing, please.
[more inside]posted by Rock Steady at 4:15 PM PST - 30 comments
1972 Topps baseball cards - The "psychodelic" set. I'm looking for a good graphic of the groovy art on the wrapper. It's kind of a Peter Max-ish portrait of a ball player holding a baseball. Any help?
posted by jsteward at 4:00 PM PST - 5 comments
There is a company in the Twin Cities that will bring live fish ponds to your catered event and let people fish in them...
[more inside]posted by BigLankyBastard at 3:09 PM PST - 7 comments
Am I getting ripped off by my web designer?
(and also, how much should a website (non-commerce) cost to design?)
[more inside]posted by rare_g at 2:59 PM PST - 25 comments
We're going from SF to Tahoe tonight but can't leave until 4:30 p.m. or so. Should we even bother leaving ASAP or should we just wait?
[more inside]posted by epugachev at 2:08 PM PST - 17 comments
I am looking for examples of typographical layouts, with lots of random or not so random words. I've tried google, but I'm not sure what to search for.
[more inside]posted by inthe80s at 1:40 PM PST - 11 comments
What is the circus music played in the "Homie the Clown" episode of the Simpsons, wherein Homer goes to clown college?
[more inside]posted by team lowkey at 1:11 PM PST - 6 comments
Any suggestions for places to stay in Cinque Terre and Rome for honeymooners on a budget? Can afford more than a hostel, but not more than about 60 euro a night.
posted by abee at 12:58 PM PST - 13 comments
How can I set up a simple system that allows a non-html knowing website owner to change easily change the displayed status of team members on the site?
[more inside]posted by davebush at 12:18 PM PST - 7 comments
I've been trying to find an online store that will sell me a single (or a small number) jumper pin for a hard drive. I'm having trouble finding a store that sells them
posted by Cookie Monster at 12:17 PM PST - 12 comments
I would like to build and host a del.icio.us clone on my Mac (Intel iMac running Tiger). It need not be accessible outside of my machine, although if you can advise me how to do that while still keeping my machine secure, that would be a very nice plus. I am able to build simple command-line apps in Unix and puzzle some stuff out, but I am very much not a l33t hax00r. Can anyone walk me through the process very simple step by very simple step?
[more inside]posted by WCityMike at 11:46 AM PST - 8 comments
ok, its a very very commonly heard 'circus' song, often used in other shows (tv shows etc) for 'comic effect'; within the circus context I think you most often hear it when the jugglers or other funny acrobats come out and do silly things. I'll 'hum' a few bars for you...
[more inside]posted by jak68 at 11:04 AM PST - 16 comments
I have a PDF copy of a form that I need to fill out. I need to type my answers onto the form; how can I do this with a PDF file?
posted by punishinglemur at 11:01 AM PST - 16 comments
My 3 year old is invited to a birthday party and the invitation specifies "no gifts." What is the ettiquette here? It is at a party place that is pretty expensive to rent out and pizza will be provided, so the host is spending a lot of money. It seems wrong not to bring a gift.
posted by stockaholic at 10:42 AM PST - 32 comments
I need help with a small code item which I had at IE but cannot get to work at Firefox
[more inside]posted by Postroad at 10:11 AM PST - 4 comments
What's the deal with standby? Any mefites have first-hand experience of traveling on the cheap?
[more inside]posted by trinarian at 8:23 AM PST - 7 comments
Recommend me some nice melancholic instrumental music with sparse arrangements. Maybe classical music (?), of which I know very little, but I'm thinking specifically of "Music For Egon Schiele" by
Rachel's.
[more inside]posted by p3t3 at 8:07 AM PST - 41 comments
I know how to create html forms (very basic ones), but, without using mailto: I don't know how to have the data the user submits emailed to me.
[more inside]posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:02 AM PST - 7 comments
How can I get four different television channels playing on a large plasma or LCD display at once? I'm guessing that cable inputs would need to go to a PC, and then piped to the TV through DVI, but beyond that (hardware, software) I am a little stumped. Anyone have any suggestions?
posted by GriffX at 8:00 AM PST - 7 comments
I'm looking into laser eye surgery and I need to know how to distinguish one doctor from the next.
[more inside]posted by bDiddy at 7:52 AM PST - 16 comments
My father, who was a self-employed accountant with a staff of zero, passed away on Monday in the middle of tax season. His clients, mostly doctors with small to medium sized practices, are people whose finances he's been managing for decades and they were friends to him as well. How can we, my family, ease their transition to another person to handle their taxes?
[more inside]posted by eighth_excerpt at 7:12 AM PST - 10 comments
I'm going to interview a couple sysadmin candidates in the near future. What are some questions that one should ask a sysadmin candidate that are Solaris specific? Please let me know what the correct answer should be, too. I've found that "How would you use newfs?" is a good one. Help me think of others!
posted by drstein at 7:05 AM PST - 6 comments
Where does iTunes for Windows copy the cover art that you drag in? Is there a better way to organize those images?
posted by linklog at 6:53 AM PST - 6 comments
Yesterday I got fired from a job I hate, but I'm in the middle of applying for a mortgage and I'm worried this will jeopardize my chances of getting approved. I need to know what I should tell the mortgage broker, if anything, about this whole situation.
[more inside]posted by elisabeth r at 6:47 AM PST - 11 comments
Recently I've run out of beautiful, interesting movies I enjoy watching. Over the last few months I ended up watching some predictable romantic comedies I really hate. So what deep meaningful movies would you recommend? Which movies have made you feel, think or cry? Maybe, some of these
Top 100 Overlooked Films of the 1990s?
posted by volandmast at 6:41 AM PST - 51 comments
Tomorrow me, my girlfriend, and her dad are going tp pick up my girlfriends new car. She hasnt passed her test yet, so i'll be driving it back. Ive been driving for 6 years, never had an accident, and have fully comp insurance. Can I legally drive it?
[more inside]posted by lemonfridge at 3:18 AM PST - 5 comments
Five minutes ago, I heard about an interview that will take place tonight. Does anyone know anything about the firm IQPC, or the conference industry, that could help me get this job, and get to New York?
[more inside]posted by godawful at 2:55 AM PST - 9 comments
My scalp itches terribly in one spot. I'm not sure how to tell wether it's dandruff, dry scalp, an allergy or some silly nervous condition that makes me scratch it.
[more inside]posted by FortyT-wo at 2:32 AM PST - 13 comments
I've transfered some mp3s from one hard drive (windows) to another (Linspire), and dang it, the titles are all messed up ("09thel~1", "lostbo~3", etc). Can I redo the transfer or do I have to fix all brazillion titles manually (unpossible)? Thanks.
posted by NorthernSky at 2:15 AM PST - 9 comments
March 30
I’m working on a PHP/MySQL app and would like to ensure my security is up to scratch – need tips on authentication, globals and input sanitization.
[more inside]posted by MetaMonkey at 11:36 PM PST - 28 comments
Good black beans and yellow rice recipe? It's a little hole in the wall at the NW corner of Broadway and Broome but it's heaven to me.
[more inside]posted by sonnet at 11:03 PM PST - 6 comments
OS X: I'm looking at outliners/organizers for the Mac, and can't seem to find just what I need. I'd like a virtual box of index cards that I can use to make an outline/lesson plan. Here is the ideal way that it would work:
[more inside]posted by al_fresco at 10:27 PM PST - 11 comments
Please help me transfer my Xbox game saves from a Mega-X-Key USB memory stick.
[more inside]posted by aceyim at 7:38 PM PST - 2 comments
Nurse Filter: Can someone explain some basic ER stuff to an actor about to audition for a nurse part? I want my physical actions to be realistic.
[more inside]posted by typewriter at 7:37 PM PST - 7 comments
I heard today that if you sit in a bathtub wearing your new jeans, and let them dry on you, that theyll fit better. Has anyone ever tried/heard this?
posted by Rlocurto at 7:19 PM PST - 27 comments
In search of eco-friendly patio furniture. We'd like to get a nice table and four chairs for the pending badass wooden deck in the backyard. Budget would be somewhere in the vicinity of $150-$250. Are we delusional?
posted by Ufez Jones at 6:26 PM PST - 13 comments
Help me devise a fitness and weight-gaining plan for the summer. (Los Angeles - area specific suggestions much appreciated, too)
[more inside]posted by sirion at 6:22 PM PST - 15 comments
I add appointments to my calendar at work (desktop) and home (laptop) but miss appointments because I am at the wrong computer or away from both. Help me stay synchronized.
[more inside]posted by special-k at 5:41 PM PST - 18 comments
It's one thing to stop smoking, or stop biting your nails, or stop drinking,
altogether -- what I want to know is, why is it sometimes so difficult to stop doing a habitual activity
even for a few moments, while trying really hard?
[more inside]posted by davejay at 5:32 PM PST - 12 comments
Seeking some specific work-out music. The type or vintage is unimportant; what I need is songs which exactly match my running tempo. Over the years, I've filled four tapes with these matches, but I'm always seeking more.
[more inside]posted by Rash at 4:18 PM PST - 11 comments
It seems like almost every time i open my mailbox i get
this advertising mailer in there. How on earth do i go about complaining and get this crap to stop! I assume there are laws like there are spam these days, if you say "unsubscribe" they have to obey?
Googling for it only came up with the link i pasted above and looking on the Kansas City Star website was no help either. Any advice?
posted by joshgray at 3:49 PM PST - 19 comments
LongshotFilter: Does anyone have a room going in a shared house in Sheffield, UK? Or, failing that, any advice for moving in with people I don't know in a city I've visited less than 5 times?
[more inside]posted by Captain Najork at 2:30 PM PST - 4 comments
My girlfriend did some casual bar work and now the landlord is dodging paying her. There is no complaint on her work but she didn't get anything in writing. How can she get the money due to her?
[more inside]posted by sixball at 2:26 PM PST - 6 comments
I need help opening a file with a .wks extension. I believe it's a Lotus spreadsheet, but I don't have that program.
[more inside]posted by kensanway at 2:01 PM PST - 10 comments
I was doing some face gardening this morning - a Sisyphean task to try and avoid the appellation 'strawberry nose'. I got to wondering, how does a plucked hair manage to grow back?
posted by tellurian at 1:59 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm wondering if anyone knows much about Phds with creative dissertations versus MFAs. I want to eventually teach college-level creative writing.
[more inside]posted by Destroid at 1:16 PM PST - 10 comments
My apologies for this vague description--I used to work in a bookstore where I'd pick up and browse through a number of books. One book included a letter written to God by a Jewish man (maybe a rabbi?) imprisoned during the Holocaust. Part of the letter involved him saying, essentially, "no matter what you do to me, God, or what suffering you send, you can't make me stop loving you. That is the form my free will takes." Does anyone know the author or title?
posted by piers at 12:53 PM PST - 4 comments
I've noticed that libraries often put a rigid, clear plastic coating on the covers of paperback books. The coating makes the book covers more sturdy and durable. What is that coating, and is it available to retail consumers?
posted by jayder at 12:45 PM PST - 13 comments
I need a French quotation from a French source that is a reference to a satirical utopian slogan like "Freedom is slavery" from Orwell's 1984.
[more inside]posted by dobie at 12:41 PM PST - 6 comments
Where can I find a lot of information about the travel and resort industry with an eye to arranging a charter from Yellowknife (Northern Canada) to western Jamaica?
[more inside]posted by ykjay at 12:04 PM PST - 2 comments
Why are retail prices of electronics cheaper than wholesale prices? How can anyone make money here?
[more inside]posted by b_thinky at 11:17 AM PST - 27 comments
Did you play first person shooters in the early 90s? Help me figure out the name of this obscure and relatively mediocre WWII game based on the incredibly limited amount of information I remember about it!
[more inside]posted by hypocritical ross at 11:07 AM PST - 14 comments
I have a great idea for a meme with assorted merchandise involving a deceased musician and his likeness. How do I pitch this to the appropiate person so that I might profit legitimately and what are the typical terms of such an arrangement?
posted by keswick at 10:56 AM PST - 3 comments
Maybe I have a
couple problems. The first one probably stems from the second. Insurance won't cover therapy or medication. Is there any place in Baltimore, MD that offers free or
very low-cost assistance? Thank you.
posted by anonymous at 10:55 AM PST - 9 comments
Hearing loss, vasodialators and nitrous oxide - why do these chemicals improve hearing?
[more inside]posted by QIbHom at 10:18 AM PST - 6 comments
Why do (most?) American gas stations use physical, numerical signage that require manual adjustment when prices change? Wouldn't electronic signage make life easier and maybe more profitable? Is there some regulation that requires non-electronic signage?
posted by punkfloyd at 10:14 AM PST - 29 comments
Credit Card Filter: I know there has been plenty, but this is a bit different, I searched and could not find anything related. I am beginning to work for a company who let's me use my own credit card for expenses. Problem is I do not have a credit card, I have a debit card. My credit isn't that hot. Basically, I am looking for a credit card that is easy to get and that I can get miles on. Remember my credit is whatever.
posted by Gabe014 at 9:52 AM PST - 8 comments
How can I Build Credit Quickly? And will taking a small loan out and paying it off way ahead of schedule be good or bad for my credit score?
[more inside]posted by ZackTM at 8:52 AM PST - 14 comments
I'm working on a competition presentation for my student organization. The presentation is in the form of a video (made in Adobe AfterEffects) but we may also want to include PowerPoint slides. What's a good way to mix video and PowerPoint without fear of hiccups?
[more inside]posted by yevge at 8:43 AM PST - 4 comments
WikiFilter: I need a wiki that will allow Password protected forums, groups or users, & file attachments. I also need the app to be free. Anyone know of one?
posted by flipmiester99 at 8:18 AM PST - 8 comments
Is there any good site that allows you to review public schools in a given neighborhood, namely Brooklyn?
posted by adampsyche at 8:08 AM PST - 6 comments
What percentage of my take-home pay should go to someone who does my laundry and cleans my house twice a week? All sorts of complexity and intrigue inside.
[more inside]posted by mdonley at 7:13 AM PST - 20 comments
A secret cabal of family members is having a rather big party this summer on the shores of Lake Huron. My mission: arrive in style
a la James Bond. I've checked out their security, and although strong on three sides, they haven't guarded the lake. Fools. I would like to arrive via the lake. However, I'm having a tough time with what to wear. Preferably,
I'd like to slip out of my wetsuit into a crisp, wrinkle free tuxedo.
Is this possible?
posted by maxpower at 6:39 AM PST - 93 comments
Posting for a friend: What are the best newsgroups and discussion boards for the families and caretakers of profoundly learning disabled (also known as profoundly retarded) people?
[more inside]posted by By The Grace of God at 5:18 AM PST - 2 comments
If I create Del.icio.us tags that only I would understand am I doing anything wrong, or perhaps even undermining the service?
[more inside]posted by Glum at 4:57 AM PST - 19 comments
I live in the big city, but I want some days on the mountains - how can I get the qualifications I need to become an outdoor educator?
[more inside]posted by Happy Dave at 4:54 AM PST - 6 comments
Help me with creating two bar charts from two columns in one pivot table, please?
[more inside]posted by dantodd at 4:21 AM PST - 4 comments
March 29
IndyFilter: I am going to be in Indianapolis for an interview towards the end of next week. I will be in town for two evenings, and I am looking for things to do. Do you have any suggestions for places to visit, pubs to drink at, and restaurants that serve great Japanese, burritos, or pizza? I am 21 years old so I'm looking for places that draw a younger crowd, ideally young professionals. I've loved my time in college, but I am about ready to leave the college crowd behind. I am not a huge fan of clubbing, so if you can steer away from any of those in your recommendation, that would be appreciated.
[more inside]posted by jab at 11:22 PM PST - 8 comments
This silly little thing haunts me - the name of an 80's sci-fi TV show. Maybe a mini-series, or very short-lived I think....
[more inside]posted by jkaczor at 10:32 PM PST - 10 comments
Probably easy question about PHP and unicode (UTF-8) and RegEx. I'm trying to modify a php webcalendar (VTcalendar) to allow Japanese text in calendar postings. I've found all the variables to get the UTF-8 headers, and so japanese text manually inserted into pages appears fine. But, there's an input validation thingy I don't know how to modify. (short snippet inside)
[more inside]posted by planetkyoto at 10:19 PM PST - 4 comments
I have been using
reblog to combine two feeds (for a
blog and a
forum) which I then publish through Feedburner. What I want to do is have the
blog part of my feed update normally (i.e. individual posts) and the
forum part of my feed compiled into a daily link list (which itself is published as if it were ONE feed post each day)... What ways exist for me to do this?
[more inside]posted by 0bvious at 9:49 PM PST - 1 comments
We bought a gas barbeque, but it's a little too hot, even on the lowest setting. What can I do about it?
[more inside]posted by Kickstart70 at 9:17 PM PST - 5 comments
Are there any reasonable scientific explanations for the fact that the width of the moon as viewed from the surface of the Earth is precisely the right width to match the apparent width of the sun, and give us total eclipses? It does seem
spectacularly unlikely that it turned out that way by mere chance.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:34 PM PST - 54 comments
Help me identify an old animated movie that involved a raccoon, a rabbit, and an owl.
[more inside]posted by divabat at 6:53 PM PST - 7 comments
Emerging artists... who are your picks of relatively, virtually, or literally (but for you, I suppose) unknown artists who create things I can put in my home (ie, not filmmakers/animators/writers/comic writers, etc.), such as paintings, pottery, furniture, photographs, etc? Criteria inside...
[more inside]posted by Manhasset at 4:38 PM PST - 26 comments
In a few academic papers I've seen, instead of the usual ACM/IEEE copyright blurb, it just says "Copyright held by the author". What's the significance of this? Can anyone just replace the ACM copyright with their own? Does it affect the paper's acceptance rate? Does the conference or journal approve of this?
posted by lpctstr; at 4:27 PM PST - 8 comments
How can I determine whether or not an email address is real without the owner (assuming it's real) knowing that I checked it?
[more inside]posted by crapples at 4:08 PM PST - 11 comments
I’m looking for suggestions on what to plant as a groundcover in our backyard. I live in Los Angeles, California and am searching for the ideal ground cover which would:
- require little water
- not require super drainage (we have a fair amount of clay in our soil)
- thrive in a sunny area
- handle occasional foot traffic
- grow moderately quickly
- be evergreen
- not be poisonous to kids
The real kicker on the ideal groundcover would be cost—if we could plant it by seed that would be superb. Am I asking for too much? Should I bite the cost and buy thyme plugs?
posted by krudiger at 3:45 PM PST - 7 comments
Where can I find several small, clean solenoid-actuated valves for a modest sum? For making an automatic drink-mixing computer.
[more inside]posted by Netzapper at 3:19 PM PST - 13 comments
Mac Mini (Dual Core Intel version) & Media Art Installation: I'm working with a friend to develop a system that will allow not only for playback of audio/visual content, but also for recording it. I think a Mini is a good way to go, but would like some advice.
[more inside]posted by aladfar at 3:06 PM PST - 4 comments
My gynecologist recommended laparoscopy to diagnose my pelvic pain, but I'm not sure this is the way to go.
[more inside]posted by lunalaguna at 2:59 PM PST - 11 comments
What would/do you like in a travel podcast? What are some of your favorites, and why? If you could describe your ideal one, what would it be like?
posted by gottabefunky at 2:51 PM PST - 6 comments
Someone told me that if you use your health insurance to cover mental health treatment (even if it's just therapy), it may affect your ability to get disability or life insurance in the future - does anyone know if this is true?
posted by echo0720 at 2:49 PM PST - 13 comments
When someone is an extreme fan of a particular group or culture, is it "politically correct" to be so, and how do the people being so admired feel about their admirer?
[more inside]posted by Rubber Soul at 2:41 PM PST - 29 comments
My computer crashed, the HD was reformatted and now when I try to use the following fonts, there gone. I use windows EX, MS office and want to use the following fonts in Photoshop CS. I would like to reinstall the following fonts; Amaze, Bangle, Bickley, Broadway, Stencil, Stop, Surfer, Wide latin, MS gothic. I don't want to pay too much, if possible -- I had the above fonts before the crash. Thanks in advance for any advice...
posted by orlin at 2:21 PM PST - 11 comments
Is there any sort of storage system for Game Boy/Game Boy Advance games? I can use a DVD rack to hold just about any other type of game, but my Game Boy games have been relegated to an old wooden box I have.
[more inside]posted by BiffSlamkovich at 2:20 PM PST - 7 comments
I want a bluetooth speaker phone for my new Blackberry 7290 for use in my car. I found lots of articles talking about new cars that have bluetooth, but can anyone recommend a device that I can purchase for the car I have already? I need a new stereo, so one that requires me to replace my radio isn't a deal breaker.
[more inside]posted by about_time at 1:49 PM PST - 4 comments
I have terrible looking teeth and I'd like to fix them and finally have a nice white straight smile for the first time in my life. After doing research, it seems my options are braces (ugh, I'd be one of those dorky 35 year olds with braces), veneers, and caps (are there any other options?). What I'm curious about is the ballpark costs, benefits, and drawbacks of veneers and caps. All info online seems to be tainted by cosmetic dentists looking to make a buck.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 1:31 PM PST - 21 comments
Waterfilter
(heh) — so, I have a couple of water-related questions born of a drunken debate among friends. First: what is the difference between a coast, a beach, and a shore? Second: is Puget Sound part of the Pacific Ocean, an entirely separate body, or some freakish combination of the two? Finally: when Seattleites go down to the Sound, are they going to the coast, the beach, the shore, or something else?
[more inside]posted by jdroth at 1:15 PM PST - 41 comments
I am stuck in a one-sided frienship and not sure whether to end it or keep things status quo.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 1:11 PM PST - 26 comments
Converting PlayerPro MADI files into something more ubiquitous, such as .IT, or .XM?
[more inside]posted by Durhey at 12:59 PM PST - 2 comments
I obtained an EPro (Compal) N34AS1 laptop computer. It has a Pentium 4 with Win XP Home. When starting up, it will not boot on the first try. The indicator lights flash and you can hear the fan but there is no display and no boot. However, I have found that by repeatedly pressing the power button to turn the computer on and off, by the 4th or 5th try it will boot up and then operate very well.
[more inside]posted by KHcancun at 12:31 PM PST - 2 comments
We have a vacation home in Florida (33767), and we've been told that it is now considered 'uninsurable.' This isn't because it's right on the water, but because it's located in a certain zip code. Any advice on how I can go about getting a new policy? Everyone says NO as soon as they hear what zip it's in.
posted by richmondparker at 11:42 AM PST - 14 comments
How can I automate printing a complete website to PDF?
I need to be able to show what the site looked like on any given date. The site is a sales tool and therefore requires user input on every page, so simply spidering the site is not adequate.
Because the site requires user input all over the place, I'd somehow need to supply the tool with data so it could be fully automated.
Are there tools out there that could do this?
Note: It doesn't necessarily have to be output to PDF, just something manageable and static.
posted by gfroese at 11:31 AM PST - 8 comments
Is it feasible that a short (probably under 5 minutes) but rather heavy hail storm of golf ball-ish sized hail would damage a shingle roof to the point where it would need to be replaced?
[more inside]posted by shinji_ikari at 11:29 AM PST - 13 comments
How much flexability is there in the way google adwords are displayed?
Whenever I see google adwords on web pages, they mostly look 1) pretty much the same as on other sites and 2) rather ugly. How much flexability is there in the way they are displayed? Are there any other textad services that allow more flexability in aperance?
[more inside]posted by delmoi at 11:17 AM PST - 10 comments
If I use my sister's college-student discount to by computer products at a reduced price, but claim them as expenses for my home business, will anyone care?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 10:40 AM PST - 18 comments
I want to get a divorce I'm in the UK:
Do I need to involve a solicitor? is this something I could do on my own? If it is something I can do myself, how can I go about starting it?
My wife is not overly keen on us getting a divorce, though I'm pretty sure she'd NOT put up much of a struggle once the thing got started.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 10:39 AM PST - 9 comments
Please help me locate useful resources, preferably free and web based or available through the library loan program, that would lead to more effective tutoring for a student with Asperger Syndrome.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 10:39 AM PST - 3 comments
I am middle-aged, overweight, and I have asthma. I am considering moving in four months from Houston, TX, approzimately sea-level to Denver, Co, approx. 5200 feet. How much trouble will I have with the altitude? Other than walking more than I am now, what can I do to prepare for the altitude change?
posted by anonymous at 10:39 AM PST - 11 comments
Wireless networking problem with a Thinkpad t40/Cisco 350 mini-pci wireless card. Windows XP sp2, latest versions of everything, as far as I know.
[more inside]posted by pullayup at 9:52 AM PST - 5 comments
Is it worth moving to either version 7.0 or 8.0 of the contact/sales management software ACT!?
[more inside]posted by mojohand at 9:09 AM PST - 1 comments
My mom is concerned that a hurricane could damage enough infrastucture to cause problems if she's making payments electronically.
[more inside]posted by bleary at 9:04 AM PST - 10 comments
Did Russian replace other languages in Eastern Europe and the former USSR countries?
[more inside]posted by Amizu at 8:48 AM PST - 28 comments
Any info on what an 11 year old should be doing in preparation for acceptance into a college specailizing in music. He is very self motivated, loves playing the guitar, can play the piano and has mentioned Juilliard several times. Not sure where he picked up that particular name. Any info would be greatly appreciated by his non-college, non-musical mother...
posted by prairiepmb at 8:03 AM PST - 21 comments
WidgetsFilter. What government (US) resource will tell me how many unique widgets are available for sale each year?
[more inside]posted by pants at 8:03 AM PST - 4 comments
The old man bought me opening day tickets for the Phillies' new ballpark and, boy, do we have some issues...
[more inside]posted by red cell at 7:56 AM PST - 8 comments
Going to Bogota, Columbia for six weeks. What's the safety / internet situation like there? Got any tips for a newbie?
[more inside]posted by theNonsuch at 7:01 AM PST - 15 comments
I use Yahoo Sitebuilder for my wife's site, but I also used it to build a small satire site which I want to post via FTP. How does a tech challenged crustacean turn the Sitebuilder code into regular html?
[more inside]posted by lobstah at 6:10 AM PST - 8 comments
Help me settle an argument: I say that the word "precocious" always has a connotation that's derogatory (if applied to an adult) or patronizing (if applied to a child). She says that it can be used as a legitimate compliment. What say you?
posted by Saucy Intruder at 6:08 AM PST - 46 comments
How to get a photo scanning side business off the ground? I need customers!
[more inside]posted by kdern at 5:29 AM PST - 9 comments
How would I go about pitching a sitcom to the BBC?
posted by jimmy at 1:48 AM PST - 3 comments
Why is CO
2 used as a compressed gas to inflate things like lifejackets and bike tyres?
[more inside]posted by edd at 1:42 AM PST - 16 comments
Summer. The evening is starting. Friends gather around on the beach. I have my acoustic guitar. They ask me to play something. What to play ?
[more inside]posted by XiBe at 1:11 AM PST - 45 comments
Houseplant recommendations, please. I want a "columnar" plant to sit in front of my floor-stand-mounted speakers, hiding the ugly black-poled void. In other words, what houseplants a) sit in a ~10" pot and b) have a "columnar" display rising straight up for 2.5-3 feet? The plants will get bright reflected light, but almost no direct sun.
posted by Moistener at 12:54 AM PST - 6 comments
Folks with adblocking and internet security software, can you help me out by letting me know 1) if your software blocks a site 2) what software it is 3)
why. That why is the tricky part!
[more inside]posted by dabitch at 12:37 AM PST - 20 comments
March 28
I'm probably going to drop out of a Ph.D. program – should I still take my qualifying exams? Any chance this might let me ultimately get a Ph.D. while feeling like I left academia? If I do ultimately drop out, would taking exams have just been a big waste of time?
[more inside]posted by ruff at 11:59 PM PST - 21 comments
You know that part of the job interview, where they ask you if you have any questions? I have a hard time thinking of questions. Suggestions?
[more inside]posted by Kololo at 11:37 PM PST - 29 comments
Please help me find, free of charge, reliable statistics for US Public school academic ratings. Elementary thru high school, state by state.
[more inside]posted by SwingingJohnson1968 at 11:31 PM PST - 2 comments
If they're not handling accidents, what do highway patrol officers and cops do when there's a traffic jam? I never see them on the road. Are they abandoning their posts?
[more inside]posted by frogan at 9:50 PM PST - 20 comments
I've looked at the cheats and tried unsuccessfully, so I pose this to the ever-talented video gamers of Metafilter:
Is there a way to get to Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale from Portland in Grand Theft Auto III without finishing up all the missions? Have you actually done this yourself? I've seen the subway and bridge jumping tips but haven't had any luck. I'm using a PS2 if it helps.
posted by tozturk at 9:39 PM PST - 8 comments
When I jog or something in the cold my lungs burn. Is this normal? If I jog in the cold repeatedly will this go away or get worse?
posted by baking soda at 8:12 PM PST - 16 comments
Bloody mosquitoes, trying to suck my blood, why won't you just let me get a good night's sleep?
[more inside]posted by donpedro at 6:42 PM PST - 26 comments
Are there any reports of citizens with concealed weapons in the USA foiling bank robberies or other violent crimes?
[more inside]posted by redteam at 6:27 PM PST - 19 comments
Name the late 80s (possibly early 90s) Japanese import that had a peculiar break light design.
[more inside]posted by furtive at 4:50 PM PST - 9 comments
Attention authors, typesetters, and publishers: Can anyone recommend a good online document-collaboration system?
[more inside]posted by EmuBite at 3:57 PM PST - 9 comments
What are the advantages, disadvantages, and Important Things To Know about officially starting a business?
[more inside]posted by cortex at 3:24 PM PST - 17 comments
What is the cheapest and easiest way to buy a specific group of used books?
[more inside]posted by bove at 2:55 PM PST - 21 comments
Is there an open-source ecommerce store system that has built-in support for
purchase orders?
[more inside]posted by Wild_Eep at 2:27 PM PST - 6 comments
I am looking for a store in Manhattan, New York where I can buy curious decorative objects: pop art, retro kitsch, odd memorabilia (not sport-related), ancient ad posters, antique swag, Americana, etc. Quality, authentic stuff, not crap; though I'm not against mass-produced items.
[more inside]posted by gentle at 1:43 PM PST - 15 comments
Calling all GTD-ers! I need some help with a cross-platform, portable system to keep track of my endless supply of open-loops and next-actions. I'm looking for The One tool to use and it has to meet some odd requirements.
[more inside]posted by neilkod at 1:30 PM PST - 13 comments
I'm looking for female tricksters, prank-sters or radical grrl artists who are creating contemporary playful political art in any genre including: pranks, graffiti, installation art or performance art, street protest groups, etc.
Does anyone know where to find these wild women?
posted by nyoki at 1:01 PM PST - 15 comments
Before there was videotape there was Kinescope, a process that took hours to process, and could not be transmitted electronically. So how did New York based live television shows get shown "live" in different time zones?
[more inside]posted by Gungho at 12:52 PM PST - 16 comments
Thanks to a derail in
this thread, I have learned that Merriam-Webster now believes that
"literally" also means "virtually." This has shaken me to the core, and seems to be evidence of the English language being irrevocably broken. I beg you to ease my soul and prove this isn't true by giving me evidence of other English words that, over time, have come to mean their own antonyms.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:44 PM PST - 106 comments
How can I send mail to a group of about 15 people? I've found that cc: is not reliable.
[more inside]posted by zek at 12:40 PM PST - 8 comments
Audio Amplifier selection: I have an older (90s) Sony Amp driving two much older Boston acoustic 150 watt - 8 ohm rated speakers (A150s, series II, 1985). The speakers just had the woofers placed by BA, and now it's time to move the amp up into the new century. How Audiophile do I have to go to get decent sound?
[more inside]posted by daver at 12:33 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking to do some casual stock trading...likely 1 or 2 trades a quarter, in amounts around $1000 or less. What online stock trader site is best for me?
[more inside]posted by davebug at 12:07 PM PST - 10 comments
Help me help a friend's business getting his network and Microsoft Retail management system up and running.
[more inside]posted by mic stand at 11:52 AM PST - 2 comments
Is there an interactive website that will allow me to provide various inputs in order to find fantastic vacation spots / places to take up residence?
[more inside]posted by indigo4963 at 11:48 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm going to be participating in a bachelor party roast in a week and a half and need some supplementary material.
[more inside]posted by billysumday at 11:48 AM PST - 4 comments
I tutor mathematics at university and often my students forget about their appointments. Is there some kind of software (preferably that could sync with my Axim) that could email out reminders to the students? I use linux and windows.
posted by jplank at 11:45 AM PST - 3 comments
Seeking a competent,reliable and inexpensive bookkeeper in the UK.Although I am in London I would be happy to deal with said bookkeeper through the mail.
posted by Dr.Pill at 11:02 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking for some advice / experiences with tours through Japan (i.e. traveling in Japan with activities etc. taken care of by someone else).
[more inside]posted by thumpasor at 11:01 AM PST - 3 comments
Linuxfilter: Is it worth replacing my hardware ADSL solution for a USB based ADSL Modem on a slow Linux (IPCop) box?
[more inside]posted by Nik_Doof at 10:54 AM PST - 6 comments
I need an affordable, independent travel agency for a trip to Italy OR a plan for 1.5-2 weeks in Italy.
[more inside]posted by k8t at 10:38 AM PST - 10 comments
Want to learn some XML. I've read a few books on theory, now I want to get my hands dirty and was thinking an online training course would be a good plan. Has anyone got any experience of these or have a recommendation to offer - there's a lot to choose from!
posted by russmail at 10:23 AM PST - 7 comments
ZIP+4: Should I use an en-dash or a hyphen wth a
ZIP Code that includes all 9 digits?
posted by stopgap at 9:57 AM PST - 20 comments
What is the word for...when someone speaks in a different accent or tone to depict the fact that they are not totally committed to what they are saying (either for amusement or fear of reprisal)?
[more inside]posted by pettins at 9:39 AM PST - 20 comments
week in london - i wonder if mefiers have recommendations for hotels (preferably marble arch area moderate-high end) , entertainment, galleries, flea markets, off beat must not miss curiosities? march 31 - april 6?
posted by specialk420 at 9:38 AM PST - 18 comments
I'm looking for vacation property that's within about 2 hours of my primary residence. Is there a site out there that can generate a map that shows towns within this range? Maybe a Google map with a maximum radius displayed?
posted by GernBlandston at 9:18 AM PST - 3 comments
I have to, starting very early in the morning, and well before Friday, install Windows XP, Office 2003, and a number of small insurance applications on 9 different minitowers that are coming in. Assuming they are all exactly the same build, and hopefully, without spending any more money, what would be the quickest and most efficient way to do this?
[more inside]posted by thanotopsis at 9:17 AM PST - 17 comments
Are National Service Organizations (AmeriCorps, VISTA, and NCCC) all they're cracked up to be?
[more inside]posted by Smarson at 9:01 AM PST - 11 comments
Ladies, when using condoms, can you tell the difference between regular condoms and "ribbed for her pleasure" condoms?
posted by smithmac_99 at 8:55 AM PST - 47 comments
There's a lot of questions here on AskMe about having fun in Hawaii. Problem is, they all pretty much assume the weather is nice. My parents are in Hawaii right now. It's pouring rain. They're sad. Any rainy-day tips for things to do if you're rained out in Hawaii?
posted by 40 Watt at 8:41 AM PST - 8 comments
I am running OS X 10.3.9. Blank CD's are not being recognized or mounting on my desktop. Music cd's and dvd's both work fine. They show up on my
desktop as icons and automatically launch itunes/dvd player etc.
what should I do?
thanks
posted by cg1 at 8:41 AM PST - 3 comments
Is it possible to view and browse a site within the Firefox sidebar without having links open into the regular tabs?
[more inside]posted by mattwatson at 8:08 AM PST - 5 comments
I would like to know the specific names of 1) the greenish background color and 2) the reddish letters used for the company title (after the flash) used on this website. I would like to use these colors for business cards. Also, any suggestions for companies that could print business cards w/ these colors at a reasonable price would be helpful. Thanks.
posted by slow, man at 7:24 AM PST - 17 comments
I am going to take a gap year at the end of my time as a sixth former at school, and I need advice on making itinerary decisions.
[more inside]posted by malusmoriendumest at 7:08 AM PST - 6 comments
Haircuts for guys. There are tons of sites/pictures/info on women's haircuts, little for men. What are some sites for inspiration for my next cut?
[more inside]posted by striker at 7:00 AM PST - 21 comments
If humans communicate via symbols and can only understand something (i.e., give it some semiotic 'identity') by way of comparison to already-familiar things, how do we begin at all?
[more inside]posted by Yeomans at 6:52 AM PST - 18 comments
Please suggest a good event-level debugger for VB.NET. I am looking for a debugger which can trap the execution of event handling code , when an event gets triggered from a line of code, by the .NET framework or by some user action.
[more inside]posted by inquisitive at 5:28 AM PST - 6 comments
When I visited Japan two years ago, some konbini stores sold boxes with toys that contained a room with furnishings. More rooms could be interconnected to a complete house. I still kick myself on a daily basis for not buying them then and there. Can they be found for sale online?
[more inside]posted by ouke at 4:31 AM PST - 6 comments
If General Relativity is accepted as true, why do Physicists talk about (and look for) Gravitons?
[more inside]posted by grahamwell at 2:47 AM PST - 14 comments
I was at-fault in a minor car accident while in the United States last year. The other party involved was a Department of Homeland Security officer. Will this incident affect my ability to enter the United States under the visa waiver program in the future?
[more inside]posted by madforplaid at 2:20 AM PST - 9 comments
March 27
Modem problem. Three computers, all firwalled, virus protected and clean have been separtely attached to the modem with different cables - they all exhibit the same behaviour
[more inside]posted by Neiltupper at 11:58 PM PST - 5 comments
Kids themed 21st birthday party: My 21st is in two weeks and I'm having a kids themed party, so it's back to the days of fairy bread and balloons. I need ideas. So far I'm using a projector to set up a big screen game of Super Mario Brothers, I'm having a pin the tail on the donkey game where you win a shot if you get it even remotely right, and I've downloaded a bunch of theme songs from kids shows back then. Any more ideas?
[more inside]posted by twirlypen at 10:07 PM PST - 24 comments
My husband is going crazy because there was a song on an episode of Without A Trace tonight and he can't think of the name of the song or who performs it. Can you help us out? (He really is going nuts.)
posted by lisaj32 at 9:05 PM PST - 11 comments
When I even moderately physically exert myself I get wiped out for the rest of the day. Im a prisoner in my house basically because I cant walk anywhere without getting fatigued afterwards... Does anyone know what this could be?
[more inside]posted by who else at 8:38 PM PST - 23 comments
ok so my girlfriend's laptop was rediculously slow and infested with spyware, viruses, and who knows what else. I couldn't even work on it it was so slow.
.. Checked the memory .. it was only 256.. got 1024 from crucial.com in two 512 sticks.
Should have no problem wiping the spyware .. problem is with the memory!!
[more inside]posted by jason9009 at 8:05 PM PST - 5 comments
How do you contact the folk behind
DMOZ, other than individual editors?
posted by jedro at 8:04 PM PST - 6 comments
User interface question: When I'm simply watching TV, pushing up on the remote's channel changer button moves me to a higher-numbered station. Yet when I'm viewing the channel guide, pushing up brings me to a lower-numbered station. Why the discrepancy?
[more inside]posted by schoolgirl report at 1:52 PM PST - 12 comments
Any recommendations for a quality e-commerce merchant account services provider?
[more inside]posted by spilon at 1:25 PM PST - 5 comments
We use Ad Tempus to schedule and report on success/failure of batch jobs. When it works, it's grand but when it fails, it causes me so much pain.
[more inside]posted by justlisa at 12:56 PM PST - 3 comments
I need good travel insurance! I'm going on a round-the-world trip and need medical, repatriation, and baggage coverage.
[more inside]posted by Gaz Errant at 12:53 PM PST - 4 comments
So April Fool's Day is this Saturday, so I'm wondering what is the best joke you've pulled, and more specifically...
[more inside]posted by beammeup4 at 12:29 PM PST - 30 comments
I'm going to see a psychologist for the first time ever. What kind of questions do I need to ask? What should I expect in general?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 11:50 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm falling down on the actual interviews - what should I be doing, reading, projecting, etc ...?
[more inside]posted by jbelkin at 11:30 AM PST - 8 comments
I have approx. 500 bottles I'd like to track using a non-computerised system. Ideally I'd like to use a plain ruled moleskine type notebook only, no fancy forms or anything. I'd like to track price when and where purchased, when to drink and any Parker scores/comments. I'm currently doing this by linear entry into a journal, which is fine but I'm really creating more of a diary of wine purchases rather than a useable tracking method.
Anyone have any tips/tricks/techniques for tracking wine?
posted by Keith Talent at 11:14 AM PST - 17 comments
A friend of mine, using Outlook under WinXP, has entered only the "email address" and "display as" fields into her contacts list and now regrets that. Is there a way to automate going thru her several hundred contacts to copy the "display as" names she has entered (usually the first and last name) into the "full name" field?
posted by emg at 10:45 AM PST - 2 comments
Having come to the end of my rope with Time-Warner's sucky customer service, we're looking at DirectTV. What advice, warning, cautions, or kudos would you give us before switching to this service. Two more specific (kinda stupid) questions are inside.
[more inside]posted by anastasiav at 10:11 AM PST - 23 comments
I have several large paintings (5 x 5 or so) and am moving into a new apartment. I know from experience at my current apartment that I like to move stuff around and that I don't like holes in the walls. What's involved in hanging paintings from the ceiling like galleries often do?
posted by dobbs at 10:06 AM PST - 12 comments
Northern Virginia: I need to appear soon in Arlington County traffic court, and I'd like to get legal assistance with my case. The metro area is full of law firms - would anyone care to recommend a good one?
posted by atavistech at 9:47 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm reading a book that has a lot of references to Paris between the wars and culture that flowed underneath it. The surrealist movement, people like Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, the brothels and debauchery, etc. Similar situations have happened everywhere - the Harlem Renaissance, the Beat Generation and countless others. I'm sure you can think of more.
My question is this: Where is this stuff happening now?
[more inside]posted by borkingchikapa at 9:44 AM PST - 23 comments
Say that a (US) presidential administration was doing something it wasn't supposed to be doing. Could a future presidential administration find this out and prosecute the former administration's officials?
[more inside]posted by ontic at 9:25 AM PST - 16 comments
Hi, I'm thinking of short story I read a while ago where the worlds communications system (telephones pre-net I think) became sentient. First sign of it doing so was that it started putting people in touch with each other that it thought might like each other like some crazy dating agency and finally it achieves full intelligence and starts communicating with a telecommunications system in another galaxy. Oh how I've looked!
Or maybe I dreamt it in which case forget you ever read this and I'll write the story!
posted by merocet at 9:11 AM PST - 17 comments
LawSchoolLoansFilter: As most undergrads do, I've got a few small blemishes (and one large one) on my credit report. I've gotten into school, but I'm paralyzed with fear to even start on my private loans. Am I being stupid, or am I right to be frightened?
[more inside]posted by plaidrabbit at 8:31 AM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for a book not
by Joseph Campbell, but interpreting his works. It outlined the steps of the "hero's journey" and identified the archetypes. It leaned heavily on the Odyssey, Star Wars and the Wizard of Oz as examples of Campbell's model. Does anyone know the name of the book?
posted by scaryblackdeath at 8:27 AM PST - 12 comments
Dad used to drink a specific brand of beer 10+ years ago, and I can't remember what kind it was!
[more inside]posted by nitsuj at 7:40 AM PST - 19 comments
So I'm doing my expenses, and I want to see every night I sent an email after 8:00 or so, because that implies I took a cab home that night. (I can bill them without receipts, but I want to be honest and I'm doing this for a couple months.) Is there a way to export email headers from Outlook to excel or a csv file, so I can sort them by time and count up my trips?
posted by mtstover at 7:35 AM PST - 6 comments
We're outgrowing our 10 year old Progress database. We need some recommendations.
[more inside]posted by Brainy at 6:58 AM PST - 13 comments
Where/How can I replace keys that have fallen off my Dell Inspiron 6000? The actual metal pads are damaged.
[more inside]posted by jne1813 at 6:08 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm pregnant and it's not at all what I thought it'd be. And evidently I'm not at all the kind of mother I thought I'd be.
[more inside]posted by justonegirl at 5:56 AM PST - 48 comments
Does anyone know of a detailed online map showing the future effects on North Africa of the ongoing change in sea levels?
[more inside]posted by leapingsheep at 5:25 AM PST - 5 comments
How can I become more socially adept/assertive? I'm now losing money because of my social anxiety.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:20 AM PST - 21 comments
This should be an easy one. I'm trying to remember the title, and author, of a sci fi / cyberpunk novel I read a few years back. The book started in Galveston, Texas, then moved on to guys in the Caribbean running ecosystems on ships. I think it also involved an escape from Hong Kong on a ship, and later, jail in Mali. Oh and while you're at it, reccomend some lesser known books with a similar vibe, if you can.
posted by Jimbob at 1:52 AM PST - 10 comments
March 26
I work with dogs who suffer from severe thunderstorm phobia. It's a difficult problem to manage because there are so many stimuli involved - the noise, the lightning itself, the smell of ozone, etc. These dogs seem to be able to sense atmospheric electrical charges that occur during thunderstorms - they feel the static in the air. Many of them head to the bathtub. I assume that the grounding plumbing pipes provide discharges the static.
I would like to build something that would help dogs who are fearful of the electrical phenomena that occur during thunderstorms, but I lack the physics background to even articulate clearly what I'm looking for.
Ideas, anyone?
[more inside]posted by freshwater_pr0n at 11:23 PM PST - 19 comments
There was a site posted at mefi a few years back that cataloged all of Elvis' jumpsuits. It was (obviously) the best site in the whole world. I can't find it now. I found something, but it wasn't it.
[more inside]posted by wsg at 11:20 PM PST - 2 comments
I remember there's some kind of output function in PHP that will print an object or array broken down into its parts.
[more inside]posted by RobotHero at 11:01 PM PST - 7 comments
Anyone have any practical tips for using voice recognition in an office environment?
[more inside]posted by krisjohn at 10:50 PM PST - 1 comments
Is there an application that can give me a little window that sits on my desktop that can show various computer functions: hard disk space, cpu function, etc.? I've used Konfabulator, and it's good, but I've been having a bit of trouble with it recently and wonder if there's something similar out there. Freeware is best!
posted by zardoz at 10:41 PM PST - 14 comments
Hobbies are supposed to occupy your time, right? I feel guilty unless I am being productive. What hobbies are there that are fun and productive?
[more inside]posted by dking at 10:18 PM PST - 39 comments
I have a group of people and we are seeking an online calendar and email service. We are looking for something where we can send an email to one address and it will be sent to the rest of the group and/or archived on the website. Also, looking for a service that has a calendar that we can post upcoming events. (I am familiar with Yahoo Groups, but seeking an alternative solution.)
[more inside]posted by marc10 at 9:36 PM PST - 14 comments
We are going to be driving from Boston to Toronto on a Thursday night and Friday with our five kids (ages 3 to 16). We want to stop somewhere half-way to sleep--ideally a hotel that is not too pricey but still decent and has an indoor pool. Perhaps a good breakfast, or just a decent breakfast. Where should we stay? And in general, if you needed to find a hotel en route from A to B, how would you do that (the second question is WAY less important than the first)?
posted by Raspberry at 9:30 PM PST - 7 comments
Digital camera filter: I am looking to upgrade to a better camera. Should I opt for an "SLR-like" camera, such as the Panasonic FZ-30, or should I shell out for a digital SLR? [more inside]
[more inside]posted by Krrrlson at 9:00 PM PST - 23 comments
In four days, I will leave with my family for a nine-month sabbatical at a university in London. Late in the game, we found out that I need a work permit, even though I'm still being paid by my US employer [a non-profit research institute] because we're staying in the UK for more than six months. I filled out the 'Work Permit for Sponsored Researchers' form, but the permit hasn't arrived yet. I haven't gotten a straight answer on what will happen when we arrive in London. Please tell me that we won't be bundled onto the next flight back to the US!
posted by lukemeister at 8:17 PM PST - 12 comments
What types of food promote good health, and what are the supposed health benefits of consuming such foods/beverages?
[more inside]posted by orangeshoe at 7:22 PM PST - 23 comments
Regex Madness...filter. How do I pull the text out of an html document without looking at the tag attributes?
[more inside]posted by ph00dz at 7:15 PM PST - 26 comments
How can I shut off the auto-click feature of the touchpad on my Sony Vaio (model PCG-GRT170, if that helps)?
[more inside]posted by DyRE at 6:39 PM PST - 5 comments
Okay, I have to "look nice" for an interview and I was told that a pair of khakis and a blue blazer would be perfect. The only "blue blazer" I have is the traditional blazer with gold buttons. Some say the gold buttons are timeless and is always "in", others say they are "out" and replace the buttons. What do MeFites think? Is it iffy enough to worry about? I did an AskMe search and didn't find anything addressing this blazer/button issue. Help?
posted by Gerard Sorme at 6:03 PM PST - 35 comments
FashionFilter: Can anyone help me locate the designer, or even better, and online source for the smokin hot shirt/blouse/top (whatever women call those things) Melissa McGhee wore on American Idol the night she got voted off? Here's a pic:
[more inside]posted by jwhowa at 4:59 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for modeling/acting agencies in or around the bay area, ca.
This would be for a 20 year old girl, she has high school and some college drama classes and a little modeling under her belt. Lots of smarts.
Recommendations or success stories are welcome. Also feel free to let us know if there is any places/agencies to avoid.
Thanks Guys and Gals!
posted by Building at 3:22 PM PST - 3 comments
can you turn solid material into liquid by sending the proper frequency through it?
[more inside]posted by kooop at 2:41 PM PST - 31 comments
My wife (who only works part-time) and I will be applying for a joint mortgage soon. My FICO score is 800; hers is 670. How will a lender determine our interest rate when we have such different scores?
posted by boognish at 2:28 PM PST - 7 comments
I have an information interview at a large company I'd like to work for.
Some background: The interview was set up by a former colleague's friend and the person I am speaking with does not work in the department I'd like to work in.
What is the best I can hope to get out of such a situation and how would you go about achieving it?
posted by captainscared at 1:49 PM PST - 4 comments
Have you aced an interview? How'd you do it?
posted by vers at 1:24 PM PST - 21 comments
If you wanted to track down someone you knew from an online community, given only a username, how would you go about it?
[more inside]posted by jojopizza at 11:38 AM PST - 18 comments
Does anyone know where I can find a copy of the documentary
UNREASONABLE DOUBT: The Joe Amrine Case?
[more inside]posted by iconjack at 11:27 AM PST - 2 comments
Where can I find someone to make a
simple alteration to a OS X java program?
This program allows me to play internet scrabble on isc.ro [more inside]posted by lalochezia at 10:53 AM PST - 10 comments
Antivirus software on WinXP SP2: Finding the balance between something that will protect my computer and something that won't slow down my system or interfere with my working online.
[more inside]posted by bingo at 9:13 AM PST - 21 comments
I need advice from the academic mefi community: Should I leave a faculty position at a community college to adjunct at local universities?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:27 AM PST - 16 comments
Long shot: can someone help me understand the ending to David Foster Wallace's short story "Oblivion" from his book of the same name?
[more inside]posted by juniper at 7:59 AM PST - 5 comments
I'd like to use my mobile as a bluetooth remote control at work but can't install any software
[more inside]posted by TheDonF at 7:46 AM PST - 7 comments
Jazzfest in New Orleans: tips for a first time visitor? It's been asked before (pre-Katrina) and I've bookmarked all the New Orleans threads, but I'm asking again just in case.
[more inside]posted by CunningLinguist at 7:24 AM PST - 9 comments
If you were a first-time homebuyer, would you buy a home right now? Specifically, would you buy in Chapel Hill, NC?
[more inside]posted by BackwardsCity at 6:42 AM PST - 22 comments
Where should I visit in The Somme? I'm off there this week, primarily to trace the actions of the Sheffield City Battalion which was focused on the village of Serre. But where else should I visit while I'm there? What are the
must see things in the region. I am staying in Albert.
posted by chill at 4:39 AM PST - 7 comments
March 25
In Google Local, this
area is heavily blurred. In Live Local, it doesn't even exist, but the area next to it is shown in clear detail. Does anyone know what this is about? (Gulf of Ob, northern Siberia, zoom in and out to see what I mean)
posted by Termite at 11:24 PM PST - 22 comments
This is probably one for the librarians; Is there *anywhere* that the full end-credits to a movie get published? Online,Offline, or Overpriced-Industry-Service? IMDB does a decent job on the big names, but I'm interested in a full and accurate listing for movies (aka., down to the second second assistant assistant director).
posted by alan at 10:45 PM PST - 12 comments
I am trying to put together a playlist of songs about doctors and hospitals. Not metaphoric "Love Doctor"- type songs, but more along the lines of The Replacements' "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out."
[more inside]posted by Failure31 at 10:41 PM PST - 32 comments
I need to move a forty foot shipping container 120 yards across a grassy field and turn a corner and another 20 yards.
[more inside]posted by Mhead at 9:21 PM PST - 12 comments
I want to interact with my music library over a network and be able to add notes, links, etc. to each item. Looking for static or dynamic approaches . . .
[more inside]posted by fourcheesemac at 7:50 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking for a free solution that would AUTOMATICALLY print received emails from a POP account (Gmail, to be exact). If there's ANYONE out there who knows how, you'd be my hero for life (at least, until next week :D)...
[more inside]posted by TrueVox at 7:21 PM PST - 14 comments
Please suggest instrumental music we can listen to while we study. This music must mask the noise coming from the apartment above us and remain relatively unobtrusive (without being lame).
[more inside]posted by safetyfork at 6:55 PM PST - 71 comments
What is the benefit, if any, of depreciating a piece of expensive camera gear over 3 years instead of 5?
[more inside]posted by photoslob at 6:53 PM PST - 7 comments
Where can I find good instructions for free and online on how to "choke" a bath tub? More specifically, rechoke actually.
[more inside]posted by crewshell at 6:09 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking for some software to be run under Windows XP that I can set to move or remove files which are past a certain date after specified intervals. Ideally the software will have a small footprint and relatively easy to use. Is this the sort of task that can be done through some sort of Windows based CRON program?
Ahhhh help me Mefi!
posted by a. at 6:03 PM PST - 12 comments
Why are magazine subscription renewal letters always written in the Courier typeface?
[more inside]posted by Alt F4 at 5:19 PM PST - 5 comments
Grrrr...blinking Virus Alert! icon and popup message in my taskbar tray and undead SpyWareQuake software keeps reinstalling itself. Help!
[more inside]posted by jimmythefish at 5:18 PM PST - 7 comments
my brother may be heading for divorce. yay. its gotten to the point where my sister in law is ready to see a counselor. can any one recommend a good marriage counselor in the tacoma/seattle area?
posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 5:11 PM PST - 2 comments
Tax Filter: Why would the fact that I paid interest on student loans last year mean I owe the IRS more money? I was doing my taxes on TurboTax today, and I have two 1098-E forms which say that I paid a total of $1,700 dollars in interest last year on student loans. This is the first year I'm paying on loans rather than taking them out, so I'm not sure how it works. My little counter at the top of the screen was saying I was getting an $800 refund until I entered that amount. After that, it said I would owe the IRS $450 this year. When it said I might be able to take the $1,700 as a deduction, that seemed like a good thing... so why do I owe now when before, I didn't? I don't get it.
posted by abbyladybug at 2:47 PM PST - 12 comments
I was heavily bitten by bedbugs over the summer of 2005, and although they're gone, I've grown very anxious about the thought of ever becoming reinfested.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:35 PM PST - 9 comments
I have this graphic LCD from either a pixter color or a leapster toy and I'd like to use it as a display, unfortunately.....
[more inside]posted by IronLizard at 1:57 PM PST - 8 comments
I’m studying for an exam and would like some tips on polishing my memorization skills. How do actors remember their lines? I know repetition helps, but what else can I do to retain the questions/answers I’m studying. Any tips, tricks or websites of interest would be appreciated.
posted by johnd101 at 1:56 PM PST - 9 comments
Were the food laws in the old testament rational for the time or somewhat superstitious?
[more inside]posted by tula at 12:55 PM PST - 16 comments
I can't unscrew stuck screws from inside the ram compartment of my powerbook... very tight space and very delicate. What can I do? I have a suspicion that an ant or two has crawled in my titanium powerbook G4 (let's not talk about the ants!) and I wanted to open it up by taking up the keyboard/track pad assembly so I can inspect it, armed with a nice spray can of air.
[more inside]posted by semidivine at 12:43 PM PST - 10 comments
Is there a compelling reason for an adult woman not to purchase a 24" bike if that is most comfortable for her?
[more inside]posted by raddevon at 11:40 AM PST - 18 comments
I want to maintain my weight, but continue to lower my body fat percentage. Should I lower caloric intake or just increase my exercise, or both?
[more inside]posted by synecdoche at 10:51 AM PST - 5 comments
Some water (a glass, only about 20% full) got accidentally spilled on my iBook (it was closed, turned off and disconnected). I immediately rinsed it all off, especially the rear panel vent, very carefully. But I am afraid water got in the insides of the iBook. How long do I have to wait until its guts dry up & I can safely try to turn it on, see if it's been damaged? And, if it doesn't work, is it going to be expensive to have it fixed (it's a G4, two years old)?
posted by PenguinBukkake at 10:40 AM PST - 13 comments
I wanted to create a banner image for a blog and wanted to take a jpg image and 'burn' some text into it (using different typefaces) -- anyone know the best way to do this? I don't have photoshop -- is there any other way? (I own an ibook)
posted by dearleader at 10:06 AM PST - 7 comments
What songs do you recommend about survival against odds or in the face of adversity? I am putting together a CD of songs to remind me I can push through anything. Examples of what I am looking for are:
18 Wheeler by Pink
I Get Knocked Down (Tubthumping) by Chumbawumba
I Will Survive by Cake (I like their version best, sorry)
Any suggestions are helpful, but I am not particularly interested in breakup songs. If it is not a song where you can not sum it up into something along the lines of "Bring it!" or "Is that the best you got?" then it is probably not what I am after.
posted by slavlin at 9:28 AM PST - 51 comments
I am an American planning on moving to Shanghai, China. What are my employment options if I don't know Chinese?
[more inside]posted by thebbxx at 9:27 AM PST - 10 comments
I heard a song in Qdobas that I liked. The lyrics always repeat "I could be [blah...blah] but [blah...blah]".
[more inside]posted by tfmm at 7:34 AM PST - 16 comments
Is there a way, possibly using Google maps or some other app, to determine the path of the sun over my property for the coming summer months? Specifically, I am trying to determine if a particular region near some oaks will get enough sunlight for a small vegetable garden.
posted by docpops at 7:10 AM PST - 12 comments
March 24
I can hear everyone talking when I'm playing online, I just can't talk back with my PS2 headset. What could be the problem?
[more inside]posted by recurve at 11:00 PM PST - 12 comments
ModFilter: I've been given a
Flybook as a gift. It's a great little machine, but it has one incredible flaw (and a few minor ones): when used as a tablet, there is no way to right click. Help me add a mod a button or two, or three into this tiny little laptop.
[more inside]posted by Freen at 10:40 PM PST - 7 comments
A close friend of ours is moving away in a few days and I'd like to get him a token of our friendship to take with him. I know he's a huge fan of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, so I'm trying to come up with a symbolic object or phrase from the books that would be meaningful. I read the books myself a while back, but am terrible at remembering details and I won't have access to them in the next few days to look anything up. Any ideas?
posted by platinum at 7:50 PM PST - 17 comments
Anyone know what happened to the-underdogs.org, and where I can find a similar site?
posted by strangelove at 7:06 PM PST - 9 comments
I need ideas to Dress my 3 and 5 yr old up for an adults 40th with an 80's theme... Something comfortable, but recongizable enough to be a hoot! Thanks!
posted by kmurray24 at 6:55 PM PST - 26 comments
What are some examples of a wiki being tied in as part a larger site - with static pages, a forum, whatever - with a consistent skin between them?
posted by Hot Like Your 12V Wire at 5:37 PM PST - 10 comments
Help me help my brother make a decision about what to do with his career. He is 24, from the UK, has a batchelors degree (in Business Studies) and has worked for about 3 years as a management consultant.
[more inside]posted by Rc at 4:55 PM PST - 5 comments
Does ultrapasturized half and half last longer than regular half and half once the carton is opened, or only in the unopened carton?
posted by Jackson at 3:26 PM PST - 11 comments
I would like to upgrade my old 15" G4 powerbook laptop 400 Mhz. I would like to get more speed out of it. I have maxxed the ram out and installed a faster access HDD. What else can I do? Motherboard? Recommendations?
posted by fox_terrier_guy at 3:08 PM PST - 7 comments
you know how you're sometimes forced to use internet explorer? and you know how sometimes you open a second window while waiting for Window #1 to load? and then when Window #1 is done loading, it automatically pops in front of Window #2 which you're now happily reading? is there anyway to
prevent Window #1 from popping forward?
posted by crush-onastick at 2:58 PM PST - 12 comments
I am looking for a clear understandable introduction to Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico Philosophicus. Is there any particular book or website you can recommend to someone who is not schooled in philosophy?
posted by davar at 2:11 PM PST - 13 comments
My current level of "life management" skills aren't cutting it anymore (not that they ever did so great to begin with). How can I get my act together?
[more inside]posted by shelbaroo at 2:07 PM PST - 20 comments
How much time am I entitled to take with my doctor (in Canada), or how many issues per visit is reasonable to try to address?
[more inside]posted by GleepGlop at 2:07 PM PST - 20 comments
I have an out of print, foreign book (written by Jesuits, snatch) that I need copied. It's a language book, and written some time ago. The book is borrowed and I'd like a copy for reference. It does not have to be professional bound or anything like that -- and the original copy can be destroyed if necessary.
[more inside]posted by geoff. at 1:25 PM PST - 13 comments
I have been tasked with coming up with some ideas for what to do for a warm weather outing for our small (30-40 people) company here in Atlanta.
Does anyone have any ideas or experiences that they have really enjoyed that they would share?
[more inside]posted by GrumpyMonkey at 1:15 PM PST - 8 comments
What is some fun, lo-fi, electronic pop music? Emphasis on the
pop. I've heard Nullsleep and some of the other 'chip' musicians, and they're too techno-y for my tastes. I'm looking for something more along the lines of the tracks on the Life Aquatic soundtrack.
posted by hughbot at 1:10 PM PST - 37 comments
Where is that website with the side by side screenshots comparing the
original release to the digitally enhanced re-release of Star Wars?
posted by frecklefaerie at 1:01 PM PST - 5 comments
Posted on behalf of
colleen711, who joined too recently to be able to post this herself:
My roomate and I are recent college graduates, she's working in libertyville and I'm working in deer park. We want to live in the city, but keep our commute to less than or equal to one hour.
[more inside]posted by Johnny Assay at 12:02 PM PST - 11 comments
I just bought Norton Ghost 10.0. It is complete crap, as far as I can tell. What can I do, either to make it work the way I want, or to actually return it for a refund?
[more inside]posted by gregvr at 11:17 AM PST - 9 comments
Photoshop CS2 does a terrible job scaling down an image when displaying it in the edit window. Is there an equivalent of "Bicubic" for when I'm looking at an image on screen?
[more inside]posted by Nelson at 11:15 AM PST - 15 comments
Considering hiring someone else to do credit repair for me. What differentiates a good service from a bad one? Are there traps or pitfalls? What should I expect to pay?
[more inside]posted by weston at 11:14 AM PST - 12 comments
I need to open an IRA, and probably another mutual fund account (or other investment) for shorter term savings, but I don't want to give money to evil corporations.
[more inside]posted by Fenriss at 10:28 AM PST - 11 comments
How do I extract content of a website (including images and alt -tags) for translation into different languages?
[more inside]posted by Botunda at 9:30 AM PST - 12 comments
Asking for my wife... There's a Gap TV ad running in the U.S. this month, featuring a "Daddy-O" song. Any one know the artist and actual song title? Sorry I don't have more info.
posted by markmillard at 9:15 AM PST - 10 comments
Any idea as to the retention rates of users in online games such as World of Warcraft?
[more inside]posted by evadery at 8:57 AM PST - 9 comments
So I finally got a midi cable and hooked up my keyboard to my computer for some home recording. It works swell, but I'm looking into a portable solution so I can take it along with my laptop.
[more inside]posted by pooya at 8:40 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm starting to buy a lot of books on
Audible. Problem is: they're pretty expensive. Legally, can I sell the books I've listened to and no longer want to read on eBay?
[more inside]posted by JPowers at 8:31 AM PST - 17 comments
MicrosoftWordFilter: How to always have my default view when I'm opening someone else's file?
[more inside]posted by Xalf at 7:48 AM PST - 4 comments
What is the expected printing speed for wirelessly connected printers? I hooked up a Trendnet usb to wireless printer server with my older Canon S600 USB printer. I use wep encryption on my network. I immediately noticed that the print job for one page color document take a quite a bit of time to start on the printer. I have not played around much yet, but when i tried printing a short word document from my laptop I was getting not enough memory errors. I am pretty sure it is not a laptop problem.
When the printer was connected to the desktop PC i did not notice these problems of course.
[more inside]posted by flyby22 at 7:20 AM PST - 3 comments
We're taking our first trip as tourists to Washington, DC next week. As we in Maine and
clean mucking boots is considered dressed-up, how casual is appropriate for this trip?
[more inside]posted by SteveInMaine at 6:57 AM PST - 24 comments
I'm just wondering why frozen fruit, more specifically frozen berries take so long to defrost in the refrigerator?
[more inside]posted by GoodJob! at 6:51 AM PST - 8 comments
I am quitting my day job? What kinds of things should I indulge in or good habits should I pick up before I go back to school in fall?
[more inside]posted by stormygrey at 6:03 AM PST - 15 comments
What do I need to do, practically speaking, after a computer theft? (Several related questions inside.)
[more inside]posted by catesbie at 4:40 AM PST - 18 comments
EuroCellServiceFilter: I'll be travelling in Europe from mid-April until September/October to many, many countries, but 2-3 months throughout Italy and 4-5 weeks in Spain, followed by more inside. What cell service providers (if any) offer plans for data services in multiple countries throughout (Western) Europe at reasonable rates? I'd be happy with something that will do data for my 3-4 months in Italy+Spain, and then just use internet cafes during the rest of my trip. This is primarily for using with my laptop.
[more inside]posted by cactus at 4:30 AM PST - 7 comments
Where can I find a resource with information about buying and converting a truck or bus?
[more inside]posted by davehat at 1:54 AM PST - 4 comments
March 23
I finally decided to make good on a long standing resolution to learn how to meditate. transcendental Meditation, I wa told, was among the best programs to learn from.
I found a TM franchise nearby, and attended a free intro class. After a long boring lecture and no actual meditation, in which the lecturer showed study after study showing how TM cures everything including ingrown toe nials, she drops the karma bomb: $2500 "tuition" for the course.
My questions: Is TM really superior? Has it really become the peaceful tonic of the upper classes? Is TM really superior to other forms of meditation? Does TM always have to be so expensive? Can it be learned from a book instead of avaristic new age meditation moguls?
posted by Fupped Duck at 11:08 PM PST - 24 comments
Is it realistic for me, as an American, to entertain thoughts (read: dreams) of attending law school at Oxford?
[more inside]posted by PhatLobley at 9:53 PM PST - 14 comments
Which words in the following sentence are adjectives?
"My wife put a 1kg Nescafe coffee tin on top of that oily cardboard box."
[more inside]posted by meech at 8:50 PM PST - 24 comments
"New" iMac G5 with a serious case of the freezies. Hardware test shows no problems with any hardware. Wiping and re-installing does no good. How on earth can I fix this?
[more inside]posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:48 PM PST - 15 comments
What was it like for cubans, and foreigners visting / working in cuba between the time of the revolution and the missile crisis.
[more inside]posted by miniape at 5:35 PM PST - 2 comments
Bournemouth, University of East London, or University of Salford: Mefites, help me choose my grad school!
[more inside]posted by damn yankee at 5:26 PM PST - 14 comments
I get so many boogers that the boogie man is jealous of me. How do I get rid of boogers, it's embarassing because I have to pick my nose at least twice a day in fear that some hot chick is going to see a booger in my nose. This isn't only during the winter, I get boogers year round.
[more inside]posted by pwally at 5:16 PM PST - 28 comments
I'm working on a project that requires somewhat in-depth knowledge of the workings of antique carnival/fun-fair size breakdown and re-assemble Ferris wheels. The problem is that I don't know enough about Ferris wheels or how they work to know what to look for.
[more inside]posted by xyzzy at 5:10 PM PST - 7 comments
How do I find niche Job recruiters for this niche work I do. I negotiate contracts with Doctors who participate in clinical trials...
[more inside]posted by BeerGrin at 4:19 PM PST - 3 comments
I've recently been studying how humans interact with their environments by studying ice cores, sediments, and other such things. I'm interested in supplementing this research by looking at how literature from the same time and place represents humans interaction with the environment. Anybody know any journals, books, etc. that deal with this sort of work?
[more inside]posted by eighth_excerpt at 2:36 PM PST - 2 comments
I am interested in the physics of motor vehicle accidents. The most basic question I have is which of Newton's laws, if I am understanding them properly, is at work in the following situations:
1) You're driving in a straight line and suddenly you jerk the wheel in one direction. This makes the car start to roll.
2) You're driving and you fall asleep at the wheel, so the car drifts to one side. You wake up suddenly, jerk the wheel in the opposite direction, and the car starts to roll.
3) You round a sharp curve too fast and roll the car.
If anybody would like to give detailed explanations of the physics of each of these situations, hopefully without calculus, that would be great, as well.
thanks!
posted by soulbarn at 2:04 PM PST - 12 comments
Driving from San Diego to Portland: how do I plan a pleasant 3-day trip up the west coast?
[more inside]posted by junkbox at 12:24 PM PST - 21 comments
How can I put myself on the cutting edge of the Internet and interactive media? -or- What's the future of the Internet?
[more inside]posted by drezdn at 10:56 AM PST - 10 comments
Say I have 5 points: a,b,c,d,e. I know the position of each one at t=0: pa
0,pb
0 etc. Now say that at t=1, the distance between each one changes, so I know Dab
1,Dac
1...Dde
1. Is there an equation or algorithm which will allow me to know (or aproximate) the positions at t=1 : pa
1...pe
1?
[more inside]posted by skree at 10:28 AM PST - 33 comments
I did
something to my computer (iMac G5) over a year ago, and now every folder includes a file called ".DS_Store". What is it, and how can I make it invisible again?
posted by interrobang at 9:18 AM PST - 9 comments
Keyboard navigation problems with Firefox on a Mac (OS 10.3.9). I've searched and searched or an answer, really I have, but haven't found the definitive one.
[more inside]posted by TiredStarling at 8:45 AM PST - 7 comments
Let's say you just joined a
hiking club... you're in decent shape, but haven't really hiked on any kind of regular basis since you were a Boy Scout. You need
boots... boots that would cover a variety of
hiking situations, most anyway. What would you do?
[more inside]posted by Witty at 8:01 AM PST - 42 comments
A friend of mine is flying on Delta soon and wants to know: if they strike, will another airline honor her ticket?
[more inside]posted by philulrich at 7:56 AM PST - 4 comments
I need soundfiles of baby babble to dub over a movie. Where can I get these?
posted by thirteenkiller at 6:43 AM PST - 6 comments
While I'm certainly have empathy with those who are critical of uber-consumer capitalism, I cringe when I hear people glorify the past or "primitive" cultures. (more...)
[more inside]posted by tom_g at 6:34 AM PST - 76 comments
What kind of experiences have you had with using online tutorials/courses to help learn common softwear programs, word, quickbooks, elements, datacad and the like.
[more inside]posted by flummox at 4:20 AM PST - 7 comments
What would be your perfect breakfast after a night with a partner? No unfertilized egg jokes please...
[more inside]posted by brautigan at 3:37 AM PST - 50 comments
Yahoo paid search. I run online ppc marketing for my company in Europe. I have a question about the way Yahoo make us pay our bills and manage our account.
[more inside]posted by superfurry at 2:44 AM PST - 4 comments
How do builders and construction workers refer to streets on a new development that have yet to be officially named?
[more inside]posted by rongorongo at 1:55 AM PST - 13 comments
Does any one know how I can create a free, accurate mailing address list for every house in our town of 5200 people?
[more inside]posted by frogmoses at 12:13 AM PST - 8 comments
March 22
I recently was given a Blackberry 7290 and a Moto Razr for work. Each has its own phone number. Both have bluetooth. Is it possible to use the Razr as a BT handset to answer calls made to the Blackberry? That is to say can I use Bluetooth to answer both phone numbers with the Razr? How?
posted by leftoverboy at 11:51 PM PST - 7 comments
Let's say I wanted to have some fine art (paintings) shipped professionally. That's museum-style professionalism I'm looking for. Going to NYC, coming from various parts of the country/world. Where they're coming from isn't important - this is entirely made-up, a small part of a budget as part of a hypothetical project. Can you give me any sort of ballpark figures, considering various sizes and various points of origin?
posted by thejoshu at 11:16 PM PST - 6 comments
Canadian TaxFilter: Does a US-based company have to withhold taxes for Canadian residents of Canadian nationality who are independent contractors to the company?
[more inside]posted by RikiTikiTavi at 10:02 PM PST - 8 comments
North Carolina starts its new statewide lottery next week. Is it reasonable to assume that in the early days the lottery company will offer more than the usual number of small prizes as a way to get folks excited? I saw
this thread, and
this comment that claims it's true the odds are better at the start of new games, but I'm looking for evidence of actual lottery practice.
posted by mediareport at 9:31 PM PST - 1 comments
What is the proper order and nomenclature for numbering architectural drawings? Typically, you break up drawings into different types of views: floorplans, sections, details, and elevations--both outside and
[more inside]posted by fandango_matt at 8:46 PM PST - 5 comments
What is the command / string / path for piping local audio through Winamp? IE, I want Winamp to run whatever is being output through my soundcard, Multi-media soundsystem or DirectSound as wave through it's DSPs.
[more inside]posted by loquacious at 8:15 PM PST - 2 comments
I once heard a recording of a comedian/folk musician performing a song whose main lyric was "I didn't throw up; it was a pretty good day."
Please save me from madness and tell me his name.
posted by DWRoelands at 7:57 PM PST - 6 comments
In college, my friends and I played an Amiga game incessantly. This game was a futuristic sporting game somewhat like hockey, except involving a metallic ball. And for the life of me, I can't remember what it's called. Help me, Metafilter, you're my only hope.
posted by solistrato at 7:08 PM PST - 6 comments
I need to learn to speak Spanish as quickly as possible. There are a couple of small problems - I live in DC, work irregular 12 hour+ days, and don't have the money or the vacation time to go abroad...
[more inside]posted by crabintheocean at 7:01 PM PST - 28 comments
I'm looking for some good resources and reading (books, websites, etc.) on U.S. propoganda and rhetoric in reference to nation building projects in the last 50 years (Vietnam, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan/Iraq).
posted by rbf1138 at 6:34 PM PST - 2 comments
Asbestos exposure and pregnancy: at my wife's workplace, they've announced that they are closing off a bathroom for asbestos removal over a weekend. Is it wise for her to avoid the office (all in close proximity to the space) on, say, Monday? Longer? Or needlessly paranoid? She's feeling especially cautious as she is five months pregnant.
[more inside]posted by BT at 6:04 PM PST - 14 comments
I'm looking for good non-fiction books about the US in the 60s. I'm interested in the social upheavals that occurred then and I'm particularly interested in the anti-war protests and things like the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
posted by pombe at 4:55 PM PST - 30 comments
I've been taking hydrochlorothiazide (25mg) once a day for about 2 months now for high blood pressure. The bottle says avoid prolonged sun exposure. I'm going to Hawaii for 10 days, so it will be pretty hard (and not fun) avoiding sun exposure. I'll be doing the sunscreen, floppy hat, etc. What do I need to worry about? What will happen if I do get prolonged exposure? Yes, I have a call into my doctor...
posted by mhm at 4:55 PM PST - 7 comments
iBook SE 466 (Clamshell) and iBook 500 (white, G3 processor) - Can I use the Clamshell's DVD drive in the iBook 500?
[more inside]posted by smallerdemon at 3:51 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm in business school and am getting sick of my classmates boring group presentations. Building upon
this question, what are the best tips for giving a group powerpoint presentation?
[more inside]posted by pithy comment at 3:27 PM PST - 22 comments
E-mails from my small business are slowly starting to get blocked by AOL, CompuServe, and now Comcast. It appears my ISP (WildBlue) has lots of IPs on some blacklists. What can I do?
[more inside]posted by hodyoaten at 2:46 PM PST - 15 comments
For a Friend: What are some songs about about people who used to see eye to eye, but now they hate each other and can't understand each other? Or about righteous people trying to smash down lower people?
[more inside]posted by ruwan at 1:55 PM PST - 39 comments
Can I transplant cacti from a 1" clay pot to a 4" successfully? Is this too big of a size jump?
posted by kc0dxh at 1:25 PM PST - 8 comments
I'd like to use Markdown to format some text fields on a ColdFusion based site. Markdown exists
for Perl and has also been
ported to PHP, but I can't find anything for ColdFusion.
[more inside]posted by Tubes at 12:56 PM PST - 1 comments
My computer is driving me insane. Please help.
My 1.8gz Macintosh g5 has developed several annoying quirks, the cumulative effect of which is to make browsing the internet an exercise in frustration. Sometimes I want to pull my hair out. Here are the three things that I believe, individually and/or in combination, are causing the slow-downs. I have no idea how to fix any of them:
[more inside]posted by jdroth at 12:41 PM PST - 31 comments
Where can I find a recording of (or information about) a Canadian radio comedy sketch called "Les Anglaises"?
[more inside]posted by sayitwithpie at 12:13 PM PST - 3 comments
DogsInClothesFilter: Help me design a line of pooch clothing that will fit a wide variety of dog body types.
[more inside]posted by discokitty at 12:10 PM PST - 13 comments
What's the best way of adding a Terabyte of reliable, contiguous, archive-quality storage to my system? By 'best' I mean Toyota Corolla as opposed to Hummer.
[more inside]posted by unSane at 12:04 PM PST - 49 comments
I have some chromed steel with pretty substantial pitting and rust. However if properly restored its relatively valuable. Is there anything I can do about this myself? If it should be done professionally, where in San Francisco might I take it?
posted by atom128 at 11:58 AM PST - 12 comments
Please help me name books/stories/movies where scientific experiment opens some kind of link to another dimension or timeline, with horrific results.
[more inside]posted by agropyron at 11:38 AM PST - 59 comments
Using javascript, what would be the most efficient way to reduce a multi-word string down to just the first word?
[more inside]posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:30 AM PST - 10 comments
I need a good, cheap clean hotel or B&B in Vancouver BC, in a safe area, close to attactions. Any suggestions?
posted by bright77blue at 11:15 AM PST - 11 comments
Digital "Signature" in an excel spreadsheet, is it easy and possible?
My company wants to reduce our paper waste and do digital copies of some of our internal forms. But we need an easy way to digitally sign the documents throughout the various stages of approval.
[more inside]posted by JonnyRotten at 11:00 AM PST - 12 comments
Keyboard-centricFilter: I need to reduce my mouse use under Windows XP. What are some good keyboard-centric file managers or desktop replacements? What have others done (besides learning all the keyboard shortcuts) to reduce your mouse use?
posted by lhauser at 10:38 AM PST - 13 comments
Is it possible to implement domain-part redirection on URLs, along these lines:
http://foo.bar.com/baz/0001.html
becomes
http://new.domain.com/0001.html
for any instance of "foo.bar.com/baz/*", that segment of the URL is replaced by "new.domain.com/*"
If so, are there multiple methods? [MI]
[more inside]posted by mwhybark at 10:34 AM PST - 8 comments
What currently available font must closely matches the handwriting in The Bill of Rights?
posted by leafwoman at 10:26 AM PST - 3 comments
What are some really fun, chill places/activities for a birthday party in the Cambridge/Boston area? I've already thought of: karaoke, playing board games at Diesel Cafe in Somerville, and candlepin bowling. Any other ideas...? Thanks.
posted by shivohum at 9:49 AM PST - 9 comments
A few years ago, I attended an Elderhostle study on the Navajo culture in New Mexico. One part of the presentation was a hands on instruction on how to stone grind corn by hand. We then each had a sample of blue corn mush which was delicious. I got to thinking that this would be quite good served up like grits with butter and pepper. Since then I have been trying to find stone ground blue corn similar to that which was served. The commercial blue corn that I have found is much lighter in color and while good for baking has comparatively weak flavor and almost no mouth texture when cooked as mush. This is true even when cooked at double the concentration called for in the recipe. What is the darker blue corn meal called and where might I get some?
posted by Raybun at 9:46 AM PST - 7 comments
Evaluating Home Construction: We're considering buying a home in NM, where construction is very different from here in MN. Anyone have any good sources (online or otherwise) to help home buyers evaluate quality of construction in Southwest style homes -- especially stucco homes? We're looking at pueblo/adobe style places.
posted by nancoix at 9:39 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm trying to determine the best bare bones microphone system for recording a basic voice-over demo cd for the smallest financial outlay possible.
Is there a tremendous advantage to USB mics over 1/8" mics? Can I get decent quality without having to buy a preamp, or is phantom power the only way to go? Can a USB headset give me CD quality audio, more or less?
[more inside]posted by StrangeTikiGod at 9:25 AM PST - 7 comments
FeedFilter! How do I: a) get bloggers to tag their posts about X with “X”; b) subscribe to the “X” tag via RSS; c) feed the “X”-tagged posts into a non-profit web site I run about X?
[more inside]posted by MarshallPoe at 9:06 AM PST - 4 comments
How can I seal my home-made steel smoker? It's made out of a never-used oil drum, shaped like a giant flask. The problem is that the hatch, while large enough to cover the opening, doesn't form a perfect seal because of the body's curvature. Imperfect seal = imperfect smoking. What kind of material can take the medium heat of smoking, is non-toxic (no fiberglass!), and is slightly soft, to mold itself to the surface?
posted by paul_smatatoes at 9:00 AM PST - 15 comments
Looking for recommendations on banks which offer both checking account & credit cards.
[more inside]posted by skwm at 8:59 AM PST - 21 comments
I have to pee. I also have to blow my nose. Is it more environmentally friendly to toss my snotty
Kleenex into the trash or into the toilet (which I was going to flush anyway)?
posted by mookieproof at 8:26 AM PST - 18 comments
How do I make my bike less attractive to thieves? (Plus, other NYC biking questions.)
[more inside]posted by hooray at 8:10 AM PST - 31 comments
I'm looking for an ipod remote control with the greatest range. I'm trying to control an ipod on the other side of a wall in the back of a movie theatre- -about 100 feet or so. (Video iPod- -does that impact my choices?) Thank!
posted by verylargecorp at 8:02 AM PST - 1 comments
A friend has asked me if I am familiar with any 'off-the-shelf-software' applications for the staffing business ...
[more inside]posted by ericb at 7:28 AM PST - 1 comments
Is there an easy method for a non-tech guy to use in order to keep folks from right clicking on my site, or, if not that, an easy way to prevent pictures from being copied (getting properties) so as to prevent hotliniking?
[more inside]posted by Postroad at 4:34 AM PST - 23 comments
Where has my primary hard drive gone? My primary hard drive disappeared after I installed a new CD-ROM drive! It seems my CMOS doesn’t see my main drive! Help!
[more inside]posted by zaelic at 1:48 AM PST - 23 comments
March 21
I've lost my vehicle title and need a new one. But where is the original?
[more inside]posted by gtr at 10:56 PM PST - 5 comments
Besides the Monty Hall paradox, what are some other counterintuitive math problems that require a bit of a mind warp?
[more inside]posted by arcticwoman at 9:52 PM PST - 89 comments
Is there a software package or script I can get that will allow me to enable users to add content to my web site and enable other users to rate that content? I am not a programmer, so something that is pretty simple is preferable. I would like the content to be sorted by showing the highest rated first. Thanks.
posted by stockaholic at 9:40 PM PST - 6 comments
I post photos of my dogs onto my personal website. I just found someone on Ebay selling prints and t-shirts using a photo of one of my dogs.
[more inside]posted by disaster77 at 9:25 PM PST - 43 comments
What programs are best suited for animating many digital photographs, and adding sound and music?
[more inside]posted by nervestaple at 9:19 PM PST - 7 comments
Just formed a new cover lounge band in Las Vegas. Male lead singer. Audience range from late 20s to 50s. Want some opinions on what songs people want to hear and what songs NEVER to play. So what do you want to hear?
[more inside]posted by SwingingJohnson1968 at 8:56 PM PST - 31 comments
My apartment is going condo. Unless it's not. Please help me be less confused.
[more inside]posted by bac at 8:48 PM PST - 15 comments
I'm searching for a very specific type of digital camera. I want a camera without a LCD preview/review screen, along with a few other things...
[more inside]posted by killThisKid at 8:23 PM PST - 9 comments
Where is a good place to get swanky or custom cowboy boots in Manhattan / NY area? Could be a prop or costume house as well.
posted by gingembre at 8:21 PM PST - 3 comments
Mencken filter. I recall seeing this piece, but I cannot find it now. Mencken asserted that the Renaissance was the direct result of the pandemic Black Death of the mid-1300s, arguing that the reduction in European population by 1/3 opened the door to a more widespread sharing of wealth and resources. Can anyone point me to the right location?
posted by yclipse at 8:03 PM PST - 4 comments
Lip waxing: I'm a girl with a heavy 'stache who has been shaving it every two days for years. Whether the shaving did it or not, the hairs are very thick and very dark. I would like to switch to waxing at a salon but have some questions.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:39 PM PST - 20 comments
I'm trying to remember the name of a TV show from the 80's about a guy who had a computer cursor that would make a neon motorcycle or sportscar.
[more inside]posted by phirleh at 7:24 PM PST - 4 comments
I know many people who don't live in houses but in apartments - empty nesters, young couples with or without children. However, if you were to base your idea of Americans' residences solely on television shows, it would seem that absolutely everybody lives in a house.
[more inside]posted by gregb1007 at 6:51 PM PST - 40 comments
How do pornstars have so much cum? They shoot *spurt*, and shoot *spurt* *spurt*.. and it shoots far, may I add. I hear it's eating lots of celery. But come on, what other ways of having more sperm? And shooting it, too.
posted by Devileyezz at 6:38 PM PST - 43 comments
Where online can I find pictures of cats to use in an amateur music video, without worrying about permissions and legal mess?
[more inside]posted by troybob at 6:21 PM PST - 9 comments
I work for a small dot com that just was acquired by a larger dot com (one with a historically shady reputation). What are some signs that my job may not be safe, even though I've been promised it is? What are signs that we are just going to be chewed up and discarded? How will I know when it's time to rewrite the resume and get out?
posted by anonymous at 6:10 PM PST - 10 comments
Are there any services or software to make it easier to sell a bunch of stuff on Amazon Marketplace?
[more inside]posted by Tallguy at 3:41 PM PST - 2 comments
Any idea on the title/details of a movie released in the early '90's about a kid who puts peanut butter on his head and his hair won't stop growing?
[more inside]posted by amicamentis at 1:40 PM PST - 15 comments
So, movies where the movie's title is mentioned in the dialogue - my girlfriend was talking about these the other day; she has a superstition that it's a badge of quality. So, how many films are there like this - I would guess it's a minority? Is there a list somewhere? And is it a tick of some directors/screenwriters?
posted by runkelfinker at 12:18 PM PST - 67 comments
So, I admit it, I browse ebay a lot and I'm also not averse to surfing the many teleshopping channels.
Now in my travels I often see things which look like they are too good to be true - especially on the TV.
You know the sort of thing - the drill which has a lifetime guarantee and will drill through concrete or steel etc. or the juicer that takes the whole fruit without cutting it up or the makeup that can make you look 10 years younger.
Anyway it got me thinking that there must be some web site somewhere where I can get reviews of these kind of "wonder-products"!
Most of the review sites I've found are pretty poor in my opinion - so few products are actually reviewed and I've yet to find any that look at eBay or Teleshopping products.
Of course if anyone has any genuine wonder-products they have got this way then feel free to post a short review here as well!
posted by empedia at 11:30 AM PST - 6 comments
DigitalSLRFilter: I want to get a good entry level Digital SLR camera. I would like to get the Nikon D200 but its a bit much for me right now. Id like to spend no more than $1000 for camera and lens. What do you recommend? Thanks!!
posted by flipmiester99 at 11:27 AM PST - 36 comments
Where might one find Civil War-era suits like the ones found in the movie Gangs of New York in either NYC area or online? Nothing antique necessary, just replicas/costumes.
posted by Ekim Neems at 11:14 AM PST - 4 comments
Short-run-plastic-fab-filter: Where can I go to order a very short run (100-300 items) of custom shaped and machined plastic sheets? In addition to a whacky shape, I need some drilling and something close to 'etching' on the surface.
[more inside]posted by daver at 10:58 AM PST - 2 comments
If a fever is the human body's response to pathogens, does taking medicine to bring down one's fever increase recovery time? If this is true, is it true of all medicines that treat cold/flu symptoms?
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:50 AM PST - 11 comments
The recent stories about the difficulty our seniors have found in understanding the Medicare prescription benefit, coupled with continual reports of vehicular "issues" among the elderly, make me wonder about old people, and whether I will be just like them when I get there.
[more inside]posted by Bud Dickman at 10:33 AM PST - 39 comments
Where do you get good quality incense?
posted by parma at 10:16 AM PST - 14 comments
What is the most efficient way to learn the native language of a country while traveling there on your own?
[more inside]posted by qvantamon at 10:16 AM PST - 16 comments
I'm trying to find a place for my band and a friend's band to play a show in Providence R.I.. I don't care if it's a house or a bar. I just need some leads!
posted by josher71 at 10:10 AM PST - 14 comments
Where can I find numbers of downloads for, say, the top 100 most downloaded podcasts?
posted by davebug at 10:00 AM PST - 6 comments
In the movie
Nightwatch, in the scene where Anton comes out of the subway station following the kid, and gets hassled by the cops there's a bit of incidental music playing in the background, and my brain swears it recognizes it, but won't tell me what it is. I don't recognize anything off the soundtrack listing. Hope me?
posted by Capn at 9:07 AM PST - 3 comments
Exchange + Entourage + Permissions Filter. I request your assistance with one more hurdle on the road to Mac OS X groupware nirvana.
[more inside]posted by MarvinTheCat at 8:58 AM PST - 2 comments
Help me impress my boss: where can I find video of the Billy Madison "Industrial Revolution" speech online?
[more inside]posted by AgentRocket at 8:09 AM PST - 7 comments
Which famous sci-fi author bet another author that if he wrote the worst book he could, it would become a hit?
[more inside]posted by pornucopia at 7:49 AM PST - 30 comments
What is involved in running for a seat in the House? Right now there is an uncontested seat in my district, (AR-03) Arkansas, going to Boozman (R). He has a lot of financial backing and and a solid religious support base but he is also batshit insane. I am a 32 year old network/computer specialist that works for the university with no previous political experience, I am pretty good organizer and a fair public speaker and would do well on web activism. but I am not sure if this would even make a difference in a real congressional race as I have no $$$, if there was another candidate I would support them, but this guy is running unopposed so somebody should do something!
posted by los pijamas del gato at 7:13 AM PST - 24 comments
Managing User Permissions: I'm reworking an existing system that has a fairly granular permission system and am looking to make it easier to use. At the risk of sounding like a complete clown
1, I've recently seen at least one OS permission system where permissions are encoded with ids that are (I think) all powers of 2, which allows the system to discern whether a user has access to a given permission from the sum of the user's permission ids. Can someone explain how this works?
[more inside]posted by yerfatma at 7:03 AM PST - 16 comments
Host Network Monitoring: I have a colo box. I can watch traffic levels on it using mrtg. But how do I find out what is causing the traffic I see on the pretty graphs?
[more inside]posted by cmm at 6:27 AM PST - 7 comments
So last night on the train I saw a passenger with a small blue paper book titled "OFFICIAL CYPHER"
[more inside]posted by sol at 6:19 AM PST - 10 comments
Is there any regular expression based search engine or search engine that allows to search for one word in the vicinity of another word, like say word1 within 10 words of word2 ?
[more inside]posted by inquisitive at 4:51 AM PST - 8 comments
What are the best supplements to take to make it to that "next level" of muscle-mass gain?
[more inside]posted by antifuse at 3:47 AM PST - 23 comments
International ordering via a US website, technical problems ordering supplements for an Autistic child. Should I give up? Can you recommend alternatives?
[more inside]posted by Wilder at 2:53 AM PST - 3 comments
Charity solicitor via phonebank recalls
not personally a contribution I would have never made over the phone from a previous year, cannot provide details. When I ask him to send more information, t(he)y sends "Sponsor Reminder".
[more inside]posted by Ogre Lawless at 1:46 AM PST - 7 comments
March 20
A friend of mine recently told me that she can't read comic books. She doesn't have problems with understanding text or visual information. She's been a voracious book reader since a very early age and she's a dedicated film watcher. I didn't entirely understand her explanation but she says that she never learn to decode the tight coupling of textual and visual information in comic books. Has anyone heard about or experienced something similar?
[more inside]posted by rdr at 11:03 PM PST - 23 comments
I am throwing an ecstatic poetry/prose party this weekend and want to have a milk bath. I have access to a lot of fresh milk but not enough to fill up a large tub. Are there ways I can mix with oils or other decoctions?
[more inside]posted by goalyeehah at 10:56 PM PST - 10 comments
I have a friend who is a trucker and he wants to know if there's way to receive faxes while on the road. He either wants a fax machine that could receive while he's in route or....
[more inside]posted by thebarron at 10:01 PM PST - 11 comments
I have new neighbors...they are exceedingly loud. And, no doubt, can also hear my every word. How can I reduce the amount of sound I hear?
[more inside]posted by ebeeb at 9:59 PM PST - 13 comments
What have you read that gave you a new outlook on the world—or even changed your life? I teach a Language Arts class to at-risk teenagers at a small high school, and I need to compile a body of short readings for next term, which is six weeks long. I want to give them those "a-ha!" moments that I had as a teenager when I read something that opened up my brain to something new and made my world larger. All genres (fiction, nonfiction, news articles, poetry, essays, etc.) are options.
There are, of course, challenges...
[more inside]posted by cacahuete at 9:27 PM PST - 79 comments
Why are the lcd numerals in digital clocks and other such displays at an angle, as opposed to straight up-and-down?
posted by luftmensch at 8:48 PM PST - 21 comments
Is there any decent lodging within walking distance of the Snow Summit ski area in Big Bear, California?
[more inside]posted by generic230 at 8:21 PM PST - 0 comments
iPodFilter: Now that my iPod is nearly full, and I can't rely on automatic updating, is there any simple way to do, essentially, a diff between my iTune music library and my iPod?
[more inside]posted by wheat at 7:56 PM PST - 6 comments
My beautiful baseball glove was stolen about ten years ago when I was too young to know better. I'd love to buy another one of the same or similar type, but all I can remember is a few specifics. Fortunately, it was pretty unique. Details inside.
[more inside]posted by DrJohnEvans at 6:25 PM PST - 7 comments
How many USB devices can I power from my system without problems? If USB devices are drawing too much power, which ones are best to off-load on to a self-powered USB hub?
[more inside]posted by gwenzel at 6:19 PM PST - 10 comments
What are the best products, techniques, shapes, and ideas for a first-timer grooming the female pubic area?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:13 PM PST - 21 comments
You'veGotMailFilter: I'm looking to have some visual indication that I have e-mail waiting on my Windows-based PC. Not on the monitor, but an external device. LCD, a big flashing LED, a waving flag, whatever. Preferably something I could, potentially, rig up in other spots of the house, too. Anywhere from a simple flashing light to a listing of e-mail headers in a mailbox (integration with Outlook 2003 or 2007 a plus). I have a Griffin Powermate, but that device seems to only flash for waiting e-mails on a Mac; I need a PC-based solution. Or a standalone solution.
Ideas?
posted by Merdryn at 4:44 PM PST - 13 comments
My wife and I will have our first kid in June. Our cat is a sweet, lovable, completely insane little pain-in-the-butt. He loves snuggling up to both of us, especially when my wife naps, but he's not allowed to sleep with us. But now we have to think about Baby Kickstart.
[more inside]posted by Kickstart70 at 4:43 PM PST - 28 comments
Can someone give me references for books/journals for understanding human figures in Safavid manuscript paintings?
[more inside]posted by korej at 3:42 PM PST - 4 comments
Why does our puppy look like she is biting other dogs?
posted by pettins at 2:42 PM PST - 19 comments
I've recently started a new job as the tech director for a small company. I have a bunch of websites and servers to keep an eye on, and I'm thinking I need a mobile device that will allow me to keep track of them. What do you recommend?
[more inside]posted by o2b at 2:31 PM PST - 8 comments
Another question about travelling to Milwaukee, a follow-up of sorts to
Frank Grimes' recent question. My girlfriend and I are going up to Milwaukee this weekend; are there any neat non-beer/bar/brewery-related things to do and places to visit? And does anybody know of a good vegetarian restaurant or two there?
[more inside]posted by jacobm at 1:21 PM PST - 12 comments
Inventionfilter: Lets say I've come up with a brilliant idea that will change the world as we know it. How do I go about making this idea a reality?
[more inside]posted by ZackTM at 12:59 PM PST - 16 comments
BeatIEIntoSubmissionFilter: Is it possible to force IE/Win to display CSS background images with PNG transparency?
[more inside]posted by charmston at 12:50 PM PST - 6 comments
I am interested in an analyst position at the FBI, but ultimately, I would like to work for a non-profit like Human Rights Watch or as a researcher at a think tank. I know that if you've worked for the FBI, there are certain things that you can never do because of it, such as joining the Peace Corp, for example. So my question is: would working for the FBI compromise my future career aspirations? Would I forever be seen as biased by possible employers? Is it really true, as people tell me, that "once a member of the Bureau, always a member of the Bureau"? And, what does that REALLY mean?
posted by exacta_perfecta at 12:49 PM PST - 5 comments
Where can I get a good new hairstyle/haircut in either Philly or NYC? Sick of my current hair and need someone to say "Do this". Bonus points for a specific person and/or under $100 for the cut for a man.
[more inside]posted by UMDirector at 11:56 AM PST - 9 comments
Individual entries on my MT 2.6x installation are archived using their trimmed entry-names (i.e. blog.com/trimmed_entry_na.php). I'd like to make the filenames longer from now on (trimming to 30, probably), but I think that if I change the parameter in my Archiving prefs and rebuild, it's gonna go and change the filenames of all my preceding entries too. This I don't want. Is there a way to change the trimming for filenames, but only "from now on"?
posted by Marquis at 11:47 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm impressed by the QTVR images found on
arounder.com and would like to do something similar. Does anyone know of good freeware to do this?
I'm using Windows XP.
posted by chrisch at 10:47 AM PST - 11 comments
Why exactly did the practice of footbinding begin? I know when it began and somewhat how it started, but why were people so eager to do it in the first place and who made it into a standard of beauty?
posted by cynthia_rose at 10:02 AM PST - 18 comments
Is an "international driver's license" still required for a European-licensed driver, in the USA? [confusion inside]
[more inside]posted by Goofyy at 9:56 AM PST - 6 comments
My father thinks he can relocate to Greece on a meagre budget (that's another story!). We (my wife and I) are sceptical of his budget expectations for buying a condo (for cash) in Greece.
[more inside]posted by iTristan at 9:34 AM PST - 12 comments
Imagine the standard post apocalyptic scenario - social order collapses, technology is set back hundreds of years, people are struggling to create something like a livable society again. What skills would make a person especially valuable in a situation like this? Bonus points for things that would be useful in everyday life now.
[more inside]posted by borkingchikapa at 9:26 AM PST - 60 comments
Any recommendations for a good Bed and Breakfast near Seattle-- either in town or out in the scenery?
[more inside]posted by MasonDixon at 8:49 AM PST - 6 comments
Does anyone know any good freeware that will allow me to open and/or preview CAD (specifically .dwg codec) files?
[more inside]posted by j.p. Hung at 8:46 AM PST - 6 comments
Whats your favorite (social) bookmarking site? Please read details inside.
[more inside]posted by bradn at 8:38 AM PST - 1 comments
I will be relocating from Austin, TX to Tucson, AZ at the end of May. Please tell me everything about the city.
[more inside]posted by bove at 8:29 AM PST - 8 comments
Does anyone know how "Coenties" is currently pronounced, as in "Coenties Slip?"
[more inside]posted by gubo at 8:02 AM PST - 4 comments
I have a nice keyboard midi controller that I connect to my pc. However my wife would like to use it without having to muck about with a computer. Is there a simple (and cheap) solution to let her use the keyboard as a piano without too much hassle?
A small box with one or more patches and the ability to connect to a stereo or powered speakers would be ideal.
posted by beowulf573 at 7:58 AM PST - 6 comments
How can i use a PC LCD monitor as a TV, without using a PC? I found TV Tuners online, but they usually require a computer to be there.. I'm just thinking that, considering lcd tv prices, I might as well buy a bargain basement lcd monitor and hook it up to a tuner. and the cool thing is, the lcd monitor already has enough pixels to display HD!
posted by frenchbenj at 7:42 AM PST - 7 comments
I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping. I want to know if my problems are common, and some strategies for coping.
[more inside]posted by RustyBrooks at 7:29 AM PST - 27 comments
In a while I will be going on a round the world trip to do a bit of soul searching (and to have a lot of fun of course). I'm looking for books on the subject of travel, not the pragmatically oriented genre, but philosophically and spiritually inclined ones. I'd like to read true stories about open-minded people backpacking around the globe and learning something about themselves and the world. I'd like to taste their joys as well as their disappointments, their insights as well as their confusion experienced during long-term world-wide travel.
[more inside]posted by koenie at 6:54 AM PST - 20 comments
I've offered to take care of a friend's cat for a week; a previous meeting between her cat and mine was a staring contest with occasional hissing. What can I do to make this week go smoothly?
[more inside]posted by uncleozzy at 6:50 AM PST - 7 comments
Does anyone have any experience with wood-inlay wedding rings? My fiance and I are considering
these rings, but we are wondering how the wood will hold up over the years.
posted by tperrigo at 6:23 AM PST - 11 comments
Microsoft continues to hijack my computer. Every time I get a new Windows update, it changes my default email client from Outlook Express to Outlook (I prefer OE) and my browser from Firefox to IE.
[more inside]posted by Mrs. Smith at 5:28 AM PST - 11 comments
Help me rediscover the rules to a Russian card game I learned when I was a kid.
[more inside]posted by lhall at 2:31 AM PST - 5 comments
March 19
I'm looking for photos taken of people at various points in their lives, showing the effects of age on their appearance. Where can I find these?
[more inside]posted by teem at 11:50 PM PST - 9 comments
Gift suggestions for: A clarinettist, a violist, and a cellist(who is also a composer).
~$50 each, I have 12 days to get these gifts. Prefer online ordering.
[more inside]posted by sirion at 11:28 PM PST - 18 comments
I am trying to find an old book from my childhood (the 1960s): it involved a (possibly magical) bedspread and Sirius (the Dog Star). I remember lots of blues and greens in the illustrations, but not much else. Does this ring a bell? Can you help me find the title?
posted by Carsey at 11:12 PM PST - 5 comments
Ragga song that the Black Eyed Peas were covering in "Get Original" (or vice versa)?
[more inside]posted by rkent at 11:10 PM PST - 4 comments
I want to make my own business cards in Photoshop. Nothing fancy, just some text in B&W, so that part I can do myself. But the layout's proving a bit tricky. Any good tutorials on making your own business cards? My end product should be an A4 sized, 8-up or 10-up, in PDF format that I can run over to Kinko's and have them print out and cut.
posted by zardoz at 10:33 PM PST - 12 comments
What is the point of invite-only music bittorrent sites? And how does one go about getting invites?
[more inside]posted by Paul KC at 10:13 PM PST - 25 comments
As I look at the strewn wreckage of my past relationships and think about why the ones that seemed like "the one" never quite turned into the one, I wonder what is it that makes a man decide he wants to get married. Do men start thinking I want something more serious this time? Or does it hit them like a meteor out of the blue? Or is it (as they often claim on the 1st or 39th date) a slow slow burn (get to know ya and then 7 years later, lets move in)? Please explain the male psyche to me.
posted by zia at 10:03 PM PST - 27 comments
Anyone have quality screencaps of Martin Short's Saturday Night Live characters from the 1980s, e.g. Jackie Rogers Jr., Nathan Therm, the synchronized swimming guy, etc.? (FYI: At this point,I'm more interested in SNL images than stuff from SCTV.)
posted by iced_borsch at 8:53 PM PST - 2 comments
I have an XML feed which I want to
automatically post into my del.icio.us account. Is this possible?
[more inside]posted by 0bvious at 8:33 PM PST - 5 comments
Is there any point in telling my girlfriend the truth about my feelings about her weight gain?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:11 PM PST - 29 comments
I have a problem. You see, it appears that I've become unable to have make regular eye-contact and a "normal" conversation with women; somehow, my eye appears to dart downwards towards their breasts. How do I stop doing it?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:11 PM PST - 31 comments
BusinessAnalysisFilter: I've been out of the Business Analysis sector for about 6 years, and I'm giving some serious thought to heading back in that direction. In looking at a particular job description I've encountered a term I'm not familiar with, and general interest, as well as not wanting to sound ignorant if I apply for that particular job, leads me to ask...
[more inside]posted by planetthoughtful at 7:25 PM PST - 7 comments
Every time I turn off the Read Only setting for this one folder it reverts immediately. Is there another way to change this setting?
[more inside]posted by aburd at 7:20 PM PST - 6 comments
I am a US citizen and resident, contracting with a European organization for a freelance project that won't be over until near the end of the year
(we're still fighting over discussing the actual due date, but that's another issue). I requested a certain fee in US$. They agreed to that fee, but they want to pay it in Euros, based on today's exchange rate. Is this common practice?
[more inside]posted by scody at 6:31 PM PST - 18 comments
DIY locksmithing? I locked my keys in my car tonight. Before dropping $70 to have someone open it, can I do this myself? Tools/techniques/tutorials?
posted by masymas at 5:17 PM PST - 24 comments
I'm trying to put together a restaurant guide for an academic meeting being held in Los Angeles' Universal City. Aside from the (mediocre) places along the nearby Citywalk, can folks recommend interesting / funky / neat / fancy and other types of worthwhile places to eat within a short taxi ride, drive or public transportation trip (from the Universal City metro station)?
posted by luriete at 4:30 PM PST - 7 comments
Find me some free, nice divider/filigree images that I can use in a printed booklet without getting pixelated looking. Stuff like this, but better:
[more inside]posted by anonymoose at 4:27 PM PST - 7 comments
Help me save my expensive headphones. The wire was severed. Too short just to attach a new plug. Where do I find a good quality thingy that connects two wires of this kind together?
[more inside]posted by JeNeSaisQuoi at 2:59 PM PST - 11 comments
Quick show of hands or something: How common is it for landlords to want an extra amount per month, in addition to a pet deposit, for a renter who has a pet cat? I completely understand the need for the pet deposit, but it strikes me a little weird to be told, "Oh, if you have a cat, that's an extra $25 a month."
posted by pax digita at 2:42 PM PST - 41 comments
ShoeFilter: Unite shoe lovers!
My 10 month old Labrador Retriever ate my right Jimmy Choo last night. Green calf leather from last fall season 2005, size 10.
Unite shoe lovers and together we can put together what was separated by devastating circumstance.
Does anyone out there have a left size 10 Jimmy Choo or know how I can go about
getting just a single shoe?
posted by sandrapbrady at 2:02 PM PST - 0 comments
In "What Metaphors Mean" Donald Davidson refers to a critic who called Tolstoy "a great moralizing infant". Who was that critic, and in what work was Tolstoy so called?
posted by kenko at 1:56 PM PST - 10 comments
There used to be a website (of course there was) that examined a URL of one's choosing and then showed pretty pictures of how it was rendered in a few dozen different browsers and platforms.
[more inside]posted by RJ Reynolds at 1:54 PM PST - 5 comments
I'm bringing the crew to Vegas. Four guys, one weekend, celebrating good times. The flights are booked but that's about it. Suggestions for making this weekend ridiculous?
[more inside]posted by effugas at 1:36 PM PST - 14 comments
I have been accepted at three graduate schools, and each offers a different financial package. Having spent many years in the technology industry, my immediate reaction to realizing I have multiple offers is to want to negotiate better deals from all of them, or at least some of them. Having never been to grad school before, though, I have no idea if the schools give you their best offer up front, or if there is room to negotiate, or whether trying to negotiate is considered bad form, etc. So, can I go back to the schools that have accepted me and negotiate a better deal than the ones originally offered? If it matters--and it does, I'm sure--these programs are in the humanities. Thanks.
posted by lustra at 12:06 PM PST - 16 comments
Okay, here's a tough one. In both The Ring and The Ring II, the morose little boy has this amazing bedside lamp that looks like a flying saucer taking off. I assume the set decorators must have purchased this lamp somewhere...but where? Many hours of exhaustive searching have yielded no results. Anyone know where I might find this item?
posted by ChaoticIndustry at 10:48 AM PST - 12 comments
My boyfriend and I are driving from Minnesota to Novia Scotia this Spring. We'll be doing some camping along the way. I'm specifically looking for recommendations of where to visit in New England - Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire?
Thanks.
posted by Ailla at 9:37 AM PST - 17 comments
Are there any tutorials out there that explains how to save/update files from a browser using only javascript as
tiddlywiki does?
[more inside]posted by gwint at 8:31 AM PST - 14 comments
Easy list-making software? I'm looking for a program that will let me generate a simple packing list that I can reuse every time I travel.
[more inside]posted by CunningLinguist at 6:53 AM PST - 15 comments
I've given up. I can't seem to find this anywhere. Perhaps MeFi can do it? I'm looking for an English-Chinese dictionary for my Nokia N70 phone that has pinyin pronouncations listed for the characters. I want characters, too, but the pinyin is pretty key if I'm actually going to be able to say anything. I'm running Symbian 60 OS. You would think this shouldn't be that hard to find but everything I find either doesn't have pinyin or is for the wrong Symbian OS.
posted by riverjack at 6:44 AM PST - 0 comments
Is there any software (preferably free) which would permit me to record web video clips, and hopefully burn them to DVD?
posted by quintno at 6:13 AM PST - 8 comments
I have a question, it was asked here before, but left unanswered. Mumbling song ID question after the jump.
[more inside]posted by Jonsnews at 2:56 AM PST - 8 comments
March 18
Help! I need to know where it's safe to park in Lincoln Park, Chicago. The last time I rented a car...
[more inside]posted by auntbee at 10:52 PM PST - 10 comments
How many levels are there in the computer game Spectre/Spectre Supreme/Spectre VR? What happens at the end?
[more inside]posted by bargex at 8:36 PM PST - 1 comments
Science-fictionish question here, but I figured if zombies were all right, hypothetical aliens would be too. Specifically, interface design for non-humans...
[more inside]posted by wanderingmind at 7:37 PM PST - 19 comments
WebPoll Filter: I need a cheap (or free) online poll service that can collect at least 1000 responses and prevent revoting (using cookies or IPs, it doesn't have to be highly secure).
[more inside]posted by fourcheesemac at 6:18 PM PST - 4 comments
I have a chunk of change that I am trying to make earn more than the small interest in my savings account. Can anyone speak to the tax implications of someting like an ING Direct savings account - which is offering a promotional yield of 4.0% - vs. something like a money market fund, which lately seems to yield in the range of 3.8 - 4.3? Help me make my money work for me!
posted by xmutex at 5:57 PM PST - 15 comments
Help me go to the dentist prepared so that I can reasonably say "I want my remaining teeth and root tips extracted and I want full dentures"
[more inside]posted by missed at 5:37 PM PST - 15 comments
I watch episodes of TV shows on my pc laptop in bed before I sleep most nights. They are usually divx AVIs, but sometimes DVDs. Is there a piece of software that would work well with a touch-screen monitor that would make watching things easier? I'm thinking of something like Apple's Front Row but for windows.
posted by cmicali at 4:18 PM PST - 6 comments
There is a movie where someone is petting a sewer rat and they think its a cat. And someone tells the person they're mistaken and petting a rat. Does anyone know what movie? It went something like this: What a nice cat. Excuse me mam, thats a sewer rat!
posted by Gabe014 at 3:51 PM PST - 12 comments
I have a resume in Microsoft Word that I use to print and an HTML resume online. Every time I update my resume, I have to do it by hand twice. How do I cut my work in half?
[more inside]posted by sdis at 3:47 PM PST - 11 comments
Songs that prominently feature insects, spiders, or other terrestrial arthropods in the lyrics, but do not mention them in the title
(thereby escaping my searches). [more inside]posted by Eothele at 2:12 PM PST - 39 comments
MeanMonobrowHypeMachinefilter: I'm looking for a list of bands that have been hyped or dissed by Oasis. I know they're hyping Secret Machines right now, and have done the same for The Soundtrack Of Our Lives in the past. Quotes from Liam or Noel are very welcome.
posted by Siberian Mist at 2:07 PM PST - 13 comments
My '94 Honda Accord was recently stolen. I've since recovered it, but now something under the hood makes horrendous metal-on-metal noises. The Honda dealer that repaired the ignition found nothing else wrong with the car. I think this is BS. How should I proceed?
[more inside]posted by hercatalyst at 12:56 PM PST - 18 comments
My mother in law has just purchased a brand new laptop. She only uses it for mail and banking. What software could/should i install that would broaden the computers usefulness?
posted by FidelDonson at 12:50 PM PST - 9 comments
Things are starting to disappear from the house. What's your best advice on catching a possible thief who appears trustworthy?
[more inside]posted by terrier319 at 11:52 AM PST - 21 comments
This is a random question, but it's driving me nuts. Can someone explain to me the purpose of the dial-up sound on the Fox Soccer Channel?
[more inside]posted by ob at 11:51 AM PST - 6 comments
What is your favorite way to archive RTF files into one large file? Programs such as Treepad etc. are good for collecting the contents of numerous files into one large archive. What will accomplish this best?
[more inside]posted by megatherium at 11:32 AM PST - 2 comments
Does anyone know a good photographer who can shoot a wedding in Youngstown, Ohio?
[more inside]posted by philmas at 10:52 AM PST - 8 comments
I talked to my parents this morning and my brother is in a psych-center on suicide watch after going thru $2,000 of my folk’s money on crack. This is not the first time this has happened:
[more inside]posted by PHINC at 10:43 AM PST - 18 comments
I was raised as a christian scientist, meaning no medicine, no doctors and I was not even allowed to believe that any physical symptom of illness or injury I might have was real. Needless to say such beliefs have not promoted a healthy self awareness, self image or even much of an instinct for self-preservation. I also had some persistent medical problems as a child that went untreated.
[more inside]posted by gallois at 10:12 AM PST - 8 comments
I'm looking for audio of Peter Schickele's (also known as "P.D.Q. Bach")
hilarious "Songs from Shakespeare"... Right now, I've got a cassette of its 1990 performance for Garrison Keillor's "American Radio Company: The First Season," but I'd like it on CD or MP3. (Is video even available??)
Thanks in advance for all your help!!
posted by Misciel at 9:20 AM PST - 1 comments
Please help me find more information of what options I might have to correct previously broken and healed fingers.
[more inside]posted by sequential at 9:09 AM PST - 9 comments
I can share files over SMB on a local network, or do stuff on the internets -- but not at the same time. How can I make the LAN and WAN play nice?
[more inside]posted by holgate at 8:10 AM PST - 2 comments
Hip hop roller skating; is this an actual scene, a holdover from roller-disco, what? Thanks in advance.
posted by mischief at 7:23 AM PST - 7 comments
I've recently found out a person I know could truly be psychotic. So my question is what are the general guidelines for psychosis and when does personal involvement with someone suspected of being psychotic become dangerous?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:38 AM PST - 16 comments
So I'm still angry at my mother for some things she did during my childhood. I don't want to be anymore. What do I do?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:37 AM PST - 21 comments
I've done something (in the Navigator?) in OpenOffice that created a read-only duplicate of a chapter of the piece I'm writing.
[more inside]posted by Harry at 5:57 AM PST - 1 comments
iTunes is creating duplicate copies of everything - and isn't faring too well with the id3 tags, either.
[more inside]posted by mykescipark at 5:36 AM PST - 4 comments
What is the correct way to split words with a hyphen at the end of a line?
[more inside]posted by sic at 4:58 AM PST - 14 comments
A simple one for people unlike me with a decent memory. What's the name of the song that plays when you go to http://donacion.organos.ua.es/ont, and who played it originally?
posted by Holly at 4:04 AM PST - 2 comments
What are fun, real-time game things to play over the internet? I'm in a long distance relaionship and wanting some new things to do together while we're apart.
This site is a great example, where two people can draw together on the same page. Anything remotely like this would be great.
posted by twirlypen at 3:46 AM PST - 7 comments
I'm trying to find comfortable accommodation for an all male party of 10-12 men (it's a stag do) somewhere in England. It should preferably be self contained (i.e. not shared with any other parties), preferably rural, comfortable, and not expensive (no more than around £50/head/night).
[more inside]posted by chill at 2:00 AM PST - 6 comments
March 17
How come we never hear about nude ghosts? Clothes always seem to go into the spirit world in anecdote and popular culture. Is this a reflection of society's taboos, or do ghost believers have an explanation?
posted by shannymara at 10:52 PM PST - 17 comments
Of all the organizations, why is it the American Psychological Association that sets style guidelines? (I know there are others, such as the MLA.)
[more inside]posted by IndigoRain at 9:52 PM PST - 22 comments
In America, there's a trend towards making the English language more gender-neutral. However, it seems that English is already one of the world's more androgynous languages. Is there an effort to make other languages more gender-neutral, or is it just American English?
posted by Afroblanco at 7:37 PM PST - 50 comments
In front of the Tiki Room at Disneyland they continuously play this old 1960s film about the Dole Pineapple cannery.
[more inside]posted by thesiameseffect at 6:43 PM PST - 5 comments
Help me identify the very odd, large, possibly military plane that has been flying over Seattle for the past three days at around 6:30pm.
[more inside]posted by donovan at 6:42 PM PST - 18 comments
Before I bother setting up a network between my PC and MAC: Can I use iTunes on my Mac to control a music library on my PC?
posted by apetpsychic at 6:24 PM PST - 5 comments
Hotmail and gmail. How do I get my saved hotmail messages over to gmail while still maintaining the original sender as the sender (since if I just forwarded them my hotmail address would replace the original sender's when they appear in gmail)?
posted by Mave_80 at 5:32 PM PST - 3 comments
I hope this doesn't wreck the experience for anyone... But why do the refried beans at Taco Bell smell just like canned cat food? This really bugs me.
posted by roguescout at 4:26 PM PST - 21 comments
I have an SQL query that totals the number of students per grade. How do I get a grand total of the number of students?
[more inside]posted by DakotaPaul at 3:40 PM PST - 6 comments
I currently run Photoshop CS (not CS2) on an 1GHz iBook G4. I find it performs well enough. Will Photoshop CS running on an Intel iMac under Rosetta feel a) agonizingly slower, b) about the same, or c) somewhat faster?
[more inside]posted by shaneflyer at 3:24 PM PST - 17 comments
IE CSS Bug #65536:
This page works fine in a real browser, but breaks in IE6. The boxes containing "Article 1" and "Article 2" should be to the right of the menu, but instead the text wraps around, and the black border stretches out as if the menu wasn't there. Please hope me. Here's the
CSS.
posted by signal at 3:23 PM PST - 11 comments
TVFilter: I caught the tail end of a reality show on the Discovery Channel and noticed a continuity person in the credits. Continuity? On a reality show?
[more inside]posted by chrominance at 3:07 PM PST - 15 comments
I am looking for a place to buy rugby gear in Texas (preferably Dallas) or Las Vegas. Can you help me?
posted by falameufilho at 1:27 PM PST - 6 comments
Having never really gone what things do I need to do for going to/back to college.
[more inside]posted by Mesach at 12:25 PM PST - 9 comments
I need an unpowered USB hub with the max number of ports available, for cheap. What is the max number of ports possible, and where might I find such a doozie?
[more inside]posted by vanoakenfold at 12:15 PM PST - 10 comments
We will be adopting an 8 month old chow-mix puppy next week and would like to crate train him.
[more inside]posted by lola at 12:08 PM PST - 8 comments
My new car won't charge my ipod or phone when the car is turned off. Is there anything I can do to change that?
[more inside]posted by ab3 at 11:59 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm thinking about buying a new car in the next year. I live in Seattle, Washington, where the sales tax is about 8.8%, but I visit Oregon frequently, where there is no sales tax. Would there be any drawbacks to buying the car in Oregon to avoid the sales tax? I would still register and insure it in Washington.
posted by matildaben at 11:44 AM PST - 18 comments
Constructing vegetable beds for a community garden: I have no idea what I'm doing. Can any carpenters out there give me feedback on the designs of our current beds (see more inside), insights into alternative and cheaper-to-construct designs, or point me to resources that will teach me a bit more about carpentry so I can figure this stuff out myself?
[more inside]posted by schroedinger at 11:22 AM PST - 30 comments
In soccer, why do goalies were different uniforms, if not entirely different color combos, than their teammates?
posted by bardic at 10:37 AM PST - 12 comments
Does anyone have experience with/knowledge about buying a Power of Sale property, and if so, would they care to share same with me?
[more inside]posted by orange swan at 10:31 AM PST - 2 comments
What is the best way to remotely access a Mac computer from a Windows machine?
[more inside]posted by benjh at 10:01 AM PST - 7 comments
Which historical figures can be classified as "passive-aggressive" or performed historically "passive-aggressive" acts?
posted by jeremias at 9:49 AM PST - 19 comments
growing new indoor plants from cuttings from existent plants, and (bonus!) identify these two specific plants and tell me if cuttings will work, etc.
[more inside]posted by yonation at 8:55 AM PST - 11 comments
At what point in time did computers go from being something the nerds used to something all the cool kids used? I'm asking specifically about high school age and below.
[more inside]posted by bondcliff at 8:42 AM PST - 55 comments
Today is St. Patrick's day. Is it only a holiday for catholic Irish? In NYC, the big 5th Avenue parade is run by a Catholic Org. (thereby prohibiting gays), but is labeled as an "Irish Pride" Parade, but we never hear about the protestant side of the Irish?
[more inside]posted by Duck_Lips at 8:32 AM PST - 40 comments
Is there a program that will download websites that include dynamic table functionality? For example, if a website has statistical information on all 50 states (e.g., most government websites) and, by inputting the names of, say 3 states (plus vehicle data) you get a screen that compares car insurance rates in those states for the car in question. My goal is to be able to download such a site and browse it offline in instances where I can't connect to the web.
posted by zephyrbill at 8:30 AM PST - 6 comments
SPSS is fine but produces offensively ugly figures. R has nice, clean output but is otherwise inscrutable. Statistica is, alas, Windows-only. Mathematica isn't really it, either. What statistics package should I use for OS X?
[more inside]posted by docgonzo at 8:18 AM PST - 21 comments
This is my first year playing fantasy baseball with some friends. I am looking for some tools to automate player analysis. I have heard of a program that will give you the next best available player as players are being drafted. Any ideas?
posted by tirebouchon at 8:09 AM PST - 3 comments
Zombies are hot right now. Help me ride the zeitgeist by suggesting good books about zombies.
posted by ND¢ at 7:55 AM PST - 29 comments
Belated Oscars question: In this age of political correctness and gender-neutrality, why are there still gender-based Academy Award categories?
[more inside]posted by beagle at 7:36 AM PST - 22 comments
The Norfolk Broads. Setting out from Wroxham on a Friday in a couple of weeks for a weekend's boating and boozing. Where to go? What to do?
[more inside]posted by MrMustard at 6:58 AM PST - 1 comments
I'm addicted to running. I've injured myself. I'm forcing myself to take a couple days off. How do I speed up healing--because come hell or high water I'm going to be back at it on Monday (provided I can restrain myself).
[more inside]posted by sourwookie at 6:50 AM PST - 26 comments
I need to create a public information display system. Its only purpose will be to play a looping 10-30 minute video on a 27-32" NTSC display. It will be installed in a traveling exhibit. The whole thing needs to be durable, and I would prefer to forgo using a DVD player or anything with portable media or moving parts (including hard drives). I am wondering if there are any solid state play back devices. Something small that the attendant would only need to power on and press play. Anyone know if such a thing exists and where I could find it.
[more inside]posted by squink at 6:37 AM PST - 6 comments
PHP/AJAX: Say I have a form with 3 SELECT's - country, state/province, city. I'm looking for a something that will update the SELECT's from the server using AJAX if possible, but will also degrade to the non-AJAX version for people that have JavaScript disabled. Can anyone recommend a PHP library that can do that?
posted by Sharcho at 6:23 AM PST - 7 comments
I'm looking for RSS feeds of Brazilian Portuguese-language newspapers or alternative media. Any suggestions?
[more inside]posted by billtron at 5:26 AM PST - 5 comments
I'm 38 and I've finally decided to be what I always wanted - I just can't help feeling it's too late. I'm after some advice and some optimism.
[more inside]posted by b33j at 4:06 AM PST - 23 comments
Using Open Office 2.0, I accidentally saved and closed a document as a .txt. Unfortunately, this wiped out all formatting, and more importantly, footnotes. How can I undo this?
[more inside]posted by duende at 3:03 AM PST - 5 comments
I have hardware. Servers, to be precise. A stack of them. Taking up space. What's the best way to get rid of them while getting something in return? Charity, and if so, who? Or selling them, and who's buying?
[more inside]posted by SkelPaff at 2:13 AM PST - 16 comments
I've just discovered the fantastic Neutral Milk Hotel and, after some investigation, found that they're part of the Elephant 6 collective. There's a
lot of bands in that - where to start investigating further? What's really worth a listen?
posted by TheDonF at 12:34 AM PST - 31 comments
I would like to start developing programs/apps for Apple's Mac OSX, I have no experience at all with anything like this. Nor do I have any knowledge of the terminology or tools used, please help me work my way up from the very bottom. Including tutorials for beginners or anything you would think help me start my journey into the unknown. A couple of examples of the type of programs I am inspired by are Clutter and Noise. Both for OSX. Let me know if you need anymore information from me. Thanks!
posted by Building at 12:18 AM PST - 28 comments
March 16
I've recently taken to writing poetry (or more specifically, taken to writing poetry I feel comfortable reciting in public) and I am looking for somewhere to expose myself.
[more inside]posted by punch_the_mayor at 11:55 PM PST - 4 comments
I have a printer on my MacMini and I want to be able to use it for print requests from my Windows XP laptop. I was able to get it working using CUPS and the MacMini's IP address, but the problem is that since the Mac is on a DHCP wireless network, the IP address can (and has) changed. Now printing from the laptop won't work. How do I identify the Mac from the laptop without using an IP address?
[more inside]posted by ShooBoo at 10:43 PM PST - 8 comments
I keep finding live flying bugs in my windows and lights and our house is very tight and doors open only rarely. I can't tell if this is normal springtime bug populations or if I have an infestation in my attic. When is it time to call the exterminator?
[more inside]posted by mathowie at 9:09 PM PST - 10 comments
I am trying to internationally insure my Camera and Computer equipment but I keep getting turned down because I tell the insurance person that it' for business. What do I do?
[more inside]posted by Hands of Manos at 8:19 PM PST - 4 comments
I am looking for blogs written by low-wage, night-shift employees (such as convenience store clerks) who use their blogs to chronicle interesting experiences from their working lives. Any suggestions?
posted by jayder at 7:35 PM PST - 20 comments
My fiance and I have been talking about having a baby. We will be getting married in 2 months and have talked about having the baby within a year of the wedding. We feel that we are ready for the responsibility, however we're unsure of what to do about insurance. Neither of us has insurance of any kind what-so-ever at this point, but we would like to get some after our wedding. I'm looking for recommendations on health insurance that will cover the upcoming planned pregnancy. Thanks in advance!
posted by anonymous at 6:03 PM PST - 28 comments
Help! I need a regular desk phone that has a GOOD headset for my business. I'm tired of dealing with inferior, poorly-made headsets.
[more inside]posted by zek at 5:24 PM PST - 8 comments
KeyboardFilter: Enter and down-arrow are funky after last night's water spillage accident w/ the laptop. Everything else is dandy so far. Now what?
[more inside]posted by timnyc at 5:04 PM PST - 7 comments
In relation to
this fpp about food and mental health, I have recently been getting drastic bouts of hunger, confusion and depression when I eat late (even an hour later than usual), or don't eat enough at a meal. These bouts last about 3 hours, and once they start even stuffing myself won't help. Has anyone had this, know what it could be, or know how I could try to solve it?
[more inside]posted by purple_frogs at 4:54 PM PST - 15 comments
Where is there a cool arcade in Atlanta? I'm just looking to waste some money on arcade games... Thoughts?
Oh, and, err, some cool places to go tomorrow for St. Patty's would be nice, too. Anything cool but not too out of control?
posted by phaedrus441 at 4:10 PM PST - 8 comments
Upgrade filter: I'm looking for a new motherboard/CPU combo and a SATA-RAID "solution" I want to spend $300-$400. What hardware should I get?
[more inside]posted by Paris Hilton at 3:55 PM PST - 26 comments
When I'm writing an email using Gmail, every draft version of it ends up on my BlackBerry because of the autosave feature. If I take my time writing, this can add up to an insane number of drafts popping up, and drives me batty. How can I prevent this from happening without switching POP access on and off manually, and without disabling autosave?
posted by saffron at 3:41 PM PST - 3 comments
How can I make sure my classmates pay attention to my powerpoint presentation and have it stand out to the teacher.
[more inside]posted by joshuak at 2:52 PM PST - 29 comments
MathFilter: What are the odds? I have exactly 5,115 mp3's on my iPod. I was just sitting here at work listening to it shuffle through stuff. "Me, Myself, and I" by De La Soul came on, THEN when that was over it was immediately followed by "Freak" by George Clinton. The De La Soul track samples heavily from "Freak". What are the mathematical odds that the next track in a random playlist would be the sample source of the previous song?
posted by letterneversent at 2:35 PM PST - 34 comments
Need a URL link checker which can just take in a txt list of URLs and just see if they are active or inactive.
All of the link checkers I downloaded are geared towards taking in a URL and then traversing all the links and anchors within that URL and generating reports on everything.
What I have is a simple list of websites on the internet (not my own pages within my domain or site).. all I need is for it to tell me whether they still exist or not. Thats all.
Can anyone recommend something?
posted by postergeist at 2:17 PM PST - 8 comments
We have just moved into a rental condo. The laundry area is equipped for a 110V gas clothes dryer. Of course, ours is an electric dryer requiring 240 Volts. We want to have the outlet converted to the correct voltage, but I'd like to know whether we should expect to pay for this before contacting our new landlord, and how much it will cost.
[more inside]posted by moira at 1:49 PM PST - 6 comments
Does anyone know a colloquial Spanish (/dialect irrelevant) term equivalent to 'Tripping," as in "being under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug?"
posted by gnomicPerfect at 1:11 PM PST - 17 comments
Can you reccommend a solution for searching my own site that does not display ads (therefore, it is not Google)>
[more inside]posted by dhacker at 12:58 PM PST - 7 comments
PhotoshopFilter - I need to bring two map images together, one of a map, the other of a map overlay that was traced on top of the map. Is there a trick to somehow automate this in photoshop?
[more inside]posted by garfy3 at 12:49 PM PST - 10 comments
Where can I go and what can I do to learn how to properly post-process my digital photography? On a budget?
[more inside]posted by patr1ck at 11:29 AM PST - 8 comments
I have been promoted within my company to run customer service. I have worked here for two years and have divided myself between customer service and operations. I am now going to be a leader in a department where I have been a near equal among my coworkers. Any tips on making this transition? Another challenge is that I am 24 and happen to be half as old of the people that I will be leading. Any adivce on how to make my mark as a leader and not allow age to get in the way. I'd like to hear from young leaders as well as anyone who has had experience with a younger boss.
Thanks for your input!
posted by ieatwords at 11:29 AM PST - 13 comments
I'm being told that cesium and strontium are by-products of the enrichment of plutonium, which is a step beyond what takes place in a uranium-enrichment plant. True or false?
posted by tizzie at 10:44 AM PST - 8 comments
Is there an extra gentle, natural, or super-mild hair care product that I can use to wash my hair when it needs it?
[more inside]posted by sarahmelah at 10:40 AM PST - 17 comments
Quark/Font filter: Using Gill Sans in an existing XPress layout. •, ', ™, and - fail to print. Rather, they are replaced with yen, nothing, opening double curly quote, and en dash, respectively.
[more inside]posted by Wild_Eep at 9:55 AM PST - 6 comments
All of the guides to life planning or career management start from the assumption that the individual knows what they want or at least what they like. I have no idea what I want. What can I do to discover or rediscover direction?
[more inside]posted by Tolerant at 9:20 AM PST - 23 comments
Audiobooks: My Audible wish list is empty -- help me fill it with compelling, commute-friendly nonfiction and literary fiction.
[more inside]posted by kmel at 9:20 AM PST - 24 comments
Outlook 2003 journal. Is there a way to have an action performed on specific journal events ? I would like to have an email sent to my inbox for every phone journal entry as it gets created, is it possible to have Outlook 2003 perform such action ?
posted by selfsck at 8:31 AM PST - 1 comments
Is there a really simple guide, or even better a freeware app that will help me use
eUtils for automated Pubmed requests?
[more inside]posted by roofus at 8:08 AM PST - 6 comments
Did Kodak make 35mm Kodachrome film for movies? If so, what famous movies were shot using it?
posted by NoMich at 7:40 AM PST - 10 comments
Would it be considered fraud or providing false information if I were to leave my doctorate off of my resume?
[more inside]posted by lisaj32 at 7:32 AM PST - 27 comments
My little brother just announced that he's seriously considering joining the National Guard. Help my family and I either a) discourage him, or b) make peace with his decision.
[more inside]posted by TurkishGolds at 7:06 AM PST - 41 comments
Particularly stubborn infestation of dialer.gbdial (or something very similar) on a Windows XP machine - any suggestions, either of solutions or reliable anti-malware forums where I can post logs?
[more inside]posted by terpsichoria at 6:49 AM PST - 6 comments
What do you know about Teeline shorthand and about training in the U.S.? It seems to be more popular in the U.K. I would like to use it for taking notes and doing interviews.
posted by sholdens12 at 6:45 AM PST - 6 comments
I am a journalist who sometimes needs to send article clips to prospective employers. I have scanned the newspaper articles and saved them as jpeg files. Is there a program that will allow me to convert the jpeg files to plain text? The jpeg files are too large to e-mail, and I really just need to send the text of the articles.
posted by zembla3 at 6:16 AM PST - 15 comments
How does the statue of limitations run in class action issues, or where multiple victims are involved?
[more inside]posted by prentiz at 6:06 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm trying to create a website and am using typepad as a quick and low-cost alternative to full custom design. I'm not overly thrilled with the range of color/font/layout options, however. Does anyone know if any other blog services offer greater variety?
posted by dearleader at 5:18 AM PST - 6 comments
While abroad last fall, I had really awesome sandwhiches. It seemed like every pub we ate in had a brie-and-bacon-on-some-sort-of-bread available. Now that I'm back in the states, I want to know where to find English bacon, or how to substitute for it.
[more inside]posted by Medieval Maven at 5:00 AM PST - 11 comments
I want to make a compilation CD for my mum for mother's day (next sunday). Theme: Women singers. Genres: country (about which I know very little), MOR pop/rock, and classic singers like Patsy Cline and Dusty Springfield. There is, of course
[more inside]posted by handee at 4:17 AM PST - 31 comments
Please help me find an affordable cookery (cooking) class (course) in London. I have loads of free time in May, April and June, due to exams and I'd like to improve my cooking skills.
[more inside]posted by k8t at 12:26 AM PST - 2 comments
March 15
If April 6 and September 10 are the same length from sunrise to sunset, does the sun take the same path across the sky on both days?
[more inside]posted by squirrel at 11:08 PM PST - 6 comments
This is what I know: About oh, 4 or more years ago, my letter was published in an issue of 2000AD comic magazine.
[more inside]posted by stray at 10:55 PM PST - 6 comments
My partner and I are moving to Melbourne in a month. Where can we stay fairly cheaply until we find rental accommodation?
[more inside]posted by azuma at 9:47 PM PST - 6 comments
I just heard a great track on the radio, it was an Indian pop piece, of the sort of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan style. The band or artist went by the name of `fundamental *something*'.
The announcer mentioned that he had in some way worked with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, but I couldn't hear it properly.
Any ideas? I'd love to find more of this work.
posted by tomble at 7:17 PM PST - 4 comments
How could the film "Brazil" have been made with only $15 million? Was that amount of money thought of as exorbitant at the time of its production (1984)?
[more inside]posted by jimmy at 6:48 PM PST - 16 comments
About six years ago I spent a fair amount of cash on a good quality 100% linen sheet,pillowcases and duvet cover.The sheet and duvet cover are now worn out,the sheet in the center and the duvet cover at the top.I machine washed them regularly at 60° C with a standard non-biological detergent.I was under the impression that good linen lasted a lifetime.Do I have unrealistic expectations or am I doing something wrong?
posted by Dr.Pill at 6:14 PM PST - 11 comments
I have a tomato that sat, neglected, on a countertop for longer than it probably should have. Instead of beginning to molder and rot, however, it began to sprout! It is now shooting off several little baby tomato plants. How can I best get these to some dirt and encourage them to live rather than to die a horrible, desiccated death at the hands of bad soil and my brown thumb?
posted by kaseijin at 5:47 PM PST - 6 comments
If you owe a bunch of back child-support (14 years for the older child, three years for the second, two different women), are married to a woman you could take or leave (not the mother of either), have no custody of the children, have never met the second child, have had no contact with the first for the past ten years, would like to begin to become current with past due payments, would like a closer relationship with your children, don't want to go to jail, don't consider yourself to be someone having a strong job
skill-set, are currently unemployed {leisurely, if not pleasantly, subject to the arbitrary whims of said spouse [of which include no requirements for earning an income (lots of time to play video games, watch movies, and think)]}, don't believe you can support yourself alone with the work that you believe you
can find, are afraid to find a job, move out, lose the maximum in state-mandated garnishments from each check, fail again and end up living with/under someone else, would like to learn and travel, wouldn't mind medical, dental, vision and life insurance, could use a retirement fund; would enlisting in the US Army be a strategically effective
next action?
[more inside]posted by airguitar at 5:11 PM PST - 47 comments
When you travel is there something you pack other than clothes and toiletries to make your stay more pleasant?
[more inside]posted by beccaj at 5:08 PM PST - 56 comments
Framing Tape Filter: I've started to frame my own prints/posters, and have a frame that's slightly larger than the print. The print slips, I need to keep it in place...
[more inside]posted by zenorbital at 5:08 PM PST - 4 comments
How to fully protect an Adobe pdf? I want to post an exam temporarily on the net for my class, and I'm using Adobe Pro 7.0's security functions to disable editing and printing functions (so students can't easily print and circulate the exam). The doc can still be saved, however. Adobe forums seem to have no idea how to disable the SAVE pdf function....
[more inside]posted by rexruff at 4:53 PM PST - 32 comments
Does anyone know where I can find a decent MIDI version of the battle music from the Star Trek episode "Amok Time"? I would like to make it my default ring tone, and I can't find it anywhere!
posted by Jenesta at 4:51 PM PST - 2 comments
I just found out I have Smitfraud-C on my computer. I'm not sure how long it's been there. According to one website it's a keylogger among other things. I just removed it but should I cancel all my credit cards?
posted by rileyray3000 at 3:57 PM PST - 12 comments
My computer keeps overheating. But that's not the problem I need help with. I can't figure out how to remove one of the screws from the case because it's stripped. What can I do?
[more inside]posted by Kattullus at 3:41 PM PST - 16 comments
Transferring MiniDV contents to VHS. Red/White/Yellow component cables hooked up to the OUT from the camera and into the IN of the VCR (SVHS deck). I push play on the camera and record on the VCR. Nothing is recorded but static, why?
posted by packphour at 2:01 PM PST - 10 comments
At work we use
Bonsai and
FishEye to browse our source control tree. Bonsai isn't that great of a product and FishEye costs a lot and is overkill for my needs, anyone know of any other good tools in this space?
[more inside]posted by aspo at 1:58 PM PST - 2 comments
Pros and cons of homeschooling. While I never thought I would even consider this, my wife and I are facing the possibility that we may homeschool our daughter.
[more inside]posted by tom_g at 1:29 PM PST - 48 comments
my cell phone broke right after the warranty period ended. has anyone had any luck getting a new cellphone or break on their fees, when their cellphone broke shortly after the warranty expired? how did you do it?
[more inside]posted by dthaspaz at 1:09 PM PST - 6 comments
Can anyone recommend a spa or massage therapy place in NYC? I want to get my girlfriend a gift certificate for her birthday. Thanks.
posted by Vidiot at 12:22 PM PST - 11 comments
The most obscene and offensive gift wrapping paper imaginable. Where can I get some?
[more inside]posted by peewee at 11:55 AM PST - 19 comments
What type of open source software should I use to disseminate information I have collected over the years?
I have a HUGE series of links on a topic that I would like to start sharing with friends and the net as a whole. I am having trouble deciding what to use to post it: CMS (like PHPNuke or Joomla), Wiki, Blog (like WordPress or MT), or just a bookmark manager (like SiteBar).
[more inside]posted by JLobster at 11:40 AM PST - 4 comments
At Nobu, Next Door the Omekase menu has price points of "$80, $100, $120 and up". What's the optimum value for "and up", assuming price is unimportant?
[more inside]posted by I Love Tacos at 11:15 AM PST - 27 comments
Are you supposed to put your parking brake on when you park on a steep hill even if your car is an automatic transmission?
[more inside]posted by nakedsushi at 10:34 AM PST - 40 comments
Help us party like it's 1974! A friend is throwing a 1974 party (she was born in that year) and my partner and I would like to bring a gift to the party relevant to that year. We've already drawn up an extensive list of '74 references (see inside) but are really missing out on ideas for food and drink.
[more inside]posted by unclemonty at 10:32 AM PST - 39 comments
Help me find statistical benchmarks for sabermetric baseball stats.
[more inside]posted by pdb at 10:19 AM PST - 5 comments
Has a hit song ever been written or produced using Apple's Garageband software?
posted by sntamonica at 9:58 AM PST - 17 comments
Have you attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business
Summer Institute for General Management? How was your experience? If you are an employer in the financial sector, how much more inclined would you be to consider a job applicant with a non-business degree who had attended the SI?
posted by fourstar at 9:46 AM PST - 0 comments
What are the components of dating? I have tried to thinkl of all the stuff that are included when two people actually 'date'. In a nutshell, to me it is is as easy as 'two people (any combo) in a committed friendship with physical/sexual aspect included. Basically, friends with benefits in a commited relationship...(more)
[more inside]posted by TwilightKid at 8:50 AM PST - 27 comments
What would be the coolest, weirdest, quirkiest places to visit in the northeast/mid-Atlantic? Could be towns, museums, roadside attractions, etc... bonuses for areas that might take more than an hour or two to absorb. Thanks.
posted by shivohum at 8:21 AM PST - 24 comments
We have a family of turkeys that has lived in our neighborhood for the past three years. They are active summer through early fall and then are not seen until next year. They leave no tracks in the snow during the winter. The full family of twelve walked through our backyard yesterday. The are much bigger than they were last fall, obviously well fed, and we can now distinguish sexes in the family. How do turkeys in New England survive winter? How long does a turkey family stay together. Do flocks contain more than one family? What is a good source of information on wild turkeys as a social unit?
posted by Raybun at 7:25 AM PST - 10 comments
I have a website with a feedback form script. Suddenly, over the past week, I've been getting a lot of weird, spam-like mail sent to me via this script. (It doesn't actually sell products--it just contains gibberish, of the sort that might be used to confuse spam filters.) I'm more worried that my feedback form is being used to spam other people. How can I figure out if this is the case? And either way, how can I stop abuse of my feedback form?
[more inside]posted by yankeefog at 6:40 AM PST - 11 comments
Please help me find a respectable university where I can finish my bachelor's degree via distance learning (preferrably online).
[more inside]posted by cactus at 6:02 AM PST - 16 comments
I'm a midwesterner looking to move to Boston in August. How should I search for an apartment?
[more inside]posted by brett at 5:25 AM PST - 22 comments
So a few years ago I bought this really awesome pair of shoes at a thrift store. It was serendipity - they were the perfect style , size and price! Now, alas, I have worn them out. It has been impossible to find another pair! Dear Mefites, can you help a girl find another perfect pair of kicks?
[more inside]posted by denimflavored at 4:54 AM PST - 8 comments
I am making a speech on product development in tourism, specifically heritage tourism today, and it occured to me that an interesting aspect to include was different spending habits of different age groups.
[more inside]posted by stormygrey at 4:40 AM PST - 5 comments
I need a web-based calendar solution that will sync with my phone. Any suggestions?
[more inside]posted by SharQ at 4:06 AM PST - 6 comments
What are the negative and the postive things that can be said about this short list of colleges?
[more inside]posted by Postroad at 3:46 AM PST - 28 comments
I've managed to screw up Terminal on OS X. I chose File | New Command and checked Run command inside a shell, then with the window active I went to Terminal | Window Settings... and then clicked on Use Settings as Defaults. Ever since then, a File | New Shell will just open a window running the same command as the one that I did the Use Settings as Defaults on. How can I fix this and reset Terminal's configuration? I'm using OS X 10.4.5 on an Intel Mac mini, if it makes a difference.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 3:05 AM PST - 6 comments
March 14
I need some help brainstorming ways to keep my transdermal patch from falling apart.
[more inside]posted by MadamM at 11:17 PM PST - 20 comments
I started thinking about what I guess you'd call "Urban Legend Rules of Thumb", The kind of stuff people (especially teenagers) make up and pass on to answer nagging questions like "How can I tell if my boobs are saggy?" and "How big can an age difference in a relationship be before it's creepy?". I'd like to hear some more.
[more inside]posted by crabintheocean at 11:07 PM PST - 51 comments
I'm having trouble resolving a single website. My home internet connection in general is fine, but one website recently hasn't been coming up with anything. When we try it from work it shows up fine.
[more inside]posted by sudasana at 9:57 PM PST - 10 comments
Long after they've become obsolete, I'm still using my old Nikon Coolpix 995. I'd like to upgrade, but I've got a few amateurish requirements for my next camera.
[more inside]posted by soviet sleepover at 9:26 PM PST - 9 comments
I need to choose a primary physician, sight-unseen, in Aetna's HMO network, in Los Angeles. By tomorrow! So,
[more inside]posted by goofyfoot at 8:57 PM PST - 10 comments
Looking for advice on a great bed/mattress--we're ready to invest....What's the best night of sleep you ever had?
[more inside]posted by seaward at 8:35 PM PST - 22 comments
When I have my integrated amplifier set on "phono", I get an annoying 60 cycle hum buzzing out my speakers.
[more inside]posted by Ber at 8:10 PM PST - 7 comments
I'm trying to keep up with WordPress upgrades (2.0.2 just came out yesterday, and I was only halfway through upgrading 30 installs to 2.0.1!), but I swear there must be an easier way than the way I'm doing it.
[more inside]posted by pzarquon at 8:02 PM PST - 11 comments
Where can we camp near Tulum, Mexico? Suggestions of places to eat, swim, snorkel, hike, and meet other travelers also welcome.
[more inside]posted by bonheur at 7:56 PM PST - 7 comments
Why is Blackstrap Molasses so high in minerals? Extended research (both internet and olde-fashioned) have failed to answer this question - I even emailed a molasses producer but didn't get a reply.
One theory is that it has something to do with the equipment it's processed on, another that it has to do with how concentrated it is, but so far no hard facts.
posted by dorcas at 7:41 PM PST - 10 comments
Attention codebreakers! For a friend:
A friend of mine gave me this "riddle". I can't figure it out. Now there is a chance that they are just messing with me and it is complete gibberish.
“lwa hy ou wi Tll I di a w h at g ys y” [more inside]posted by attercoppe at 6:38 PM PST - 36 comments
I'm looking for fiction or non-fiction books (fiction preferred) with modern-day Israel as the setting (I don't want to clog up
this thread).
posted by scrump at 6:18 PM PST - 9 comments
This (Quicktime) is currently rocking my sorry world on all sorts of levels, but I have no idea who it is. Help!
posted by Decani at 6:00 PM PST - 4 comments
What's the easiest way to figure out this fourth-grade math question? Divide one dollar into 14 U.S. coins.
posted by soiled cowboy at 5:47 PM PST - 25 comments
I don't understand Sharpe Ratios and the results I'm getting in my Excel document of a fund's returns.
[more inside]posted by xo at 4:39 PM PST - 12 comments
ApartmentLeaseFilter: I live in one of several complexes operated by one company. We're moving out because of lack of the incompetence of said company, help me out of the last month of rent, either by being a pain-in-the-ass, or legally.
[more inside]posted by hatsix at 4:35 PM PST - 12 comments
I work in an office with several not-for-profits share a high speed internet connection. My internet connection on my Mac Book seemed slow, so I tried the online test at
Speakeasy. (I disabled the Airport connection so that I could test Ethernet) I ran the test several times and always found I had around a 400 K connection. Wireless, same test, circa 150 K. So I asked my collegue to run the same test from his Dell desktop---he got almost 1200K across several tests. I thought maybe it was the jack in my office, so I tried yanking out the plug and trying it in my collegue's office with another Dell desktop--she got 1200k--I got 400. I thought it might have been the MBP, so I dug out a Dell laptop--guess what--the most it would get in any office location was 400K. Same for a Mac mini that's on the same network. Now here's the thing--if I take that same MBP laptop home I get 3000K over my cable modem.
Why would some computers get higher throughputs than others?
They have an outside vendor administer the network and they seem to have disabled ping and traceroute.
I started to wonder if maybe they limit bandwidth to the IP address, but all I really do during the day is work in Basecamp and reply to emails with an occassional look at Bloglines. Any ideas for the MeFi community about why this might happen and how I can intelligently describe the problem to the network admin so it doesn't sound like I'm nuts?
posted by teddyb109 at 4:30 PM PST - 4 comments
I used to concentrate during lectures, seminars, and meetings by taking copious notes on what was said. While this worked well, I now have a wrist injury that makes doing so undesirable. What are some good ways to keep concentrating?
posted by grouse at 3:44 PM PST - 19 comments
My Car has been in the body shop for a minor fender bender for over 45 days and today they call to tell me it wont start! what legal recourse do I have? (more inside)
[more inside]posted by crewshell at 3:14 PM PST - 25 comments
Thunderbird filter: Is there a way to combine all my "personal address book" addresses and "contacts" in one place?
[more inside]posted by wordwhiz at 3:03 PM PST - 4 comments
Does anybody remember a kids TV show from the eighties with a yellow flying saucer robot, a boy and, as far as i remember, a dog?
[more inside]posted by aqueousdan at 2:17 PM PST - 4 comments
Where does the practice of putting an arabic number in paranthesis after the written number originate?
[more inside]posted by sohcahtoa at 1:32 PM PST - 11 comments
I am looking for a reasonably-priced, cool venue for a private party in Portland, Oregon.
[more inside]posted by pudders at 1:26 PM PST - 11 comments
Specifically I'm looking for the tendency, I believe this is correct, for practitioners in a domain (e.g., surgeons, race car drivers, whatever) to become prone to errors after seven (7) years, owing to perceived expertise, complacence, and that this becomes a particularly dangerous time. Any leads GREATLY appreciated!
posted by adamrobinson at 1:23 PM PST - 2 comments
I'm looking for recommendations for San Francisco-based headhunters to help me find a technology job (ideally in the financial sector).
[more inside]posted by ny_scotsman at 12:55 PM PST - 1 comments
Does anyone have a good mailing list company to recommend for a big weekly e-mail newsletter?
I send a plaintext e-mail newsletter to a mailing list of 25,000 or so double-opt-in subscribers - mailing them 10-15k of plaintext every week or two - and my current host of several years - Sparklist - is giving me billing trouble. My hosting fee used to be less $100 a month and now they're charging $500 or more.
I'm looking for a new company to send out the list, give me a control panel to add and remove subscribers, and give a price closer to $100/month than $500.
[more inside]posted by mark7570 at 12:40 PM PST - 9 comments
[book/other media recommendations]: I'm researching the sexualization of children, found in abusive situations as well as in less obvious contexts like child beauty pageants. Has there been a particular book/movie/situation that most eloquently laid out this topic for you?
[more inside]posted by ibeji at 12:30 PM PST - 17 comments
Camera & Laptop insurance? I came across a
thread that begins to answer my question, but doesn't quite provide a solution. My renters insurance will not allow me a rider to cover personal property outside my home, so I'm looking to buy a policy that will cover
only my gear in the event of theft or damage. Recommendations for a specific agency or policy would be very welcome.
[more inside]posted by aladfar at 11:43 AM PST - 5 comments
Just bought a Renault Laguna 1,9Tdi Diesel. My first Diesel and it has six gears - I am not used to the 6th gear - not sure it makes much of a difference between 5th gear - should I always be aiming to get it into 6th gear - is this to do with fuel efficiency?
posted by calvinorr at 11:35 AM PST - 10 comments
My wife is thinking about going back to school to become a nurse. She has a BFA and is a fairly high level manager at a wireless company. We had a close friend die 6 months ago and she as felt a great need to do something more meaningful to her. We live in the NYC area. Is there a "best" nursing school local to NY? What sort of classes will she need to have completed to get into nursing school?
posted by Shanachie at 11:26 AM PST - 3 comments
Does anyone have any info on Sheila (Turner) Seed? I need to clear the copyrights for some of her material for a work project, and am having the damndest luck tracking any info down... (more info on who she is and what I already know inside)
[more inside]posted by deadtrouble at 11:16 AM PST - 7 comments
My mother, who is in her 50s, suffers from hearing loss. Two years ago my parents (who are both retired and live on a limited income) scraped together $3000 to buy her a set of hearing aids. They just stopped working, and of course the warranty was only for one year. So she is in the market for a new set.
[more inside]posted by Ostara at 11:14 AM PST - 4 comments
DebtFilter: Anyone heard of Superior Debt Services, Inc.?? They're a debt settlement company. Website: http://superiordebt.com/
[more inside]posted by deeman at 10:57 AM PST - 10 comments
I'm about to start attending college again after a year-long break. However, I'm planning on going back to classes full-time to finish up my degree and am looking for a way to work from home and make enough money to pay rent. Any ideas?
[more inside]posted by myodometer at 10:25 AM PST - 8 comments
I've been listening to the song John the Revelator, and putting his name into Google gets me lyrics. Who is John the Revelator?
posted by FunkyHelix at 9:43 AM PST - 16 comments
I'd like to get a replica Green Lantern ring made, because I am a ridiculous dork. What's a good place?
[more inside]posted by kafziel at 9:09 AM PST - 15 comments
Please recommend some good personal-finance related web sites. I'm looking for sites with good information on all aspects of personal finance and responsible money use. Most of what I've found is focused on investing, though, and on macroeconomics. I'm not interested in the Big Picture. I want sites that focus on the Small Pictures: dealing with debt, saving for the future, finding bargains, etc. Think
Your Money or Your Life, but in web form. Big sites, little sites, weblogs, print magazines — I don't care, so long as it's focused on personal finance.
Bonus points for sites with RSS feeds. [more inside]posted by jdroth at 9:00 AM PST - 21 comments
Residents of Vacaville CA 95696? Can anyone confirm (or deny) that Belder Street in Vacaville actually exists? The company I run (based in the UK) has received a business enquiry that looks a bit suspect. House number in the 400s. All maps searched return "location does not exist". Grateful for any help. (No more inside!)
posted by JtJ at 8:47 AM PST - 17 comments
Is there any program or plugin out there to count the number of points in an Adobe Illustrator file?
[more inside]posted by Mark5four0 at 8:13 AM PST - 2 comments
What, if anything, should I do about in-laws who won't identify themselves when they telephone?
[more inside]posted by waldo at 8:10 AM PST - 57 comments
I have been asked to find one page from
Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. Specifically, the page where the "Acute Pulmonary Responses to Toxic Exposures" section begins (maybe page 1906?). I have exhausted all libraries in my area. This is needed today, so I don't have time to order the book and overnight it.
posted by ajr at 8:07 AM PST - 6 comments
RandomQuestionFilter: Where have I heard the lyric "Its 10 am do you know where your children are?"
[more inside]posted by 13twelve at 6:48 AM PST - 17 comments
StupidQuestionFilter: I have a disposable camera, I would like to open the camera up and scan the negatives into a computer. Is that possible, or is some processing necessary before the negatives are physically reminiscent of the pictures you took... I know nothing about cameras. Should I just spend 5 dollars to get them developed elsewhere or is the DIY route possible?
[more inside]posted by cloeburner at 6:35 AM PST - 15 comments
Where to find illustrated body parts to mix to create infinite character position/attitudes ?
[more inside]posted by vincentm at 2:51 AM PST - 5 comments
I turn 20 in April. I figure if I'm lucky, what with advances in healthcare, I might just make it to 2100, when I'll be 114. What can I do to get further into the future than that? So far I've come up with (perhaps in order of likelihood) cryogenics, genetic modification, becoming a cyborg, and a faster than light round trip (time dilation). Any more?
posted by Orange Goblin at 1:37 AM PST - 31 comments
A friend has a painting by Jock Frater, dated 1920 titled
"Diana Lang". We know who the artist was, but are intrigued to learn more about the subject. Anyone with expertise on glam socialites of Australia in the Roaring Twenties in the house?
posted by Pericles at 12:56 AM PST - 5 comments
March 13
What features would you like to see in a community/links/news site like metafilter?
[more inside]posted by delmoi at 9:46 PM PST - 17 comments
I have an iMac G5 (iSight) running Mac OS X 10.4. Is there a way to force the screen to go to sleep, but keep the computer running?
[more inside]posted by jaimev at 9:27 PM PST - 12 comments
Work gave me a 1GB keydrive for carrying personal files. What I'd adore is using it to carry around a rescue disk such as one of the many tiny bootable Linux distributions.
[more inside]posted by Mozai at 6:46 PM PST - 11 comments
Can WinTV PVR USB 2.0 MCE Edition be used with Win 2K? When I purchased it I did not realize I was getting the MCE Edition which apparently does not include the MPEG codecs and has an external IR sensor for use with Windows XP Media Center Edition. The non-MCE version is supposed to work with Win 2K. Should I return this or can I get it to work fully with Win2K ?
posted by flyby22 at 6:25 PM PST - 5 comments
My boss has decided to repaint the interior of our office building, which is nice. However, she is having it done during office hours - I'm 10 weeks pregnant, we have someone with allergies and someone with asthma. Is this odd? Isn't this usually done outside of office hours so we don't have to sniff paint fumes for 8 hours?
[more inside]posted by marajade at 6:13 PM PST - 29 comments
A collections agent sent me someone else's information. How can I use this as leverage against them?
[more inside]posted by electroboy at 5:52 PM PST - 14 comments
Do you have an LCD projector recommendation for a small, nonprofit? Yes, this question
has been asked before. However, I figured it was worth asking again since it's been over a year since it was last posed to AskMeFi and there might be some new models available on the market. All we will be using the projector for is monthly PowerPoint presentations for no more than 100 people. We would prefer to buy it new for under $1k. Depending on the fabulousness of the projector, we might spring for a slightly more expensive one. Even if you don't have a specific recommendation, please let me know if there are any features I should look for. Thanks!
posted by zharptitsa at 5:05 PM PST - 6 comments
Help me find a website I used to go to that tracks weight and measurements, and also has a calculator to estimate body fat percentage.
[more inside]posted by ferociouskitty at 5:04 PM PST - 4 comments
Is there an easy, free way for me to figure out which country a website visitor is coming from? Or more specifically, if a user is
not in the US?
[more inside]posted by gramcracker at 4:59 PM PST - 9 comments
Millionaire Mind Intensive? What are your thoughts/opinions on this "$1300" seminar by T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind?
[more inside]posted by jeffmik at 4:16 PM PST - 17 comments
My daughter needs to confine her 2 year old when she is outside. Any experience with attractive,cheap (~$500) fences to enclose approx. 400 sq. feet.
posted by JohnR at 3:56 PM PST - 12 comments
I went to see Ben Folds here in Milwaukee last night, and by about halfway through the main act, I was in serious pain, just from standing there. My feet, especially my heels, were killing, and my lower back was stiff and uncomfortable as well.
My question is: Is there any way to avoid this?
[more inside]posted by joshjs at 3:37 PM PST - 11 comments
I recently, out of curiosity, tried the public transportation systems in Los Angeles and Orange County, CA. I know that you can’t seriously depend on buses to get around – most buses run every 20-30 minutes, not to mention the waiting time for connection. Ok, I can accept that. But what puzzles me is that there are so many “unnecessary” stops, a lot of which are installed BOTH before AND after the traffic lights at the same intersection. Twice as many stops double the travelling time. It just seems to me such a waste of resources and lack of efficiency. Are people not willing even to walk across the streets to catch the buses or is this some kind of community service issue? Any input will be appreciated.
posted by dy at 3:12 PM PST - 22 comments
I'm trying to burn a backup that has a ton of files with Japanese names. I'm using Windows XP SP2 and Nero 6.6, and anytime I try to create a DVD with any of the ISO (or UDF) settings it forces the filenames to their short filenames, such as "Docume~1". Anyone know how I can record this?
posted by LukeyBoy at 3:11 PM PST - 11 comments
How much would it cost to raise a 900-square foot house a few feet & give it a new foundation? Looking at 1912 Craftsman in Seattle that is a good deal but would only work if we could add some space, and the attic doesn't seem tall enough to add dormers. Just looking for a rough idea of what to expect.
[more inside]posted by _sirmissalot_ at 3:06 PM PST - 17 comments
Where's the best place to get furniture online? I'm looking to get a cheap couch/futon contraption for around 150-200 dollars, and so far I'm looking at kmart.com. I don't know where else to look.
posted by petah at 2:06 PM PST - 14 comments
My eyesight has always been great, and in general I see just fine. As a general rule, the world is not blurry and when I look at something, whether it be 1 foot or 20 (or 100) feet away, I see what I expect to see. I've never worn glasses.
[more inside]posted by jaded at 2:03 PM PST - 20 comments
Re: Last night's Sopranos, what was the Italian phrase uttered in last night's episode? (Spoiler inside)
[more inside]posted by geoff. at 1:36 PM PST - 11 comments
Have you recently bought a great printer? - tell me about it.
I've been asked to do some research for a friend who needs to buy a new printer - and I'm swimming in data.
The main criteria are: low-to-medium price; colour/black & white (as opposed to some of the amazing deals on b&w only laser printers around); reasonably priced consumables (this may be the trickiest part to assess); reliability.
We're in the UK - any online deals have to be accessible to this country. TIA!
posted by dash_slot- at 11:58 AM PST - 31 comments
Back in 2004 there was some
speculation about the bulge on Bush's jacket, that started on the internet and eventually got the attention of the mainstream media. I'm looking for similiar examples, where something that started as talk on the internet eventually got the attention of the more mainstream media (such as TV and newspapers).
posted by cheerleaders_to_your_funeral at 11:46 AM PST - 15 comments
Is there any wiki software that will allow a moderator to approve edits before they are posted? If so, how difficult would it be to set up and maintain?
[more inside]posted by hazyjane at 11:26 AM PST - 10 comments
I have dark brown hair, yet I grow a beard tinged with quite a bit of ginger hair. Why?
[more inside]posted by knapah at 11:13 AM PST - 32 comments
Does anyone know of any good modern books about China? Nonficiton preferably, along the lines of Maximum Bombay, but for Beijing or Shanghai? Stuff that reveals the nature of the place as it undergoes rapid change...
posted by jgballard at 11:02 AM PST - 8 comments
Does anyone know of a good undelete tool for Mac OS X (10.4.x) that can recover AVI files from an external (FAT32) drive?
[more inside]posted by Chunder at 10:59 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm attending the
IAFA conference in Fort Lauderdale this week. However, I've never been to this city and I have a few days to kill there once the conference is over. Obviously there's the beach and plenty of clubs, but can anyone point some hidden treasures?
posted by clockworkjoe at 10:41 AM PST - 6 comments
QuoteFilter: For my mum's seventy*coughcoughcough*th birthday this year, I found a bunch of postcards from her hometown in England. I'm putting them into a book, and I'd like a nice quotation or something to write in nice script on the outside. Something about roots or birthplaces or something, and amusing Oscar-Wilde-style or touching-but-not-saccharine would be preferred to glurgey-sugary-weepy.
posted by biscotti at 10:06 AM PST - 7 comments
BestPrintingOnline stole content from my website, I allege. How do I get them to take it down?
[more inside]posted by acoutu at 9:44 AM PST - 13 comments
I have had eczema all my life, but it has never been as bad as when I’ve lived in Boston, where I live now. I’m appealing to a small subgroup of people on this site, but I’m hoping I can appeal to people with sensitive skin and eczema who live in some of the places where I’m considering moving
[more inside]posted by abbyladybug at 9:38 AM PST - 27 comments
My parents have lived in the same house close to 30 years (my entire life). They just sold it, and are moving into a large condo in a month and a half. I want to put something together for my family to remember the old place and make this transition easier.
[more inside]posted by bibbit at 9:23 AM PST - 12 comments
Lonnie Brooks, Bayou Lighting, Voodoo Daddy. At 4:13, he refers to the "big black snake" as a "whobedup". What is this word, whobedup? How do I properly spell it?
posted by cior at 8:12 AM PST - 10 comments
Does my router hate AJAX? When I access Google Maps (or certain other sites that make use of similar technology) it consistently triggers network freezes and delays on my home network.
[more inside]posted by Songdog at 8:01 AM PST - 9 comments
Looking for books, essays, articles, any resources at all about film's relationship to literature.
[more inside]posted by meerkatty at 7:44 AM PST - 10 comments
Music/VideoFilter: Looking for the name of a music video with a Mexican Day of the Dead theme.
[more inside]posted by MasonDixon at 7:24 AM PST - 9 comments
I've noticed many hispanic youths in my neighborhood making use of their cellphone's "walkie talkie" feature. I have seen only a handful blacks doing this, and no whites or asians.
Also, I've noticed several whites using their cellphones in a "hands free" fashion, employing some sort of earpiece/microphone. However, I have seen no blacks, asians, or hispanics doing this.
So my question - are these real trends, or false conclusions based on my limited experience?
posted by kenoshakid at 7:22 AM PST - 25 comments
Can anyone reccommend message board software that can run on Apache and authenticate through Active Directory / LDAP?
[more inside]posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 6:28 AM PST - 5 comments
I have constant skin outbreaks and I don't know why. Sometimes I will be clear for a week and sometimes I break out. I know it must have to do with what I'm eating but I usually keep fairly consistant on how I eat.
[more inside]posted by Napierzaza at 6:27 AM PST - 20 comments
Problems/ethics of excluding shipping and insurance charges on quotes to customers.
[more inside]posted by Jase_B at 5:57 AM PST - 7 comments
Runaway cars: After reading
this recent story about a BMW that got stuck in gear with the accelerator jammed down, I don't understand why he didn't just turn the ignition off. Is it true that he'd have been left unable to steer?
[more inside]posted by chrismear at 5:43 AM PST - 46 comments
My company needs to find a web filtering solution that can filter out pornography, gambling and all the other sites companies don't like people looking at when at work. Our main requirements are that we don't want to have to host or manage a server ourselves and that we need very clear activity reports. Anyone have any experience with suitable products, good or bad?
[more inside]posted by dodgygeezer at 5:39 AM PST - 7 comments
Need an rss feed for flights from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette for Netvibes.com. Anybody know of a feed service or a way to work around getting it on the page?
posted by daveed66 at 5:25 AM PST - 4 comments
Im a struggling illustrator/designer, but the goal is to simply figure out a way to draw stuff for a living. Im considering becomming a tattoo artist - more inside.
[more inside]posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 5:15 AM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for a company that basically does the same as lulu.com only in a different paper size (A4 or A5).
[more inside]posted by ouke at 5:02 AM PST - 3 comments
One of our PCs is having major problems at boot up, and when it does boot, does not recognize the slave drive hard disc. After working normally for a couple of house, it often goes to a blue screen with a “kernel_data_inpage_error” messages
[more inside]posted by zaelic at 3:47 AM PST - 11 comments
Is there a piece of software that will allow me to make autocrop an image to make multiple smaller images?
[more inside]posted by bigmusic at 12:57 AM PST - 7 comments
What's the most convincing response (provide a link, that is) to
This Crichton speech about global warming. I'm looking for arguments other than "scientific concensus".
posted by Tlogmer at 12:53 AM PST - 11 comments
How does one break into the entertainment industry from a dorm room in the northeast?
[more inside]posted by jne1813 at 12:19 AM PST - 16 comments
March 12
How would one go about legally obtaining a real human skull?
posted by Espoo2 at 10:59 PM PST - 12 comments
Why am i completely satisfied after doing it once, and how do I increase the number of times I can have sex in a single night?
[more inside]posted by Manouk at 10:43 PM PST - 13 comments
DoctorFilter: Please scare me into being more conscientious, but not to a point where my anxieties go ape.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 9:52 PM PST - 23 comments
I'm female and my voice is a bit deep/low. I'd like to make it a little higher and more feminine. Are there any vocal exercises or anything I can do?
posted by miltoncat at 8:57 PM PST - 7 comments
When I walk/hike for any length of time, my hands swell and fill with blood, turning bright red to purple. It's painful, and scares the hell out of my wife. What's going on?
posted by jsteward at 8:51 PM PST - 11 comments
I put a dent in the downtube of my aluminum/carbon fiber bike, is the integrity of the frame compromised?
[more inside]posted by dseaton at 7:25 PM PST - 9 comments
My mother is planning on retiring in a little over a year, and she is worried that she won't be able to fill her time. Her birthday is coming and I'd like to get her a book that discusses different jobs, hobbies, or activities that a retired person could do.
[more inside]posted by billysumday at 6:37 PM PST - 9 comments
I've been happily (well, to various degrees) living my life as a lesbian (mostly of the soft-butch/butch) variety for many years. I think I might be genderqueer. Now what?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:36 PM PST - 15 comments
Can anyone tell me about the legal, practical steps of dealing with a person who dies, their dead body? I live in NYC but imagine the steps must be pretty similar all over the US and Europe too.
[more inside]posted by nickyskye at 5:26 PM PST - 9 comments
French speakers: can anyone characterize the Breton (Brittany, not Cape Breton) accent for me?
[more inside]posted by blissbat at 5:07 PM PST - 10 comments
My PC lags a bit on booting up. It's fine at first, my desktop comes on screen quickly and the start menu programs load normally. But then when the Windows Firewall and/or Norton Antivirus kick in--I guess the last on the start menu list--it locks up other programs for a full minute or so. I can click on icons, but double clicking doesn't do anything until the WF and Norton do their thing.
Anything I can tweak to get this lag to go away?
[more inside]posted by zardoz at 4:56 PM PST - 15 comments
What happens when I put a glass peanut butter jar with peanut butter remnants in the recycle bin? Does it cause extra work for the recycle sorter? Or will it just pass through the process?
[more inside]posted by 9000.68 at 4:22 PM PST - 25 comments
Why does male performance anxiety continue to severely hamper my sex life?
[more inside]posted by kyle at 3:38 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for a platform to run a "grouphug" style site - in the sense that anyone can post, and all posts are moderated and anonymous.
[more inside]posted by thedaniel at 3:29 PM PST - 3 comments
Ideas for a domain name for a site in a major metro area which will provide comprehensive and detailed information on what to do with your kids on any given day.
[more inside]posted by crosten at 3:01 PM PST - 20 comments
What's the best thrift store (for men) in New York?
posted by sirion at 12:37 PM PST - 5 comments
Help me identify a piece of music from Friday's Battlestar Galatica season finale.
[more inside]posted by mmcg at 11:19 AM PST - 16 comments
In California, what are the steps that I should take to sell my totaled car to a dismantler? I want rid myself of all liability for the vehicle and get as much money as possible for the parts.
[more inside]posted by |n$eCur3 at 11:18 AM PST - 3 comments
I have a chronically un-confident friend. I would like to find him a self-help book to teach him how to have more self-esteem.
[more inside]posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:34 AM PST - 3 comments
I accidentally spilled some water on my girlfriend's cell phone (a Motorola Razr), and it stopped working. I'd like to get her a new one to replace it, but there's a wrinkle:
[more inside]posted by Johnny Assay at 10:19 AM PST - 13 comments
My dad is looking for a recording -- format doesn't matter -- of Harold L. Walters'
Badinage for Brass.
[more inside]posted by gnomeloaf at 7:36 AM PST - 4 comments
March 11
I just found one of
these (not the receiver, just a controller) at a flea market for $1. Would it be possible to turn it into a substitute remote for
this?
[more inside]posted by ericbop at 9:16 PM PST - 2 comments
I am a 41 year old female, recently attracted to a man about a dozen years younger than me. It did not start out as an attraction, but a work relationship that turned into an attraction and featured a lot of mutual flirting. This man started showing up in my -for lack of a better word-psychic space, the part of my brain used to process creative ideas and artistic projects. He showed up as a tuning fork, which sent me on an internet search on just what a tuning fork is and does (I am not a musician). The effect his presence was having on me was stunning. It transcends mere attraction, it was, I believe, an anima projection (a term I found after leaving the employment situation where we both worked). There was a piece of me that started to unfold, expand, absorb, and just flowered. I felt amazing and beautiful creative and calm.
I left the job and therefore the daily interaction stopped. I did not see this man on my last day, and didn't hear from him. Two weeks after leaving the job, I sent him a note expressing my feelings and that whatever it was (pretty impossible to explain, really--"gee ,dude, I think you are my muse") felt important, and I have heard nothing.
[more inside]posted by 45moore45 at 8:35 PM PST - 75 comments
I have an almost-14 year old chocolate lab, who collapsed about 6 weeks ago. They thought she had pancreatitis, but that was negative. In the course of events, they did an ultrasound and found an adrenal tumor, also a small nodule on her spleen.
[more inside]posted by marciabcd at 8:12 PM PST - 11 comments
I have this idea that running Kazaa potentially lets other users store files on your PC. Is this correct?
[more inside]posted by birdsquared at 7:34 PM PST - 12 comments
Male introverts, homebodies, and my nerdy brethren, how did you meet your female friends? Your female significant others? How can I?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:54 PM PST - 49 comments
SongLyricsFilter: First line (and refrain throughout the song, I believe) is "Getting down to business." Sounds vaguely 70ish with a sort of pump-up beat. Google is getting me nowhere. Any ideas you may have are much appreciated.
posted by zachlipton at 6:45 PM PST - 5 comments
Questioning my core beliefs causes me mental discomfort, which is understandable, but it also starts to cause me physical brain discomfort if I persist, which lingers...
[more inside]posted by dino terror at 6:10 PM PST - 23 comments
DesigningPrintedFormsOnABudgetFilter: I'd like to design some forms to be printed to standard laser printer paper to assist capturing information taken from telephone calls at work (WinXP SP2 environment).
[more inside]posted by planetthoughtful at 5:04 PM PST - 5 comments
When do students need to go to a library? I'm writing a lesson plan for teachers to use when teaching research to middle schoolers. Most kids probably figure the internet is the ultimate source for research, and wonder why anyone would bother going to the library. I'm trying to answer that question: this is what I have so far.
[more inside]posted by carterk at 4:53 PM PST - 26 comments
I am searching for my spirituality. I suppose I never lost it, but I yearn to pinpoint what it is I actually believe...
[more inside]posted by orangeshoe at 4:19 PM PST - 25 comments
I've been asked to identify magazines available in the United States, and Web sites in general, that cover Anime and Asian cinema. Problem is, I've virtually no knowledge of either subject.
[more inside]posted by littleme at 2:33 PM PST - 9 comments
iPod newbie here... why won't the "do not disconnect" message on my iPod shut off? The iPod isn't updating either.
[more inside]posted by the_bone at 2:02 PM PST - 3 comments
I would like to learn about an interesting aspect of history which is new to me. This could be broad ('Ancient Greece') or very specific ('Anarchists in the Ukraine in the Russian Revolution'), thematic ('the Victorian underworld and crime') or about a location ('Venice') - but I'd like to also know
why your suggestion interests you so much. If you can recommend some good books on your suggested topic, that would be just perfect.
[more inside]posted by reynir at 1:14 PM PST - 25 comments
I'd like to use
Rasterbator to create a large wall decoration, glued onto thin MDF or plywood. I want to paint the MDF/plywood a dark colour first. What paper and/or glue should I use to make sure the dark paint colour doesn't bleed through the glued on papers?
[more inside]posted by Kickstart70 at 10:49 AM PST - 9 comments
I need help getting access to a published paper on estuaries. My girlfriend needs it to work on a paper of hers. We've found everything else on various free sites, but this one we're having no luck. Since it's just one paper, I was hoping someone here was a subscriber to one of the sites it's at. (Specific details inside)
[more inside]posted by inigo2 at 9:04 AM PST - 13 comments
My boyfriend got a notice in the mail that he owes $600 for two parking tickets from 2004. Though he doesn't think the city of Baltimore is just making up the original fines, this is the first he's heard of them or the penalties. The original fines add up to $84. Is there anything he can do to eliminate or reduce the penalties?
[more inside]posted by Airhen at 9:03 AM PST - 5 comments
I'm taking a week-long trip to Barcelona, and have a 10-hour layover in Geneva on the way there (during the day). Any recommendations?
[more inside]posted by kickingtheground at 8:59 AM PST - 7 comments
Does the re-purposing of the word "Nazi" in U.S. culture in recent years to mean
generic-overzealous-rule-enforcement instead of
Homicidal-Socialist-German-Workers-Party detract from the horror of the Holocaust and the other crimes perpetrated by actual Nazis?
Is the "Soup Nazi"-type usage of the word "Nazi" taking away the power of the word? If so, is that the right thing to do?
Is it causing greater estrangement in cultural relationships between the U.S. and Europeans?
How is the word "Nazi" used in your community/workplace/social circles?
[more inside]posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:43 AM PST - 33 comments
How can I best avoid an IRS audit? My occupation may complicate things: I’m a professional in the adult entertainment industry with a job that is legal (but often perceived as illegal) and an entirely cash-based business.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:36 AM PST - 21 comments
March 10
A book author/publisher has found an image of mine on the net, and asked for permission to use it in their book. I would like to know if I should allow them to use it gratis, or ask for a fee?
[more inside]posted by mule at 9:41 PM PST - 17 comments
Why does (what is the psychology of) Starbucks thrive(ing) selling coffee that, it would seem, most people find less than ideal?
[more inside]posted by ParisParamus at 9:06 PM PST - 82 comments
I run Abyss Webserver, and of late.. sometimes when I try to rename/move/delete any folder within htdocs folder, it doesn't let me to. It says access denied. I try removing the read-only attrib, and it comes back.
[more inside]posted by Devileyezz at 8:28 PM PST - 1 comments
I'd love to be able to simultaneously open in Firefox tabs the URLs in a del.icio.us bundle.
[more inside]posted by font_snob at 7:55 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking for a compact bookshelf stereo with decent sound. The catch is that our bookshelf is only 10.5" deep. Any suggestions?
[more inside]posted by russilwvong at 6:55 PM PST - 15 comments
What sort of methods do authorities use for detecting small to middle size indoor marijuana crops (e.g. hydroponics)?
[more inside]posted by sjvilla79 at 5:10 PM PST - 32 comments
Does anyone know where I can download some flag to flag coverage of the 1976 Formula 1 season?
posted by roguescout at 3:13 PM PST - 5 comments
Is there an equivalent of catnip for dogs? I used to love revving up my cat when I was a kid and watching her act silly after a few munches on the weed. My dog lumbers around and only gets jazzed up when there's a rolling ball or a squirrel or deer outside. That's fun to watch of course, but I'm looking for the silly stuff. Any suggestions?
posted by terrier319 at 2:11 PM PST - 23 comments
The clasp on my cheap Target wallet just broke. What sites and/or brands do you recommend for buying high-quality wallets? Feature requests listed inside.
[more inside]posted by invisible ink at 1:33 PM PST - 18 comments
A cafe on Geary St. in San Francisco enforces a $3.00 minimum purchase for bathroom use. Is this draconian policy against the law? What about in other cities -- is it illegal to refuse bathroom access to those who merely purchase $1.00 java? If so, what legal relief is possible?
posted by inksyndicate at 1:13 PM PST - 45 comments
A few friends and I are kicking around starting a photo club, both to keep us shooting as well as to help each other with critiques and whatnot.
[more inside]posted by nevercalm at 1:12 PM PST - 7 comments
In general, how do non-American men view American women? Repressed, promiscuous, intelligent, arrogant, superficial, attractive, aggressive, etc.
posted by notcomputersavvy06 at 12:01 PM PST - 62 comments
Who owns the posts to Internet forums? I know someone who produced and acted in a one-woman show in which she "performed" weird stuff she found on Usenet. She claimed this was legal. Was it?
[more inside]posted by grumblebee at 11:21 AM PST - 13 comments
I've often noticed that when confronted by a decision, some of us err on the side of not making a decision at all.
What is your personal philosophy when confronted by a decision, or how do you avoid avoiding making decisions?
[more inside]posted by russmail at 11:19 AM PST - 18 comments
I'm born and raised in Southern California. This is a problem when the temperature drops and my excessively warm-blooded body can't handle the cold. I have a pair of fingerless glove inserts from an Army/Navy surplus store, but they're many years old and fairly intrusive anyway.
So I ask: what are the best gloves to wear while typing?
[more inside]posted by rcs at 10:40 AM PST - 17 comments
I'd love to have a fully featured (note-taking, to-do lists, calender, contacts, etc.) internet-accessible organisational tool such as
foldera or
airset but run the software from my own hosted space. Does such a software exist? And could it be free?
posted by ceri richard at 10:18 AM PST - 6 comments
ChicagoFilter: Where can I get amazing, authentic cannolis in Chicago? Preferably North Side or el accessible.
posted by agregoli at 10:10 AM PST - 12 comments
Sourcing colored plexiglass. Where can I buy large sheets of 1/8" or 1/4" plexi in a variety of colors/patterns?
[more inside]posted by cosmicbandito at 9:55 AM PST - 5 comments
Motorcycle filter:
I live in the U.S. and am trying to decide on a new motorcycle (read on and on and on)...
[more inside]posted by iurodivii at 9:55 AM PST - 18 comments
What was life like in Siberia circa the mid-1820s? Specifically, what was life like for Decemberists who were exiled there? I have heard that it was like the Wild West, only much colder. Are there any good books on this? I've found a couple of websites referenced, but, well, I don't speak Russian.
Academic history papers are also appreciated. Any good authors, novels, histories, authorities would be a help.
(As a corrolary— was there a concerted exploration and surveying movement in that area at the same time? What would it have been like to be on the frontier? How would it have been different from the American frontier of a similar time [which would have been around Ohio and Michigan]?)
posted by klangklangston at 9:39 AM PST - 11 comments
A friend of mine (from the U.S.) is marrying a woman from the Ukraine in a month or so. His mother is throwing her a bridal shower in the States and I'd like to make her feel welcome...
[more inside]posted by absquatulate at 8:27 AM PST - 13 comments
Is there a freeware windows application that will allow me to print the directory structure of a drive or section of a drive on my network? I have a drive at work that needs to be reorganized and it would help me if I could see directories and sub directories listed in order and in print.
posted by linklog at 7:59 AM PST - 14 comments
You know those posters put up en-mass on hoardings (the plywood around building sites and whatnot). There are some
really cool ones for a certian upcoming movie I've spotted around Toronto. How can I get my grubby little hands on these? It seems like with so many printed and put up, it shouldn't be hard. Just peeling them off the wall never works.
posted by Capn at 7:49 AM PST - 15 comments
Downtown Austin, SXSW: Looking for a coffee shop with good WiFi, good coffee or root beer, good food and friendly staff.
[more inside]posted by RevDanCatt at 7:37 AM PST - 6 comments
Hardwood Floor Filter -- How can I spruce up my hardwood floor without a major refinishing project?
[more inside]posted by Mid at 7:31 AM PST - 7 comments
PoetryFilter: Having never read a book of poetry in my life, I picked up a translation of Virgil's Eclogues & Bucolics (
this one) and loved it. Can anyone suggest other, similar poetry I might like? I've seen poetry threads on AskMe before, so there might be someone out there who can help me.
posted by primer_dimer at 6:17 AM PST - 12 comments
What, from the standpoint of the audience, is the difference/advantage between shooting, say, a sitcom, in single-camera mode (SCM) and multiple-camera mode (MCM)? If all you're doing in SCM is shooting dialogue, for example, out-of-order to construct an effect that is effortlessly achieved by switching from one camera to the next in MCM, it would seem that, if anything, you would gain from the immediacy of the actors' reaction in a scene shot in MCM.
posted by the sobsister at 6:17 AM PST - 12 comments
Deeply conflicted, the circumcision we'd reluctantly decided upon was rescheduled until his seventh day. My husband and I got within a block of the doctor's office, our perfectly-formed week-old baby in his carseat, and simultaneously decided he was just right and we were just wrong. We turned around and never looked back, until . . .
[more inside]posted by wordswinker at 5:41 AM PST - 91 comments
MovieFilter: how did you interpret events in Brokeback Mountain? (warning: spoiler inside)
[more inside]posted by nml at 5:12 AM PST - 28 comments
I'm at the one year anniversary of my current job and have been grappling with a decision for most of that year...
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 3:40 AM PST - 18 comments
Some questions about infrequent compulsive lying - how common is this? What is your reaction to it? More questions inside.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 3:40 AM PST - 17 comments
I'm a man looking for a better "shave". Have any of you guys ever used an epilator on your face?
[more inside]posted by redteam at 2:51 AM PST - 41 comments
I've got a Windows Media Center edition PC hooked up to my television using an S-video cable so that I can play DIVX files, and I'm getting my wallpaper showing up on the television... and nothing else. The main monitor still shows all my apps, however. What gives?!
[more inside]posted by insomnia_lj at 12:35 AM PST - 13 comments
March 9
I'm about to have my uvula removed, in hopes of ameliorating my sleep apnea. Will I regret it?
[more inside]posted by nicwolff at 10:38 PM PST - 28 comments
I'm moving to a new apartment in Atlanta, does anyone know of any places where I could get alot of big empty boxes that I can use for moving?
posted by icespide at 9:59 PM PST - 17 comments
How do you remove the smell of Cigarette Smoke from a Game Controller? I bought a new unopened controller on ebay, but it stinks! Google says to soak it in Vinegar, but it's an electronic?
[more inside]posted by ejhdigdug at 9:30 PM PST - 14 comments
I'm writing a small app to store my contacts. There's a little tool to search for names. When I search for "Jo", the results should display all names starting with "jo", followed by those with "jo" in the middle:
1. Joanna
2. John
3. Jonathan
4. Marjorie
5. Mojo
How do I do this using a single SQL statement?
posted by arrowhead at 9:27 PM PST - 14 comments
Working in international shipping (sea-side). How do you get into it? Where do you start?
[more inside]posted by zhivota at 8:55 PM PST - 10 comments
What is the evidence that ultrasound therapy is effective for treating musculoskeletal problems?
[more inside]posted by Afroblanco at 8:07 PM PST - 5 comments
MiddleManagementFilter: Boss says give task X of my project to "Robin". I try. Instead of doing task X, Robin sets up a meeting between me, her, and whoever she wants to pass me off to. She steps out, I end up doing it. How do I get her to do the damned task?
[more inside]posted by kookoobirdz at 8:03 PM PST - 20 comments
I'm returning a worthless SanDisk USB Flash card reader. What is an alternative card reader brand that you recommend?
[more inside]posted by hodyoaten at 7:45 PM PST - 10 comments
While watching a dvd on the computer, is there a way to stream the video over the internet to a friends' computer as well, so that both of you can watch it at the same time?
[more inside]posted by jak68 at 7:45 PM PST - 10 comments
What's the best way of wrapping a sandwich before putting it in the refrigerator?
[more inside]posted by spira at 6:54 PM PST - 9 comments
I need an easy (free or very cheap) way to make and host websites. I've been using blogger since it is free and easy, but I'd ideally like more of a website format, rather than a blog format (no comments, and being able to keep my main messages right at the top). Any advice appreciated.
[more inside]posted by krudiger at 6:41 PM PST - 14 comments
Asking for a friend... He's interested in examples of number systems not based on western sets of 10. Anyone know of good info on non-standard number systems used in other cultures or for niche purposes, such as hexadecimal?
posted by efalk at 6:36 PM PST - 29 comments
We're a small humanitarian organization, with an HQ of about 15 people. I have little networking experience, and have been tasked with the imminent set-up of our network as we move from within a larger institution (a hospital) to our own offices. I want to make sure the architecture I have in mind will do what I want it to do.
[more inside]posted by iconoclastic flow at 6:29 PM PST - 11 comments
IdiomaticCrassForeignPhraseFilter: Camel Toe. I'm looking to compile a list of phrases used in foreign countries to describe what is known in the US as a
Camel Toe. [First link NSFW, second is safe for radio, but contains sophomoric YouTube audio/video]. Can you help?
[more inside]posted by toxic at 6:16 PM PST - 18 comments
TokyoFilter: My hubs and I will have a long layover at the Narita/Tokyo airport on June 2. How can we spend our time?
[more inside]posted by Brittanie at 5:48 PM PST - 13 comments
ReplaceBrokenMugFilter: I'm in search of a coffee mug... Neil Diamond themed... white mug, pink letters that say 'Diamond Girl'. I've googled for it, ebayed for it, can't find anything. HELP ME REPLACE IT BEFORE THE OWNER FINDS OUT ITS BROKEN!!!
TIA.
posted by hummercash at 5:26 PM PST - 4 comments
After moving apartments, my Sony CRT HDTV has some color distortion along the right side of the screen. I'm guessing the TV took a bad bump somewhere along the way. Anyone else have this problem and found a solution?
[more inside]posted by parttimesaint at 4:38 PM PST - 12 comments
I have a flight to NYC from Burbank, CA this Sunday, and my wallet has been stolen. What can I do to decrease my chances of having problems as I go through security with limited ID?
[more inside]posted by sdis at 4:22 PM PST - 8 comments
why are MSN, Yahoo & Google the only decent search engines nowadays? Are there any search engines made by organizations that don't enable the oppression of billions or aren't conspiring to hurt the Chinese?
posted by sswiller at 4:05 PM PST - 26 comments
I have medically controlled high blood pressure. Is doing head and shoulder stands I find in lots of hatha yoga a really bad idea? If so, what's the physiology behind that and what substitutes are there?
[more inside]posted by ontic at 3:02 PM PST - 4 comments
What are some of the little things that you did that ended up saving you a lot of money in the long run?
[more inside]posted by cellphone at 2:33 PM PST - 94 comments
This is so embarrassing, even though it's anonymous. Here goes. I've been making myself throw up lately.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 1:56 PM PST - 33 comments
Why is my
Dreamweaver 8 sometimes (but not always) infuriatingly slow with file operations? It can take 30 seconds to refresh a directory view or save a file, during which the app is immobile. Is it doing something ridiculously intense for simple file operations that I could disable somehow? I've searched and found similar complaints but no solutions yet. [Windows 2000, Pentium III, files on network.]
posted by Tubes at 1:43 PM PST - 8 comments
Why do browsers store the original DOM in the browser history instead of caching the most recent version?
[more inside]posted by Fezboy! at 1:27 PM PST - 13 comments
It's time for another episode of Yell Out Website Name Ideas
(drawing and writing edition) [more inside]posted by mikepop at 1:24 PM PST - 14 comments
Knowing his politics, is there some obscure economic/philosophical reason why China Mieville's books don't have audio versions? Or do I just not know where to look?
posted by halespawn at 12:58 PM PST - 8 comments
Should we serve hard liquor at our wedding reception or just wine/beer? Two sides of the family disagree...need arguments to decide and defuse the other side...
[more inside]posted by UMDirector at 12:50 PM PST - 37 comments
Jeansfilter: I am short and curvy (and a girl, obviously), therefore finding great jeans is super difficult. I need help!
[more inside]posted by echo0720 at 12:38 PM PST - 26 comments
I'd like to do a century (bicycle) ride (not race) in late July. What have you done? What did you think? I live in Pittsburgh, PA and would be willing to travel 250-300 miles. I'd be willing to consider later in the summer into early fall too.
posted by nnk at 12:31 PM PST - 15 comments
I have a domain name, and someone has made a pretty serious offer on it. I know there are domain-name appraisers out there, and I'm wondering if any one in particular is considered most reliable—I don't want to leave money on the table if I can avoid it.
[more inside]posted by adamrice at 12:03 PM PST - 22 comments
Credit Repair: is the best/fastest way to deal with legitimate unpaid collections on one's credit history to simply pay them off, or to go through some other process? Tips and tricks of the trade?
[more inside]posted by weston at 11:14 AM PST - 13 comments
So, I'd like to track specific links into my site -- links I generate but aren't browser-based (eg, links in an email or RSS feed).
Sites like
Cool Hunting and Fark use a tracking method on their outbound links which looks like what I'm envisioning. I could write something from scratch, but is there an existing application that does it for me?
[more inside]posted by The Baby Jesus at 10:41 AM PST - 3 comments
I want to learn how to read lips. I'm not deaf or hearing-impaired in any way (quite the opposite, actually.) I just think it would be a cool skill to pick up. So... where do I start? Any tips or pointers?
posted by madman at 10:36 AM PST - 7 comments
Which part of New York should I move to?
I've been on the Upper West side for about two years. I commute to a job in Times Square. I am not happy, but I think the reasons for my unhappiness are not typical for a New Yorker.
[more inside]posted by bingo at 10:27 AM PST - 44 comments
I'm looking for a good newsreading program for PC. Something simple yet good. Anyone know of any?
posted by Mrs.Doyle at 10:20 AM PST - 20 comments
How can I change the position of an object in a Flash file with data from an external (XML) file?
[more inside]posted by kirkaracha at 10:18 AM PST - 5 comments
Which emerging enterprise-level storage and networking technologies are likely to become commercially viable by 2010?
posted by mischief at 9:49 AM PST - 4 comments
I've got about $500 to spend on buying, moving, and tuning an upright piano for my home. What should I be looking for?
[more inside]posted by danblaker at 9:14 AM PST - 23 comments
I have recently had a windfall and have come into some money. I'd like to invest this in an ethical and profitable fashion without assuming a huge amount of risk. Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that there's going to be some sort of economic collapse fairly soon. What should I do?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:05 AM PST - 29 comments
Why exactly does everyone hate IFRAMEs so much? Is there really a good reason not to use them?
[more inside]posted by ab3 at 7:22 AM PST - 28 comments
Is there a media player available for OSX that would allow me to bookmark my place in a video before closing it?
[more inside]posted by unsupervised at 7:22 AM PST - 3 comments
Please help me find a copy of this cookbook. My amazon and google-fu fail me on this one.
[more inside]posted by genial at 7:12 AM PST - 12 comments
I'm planning to visit every stop on a major metropolitan subway system in a single day (long story), and need to plan the most efficient route. Anyone know of useful technology/mathematical theories that help with route planning?
posted by jasonsmall at 6:59 AM PST - 16 comments
I'm going snowboarding for the first (and maybe only) time and I was wondering whether I should go out and get some pants and what kind of pants? Do I need them or would I be fine in jeans or something?
[more inside]posted by phillygee at 6:34 AM PST - 27 comments
I appeal to the Excel gods of AskMe for help. My problem is similar to the one answered
here, but is more complicated...
[more inside]posted by Irontom at 6:18 AM PST - 10 comments
Are hospitals required to notify the Social Security Administration of new births? Do they do it, even if not required?
[more inside]posted by yclipse at 5:39 AM PST - 8 comments
Why does adding a third drive to my WinXP system cause the error "NTLDR is missing" upon subsequent boot? In the past it's worked fine like this.
[more inside]posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:49 AM PST - 11 comments
Hi - I want to open an online store on my my site (wordpress blog in Spanish) that would sell a select range of other people’s products as well as products I make myself and I am looking for some advice on this matter.
[more inside]posted by libelula at 4:08 AM PST - 3 comments
March 8
We're getting ready to start working on the landscaping in our yard for this year, and we have decided to go big and redo the whole thing.
[more inside]posted by teishu at 9:45 PM PST - 7 comments
I need to dress up as something from Alice In Wonderland or Alice Through the Looking Glass. Something from the movie is fine, but I get bonus points if it's from the books.
[more inside]posted by twirlypen at 8:49 PM PST - 22 comments
Money is difficult. I'm familiar with
Your Money or Your Life, "pay yourself first", Quicken,
The Tightwad Gazette, etc. but my money problems seem to be intertwined with a lot of relationship stuff that is hard to unravel.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:03 PM PST - 45 comments
I love most of Apple Mail. I love the three-column wide view of Thunderbird. (Vertical view) Is there any way to keep the features of Mail, but hack it to display lists and previews more like Thunderbird? I've found interface hacks and add-ons for almost every other possible option.
posted by clango at 6:38 PM PST - 5 comments
Is it standard practice for an employer to interview a current employee (who works face to face with them every day) over a webcam?
[more inside]posted by Joey Michaels at 5:33 PM PST - 15 comments
Posted for
disillusioned:
DogAnemiaFilter: (Asking for disillusioned) My dog has a low red & white blood cell count. Expectations? Experiences? Help?
[more inside]posted by twiggy at 5:15 PM PST - 7 comments
I'm looking for a method to automatically open the index.html file within an archive and then allow browsing from there, without decompressing.
[more inside]posted by Chuckles at 5:12 PM PST - 7 comments
In Boston area. Want to rent a laptop for a week or two. Budget maxes at $100. Realistic?
[more inside]posted by Firas at 4:36 PM PST - 10 comments
Paid off my car. The bank sent me the title and a letter that tells me to submit the title to the DMV, who will then issue me a lien-free title in my name alone.
[more inside]posted by jclovebrew at 3:05 PM PST - 20 comments
What are some good wine tasting options in Cleveland, Northern Ohio (eastern of course), Lake Erie, Western Pennsylvania? I am going to be in a hotel in downtown Cleveland this weekend with some friends and we want something to do on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
[more inside]posted by tweak at 2:59 PM PST - 10 comments
Recently I failed to make a lemon tart because the eggs wouldn't thicken. What went wrong?
[more inside]posted by phhht at 2:15 PM PST - 9 comments
How do I explain to potential employers why I'm leaving my job? I've only been here a few months, but its already time to start looking.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:03 PM PST - 23 comments
Is the Andrew Fastow (Enron) trial being broadcast or re-broadcast anywhere? Are trials in TX even filmed??
[more inside]posted by mpemulis at 12:58 PM PST - 5 comments
Anyone else on here have experience with the Disney Vacation Club? I'm seriously thinking of buying into it, but was wondering what people's experiences have been with it. Or perhaps even other similar "vacation club" programs.
posted by tittergrrl at 12:58 PM PST - 9 comments
I'm going to see a production of Les Misérables next week. I want to be able to get the most out of the performance, so I'm doing some background on it. What should I know or read beforehand for the best experience?
posted by tozturk at 12:20 PM PST - 19 comments
Recently went freelance (graphic design). My COBRA coverage ran out and I applied for insurance through a place called "Golden Rule" (my accountant's advice). I received a letter saying that they are unable to provide coverage because my "height and weight do not meet our guidelines".
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 11:33 AM PST - 23 comments
Why do people who are fighting for abortion to be made completely illegal never ever talk about what punishment the woman should get? If it's murder, why isn't the woman who gets prosecuted? Why just doctors? How does that make any sense, if it's really murder? Isn't the woman a criminal too in their eyes?
[more inside]posted by amberglow at 11:00 AM PST - 73 comments
My wife, lifelong holder of contempt against video games, has suddenly expressed the desire for us to play Sims Online together! Looking for advice on this and/or similar games...
[more inside]posted by poppo at 10:58 AM PST - 49 comments
CellPhoneFilter: I want to purchase a new PIM-capable phone to take on my trip around the world.
[more inside]posted by Gaz Errant at 10:50 AM PST - 9 comments
I need a new Windows laptop but it's been a couple of years since I did the whole research thing and now I'm completely out of the loop.
[more inside]posted by Glum at 10:28 AM PST - 13 comments
I've been trying to find good resources on creating a bookmarklet for a web site i'm working on, and then parsing the passed url with PHP.
[more inside]posted by sourbrew at 9:24 AM PST - 16 comments
I'm making a fence using 4x4's and 3/16" stranded stainless steel wire rope. The cable is made of six bundles of wires surrounding a center bundle. Each bundle looks like it has a similar structure. The tag on the spool says “Not for overhead lifting.” Each spool holds 125’, which I plan to join using loops and ferrules.
[more inside]posted by RelentlesslyOptimistic at 9:20 AM PST - 24 comments
a short story by a continental european writer that directly addresses or suggests conflicts within human nature-- the desire to perform "good" acts vs. our tendency (the temptation) to commit "evil" ones?
[more inside]posted by ronv at 8:49 AM PST - 10 comments
I would like a system that lets me create a
document and save it on my
drive and then I can call my
E-Mail and send the file attached. All this while listening to
music posted by mitocan at 8:18 AM PST - 12 comments
Sonoma-area winery suggestions? I'm looking for the charming smaller places where I'll likely need to make a reservation.
[more inside]posted by timnyc at 7:41 AM PST - 5 comments
How do they get little kids to cry in movies or on TV? Do the people filming cause them to cry, or does the crew have to wait until the child starts bawling?
[more inside]posted by katiecat at 7:24 AM PST - 28 comments
Recent problems with my iBook make me wonder if I am looking at major problems. Last week, software update failed to install the security upgrade & the recent iTunes update. Now, instead of the Mac log in screen, I get a Darwin/BSD full screen console log in screen. I am running OSX 10.4.5 on a G3 750Mhz w/640Mb RAM. I know how to troubleshoot PCs, but Macs ae like women to me--beautiful but inscrutible. Any help? (for the Mac problem only please).
posted by beelzbubba at 6:49 AM PST - 12 comments
My roommate is considering moving to the Czech Republic. He's Canadian, works in IT, and knows nothing of the job market, economy, and so on.
[more inside]posted by Jairus at 6:35 AM PST - 2 comments
What are the best places in San Francisco to find good sneakers? Rare and vintage is nice, hard to find colorways, basically anything that would make people ask,
"where'd you get those?" posted by cramer at 6:32 AM PST - 17 comments
My DSL modem is fried and out of warrantee.
SNET SBC AT&T wants $100 for me to buy a new one, or they'll give me a free one if I sign a new contract. I'll likely be moving in three months, and a hundred dollars is pretty pricey when I can find used ones on eBay for less than twenty. I'm pretty technical, but the problem is that I don't know G.DMT, G.Lite, or T1.413 from a hole in the ground. What requirements should I look for in a DSL modem to be sure that it's compatible? (I'm in Connecticut.)
posted by Plutor at 5:13 AM PST - 11 comments
Where can I find macro coupler rings online that won't cost a fortune to ship to Ireland?
[more inside]posted by antifuse at 4:55 AM PST - 3 comments
About three weeks ago I broke my big toe and the doctor said there's not much you can do with it, just let it heal on its own. But how long will this take? I use a treadmill most evenings as part of my daily routine and want to know when I can start back again - should I start just walking for a while before getting back up to speed? What is the healing time for a broken toe to get back to "normal"?
posted by 543DoublePlay at 4:12 AM PST - 16 comments
Has anyone experienced taking buspinol hydrochloride for anxiety/feelings of panic?
(Also known as Ansial®, Ansiced®, Anxiron®, Axoren®, Bespar®, BuSpar®, Buspimen®, Buspinol®, Buspisal®, Narol®)
[more inside]posted by lunkfish at 1:34 AM PST - 22 comments
March 7
I'm having trouble with fonts/symbols when opening someone else's Microsoft Word documents. Please help!
[more inside]posted by underwater at 10:49 PM PST - 12 comments
Help me setup PHP5 on my new iMac. I know PHP comes installed on the iMac and is able to run with the default Apache installation, but I installed Rails with LightTPD according to the HiveLogic instructions from here: http://hivelogic.com/articles/2005/12/01/ruby_rails_lighttpd_mysql_tiger.
He stops short of telling how to setup PHP to work with this installation. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I already enabled the default install of PHP to see if it will work bit its not working. For the record, the LightTPD install is working, and Rails is working.
posted by Chuck Cheeze at 10:13 PM PST - 14 comments
Is there one word in a language besides English for the term "guilty pleasure"? I'm guessing German, but anything else will do.
posted by gottabefunky at 9:27 PM PST - 22 comments
Similarly, some shares of Hoffman Electronics Corp. of the State of California stock issued June 25, 1959 have been bequeathed to me. How can find what, if anything, is its value? What can I do with it when I know?
posted by glibhamdreck at 9:16 PM PST - 2 comments
Is there a way to automate ejecting a memory card with the push of a single button in OS X?
[more inside]posted by alidarbac at 8:29 PM PST - 5 comments
BurnoutFilter: Were you an IT / Help Desk / Computer Support Tech in your past and successfully switched to a different career? If so, please tell me about your career switch story. Successful and unsuccessful stories welcome!
[more inside]posted by smallerdemon at 8:10 PM PST - 16 comments
What percentage of SciFi depicts directly or makes references to dark sexual themes?
[more inside]posted by tkolar at 7:55 PM PST - 39 comments
DietFilter. I'm about to to re-start a low carb diet that I've had some success with in the past. However, circumstances have changed since the last time I tried it, namely, I'm away from home at work for most of the day. I'm finding it hard to find low carb foods I can eat as a snack during the day, which makes it hard to stick to this diet. Any suggestions?
[more inside]posted by Effigy2000 at 7:32 PM PST - 25 comments
Is the ink in a roller ball the same or pretty much like that in pens using gel? If not, what is the difference. If yes, what advantage if any to a roller ball pen?
posted by Postroad at 6:22 PM PST - 7 comments
Does a "remix contest" blog exist? Are there any music production type websites that keep up with this stuff?
[more inside]posted by ernie at 5:31 PM PST - 10 comments
Medfilter: Possible tuberculosis exposure. I want to know the answers to some questions that the doctor was unable to provide.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:15 PM PST - 19 comments
I am to be the best man at a wedding of a German and Italian (the bride). I have been asked by the couple to speak in English on the day. Most people attending should be able to understand some English but unfortunately there will still be a number who will not understand.
Any clever ideas on how to bridge the language barrier?
German humour and Italian humour - what are they? Are they compatible? How could I work them together?
As I am British, I don't know the different customs and practices at Italian weddings and German weddings. What are the things I should really make a point of doing and not doing? Are there some finer touches that would really go down well?
[more inside]posted by BritishBestMan at 5:01 PM PST - 13 comments
I am asking this question for Kickstart70: "A couple weeks ago, over the course of a day, the left side of my thyroid gland swelled to a visible lump on my neck (ie. it wasn't swelled in the morning when I shaved, but was in the evening).
[more inside]posted by amro at 3:32 PM PST - 15 comments
Firefox Filter: Recently, Firefox on my XP laptop has become incredibly slow. It seems that the problem is that it is downloading images one by one. Even when it is the same image displayed repeatedly on a webpage. I've run every kind of Spyware and Virus software I can find on my computer, and uninstall and reinstalled the latest version of FF all to no avail. How can I get back up to speed?
[more inside]posted by trbrts at 2:26 PM PST - 5 comments
What is the origin of the phrase/quote/saying "Dying is easy, comedy is hard?"
posted by YoungAmerican at 2:17 PM PST - 8 comments
Are my sister and I the world's first "Brother Sister Blog Team" or has it been done before? Personally, I haven't been able to find any.
[more inside]posted by travosaurus at 1:56 PM PST - 13 comments
In Photoshop, how can I easily extract the only difference between two pictures? Imagine two pictures of the same room. In one of the pictures however, there's also a vase on the table. Is there an easy way (meaning with lasso or magic selectors) to extract the vase? Meaning is there a filter of some sort that would basically treat the identical areas of the two pictures as green screen? I tried adding a difference layer, but it doesn't work properly.
posted by frenchbenj at 1:31 PM PST - 7 comments
Is there a telephone number provider like
kall8.com than can let me record WAVs on my computer, upload them, and store them as telephone announcements?
[more inside]posted by rolypolyman at 1:10 PM PST - 3 comments
Serenity filter: What type and manufacturer of sword did River use in the movie Serenity?
posted by dabradfo at 12:44 PM PST - 14 comments
I'm 21. I've spent most of my life on my own. I'm not much fun to be around. How do I break out of this cycle?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 12:38 PM PST - 51 comments
I have a challenge for any New York webcam enthusiasts: find me an outdoor webcam (traffic, weather, corporate, whatever) as close as possible to
W Broadway and Franklin, Manhattan. You get bonus Really-Appreciate-Its if you can find a webcam with the Franklin Street 1,2,3 subway entrance in its line of sight.
[more inside]posted by brownpau at 12:25 PM PST - 3 comments
I've just moved to the San Francisco East Bay area and I need a good doctor. And a good mental health care practitioner.
[more inside]posted by Dunwitty at 11:28 AM PST - 9 comments
Help me find Thumsup in the Washington, DC area, or the US shipped to the DC area. I'm interested in purchasing 3+ cases to stock pile.
[more inside]posted by omidius at 11:18 AM PST - 9 comments
Help me untangle a few weirdities in my fine, freshly hand-rolled Cuban cigar ... er ... Javascript bookmarklet.
[more inside]posted by WCityMike at 11:05 AM PST - 19 comments
I want to rip a bunch of old vinyl LPs. I have a nice Dual turntable which I got off eBay, and a couple of USB audio interfaces (an M-Audio Audiophile USB and an Emagic A26) which plug into a G4 Powerbook. I have Logic and Garageband. Do I need anything else? How do I go about applying the RIAA curve given my set-up? Would I be better off getting a real pre-amp? What are the cheapest options?
posted by unSane at 10:58 AM PST - 9 comments
MMORPG Filter: Is there anyone who can give me advice on a good build to Solo in City of Heroes? I have a 17th level Super Strenth/ Invounrable Tanker named Brigs who has a respec. I need to make him a good solo'er (Work and family make me too unreliable to team with, sadly), adn I don't want to waste my one free respec. Any suggestions from past tankers?
posted by TrueVox at 10:57 AM PST - 11 comments
Please help with some early retirement advice: I am 35 and have a slowly progressive degenerative neurological condition. I would like to save money for the future because I'm not sure how long I will be able to work. I don't make a lot of money. I have a 401k at work, but what else would you recommend for someone in my situation.
[more inside]posted by spakto at 10:47 AM PST - 20 comments
Short movie hunt: Looking for this 2001-2002 era short CG film with excessively chromed out robots getting dirty to a soundtrack with detroit grand pubahs.
[more inside]posted by Smegoid at 10:38 AM PST - 4 comments
How do you eliminate fleas in a bed? I'm under the vague impression that flea-killing products have limited to no success against the eggs (is this correct?), which hatch 3 weeks later, so what is Standard Proceedure? Put the matress in a plastic bag for a month with some flea product inside and sleep on the couch?
[more inside]posted by -harlequin- at 10:33 AM PST - 14 comments
My wife’s cousin is getting married and we’re looking for ideas for a wedding present. Given that we don’t know him very well the current idea is to get a gift certificate, either for an “experience” or for a nice (local, non-chain) retail store. The couple-to-be is Scottish and living in Edinburgh (we’re in Seattle and have one visit to Scotland between the two of us) and in their mid-thirties. They’ve been living together for a while and have a baby, so they probably don’t need basic household items. The cousin is a top notch chef, so I’m guessing a certificate for a restaurant would not be the answer.
Budget is around $100. Any ideas?
posted by skyscraper at 10:26 AM PST - 10 comments
Can anyone tell me about/lead me to any legitimate sources concerning the effects of pranayama breathing techniques on diabetes?
[more inside]posted by msali at 10:25 AM PST - 17 comments
Last December I had a jumbo chocolate chip cookie on the Amtrak from St. Louis to Kansas City. Help me find the manufacturer.
[more inside]posted by winterdrm at 10:05 AM PST - 6 comments
Returning to running after a long stay in the comfy chair. Fat old fart needs shoe advice.
[more inside]posted by y6y6y6 at 10:02 AM PST - 19 comments
Legitimate bulk emailing: My department has a need to send out surveys to a large number of former students. The catch is that the reply-to: fields must be altered, so that the responses go to the deans (or whoever is designated to read them) of their respective departments...
[more inside]posted by Roger Dodger at 10:00 AM PST - 10 comments
A friend was recently fired from a job and took an expensive piece of company equipment with her (laptop) and has not returned it. The boss is calling this grand theft and is planning on calling the cops. If the cops go over there what can they really do? Can the company sue her over the laptop?
posted by josher71 at 9:44 AM PST - 52 comments
I work for a small production company, and we’re looking for a server-side “client-login” solution to reside on our web server for customers to preview rough-cuts and miscellaneous files.
[more inside]posted by dvottero at 9:28 AM PST - 11 comments
Ways to maximize one's chances of survival, or even to regain some mere semblance of pre-disaster developed-world lifestyle, after an apocalyptic event?
[more inside]posted by cyrusdogstar at 8:59 AM PST - 36 comments
I'm going to be spending a weekend in America. Having never ever been there before, what should I do?
[more inside]posted by mr_silver at 8:26 AM PST - 92 comments
Years ago on Saturday Night Live they ran a short film (clay-mation, perhaps?) that was a hilarious little spoof of Apocalypse Now. It that out on the Web anywhere? Anyone have info on its title, creator, etc?
posted by nancoix at 8:11 AM PST - 5 comments
I'm looking for a what I can only describe as something like shop class for adults...any ideas?
[more inside]posted by m@L at 8:06 AM PST - 7 comments
I want to put affiliate links on my weblog. Do I identify them as such? I feel sneaky if I don't, but I don't see anyone else doing it, so maybe I'm overreacting?
[more inside]posted by davar at 8:04 AM PST - 10 comments
HR/Benefits Filter When I leave a company before the end of the year, is my Flexible Spending Account (FSA) fully funded even though I personally haven't contributed the full amount?
[more inside]posted by ShooBoo at 8:03 AM PST - 7 comments
Slow WiFi: I have a Linksys WRTP54G Wireless Router plugged into a cable modem. When I connect my laptop to it via an ethernet cable I get downloads of 6mbps, but when I flip to the WiFi connection that drops to ~4mbps. Laptop shows an Excellent Signal Strength and a connection speed of 54Mbps. What gives? Laptop is an IBM T42 running XPSP2.
posted by zeoslap at 7:42 AM PST - 11 comments
RelationshipFilter: Am I wrong for being frustrated because I pay rent for one apartment, but virtually live at my girlfriend's place?
[more inside]posted by Smarson at 7:00 AM PST - 24 comments
Headed to Tulum and Playa Del Carmen April 1-10. Semi winging it on accommodations so very open to anyone's suggestions for reasonable (maybe even romantic) places to stay (staying at CabanaCopal for a couple nights). Been there a few times and enjoy exploring. Anyone have any favorite spots, places to eat, cenote or snorkel spot they want to share? Good cheap massage? Fav local spot on 20th?
AND how about a great vacation book - my last beach trip I read "The Great Influenza" and I'm looking for something a little more fun!
Thanks (planning and thinking about trips are ALMOST as much fun as going on them...)
posted by beccaj at 5:58 AM PST - 16 comments
I have a cable modem at home and it seems that I am having periodic outages. I would like to test my connection to the internet from an exterior source. I want to know exactly how often the connection goes down as well as any degraded traffic. Any suggestions?
[more inside]posted by wahootim at 5:55 AM PST - 5 comments
[Paranoid credit card filter]
How safe is my personal information? Can this credit card company come after me?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:46 AM PST - 2 comments
If an acquaintance asks me for my contact info but I would rather have them
not be able to contact me outside our usual run ins, how do I tell them that without sounding like a complete jerkface?
[more inside]posted by zippity at 5:42 AM PST - 19 comments
Name (or author of) of a biographical book about a RAF pilot in WW2 who loses both legs in an accident, but goes on to fly in combat and ends up in a POW camp, which he then manages to escape from.
posted by azuma at 3:45 AM PST - 11 comments
ShortMovieFilter: need help identifying and locating a quirky animated movie I saw years ago on the Internet.
[more inside]posted by Pontius Pilate at 2:36 AM PST - 5 comments
March 6
What is the best food at airports around the world? I found this list
at lonelyplantet.com.
It is solid but I want to know all the best places. I travel a ton for work and like to book travel through airports with good food.
posted by rje7 at 10:19 PM PST - 22 comments
I can't believe I'm asking this, but I was discussing this phrase with a friend and we can't find its origin: "Nice shoes, wanna f*ck?"
[more inside]posted by radioamy at 10:19 PM PST - 14 comments
I am reading The Drifters by James Michener and am curious about the veracity of his statements concerning American Jewish sentiment towards Israel after the Six-Day War.
[more inside]posted by meta87 at 10:13 PM PST - 7 comments
I'm looking for some type of freeware that will display stock info in realtime on my mac ibook. I'm not too stoked on apple's stock widget because it always seems to be unable to retrieve the data I request. I need something that will allow me to type in ticker symbols for stocks, index funds, ETFs etc. and will give me a chart or graph of current and recent performance. Any suggestions fellow readers??
posted by thatjackbuilt at 10:08 PM PST - 9 comments
I would like to find some French Canadian music that is about the protests of the
Summit of the Americas that took place April 2001 in Québec City. Failing that, dissent, civil disobedience, protests, police (over)reaction, etc would also be good themes.
[more inside]posted by ODiV at 9:41 PM PST - 4 comments
I have come across this
clothes brand logo (simplified imitation drawn from memory in Paint using a laptop mousepad), depicting what I believe is a star, a half moon and a spiral, in that order.
[more inside]posted by gentle at 9:06 PM PST - 7 comments
I want to read Plato in the original Greek. Unfortunately, I don't know any.
[more inside]posted by sid at 9:00 PM PST - 27 comments
Yet another digital camera question: what camera would you recommend for taking close-up pictures of metal objects?
[more inside]posted by Quietgal at 8:57 PM PST - 11 comments
If you lose part of a suit (like, say, my girlfriend lost her skirt) are there places you can go to get just a replacement piece?
[more inside]posted by swerdloff at 8:43 PM PST - 10 comments
Ever get a sudden and annoyingly strong and tenacious throat tickle that forces you into spasms of dry coughing (being that there's nothing to cough up), in a futile attempt to relieve said tickle?
Yeah, how the hell do you get rid of that?
posted by kaseijin at 6:55 PM PST - 21 comments
I've seen an intriguing screensaver for Windows PCs (specifically laptops) that uses high definition video footage. Is this available without buying the laptop?
[more inside]posted by felix at 6:51 PM PST - 7 comments
I was hit up today by a lady and her young daughter claiming to need $10 to fill an antibiotic prescription for the little girl.
[more inside]posted by well_balanced at 6:04 PM PST - 19 comments
Travelfilter: My girlfriend wants to take her mother on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see the ocean.
[more inside]posted by Atreides at 5:38 PM PST - 20 comments
What is the most valuable material by weight, such that the material can be resold without too much difficulty.
[more inside]posted by Paris Hilton at 5:01 PM PST - 50 comments
I'm using Yahoo Mail to interact with several Yahoo groups, and I have a bit of an issue. An important email address got blocked as spam, and I can't figure out how to unblock it.
[more inside]posted by robhuddles at 4:58 PM PST - 8 comments
Best practices for managing massive permission systems for a giant home-brewed PHP CMS?
[more inside]posted by SpecialK at 3:03 PM PST - 6 comments
I need some computer work done for me and I'm not sure how to find someone to do it.
[more inside]posted by ikkyu2 at 2:23 PM PST - 14 comments
I keep track of the movies I've seen on Netflix and the books I've read on Amazon. Is there anyway to export these ratings?
[more inside]posted by pencroft at 2:16 PM PST - 6 comments
I'm wondering if anyone has a clear sense of the biochemical mechanisms that cause anticipatory anxiety to result in nausea, appetite disturbance and dry mouth. I often experience these symptoms when I'm worrying about some future event or possible outcome. I've read that researchers believe serotonin receptors in the stomach have something to do with this reaction, but I'm not sure if the process is well understood. Also, does anyone know of any medications that are effective in reducing anxiety-induced nausea or lack of appetite? I am using cognitive-behavioral therapy to deal with my anxiety, but it would be nice to get some immediate relief while I'm working on my thought processes.
posted by zembla3 at 2:14 PM PST - 8 comments
Im hoping someone can identity two fonts from the cover of the Wilhem translation of the I Ching.
[more inside]posted by Satapher at 2:13 PM PST - 7 comments
There's a website with amazing tshirts that people send in, and then the best designs are printed and sold for a limited time... does anyone know what site I'm taking about?
posted by dazedandconfused at 2:01 PM PST - 8 comments
I'm looking for science fiction/speculative fiction without depictions of sexual violence. What books should I read?
posted by billtron at 1:09 PM PST - 48 comments
Can you recommend a bed and breakfast or some other non-chain hotel in San Francisco? I'd like to take a weekend to spoil my wife there soon.
[more inside]posted by DakotaPaul at 12:56 PM PST - 17 comments
Let's say someone accidentally let their domain name expire, and then quickly paid to renew it, how long would it generally take for everything to come back up? And where did the e-mail go in the mean time?
[more inside]posted by easternblot at 12:36 PM PST - 13 comments
Hassle-free restaurant in San Francisco? My parents are coming into town next week. They're wholesome midwesterners who are more than happy eating at diners. I've become a foodie. We've done the whole Del Fina, Zuni, etc rounds in visits prior.
Now I'm looking for restaurants that have great food but aren't a hassle to go to (read: fairly easy to get in, easy-going atmosphere).
Price is not an issue. I have a hectic week coming up; I want to relax about dinner plans rather than stressing about them.
posted by dentata at 12:02 PM PST - 26 comments
I'm using Google Analytics (nee Urchin) to try and analyze my site's stats, but there is one thing I just can't figure out how to do (perhaps I can't do it at all): How do I view the stats filtered by subdirectory?
[more inside]posted by o2b at 11:55 AM PST - 2 comments
onion sensitive MeFites: i forgot onions make me feel sick and had something with onions. now i'm suffering from an upset stomach. what can I eat or drink that will help me feel better? (my thought: there HAS to be another food out there that is an antidote)
posted by mirileh at 11:38 AM PST - 16 comments
I'm going to Hilo and Kona, Hawaii in a few weeks and will be renting a car. I'd like to rent a Jeep, but wonder about lockable storage. My second option would be a standard convertible. Anyone rent a Jeep? What did you do about lockable storage? Any other tips for rental a car on the Big Island? We are flying in and out of Hilo.
posted by mhm at 11:35 AM PST - 6 comments
Two questions about Montreal: 1) Can I drink booze at
CEPSUM at The University of Montreal during a rock show? and 2) Does the city shut down for Easter?
[more inside]posted by TurkishGolds at 11:25 AM PST - 12 comments
Seeking perspectives on a difficult situation regarding dating/relationships and serious illness.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 11:18 AM PST - 16 comments
Progressivefilter: I'm looking for a wiki or online document that represents a collaborative effort to outline a vision of progressive government.
[more inside]posted by viewofdelft at 11:08 AM PST - 4 comments
Getting a Visa to Brazil.
I'm a US Citizen that will be traveling to Brazil (stopping there for a week or so, before going to Bolivia for 2.5-3 months) or so. Two issues:1) getting the visa, 2) departing out through Brazil three months later.
Please help.
[more inside]posted by jare2003 at 10:38 AM PST - 14 comments
What are some songs where the bulk of the lyrical content is a list of names related to a certain theme?
[more inside]posted by kuperman at 10:35 AM PST - 70 comments
spanish language dvds for kids/toddlers? what have you/your kids seen that you've enjoyed?
[more inside]posted by elsar at 9:54 AM PST - 8 comments
The wife and I have a Mac G5 tower, the PowerPC single processor, only 800Mhz (yes, we got caught--bought it a month too soon--damn you, Jobs!). It's 2 years old. We have a cinema display (sweet) and all the stuff we need, but now that the new Intel Mac Mini is out, we're seriously considering scrapping the G5 and going with the Mini. What should we do? Which would be faster? My wife thinks the G5 would still be faster, but I think that's nonsense.
posted by sholdens12 at 9:32 AM PST - 14 comments
Where can I find a reasonably comprehensive listing of large companies and their 401K matching percentages. I work for a top-20 software vendor and their current match is 2%. My gut tells me this is low, but I'd like some empirical evidence to attach to my suggestion box note.
posted by jbradley at 8:52 AM PST - 16 comments
I'm looking for a multi-TLD domain registrar, the registrar where i can register/transfer/hold the largest number of TLDs, for example not just .com, .net, .org but also country domains from all over the world. thanks!
posted by libertaduno at 7:43 AM PST - 0 comments
Is there an online resource that indicates the efficiency of individual charity organisations?
[more inside]posted by jedro at 1:22 AM PST - 8 comments
BookFilter - I'm trying to remember the title of a book involving two RAF pilots who bail out and end up exploring an underground world.
[more inside]posted by greycap at 12:37 AM PST - 6 comments
March 5
I remember seeing a yellow men's self hair cutter thing from a either men's magazine or ID Design Magazine...
[more inside]posted by curiousleo at 11:39 PM PST - 13 comments
I'm desperate to find a furnished, safe and clean apartment to rent for the month of april in los angeles, as close to silverlake as possible for my parents.
April is my kid's 1st birthday and grandma and grandpa want to come down from Canada and celebrate. Hotels are too expensive, my place is too small.
where do I look for short-term apartment rentals in LA?
posted by ronenosity at 10:08 PM PST - 5 comments
Why am I having such difficulty sending a fax via my Mac OS X computer? There is well-advertised built-in fax functionality via CMD-P. I can receive faxes just fine in this fashion, but cannot successfully send. Could it be because my 'phone' line is actually VOIP (Vonage)? Must be overlooking the obvious here.
posted by jeffmacintyre at 10:01 PM PST - 8 comments
Is it possible to anonymize my business somewhat to make it a more slippery target for frivolous B2B lawsuits?
[more inside]posted by chef_boyardee at 9:37 PM PST - 11 comments
HVAC Filter: Can someone describe how the radiator in my dorm room works? Or, how to fix it when it stops working in the middle of the night? (Pictures included!)
[more inside]posted by fvox13 at 9:26 PM PST - 7 comments
Is there anything one person can do to make their environment more of a meritocracy?
[more inside]posted by lilboo at 9:21 PM PST - 11 comments
Where on the internet can you go for anonymous support when you are feeling just a little blue?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 9:20 PM PST - 13 comments
What percentage of students who take a "break" from college end up returning? For example, say someone plans to take a year off to work. How often do people actually return to college after that?
posted by punishinglemur at 9:05 PM PST - 24 comments
I'm trying to find a picture of Dikembe Mutombo doing his famous finger wag that he did after he blocked a shot. For some reason, this has proven really hard to find. Any ideas?
posted by EnormousTalkingOnion at 8:30 PM PST - 2 comments
I have installed DVD Studio Pro 4 on my Powerbook, as part of the Final Cut Studio Pro 5 suite. However, the templates or styles didn't install and I don't have a "Content" icon on the install disk. Is it possible to get the folders of templates and styles from someone? I don't want a copy of your disk or to do anything illegal, but if someone had the program installed and could copy only those folders, I don't think it would constitute copyright infringement ... or would it?
posted by Toolshed at 8:12 PM PST - 1 comments
The apartment upstairs had a water leak (so they say) yesterday in the middle of the night, and by the time I got up and noticed it, there was about a foot of water over everything in the kitchen and living room. We called the landlord company and they sucked out most of the water. Who's responsible for damages for damaged electronics (laptop), food, and other problems (bumpy tiled kitchen floor or stained carpets)? We rent.
posted by lpctstr; at 6:25 PM PST - 12 comments
Does anyone know where I can find REALLY BASIC guides for using (not installing) FCKeditor and PHPlist?
[more inside]posted by zharptitsa at 4:11 PM PST - 2 comments
I'm looking for a short-term web design job for the summer (appx. May 20-Aug 30), preferably in a large city, and have some questions on the feasibility, practicality, and logistics of my plans.
[more inside]posted by charmston at 3:07 PM PST - 3 comments
Is there a website that will notify me of nearby concerts from a list of performers I provide?
[more inside]posted by Jomoma at 2:50 PM PST - 7 comments
He will defecate normally in his box, solid and behave regular. He will urinate in the litter box as well. But then he reverts to acting strange, pawing around territorially, and leaving diarrhea on the floor Desperate kitty question from the son of a friend Booger has put us in a bad situation. [more inside]posted by Shane at 2:49 PM PST - 12 comments
Recommendations for online printers. I need 500-count runs on color posters, brochures, folders, and invitations.
[more inside]posted by F Mackenzie at 2:44 PM PST - 6 comments
I have a Pioneer PL-518 turntable and an Onkyo HTS-780, they don't work together. Basically the Pioneer has the left/right audio component cables and a little metal prong thing, it looks to be a ground of some sort.
[more inside]posted by geoff. at 2:01 PM PST - 6 comments
Why are some cities dirtier than others? What tactics can a dirty city learn from clean cities, to keep their streets free of litter?
[more inside]posted by edverb at 1:32 PM PST - 14 comments
The Final Frontier:
I'm looking for music with a sci-fi feel, the kind of music you might have heard at a planetarium display when you were a kid.
[more inside]posted by jdroth at 12:35 PM PST - 48 comments
My desktop PC, which has been working happily for a year, has suddenly refused to boot - I get prompted to insert boot media. The two SATA hard drives aren't detected in the BIOS (as they used to be). What should I do to work out the problem and fix it?
[more inside]posted by wilberforce at 10:31 AM PST - 14 comments
Here's my idea: I am working on a project that requires me to write 1,000 words a day. As a motivator, I want to have a BIG display that counts down the number of words I have left to go. My first idea was to have an LED display, clock radio style, attached via USB that would somehow retrieve the native count from MS Word and display it (in reverse, since word counts up - but a countup clock might also be OK.)
Ideas on that would be great, but it also seems quite hard - so I thought maybe an Applescript that would simulate the display on my monitor would work.
How to do this, I have no clue.
:)
posted by soulbarn at 9:06 AM PST - 9 comments
It's getting warmer in georgia, and I love wearing my shoes around with no socks. My old chucks and my asics Onitsuka tigers are pretty great for that, any other suggestions?
[more inside]posted by Sreiny at 7:41 AM PST - 13 comments
Tips on building a thisBusinessSucks.com website? I've found that simply
owning such a domain name has given me leverage in negotiating with a business in the past. This time, I may want to go through with building such a site. More inside.
[more inside]posted by spock at 6:43 AM PST - 5 comments
I'm going to be teaching about sound and hearing to some 12/13 year-olds next week and I'd like to show them how it's impossible to talk if your speech is relayed to your ears (by headphones) half a second or so late. How can I implement this in software?
[more inside]posted by alby at 4:23 AM PST - 17 comments
March 4
I'm going to be doing some traveling in the near future to a part of the world with which I'm not familiar. I'm going to be in Santa Clara, CA for Eclipsecon, and I want ideas on what to do in the evenings assuming that I don't have a car and will be there from March 20 to March 23rd, leaving on the 24th.
posted by ChrisR at 9:43 PM PST - 24 comments
Stereoidiot filter: I recently purchased an older turntable and am unable to connect it to my (newer) stereo. Help!
[more inside]posted by huskerdont at 9:29 PM PST - 8 comments
Subtitles from DVD/VCD/Video Cassette Tapes into a computer text file ----- the fastest way ? Without typing or paying someone to transcribe? Any software or hardware that can do the job? I know of one VCR player made in the early 1990s that can do this but it has been discontinued and the manufacturer no longer around.
[more inside]posted by studentguru at 7:59 PM PST - 11 comments
Inspired by
this question, I would like to know what people actually do to cheat in university (or school, or academic settings generally).
[more inside]posted by jacalata at 6:50 PM PST - 69 comments
My father and I have been fighting a small battle against our HOA who blocks every attempt to have a cell phone tower installed nearby. What can I arm my dad with to take into the next HOA meeting so that next time his request is refused on the grounds that a tower would give all of us cancer, he can respond with scientific evidence to the contrary?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 6:35 PM PST - 27 comments
I'm interested in learning more about language/literature-based events. Not so much the traditional poetry reading, more like innovative ways people come together in a relaxed environment to do some sort of activity that revolves around reading stuff aloud and telling stories.
[more inside]posted by lalalana at 5:58 PM PST - 7 comments
What is the sound first heard in Lazy Lover by the Brazilian Girls (heard at a later part in the song in
samples found here)? I saw them live last night and it was, as I expected, sampled/synthesized and possibly hawaiian in origin.triggered via keyboard...
It may be a unique sound, but I could have sworn I've heard it somewhere else, and that it's a real instrument, and I associate it with hawaii for some reason.
posted by phrontist at 5:22 PM PST - 6 comments
Are there any good, (preferably free) resources on ebook promotion and marketing on the internet or elsewhere? What would fellow MeFi's say is the formula for successful ebook marketing?
[more inside]posted by rinkjustice at 5:03 PM PST - 3 comments
What vintage booze from seventy years ago would be affordable, available and worth drinking?
[more inside]posted by Flitcraft at 5:01 PM PST - 8 comments
I own 5 % of an S coporation... Two other people own the rest plus from my understanding there is a certian percentage left open for future partners / growth .. etc. One of the owners is in the hospital and may be out of the picture for quite some time (possibly even years).. his mother the other owner is meeting with the account next week to talk about changing the status from a coporation to a single owner.. to save costs while hes away and to move the business (an e commerce site) to a someone "inactive but cutting even" situation. They want me to continue to do the web work which is why I own 5 % to begin with... but want to just "pay me" -- What is the process involved with this and can they change the company on such a fundamental level like that?
[more inside]posted by crewshell at 4:37 PM PST - 12 comments
The tongue of my left shoe keeps falling over to the left, causing discomfort, ankle bruising, and general grumpiness. What can I do?
[more inside]posted by sirion at 3:43 PM PST - 12 comments
Fantastic Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Man)! Have a great recipe? Share it and spread the love.
[more inside]posted by qwip at 3:30 PM PST - 7 comments
CaseModFilter: I keep seeing pictures of people who have little monochromatic LCD screens in their computer cases. They scroll off different information like the temperature and stuff. I get the sense that you can have them display anything you want. How do you do that?
[more inside]posted by Infernarl at 3:10 PM PST - 8 comments
Has anyone attended a "National Grants Conferences" (nationalgrants.com) event? Are they for real? Will they really help you find government grant money, or is it just a hugemondo scam?
[more inside]posted by jwhowa at 2:50 PM PST - 7 comments
can anyone recommend a simple piece of Mac (or unix) software that will take a bunch of image files named abc001, abc002, etc and string them together into a video file that i can view with a lowest-common-denominator video player?
[more inside]posted by sergeant sandwich at 1:19 PM PST - 6 comments
Clients want me to use stock graphics in their logos. May I do so, if I warn them that the resulting logo may not be trademarkable?
[more inside]posted by lemuria at 12:46 PM PST - 8 comments
I've been going out with my partner for almost 5 years, about 2 1/2 years ago she told me she'd been sexually abused as a child. I've supported her through her counselling and depression ever since, ironically she wouldn't have been able to unpack a lot of her issues without the safe enviroment I've provided for her for the first time.
I'm in counselling myself, my partner pursuaded me that I needed some help to keep myself standing, and it has really helped. But I'm starting to loose hope that things are ever going to be better again.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 12:21 PM PST - 9 comments
Investment filter: I just got my tax return and I'd like to keep it for a rainy day, but not in my checking account earning 0.00001% intrest or whatever. I'd like to invest it online. What online service should I use, and what should I invest in?
[more inside]posted by delmoi at 12:03 PM PST - 29 comments
Baby Bjorn users - when did you first use the carrier with your baby facing out?
[more inside]posted by peep at 11:49 AM PST - 10 comments
Is it possible to upgrade my laptop's video card?
posted by jimmy at 11:20 AM PST - 7 comments
Where do (good) web developers look for work in the UK? We have two London vacancies, and we just can't seem to find any decent candidates.
[more inside]posted by armoured-ant at 11:04 AM PST - 17 comments
I want to design a print publication to advertise my company's services, but I'm really looking for something different. I'm looking for a web site that will show me a variety of different print publications (brochures, newletters, etc.) as well as their formats and dimensions, just so I can get an idea of what is out there.
[more inside]posted by banished at 9:33 AM PST - 7 comments
Simple Maths Question.
If two people have an indvidual chance of 1/4 of gaining entry to the NY Marathon, what chance is there that one of them will get in. Both with be successful and neither will be successful.
Any explanation would be helpful. Thanks
posted by Cookie Monster at 8:56 AM PST - 10 comments
When compiling gcc-3.4.4 on OS X 10.4.5 I get an error about an undefined symbol,
_fprintf$LDBLStub. How do I make this go away?
[more inside]posted by mto at 8:10 AM PST - 7 comments
The server disk on which my blog is hosted died (it wasn't backed up), and I can't get Blogger to rebuild my archive.
[more inside]posted by zadcat at 8:06 AM PST - 2 comments
March 3
I'm an unrepentant pothead, as are my friends and family. We've been at it for decades; generations, even... it's not changing anytime soon. This is not going over well with my children who are: nine, eleven and thirteen.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 10:06 PM PST - 106 comments
Back in the day, what did contemporary viewers of
The Andy Griffith Show feel about the show? Was it good and wholesome, or sordid and immoral? Was it 'funny ha-ha' or 'funny omg i can't believe they just did that!'? Realism or surrealism? Sitcom or soap? And all that jazz.
[more inside]posted by five fresh fish at 7:45 PM PST - 24 comments
How easy is it for stockbrokers to manipulate the buy prices of shares on market orders placed through them?
[more inside]posted by megatherium at 7:38 PM PST - 11 comments
Looking for the 50franc note with Antoine Saint-Exupery on it...now decommisioned though, since France converted to the Euro. Help please!
[more inside]posted by blythe at 7:23 PM PST - 15 comments
I have a website on which I host videos. I don't want users to click the video links and watch the videos right off my server. I would like the user to click the link and get one of those boxes that asks them to save it to their computer so they can watch it on their hard drive. How do I do this?
posted by JPowers at 6:39 PM PST - 21 comments
BattlestarFashionFilter: Where can I get the jacket that Starbuck wears in Battlestar Galactica, episodes 206 and 207?
[more inside]posted by salad spork at 6:35 PM PST - 10 comments
I lost my virginity when I was 8. Is this totally freakish and should I seek counselling or just a bit unusual?
[more inside]posted by public at 4:52 PM PST - 62 comments
My boyfriend usually gets about 5-6 hours of sleep a night during the week. What happens is that by the time the weekend comes, he's falling asleep in a chair by 8pm and we can't go out and do anything. For instance, we haven't been going to the movies because he's afraid he'll fall asleep during the movie, even if it is interesting to him. I told him this bothered me a lot and he said he would work on getting more sleep. This week he has been getting about 7-8 hours each night. The problem is he is very tired during the day now.
[more inside]posted by disaster77 at 4:24 PM PST - 21 comments
So I have a dead 4g iPod with a 60 gig hard drive. I'm thinking about buying a new 30 gig one and upgrading it myself...
[more inside]posted by bh at 3:22 PM PST - 8 comments
Has anyone ever been told by a Best Buy employee that the Product Replacement Plan will cover accidental physical damage to a product purchased at the store?
[more inside]posted by studentbaker at 2:48 PM PST - 28 comments
My wife and I are a Korean-American couple living in the US and are investigating adopting a baby. We have found that the common route of adopting from Korea is fantastically expensive, and while we have a home and insurance and can offer a healthy life for a child, we cannot afford the costs usually associated with international adoption.
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:45 PM PST - 9 comments
Can I download something that allows me to raise the upper limit for CPU speed in my motherboard? Not talking overclocking, just something that allows me to put a 3.4GHz chip in a mobo originally spec'd to only go up to 3.2GHz (might have been 3.0).
[more inside]posted by BruceL at 2:44 PM PST - 6 comments
Bipolarfilter: I'm in a weird situation - I lost my health insurance, ran out of two of my meds, and now it's a month til my appointment with a good practitioner. There's more to it, but I just generally wanted some help with coping strategies to help me get through this next month. Some of the time I feel ok, but other times nothing feels good and I burst into tears at the drop of a hat.
[more inside]posted by beth at 2:28 PM PST - 22 comments
Probably a long shot, but
Any one knows this song with lyrics something like:
"Band keeps playing..... on the radio....."
Sounds like Bryan Ferry or Tom petty. Kinda slow, moody. I remember knowing who did it b4, but for the life of me can't remember anymore. I was at Cosi eating lunch when i heard it..
Thanks a bunch guys...
posted by sprockett at 1:28 PM PST - 18 comments
Being a Canadian I know that the right way to eat perogies is fried, with sour cream, fried onions and bacon bits. I am, however, open to new ideas. I have tried perogies with salsa to good effect, and now I am wanting some other perogie-topper/cooking suggestions. How do you cook/top/eat these delicious morsels of joy?
posted by arcticwoman at 12:39 PM PST - 38 comments
Red flag filter: how seriously should I take an out-of-character outburst from a romantic partner?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 12:04 PM PST - 29 comments
Moved into a new place and was awoken the first morning by a starling that had nested
in my wall, coming in through an old dryer vent that's no longer in service. I could hear it tweeting and warbling and generally making a huge racket right next to my bed at 6 a.m. I can't fully see all the way down the vent duct. I covered it up after he left (he was watching me from a nearby tree) but am paranoid I've locked some of his egg-children in there.
[more inside]posted by neustile at 11:53 AM PST - 12 comments
How do a I burn a MPEG-2 file to a DVD-R with my Windows XP Pro (SP2) and Lite-On DVD R/RW drive? When I burn files to a CD-R in the same Lite-On drive, all I need to do is drag the files to the DVD R/RW drive and Windows XP does is wizardly magic. However, with a MPEG-2 file onto a DVD-R, I get some generic error that this action won't happen. Winamp can't burn video files, so that's right out the window.
posted by NoMich at 11:12 AM PST - 16 comments
$200Filter: I have $200 and i want to buy something cool, what should i buy? Also, i live in Dallas.
posted by flipmiester99 at 11:09 AM PST - 43 comments
There's this girl. I have been a casual aquaintance of this girl for about two years. A week and a half ago we bumped into each other at the grocery store, and something was in the air. Two days later, we bump into each other again at a restaurant where we somehow exchange phone numbers. Since then, a week and a half later, we have been texting each other like crazy, talking on the phone, emailing, and have had a few walks and talks together. There is some intense chemistry going on. This is a great thing!
Now if it was only that simple. This girl just broke up with her boyfriend of two years yesterday. They actually lived together but she moved out about 4 months ago when they broke up for the first time.... She was the one that has initiated the breaking up, and from what I have gathered from her friends, she was going to break up with him regardless of any chemistry between us. It sounds like they have pretty much been on the outs for quite some time.
So.....with this 'situation' and this intense chemistry, how do I approach this one. Head for the hills? Give her some time? Wear a shirt that says 'Rebound Boy'? I am very interested in getting to know her but I also am very aware of what she may or may not be going through right now. Am I a complete idiot?
posted by jasondigitized at 11:03 AM PST - 33 comments
I want to produce some books. I've read some previous questions in the archives but I'm after some more opinions, and have a few questions relating to ISBN numbers, publishing and other book-type things...
[more inside]posted by gaby at 10:38 AM PST - 5 comments
I used to be a raving U2 fanatic as a teenager. Ten years later I just like them, mostly for sentimental reasons. Is it still worth flying across the country to see them in concert? (Note: I have never seen them live before.)
[more inside]posted by hgws at 10:04 AM PST - 47 comments
The last Tony Hillerman novel, Sacred Pig, used a Navajo term that translates into english as "She who tells a sheep which blade of grass to eat". This Navajo word would be useful for me to know. I have tried to find it by scanning the novel with no success. Does anyone know what this word is with the correct pronunciation?
posted by Raybun at 10:01 AM PST - 9 comments
A dear friend of mine (female, single, Italian, outgoing, mid-30's) has been offered an excellent job in Houston. She has only visited the city twice, for business, and she's wondering if she'll adapt well. More inside.
posted by matteo at 9:28 AM PST - 40 comments
FirstDateFilter, BostonFilter: I'm looking for some fun, low-pressure sorts of places in Boston to take someone on a first date. Movies are boring and you don't get to talk. I like nice restaurants, but I think going too fancy can make people uncomfortable and feel pressured on a first date.
[more inside]posted by santry at 9:17 AM PST - 28 comments
This is driving my family bonkers: Mom is on OS X (Tiger) using Mail APP. Mom sends X an email. X replies to email. X's reply
comes back to X. (ie, My mom's emails substitute the email address of the person she's emailing in the reply-to field.)
[more inside]posted by dobbs at 8:59 AM PST - 21 comments
SO over the last two weeks, I've become hooked on milk tea with boba from a place called
Got Tea here in Tampa. After doing (some) research, I've tried to make my own bubble tea and failed. (more after the jump)
[more inside]posted by Ikazuchi at 8:50 AM PST - 17 comments
Screw-up filter: help me camouflage peroxide marks on a favorite greyish brown cotton tank top
[more inside]posted by junkbox at 8:26 AM PST - 10 comments
I'm looking for quality business awards or publicity opportunities - things I can apply for that might bring some more recognition to some of the businesses that I'm involved in.
[more inside]posted by Zinger at 8:24 AM PST - 5 comments
I met someone else.
While my significant other was off for an extended trip (we live together) - I met an especially special person that has completely captivated me and vice versa. What to do next?
[more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:44 AM PST - 24 comments
what can you tell me about quark xpress and cross-platform (specifically, windows and mac) problems, "features," tips, etc?
[more inside]posted by yonation at 7:13 AM PST - 6 comments
A recording of a speech by Stalin, released on vinyl in the USSR, the 8th side of which consists entirely of applause: did it really exist, and does anyone know where I could track it down?
[more inside]posted by jack_mo at 6:32 AM PST - 10 comments
My family and I are planning to move to Vancouver in the summer of 2008, and we are visiting this summer for two weeks to check it out. What should we do while we are there?
[more inside]posted by Acey at 5:54 AM PST - 16 comments
I'm looking for a new keyboard. My current one is wireless, and I am tired of buying batteries. I have a lengthy feature list, inside.
[more inside]posted by bkudria at 4:16 AM PST - 6 comments
NYC neighborhood question: Last night I was at the restaurant Son Cubano, at 9th Ave and 14th Street, for the first time, and I spent about 20 minutes before entering the restaurant walking around the area. I'm decently familiar with NYC, but this was my first time wandering this particular neighborhood. I loved the feel of it, and would like to know more for purposes of considering it as a place to call home. So...what is this neighborhood called? Who lives here? What are some other cool restaurants/bars/etc. to check out? It felt somewhat desolate (relatively speaking) which is part of what I liked about it. I got the sense it was in the process of being "revitalized"-- are there still deals to be had, or is it too late?
posted by Harvey Birdman at 2:59 AM PST - 18 comments
My excema is flaring up. Any suggestions for relief? (Dietary, behavioural, "alternative therapies" or medical suggestions welcome). Various circumstances conspire to keep me away from the doc for a few weeks but i'm definitely planning a visit once things get back on track.
[more inside]posted by handee at 2:56 AM PST - 31 comments
Luxury health resort in Asia (or possibly beyond - e.g. Australia) required for three months.
[more inside]posted by i_cola at 2:48 AM PST - 3 comments
Is there a programme, or way, to allow me to find 'redundant' files on my server: i.e. files that are not linked to from any other page?
[more inside]posted by Hartster at 1:57 AM PST - 11 comments
Where to live in Leeds, UK? Calling all current or previous inhabitants! I'll shortly be starting a job in the city, and need some help determining the best place for a young family to live.
[more inside]posted by StuMiller at 1:45 AM PST - 9 comments
can someone recommend an app for recording video on a mac from dv input, but in a format more compact than dv?
[more inside]posted by Silky Slim at 12:38 AM PST - 2 comments
March 2
Hi, does anyone have any good recommendations for great web sites for 2 to 4 year olds?
[more inside]posted by itchy at 11:49 PM PST - 15 comments
I financed a used motorcycle and am faced with unexpected high insurance rates. What are my options?
[more inside]posted by Bondrake at 11:31 PM PST - 25 comments
Do my food cravings mean anything? Or, rather, how can I satisfy that feeling without reaching for the junk food? (Way too much more inside).
[more inside]posted by synecdoche at 11:08 PM PST - 19 comments
My cat appears to have some mystery allergy, or allergies, since he is nearly hairless from his shoulders down. Anyone have a suggestion for a cause? I've tried a number of things...
[more inside]posted by lester the unlikely at 9:14 PM PST - 20 comments
OnlineLitFilter: I'm after recommendations for good, current, original fiction available online.
[more inside]posted by hifimofo at 6:28 PM PST - 11 comments
Question about semi-sophisticated statistics and financial modeling - lets say you have N asset classes - each class has a mean rate of return and a standard deviation of returns. Also, assume you hold a portfolio comprised entirely of these N asset-classes, in certain proportions. How do you determine the probability that the portfolio might produce the a certain rate of return over P periods?
posted by stuehler at 6:19 PM PST - 9 comments
I would like to get basic tooltips and AutoArchive working in Outlook 2003. Can you help?
[more inside]posted by sjvilla79 at 5:38 PM PST - 6 comments
Does anyone know if there are problems with the Guide Plus+ TV listings servers? I have an ATI TV Tuner with the Guide Plus+ software and the listings are no longer updating.
[more inside]posted by Otis at 5:27 PM PST - 3 comments
NAS Filter: I'm looking to buy a network storage device to replace the ancient IBM Aptiva running Fedora with Samba/NFS that I've been using for the last six years. I want something that I can attach to my home network and put a 120 - 200 G harddrive into and mount remotely from both Linux and Windows boxen.
[more inside]posted by octothorpe at 4:21 PM PST - 13 comments
One of my private student loans ended up as delinquent (I disputed the repayment status with the lender). Finally, I was forced to settle, because the lender charged off the loan to a law firm who filed suit. (Please read on.)
[more inside]posted by orangeshoe at 4:15 PM PST - 13 comments
Catnip to the ladies: Four female friends of mine recently had a conversation about what makes an attractive man. Opinions varied, but in the end, three traits were deemed "universally very hot": riding a motorcycle, building things out of wood, and having been in more than a few fistfights growing up. This baffled me to no end. Help me compile a longer list.
[more inside]posted by the jam at 4:04 PM PST - 123 comments
I bought an Itunes card for my thirteen yeard old daughter. I tried for hours to set up an account for her without a credit card but was unsuccessful. I finally used their allowance feature which means I have to pay into her account every month. When I tried to put her card into her account it went into mine instead. Lame Itunes support says tough. Is there an easier way to do this?
posted by Xurando at 3:55 PM PST - 6 comments
Barcode woes in a manufacturing environment. I am trying to get a Pocket PC device to scan in barcodes and reprint them on a networked printer. Lots more details inside.
[more inside]posted by JonnyRotten at 3:14 PM PST - 3 comments
What do non-New Orleanians think about the city and the damage? Is it worth rebuilding? Are you really sick of hearing about it? What do people say about it?
[more inside]posted by honeydew at 3:09 PM PST - 46 comments
So I bought this rockin house last month. The mortgage and the title are in my name. It was pretty sweet. Domestic bliss and all.
[more inside]posted by pieoverdone at 3:06 PM PST - 44 comments
[PodcastFilter] I bought my mom a 1 GB Nano for the gym. She loves books-on-tape but I want to subscribe to some fun Podcasts for her too. Suggestions?
[more inside]posted by k8t at 2:00 PM PST - 11 comments
How do I convert an iTunes Music Store purchased track (MPEG-4 with DRM) into a plain old MP3? I own two tracks of the same song — both purchased at iTMS... and I want to give one of them to a friend... but iTMS music has DRM in it, and isn't letting me. Any suggestions?
I'm on Mac OSX 10.4.5.
posted by silusGROK at 1:36 PM PST - 28 comments
I have an old portable solar panel setup rattling around, and I'd like to put it to use.
[more inside]posted by pullayup at 1:27 PM PST - 4 comments
I have no sound from my computer. I had to have a computer technician reformat my hard drive and reinstall Windows XP (Home edition service pack 2). Ever since than, no sound from speakers or headphones! I went into control panel - sounds - audio device says no audio device found. I am not terrible computer literate. I think I need to install a sound driver. Can anyone tell me what I need to download, where to get it on the internet and where to place the file? I even had my 17 year old son working on it and we both are stumped. Thanks soooo much....
posted by orlin at 12:11 PM PST - 12 comments
Where can I find cheap calling cards to make calls from the US to Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia? A friend's mother recently moved here and needs to make calls to her friends at home on a regular basis. She is paying $0.40 per minute now. There must be some cheaper cards with decent quality. Any idea where I can find them? either online or from local stores. His mom is living in Orange County, CA if that helps. Thanks.
posted by dy at 12:06 PM PST - 11 comments
I really need to know this for work. Who is the actor in a certain television ad I have been seeing? Lots of vague details and foggy memories inside.
[more inside]posted by generic230 at 11:22 AM PST - 17 comments
How can I prevent my system from crashing when I have hardware acceleration set to 'full'?
[more inside]posted by 327.ca at 11:16 AM PST - 4 comments
I've got 10,000 words of a dissertation to write in 30 days. It's an undergraduate dissertation, but I really, really, need a
II:I (2:1, II:1) or above. Please see inside for more information! Thanks!
[more inside]posted by dance at 11:08 AM PST - 18 comments
I went to the orthodontist this morning, he recommended invisalign. I know nothing about invisalign except that it is really, really expensive. I'd like to hear about your experiences with it, if possible. Thanks!
[more inside]posted by echo0720 at 9:16 AM PST - 16 comments
I’m looking for a design-your-own plate kit in which you place a piece of paper (adorned with your own creative design) between a Melamine (Melmac) shell and bake it in an oven to seal it.
[more inside]posted by tulseluper at 9:09 AM PST - 8 comments
My dad's PC just died.
1) What is a cheap, reliable repair shop in Santa Rosa, Calif?
2) If it turns out to be truly not reparable, what are some tips for buying used computers off of craigslist?
[more inside]posted by small_ruminant at 8:36 AM PST - 24 comments
WindowsXP Filter: I've noticed, on more than one machine, that XP has a tendency to crash when you view thumbnails in "open file" dialog boxes, especially, of course, if the folder you are viewing has a lot of image files in it. It is as if XP has to rebuild the thumbnails every time, rather than cacheing them. I've had this issue on more than one machine and using more than one application (most recently, Palm Desktop, while trying to add some photos to my wife's Palm). It seems an XP problem, not an app or machine problem.
[more inside]
Thanks! [more inside]
