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April 2006 Archives (all archives)
April 30
How do you stop a content thief who has not plagiarised
your work, but obviously has done so to others?
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posted by maxpower at 10:54 PM PST - 12 comments
My wife has agreed to give a single science fiction or fantasy book of my choice a try - I only have one chance, so help me choose wisely.
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posted by blahblahblah at 10:49 PM PST - 160 comments 
Please who can inform me about inspirational christian podcast that aims to strengthen my faith and improve my outlook of life ?
posted by Yiba at 4:59 PM PST - 14 comments
What free software can I use to make a slideshow of photos, with a soundtrack of several songs that are started and stopped at various points during the presentation?
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posted by ElfWord at 3:11 PM PST - 10 comments
Control-click for tabs stopped working on Firefox 1.5 Windows -- how do I fix it?
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posted by gsh at 12:52 PM PST - 6 comments
BookFilter: I need help figuring out which book this is. Very little information inside.
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posted by Destroid at 12:28 PM PST - 6 comments
I live in New York and recently started a new job in New Jersey. On my first pay stub, I noticed that I'm paying a state income tax for both NY and NJ (and the tax for new jersey is actually $30 more than the NY tax). How can I be forced to pay income tax to two different states when I only live in one? This seems unjust.
posted by zembla3 at 10:55 AM PST - 5 comments
I'd like to bike around the Manhattan waterfront, starting and ending at the GWB, using the
official greenway path (pdf). My question is about those sections in red and blue: will I be biking through traffic? Having never ridden a bike through NYC traffic, am I putting myself in danger? How long would the entire thing take? Related question: has anyone ridden a bike across the GWB recently?
It's legal, though they make it sound like it's teeming with pedestrian.
posted by exhilaration at 9:56 AM PST - 8 comments 
I didn't think that I had to tip; now I think I should have. Any way to make this right?
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posted by j.s.f. at 9:40 AM PST - 12 comments
I noticed that as times goes by, computer mice (and other plastic items) get used by skin friction. I notice my mice have "smooth" areas on their buttons that obviously seem to be there because of use. Is there a way to prevent that?
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posted by a007r at 9:29 AM PST - 6 comments 
how does the US supreme court decide which cases it will hear and others it will not hear? it all seems rather arbitrary.
posted by brandz at 7:29 AM PST - 17 comments
We're trying to figure out the best kitchen counter material for our new kitchen. I know there are lots of great options, but we've narrowed our needs/wants down to a few important ones and have a shortlist we can't get past too easily, so are looking for some insight.
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posted by iTristan at 5:43 AM PST - 22 comments
Preventing Migraines - Anyone had any success with the program described in Heal your Headache by David Buchholz?
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posted by egk at 4:13 AM PST - 8 comments
I'm looking to set up a small contact database/social networking site like Friends Reunited, but just for people who went to my college. It would be hosted on my Apache/MySQL/PHP site. Is there a php script that can do this?
posted by wibbler at 2:15 AM PST - 5 comments
April 29
Now that all the major magazines are deciding to invest heavily in the "online" business, I'm trying to figure how what skills/software one might need. I've heard the combination of Flash, Final Cut Pro, and good design skills would be a start. What would you add to that? I'm a photographer/imaging specialist now. Thanks.
posted by rotten57 at 5:17 PM PST - 5 comments
I will be in Seattle in mid-August and would like recommendations for short (2-3) hiking trips that are accessible by public transit. Or by car (no more than 45 minutes from downtown). Thanks,
posted by quintno at 5:00 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm in the market for a reel mower. What features should I be looking for? Any recommendations on models?
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posted by dw at 4:26 PM PST - 16 comments
Tubular skylights -- how to clean? Just bought a house with solar tube skylights and dirt has collected on the bottom glass (diffuser). Does the bottom diffuser pop off for cleaning?
posted by nancoix at 4:14 PM PST - 2 comments
Help me find a piece of software that makes it easy to create parallel texts.
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posted by anjamu at 3:37 PM PST - 6 comments
Why do some people find the smell of gasoline pleasant?
posted by jeremias at 2:41 PM PST - 35 comments 
I want to send a large number of E-mails (like 500) to my customers. This isn't spam; they have definitely opted in and know me personally. I'd like to know if there is anything that might cause a problem here . . .
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posted by chef_boyardee at 2:08 PM PST - 10 comments
Who coined the term "Google effect" and what was its original meaning?
posted by pessoa at 1:34 PM PST - 11 comments 
I tan super easily, I spent the afternoon in the sun. Now I have a farmer tan. I need to wear a sleeveless dress next weekend - how do I even out the tan lines in a safe way?
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posted by echo0720 at 1:22 PM PST - 11 comments 
I'm looking for an old version of a flash site that has been pulled down. It isn't on the
Internet Archive and google cache search doesn't fish it up.
Are there any other sites out there like the Internet Archive?
posted by mirileh at 1:11 PM PST - 1 comments
In about a week, We’ll be having a rather large moving sale/yard sale. I’d like to beseech the hive-mind for tips and tricks for eliminating a large amount of now unnecessary items quickly.
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posted by ktrey at 1:10 PM PST - 13 comments 
I love
this photograph (I don't remember where I found it, unfortunately). How would I go about taking similar photos with a 35mm and/or digital camera? What kind of lense/lighting/setup would have been used for something like this? Is there a name for this kind of effect? Is there a good way to duplicate this effect in digital post-processing?
posted by devilsbrigade at 12:48 PM PST - 22 comments
What is the best way to take lots of pictures while travelling in Europe without bringing a laptop to store them?
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posted by PercussivePaul at 11:27 AM PST - 26 comments
Does anyone have any experiences with and/or recommendations for renting furniture, ideally in the Washington DC area?
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posted by walla at 11:22 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm on Prozac. It is really working but is it making me into a C grade student who enjoys life, is generally well liked and prefers the simple pleasures to deep analytical thought?
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posted by zaebiz at 10:25 AM PST - 20 comments
How do I link tables in the same document in such a way that, when I change the text in a cell in the first table, the new text also appears in the same cell in (let's say) the other 3 tables.
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posted by zephyrbill at 10:24 AM PST - 7 comments
Last September, someone asked about converting dvd commentaries to mp3 on a mac. I wondered if anyone knew of a method using a Windows PC (preferably freeware)?
posted by feelinglistless at 9:05 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm heading off to China in August to do some volunteer work in a rural area near Xi’an. Can anyone help me work out how to get there and what to do once the project is over?
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posted by boosh at 8:57 AM PST - 7 comments
FontFilter: Is it OK to distribute a "paid" font, in order for visitors to properly view a (small, personal) website?
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posted by jozxyqk at 8:44 AM PST - 25 comments 
I've recently been given the task of scanning full color business cards to recreate them with changes. What is the best way to scan the cards to maintain the color of the cards. These cards are to be reprinted and have to be saved in CMYK mode and they should ideally be as sharp as the original. I have no way of getting the original artwork
posted by aisleofview at 3:41 AM PST - 12 comments
Should I go to Amsterdam by myself? Do you have experience traveling by yourself? What do I need to know to prepare for this trip?
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posted by Packy_1962 at 2:45 AM PST - 27 comments
I would like to locate video or audio for sale of those crazy megaphone crooners...the originals, not modern-day imitations.
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posted by evariste at 12:15 AM PST - 33 comments 
April 28
What *information* do you keep on your USB memory stick? Other
questions ask about applications - I'm more interested in the data that you find it useful to carry everywhere. todo lists? contact information? Bank account numbers?
posted by cornflake at 10:44 PM PST - 30 comments 
I'd like to know when Apple began selling 4-gen iPod with color. If it's any help, the model number for this iPod is FA079LL/A .
Unfortunately, I don't even know how to start looking for this answer. Any help is appreciated.
posted by Bizurke at 10:40 PM PST - 11 comments 
How can upload podcasts stored locally on my computer into my new iPod -- so that the iPod recognizes them as "podcasts" and doesn't mix'em with the music?
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posted by RavinDave at 10:34 PM PST - 5 comments 
There is a piece of lose plastic hanging down near the passenger side tire of my girlfriends car. Need some advice on what it is and how much it may cost to fix. [photos inside]
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posted by Effigy2000 at 9:53 PM PST - 8 comments 
Two cryptic bumper stickers spotted separately in Chicago, do you know what they mean? (1) "You Will Be Safe." (2) "Maroon Life -- a Life of Resistance."
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posted by Mid at 9:06 PM PST - 23 comments 
Catfilter - I'm looking into constructing a cat tree (well, a scratching tree) and I wonder if there are any secret recipe to make my cat scratch the tree only (Indoor cat, scratching walls since 1994).
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posted by Bio11 at 4:56 PM PST - 13 comments 
Best one volume history of the persian gulf? Well written preferred over up to date.
posted by shothotbot at 3:34 PM PST - 4 comments
Friday fun. Any recommendations for funny/bizarre movies and videos (Google/YouTube/etc)? Stuff like this bad Finnish music
video, the supercheese
Apache music video, the heartwarming
version of the Shining, the bizarre
GNAA thing, and even the Star Wars Gangsta Rap (if it weren't so old by now). Satires and parodies are a plus. Also welcome: good forums that recommend the cream of the crop, without the Farkish boobies/HampsterDance/Jethro Puts Firecrackers in the Gas Tank -type suggestions.
posted by zek at 3:07 PM PST - 12 comments
Anybody know some good songs about autism, other than 'Transformer Man?'
(Inspired by
this question in the Neil Young 'Living With War' thread.)
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 3:05 PM PST - 9 comments
I've just started regularly attending Brazilian jujitsu. Please help me find the perfect hairstyle so my locks of love don't become locks of I-am-totally-going-to-choke-you-to-death-with-your-own-braid!
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posted by schroedinger at 2:31 PM PST - 16 comments 
3dFilter: I'm interested in making a short 3d animation of a Martial Arts form (or kata). Not really sure how I'd do this.
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posted by slactoid at 1:45 PM PST - 7 comments 
I'm looking to set up a small recording studio for use in an educational setting.
I'm leaning towards a firewire interface into a PC. I have mics/mixers/monitors/everything I need except for a way to get the audio into the PC.
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posted by davey_darling at 1:00 PM PST - 10 comments
I am doing research for a paper and need to understand whethere or not there is an anti-net neutrality movement (most likely led by the telcos) in Europe and Asia like there is here in the US. Anyone heard anything? Cannot find anything on Google...
posted by psususe at 11:44 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm trying to find studies or reports on the cost of corporate IT spending (specifically system administration) and expectations on how much it will grow in the future (say 10 years time). Any ideas on where to look or specific keywords to search for?
posted by mutantdisco! at 11:32 AM PST - 3 comments
Help me stop staying "you know" when I am having professional conversations with clients.
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posted by Xurando at 9:24 AM PST - 28 comments
What is the origin of the phrase "to shoot the shit?"
posted by jrb223 at 8:41 AM PST - 7 comments 
Is there a standard or generally accepted methodology for determining the optimal number of byes needed, and in which round they should occur, in a single-elimination tournament?
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posted by dafair at 8:06 AM PST - 13 comments
Yesterday, I decided to purchase an iTrip nano to use on my commute to the office I'm contracting at. I'm aware of the fact that, as an FM transmitter, there is going to be some static -- especially in a city such as Dallas. This, however, seems insane!
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posted by kaseijin at 7:34 AM PST - 27 comments
How worthwhile is buying an extended warranty for a Plasma TV when it doesn't cover things that might actually happen, like burn-in or "accident". Are they prone to outright failure much?
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posted by FreezBoy at 7:11 AM PST - 14 comments 
What should the first tab for online product installation instructions be named, if that tab presents an intro solely to the instructions, but is not an intro to the overall product demo? Therefore the word "intro" cannot be used.
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posted by Blue Buddha at 6:56 AM PST - 10 comments 
I'm looking for a quote from former Philadelphia mayor Frank Rizzo, and my google-fu is failing me. Any suggestions where I might find the quote?
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posted by Fat Guy at 6:40 AM PST - 8 comments
What are the legal repercussions for a deadbeat father not paying his child support?
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posted by jcruden at 6:40 AM PST - 22 comments 
Cheapskate filter: need to do a one-off Factiva (or maybe Lexis Nexis) search in the UK, but don't have a subscription.
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posted by bifter at 4:04 AM PST - 9 comments
How can I download all episodes of a podcast in iTunes without clicking on each individual "Get" link?
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posted by antifuse at 3:40 AM PST - 14 comments
Do you know of any blogs which keep track of art and culture with a no-B.S. approach? Basically, something which takes pokes at pseudointellectual stuff and the manhandling of language by people who should be intelligent enough to know better (kind of like Private Eye's "Psueds Corner" in blog form).
posted by tommorris at 2:54 AM PST - 3 comments
April 27
I'm about to be eligible to exercise stock options on a stock traded on the Over The Counter Bulletin Board (
OTC).
Advice on getting my university to issue them to me, exercising (tax) and brokers (sale) please.
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posted by lalochezia at 8:08 PM PST - 23 comments 
How do you track U.S. federal legislation for which bill numbers -- either of the house record (H.R.) or Senate (S.) variety -- have not yet been assigned?
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posted by shivohum at 8:07 PM PST - 7 comments
Is there a service that provides a coded tag for my key ring that allows anyone to drop found keys into a mailbox so they get forwarded back to me? I had a tag like this, but upon checking, the company no longer exists. D'oh! I need a replacement.
posted by garbo at 6:57 PM PST - 17 comments
Weekend job for 17 year old in Los Angeles? Preferably in the San Fernando Valley.
Or suggestions on other ways to get money? Like getting ads put on my car?
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posted by joshuak at 6:22 PM PST - 25 comments 
GIMPfilter: Why does the gimp have "floating selections"? And why doesn't it have a simple move tool?
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posted by beerbajay at 4:43 PM PST - 9 comments 
I'm looking for short (under 5 minutes), fast paced, promotional trailers to get my juices flowing. I have an idea of what I want to do but I'm not completely in love with it...
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posted by hummercash at 4:25 PM PST - 8 comments
What's exactly happening during the various stages of Windows XP's boot-up process, and how can I speed it up?
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posted by Ekim Neems at 3:41 PM PST - 10 comments
Is there such a thing as a Greyhound bus pass 'designed for independent travellers who want to get the most out of their travels in this great country' - similar to a '
Travel Oz Pass,' but for America?
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posted by myodometer at 2:30 PM PST - 14 comments
I'm moving a fairly large mailing list from Yahoo groups to Google groups. I'm wondering if there is a nice way to move the large message archive. I have all the messages on my machine in eml/txt/mbox format. How can I get all these messages over to Google Groups? My best idea is to write a script that parses the From field and message body from the email, then masquerades as that user to send the message to the google groups address, but I was wondering if someone can think of something better.
posted by lpctstr; at 2:17 PM PST - 5 comments
DBAs: Is this a case where I *should not* normalize my database? (PHP/MySQL 4.0.24 question). Long explanation of the situation inside.
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posted by fishfucker at 1:41 PM PST - 25 comments 
So I'm looking for a new job but I'm also currently planning a vacation in mid-June. Will the vacation affect my chances for an opportunity which requires my immediate availability?
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posted by pooya at 12:52 PM PST - 7 comments 
How does an airline such as Southwest Airlines benefit from hedging it's fuel usage or by using futures contracts?
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posted by feloniousmonk at 12:44 PM PST - 7 comments
I was reading reviews of movies about the US war in Vietnam, and found myself wondering how to track down Vietnamese films about the same period. Then I extended the question.
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posted by scrump at 12:36 PM PST - 20 comments
Are there any interesting neighborhoods, off the Strip, to explore in Las Vegas? I'm thinking arty shops, interesting cafes, etc.
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posted by Joleta at 11:38 AM PST - 7 comments
I need a small carpet cleaner - any suggestions? I only need it for stains on an (old) apartment carpet, including cat urine stains. I don't want something that breaks the bank, and I'm not expecting a miracle-worker - I just want to do what I can to keep from getting my security deposit dinged.
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posted by bibbit at 11:14 AM PST - 19 comments
Help me find a quote talking about 'the ones we love being on loan to us'.
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posted by rmm at 11:09 AM PST - 6 comments
I have a .wmv recording that I would like to edit. I just need to clip off the first 45 seconds and last 30 seconds. How can I do that?
posted by chicken nuglet at 10:01 AM PST - 7 comments
LinguisticsFilter: There are a lot of resources explaining how to transcribe a language into IPA, but I don't have any that get into the nitty gritty of how one language pronounces a given consonant compared to another. Are there good resources on this front? Are there resources on how to speak in various foreign accents?
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posted by sirion at 9:56 AM PST - 8 comments
I'm in the very early stages of planning a family vacation to Colorado. We have an energetic one-year-old. We haven't been to Colorado before, so I am looking for ideas/suggestions on where to stay, what to do, and general suggestions on trying to have a somewhat relaxing vacation with a little one.
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posted by Ostara at 9:22 AM PST - 13 comments 
While searching the usual poster sites to fill my bare walls, I came across
this striking image, which is identified only as "Russian Film Poster". Can anyone identify the film? I'd like to see the movie before I go slapping its poster up on my wall.
posted by jpoulos at 9:08 AM PST - 6 comments 
Help my wife and I find a city to live in. We have an opportunity to spend three or four days in another city to get the feel of it and would like recommendations on where we should go.
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posted by yangwar at 8:29 AM PST - 24 comments
Speculating Filter: What happens to the value of a Put Option if the underlying stock halts trading and/or goes bankrupt?
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posted by de void at 7:52 AM PST - 9 comments 
Why is freshly brewed coffee so much better than coffee that's been sitting around for awhile?
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posted by junkbox at 7:15 AM PST - 32 comments 
My Aluminium Powerbook G4's AC adapter is on its last legs. I'll need a new one soon and I don't want to fork out >$100 for an official Apple replacement. Where can I buy a durable, affordable replacement?
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posted by teem at 6:08 AM PST - 8 comments
Anyone know the name of a UK television play (1980s?) about people with Alzheimers, starring real patients and actors playing the patients' younger selves. Probably with period music.
posted by Pericles at 5:53 AM PST - 4 comments 
I'm looking for a jokey piece on the Internet which is a treatise on how to reform English which gradually changes into German as you read.
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posted by dydecker at 5:45 AM PST - 7 comments
I'm trying to find a (stable) OSX web browser that...
A) allows you to select text and right-click to search for that text in Google,
AND
B) displays bookmarks in the bookmarks toolbar as favicons (not just plain text buttons).
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posted by bruceyeah at 3:26 AM PST - 12 comments 
DC-FILTER: Where should a group of Southern California-native 20somethings live in the Washington DC area?
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posted by ThFullEffect at 1:52 AM PST - 25 comments
How much does Internet advertising cost?
I'm looking to sell some stuff online by advertising on sites like metafilter (through Indiclick, I guess) fark, collagehumor, ebaumsworld, &c.
I'm just wondering how much that would cost, and what kind of clickthrough I could expect to get assuming I had a totally sweet ad for something people who visit those sites would be likely to buy.
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posted by Paris Hilton at 1:08 AM PST - 6 comments
April 26
can anyone suggest a relatively inexpensive, decent, higher capacity (as opposed to the 5-round magazines that many seem to have) .22 caliber target pistol good for a beginning shooter?
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posted by luriete at 11:03 PM PST - 9 comments 
I'm having trouble tracking down information about a movement in
Dada-ist Art I heard about a few years ago. From what I remember Dadaist idealism inspired a group of artists to contemplate the organic development of urban environments. Art, using the defined structure of the city, to reflect the chaotic order which arises from nature.
Did this
century old movement exist or has my brain made it up?
posted by 0bvious at 9:14 PM PST - 10 comments 
dictionary filter: Is there a word for the universal "no" sign, that circle with the line through it? You know, the red one?
posted by provocateur at 9:03 PM PST - 17 comments
"Whatever inconvicence ensue, nothing is to be preferred before justice. These things I hear like pipes and drums whose sound make me deaf to everything you say."What book is this from?
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posted by bigmusic at 8:10 PM PST - 12 comments 
I'm getting ready to travel to South America. A couple of years ago, I washed my passport in a washing machine. It looks beat up, but all the pieces are there. Is there the possibility that I could be denied entry? How quickly could I get a new one if needed? Picture inside.
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posted by billysumday at 6:56 PM PST - 19 comments
Do some people not smell body odour? Is there a polite way of asking people to wear deodorant?
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posted by wilful at 6:33 PM PST - 39 comments
I just got a DivX-capable DVD player. Is there some way of telling (on OS X) what DivX/XVid files can be burned directly to a DivX disc without requiring conversion?
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posted by tweebiscuit at 5:09 PM PST - 15 comments 
7 friends and I will be traveling to Tuscany in mid-June and are looking for accommodations. We would prefer to stay in a villa as opposed to a hotel. Has anyone spent considerable time in Tuscany who can recommend a place to stay. Price is not really a concern at this point.
posted by jasondigitized at 4:50 PM PST - 8 comments
How, under Equal Employment Opportunity, can a prospective employer ask you to sign a HIPAA waiver?
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posted by anonymous at 4:23 PM PST - 8 comments
Should a molecular biology PhD student, interested in a career as a biotechnology analyst bother taking the CFA exams?
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posted by anonymous at 4:22 PM PST - 4 comments
Just recently my friend dropped his beloved 17" Powerbook G4, while the end result was pretty bad, as in the screen was completely smashed, the rest of the unit is still in good condition. Luckily I have been able to find a replacement screen at a pretty good price, and I am looking to replace/attach it myself. The only trouble is I don't know how hard this will really be. Which is why I am seeking your experience and advice.
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posted by Sevenupcan at 3:44 PM PST - 8 comments 
Bio Performance Gas Pill: My parents are being lured into selling/using a gas-saving "gas pill" that is marketed via MLM /Pyramid Scheme tactics. My BS-detector is going off.
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posted by kumazemi at 3:32 PM PST - 31 comments 
After installing, uninstalling and reinstalling, there are ghosts of my old (now deleted) IMAP folders. How the heck do I get rid of them?
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posted by nessahead at 3:14 PM PST - 6 comments 
Can I use a red darkroom lightbulb in the nursery at night without harming the baby's vision?
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posted by landtuna at 2:36 PM PST - 18 comments 
Where can I find comprehensive insurance for my Treo, without going through my service provider?
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posted by mattoly at 2:27 PM PST - 4 comments 
Is it possible to make a living as a bamboo farmer? How would I go about this? Leaving NYC might be a first step. After that, other than scaring off the pandas, I am stumped. Where should I go? How much space would I need? What do I do once it gets grown? How can I learn more? And why is this suddenly so fascinating to me?
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 2:27 PM PST - 11 comments
MovingToNYCFilter: I'm soon to be a college grad, and I'm in the running for a 6-week internship in NYC that may become long-term employment. Please help me figure out what I need to know to live in the big city.
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posted by Alterscape at 2:17 PM PST - 19 comments
I am a Design Engineer looking to break into the freelance/contract market. My expertise is using Unigraphics and I am also proficient in solidworks. I was a tool designer and worked closely with one of the major auto makers in the US before I got fed up with office politics and left to go to a much smaller company.
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posted by 5acres at 2:12 PM PST - 5 comments
I live in NYC, I make $60k a year, and I take home about $750 per week, which comes to $39k. This strikes me as ridiculous. Am I not using some deduction that everyone else knows about? Would I pay fewer taxes if I kept my Manhattan job but lived in New Jersey?
posted by bingo at 2:00 PM PST - 40 comments
nyc parking ticket: do i need to pay it if I'm giving my car to my brother in a few weeks and he's taking the car out of state?
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posted by alkupe at 1:55 PM PST - 7 comments
I've got an ATI All-in-Wonder X800 XT video card. Where can I find a good PVR program that will work with this card?
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posted by Kraki at 1:39 PM PST - 6 comments 
Why is it more expensive to live in a city? Is it simply supply and demand? Bonus points for relevant references and data.
posted by koenie at 1:04 PM PST - 19 comments
Is there a good piece of software (either for WindowsXP, or web based) specifically used for tracking customers, invoices, and jobs for someone doing freelance computer tech support?
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posted by nitsuj at 11:24 AM PST - 7 comments
How can I print multiple MS Access Snapshot files (.SNP) in Windows 2000/XP at the same time?
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posted by selfnoise at 10:51 AM PST - 1 comments
I am designing a homepage, that will be a central navigation point for several blogs that I have. I would like this homepage to display the jpeg photos that accompany my most recent blog posts
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posted by extrabox at 10:49 AM PST - 4 comments 
I'm in the market for an external hard drive. I'm running XP on a PC and know nothing about external hard drives except what I'd like it to do.
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posted by misanthropicsarah at 10:42 AM PST - 9 comments 
I'm looking for the name of a photographer who took up-close photos of the Chernobyl nuclear plant after the explosion in 1986. I believe that he is/was a Russian and probably died due to the radiation he received.
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posted by Raven13 at 10:29 AM PST - 3 comments 
Has anyone ever used a "lifesaver cable" for their laptop? I found it on
this site, but it sounds like it's too good to be true. Can anyone tell me why this would or wouldn't work?
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posted by denimflavored at 9:28 AM PST - 7 comments 
I want to start reading some Japanese blogs in an effort to improve my grasp of the language. Any suggestions?
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posted by borkingchikapa at 9:15 AM PST - 4 comments
Help me impersonate a graphic designer! I know it’s kind of insane, but as early as this afternoon I may receive the proverbial offer (well, assignment) that I can’t refuse, and I’m wondering if anyone might be able to offer some fake-it-till-you-make-it tips for this sort of project (a short catalogue for a half-dozen or so boutique products). See, the thing is, I'm not a designer, although I have some experience with Quark, Illustrator and Photoshop. I’m most interested in a list of ten or fifteen things that you talented designer folks do over and over again that seem impressive to the uninitiated, but that are simpler than they appear to we of the untrained eyes. Books are also fine, but due to the potential immediacy of this, the shorter the tutorial, the better.
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posted by Sinner at 9:11 AM PST - 33 comments 
My company has ~6 departments. Each department takes photos, and then stashes them all over the available network shares, such that
they know where any given photo is. What we need is some company-wide means of organizing these assets in an intuitively searchable way. Suggestions?
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posted by everichon at 8:30 AM PST - 8 comments
Where can I find or where do I look to find ideas, resources or stores that carry 'hip' business casual clothing?
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posted by Botunda at 8:13 AM PST - 13 comments
I've been living in my apartment since December, and I still haven't received an electric bill from ConEd. It was made clear that we had to sign up to receive power and we did that -- my wife called in, gave them her social security number, address, etc. Still, no bill. The meter man comes by every month and checks the meter. Still, no bill.
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posted by jeffxl at 7:47 AM PST - 28 comments
Photoshop Filter: I recently installed Photoshop CS2 to my work laptop. I already had Photoshop v7 installed, now I can't uninstall v7. Any ideas? Inside for more...
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posted by the_epicurean at 7:28 AM PST - 4 comments 
Summer Vacation - My little family wants to rent a cabin (next to a swimmin' lake) for a week this summer somewhere in the north east of the USA, hopefully for less than $1000, any suggestions?
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posted by Divine_Wino at 6:53 AM PST - 15 comments
If you're taking medication that alters your personality, do you let people know? What kind of pitfalls or issues do you face with this kind of thing?
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posted by anonymous at 6:43 AM PST - 15 comments
Calling all Librarians! My library system is currently proposing a "children's card" - where a parent could effectively block their child's access to "innapropriate" materials. (more inside)
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posted by anonymous at 6:43 AM PST - 16 comments
Problem with UK dentist? prescribing drugs without seeing you. Need legal advice.
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posted by spinko at 6:02 AM PST - 10 comments
When I lived in france they had this delicious seasoning called sel fou. It's sort of like a french adobo. Does anyone know where I can buy it in the U.S. or order it over the internet?
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posted by milarepa at 5:40 AM PST - 7 comments
Best CMS for user-driven podcasts?
I want to set up a site where users will login and submit podcasts, and then be able to access them by each user's RSS feed, or to add them to category feeds etc. Is there a CMS (Drupal, Joomla, etc) that will facilitate this?
posted by jim.christian at 2:56 AM PST - 7 comments
How can I learn as much as possible about the Spanish market for vacation homes: construction, project development, brokering sales, etc.?
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posted by BigBrownBear at 1:44 AM PST - 0 comments
Help me figure out the cheapest way to travel around SE Asia and China for two-three weeks at the end of May, based in Hong Kong, leaving from and returning to Osaka.
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posted by MostHolyPorcine at 12:39 AM PST - 3 comments
Is it fair for me to want to live close to work? My fiancee (soon to be wife!) and I are thinking about moving to Melbourne (Australia) and the place I want to work at is located in the middle of the city. I've suggested living right in the heart of the city so that I can walk to work, but she's getting upset with neighbours in our current place and would like to live in a house (which implies out in the suburbs)...
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posted by ranglin at 12:32 AM PST - 34 comments
April 25
Am I running any sort of risk by keeping my desk at work clean and empty, when every other person in this government office keeps theirs piled to the ceiling?
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posted by BruceL at 9:48 PM PST - 27 comments 
What is your favorite brand of Indian pickles? And can you order it online?
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posted by jak68 at 9:07 PM PST - 9 comments
I want to start painting with acrylics. What are good, inexpensive supplies to get? What are some good resources/websites to learn how to start?
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posted by petah at 8:52 PM PST - 5 comments
Can you kill a human being by burying him/her in salt (NaCl)? (Or possibly with that silica gel stuff hobbyists use to dry flowers?)
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posted by limeonaire at 8:39 PM PST - 14 comments
[AmericanHistoryFilter] How did the Democratic Party go from being the conservative party to being the liberal party?
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posted by alidarbac at 8:10 PM PST - 22 comments
So... I am attending a wedding on May 6th at 7 pm. It is outdoors, what should I wear? It will not be a "formal" event.
posted by prairiepmb at 8:09 PM PST - 11 comments
Legalfilter: What are some cool/interesting things you can do with a law degree if you don't want to practice law.
posted by Dr_Octavius at 7:59 PM PST - 28 comments 
Has anyone else been bothered by phone calls requesting you to call Ken Hughes concerning an urgent matter?
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posted by hockeyman at 7:44 PM PST - 13 comments 
The SO and I live in Chicago and have taken several road trips over the years. We're up for more, the problem is, we seem to have tapped out all the obvious choices.
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posted by CMichaelCook at 7:16 PM PST - 31 comments
Take your kids to workfilter, I'm a victim of the do something well and you're doing it for the rest of your time at the job. Help me with a workplace presentation to kids. (More inside)
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posted by cmfletcher at 7:06 PM PST - 16 comments 
What shouldn't I miss in NYC this Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun? Bonus where are can I find the best/good freshly made corn tortillas? In the city that is.
posted by flummox at 6:21 PM PST - 8 comments
I am on an eternal quest to make the perfect tomato pasta sauce. Every recipie I've read says to start with a pan and some olive oil and then fry up onions and garlic. I then dump in my tomatoes--I ususally use whole canned tomatoes, chop them up a bit and let them simmer a while, then season, etc. The garlic is what I'm asking about, because I notice if I do this, the garlic will cook for quite a long time and the resultant sauce ain't so garlicky, even if I've added several cloves--it seems I've cooked away much of the flavor. I've tried adding the garlic later on, but that's not quite right either. How do you ensure your pasta sauce is full of garlic goodness?
posted by zardoz at 6:14 PM PST - 25 comments
OddQuestionFilter:
Is there a myth surrounding leprechauns where time is supposed to stop when they fall asleep?
posted by arrhn at 5:45 PM PST - 4 comments
My ISP will be discontinuing news services at the end of May. They are doing this because Giganews is increasing their fee to my ISP to the point where their news service would be offered at a loss. Who do you use as a news server? I download both text and binaries.
posted by Raybun at 5:31 PM PST - 21 comments
My wife and I want to go on an Alaskan cruise in the latter part of August. We have a couple questions: Is that a good time to go? Next, could we do a week long cruise for under $4000 (airfare to the Northwest included) on a non-sardinish cruise liner? Any thoughts or recommendations would also be appreciated. Thanks!
posted by narebuc at 4:34 PM PST - 20 comments
I recently found this digital SLR Olympus EVOLT E-500 on sales at costco.com
click here
It seems a good deal with a complete package. It's very attempting to me since I'd like to move from point and shoot to DSLR. I'm a beginner amateur. I've read and learned about how SLR works, but with so many choices out there on the market, I'm kinda lost. $699 is right on my budget. However, I'm willing to step up a little bit if there is a better choice for the long run and without paying a whole lot more. On the other hand, stepdown is also an option if major/critical functions are not being compromised.
With your experience and knowledge, what do you think the pros and cons are for Olympus E-500. Say if i get a Canon, or a Nikon DSLR, what models are comparable to E-500, and what will I gain or lose? I'll appreciate it if you can share your thoughts with me. Many thanks.
Olympus EVOLT
E-500 8MP
$699.99 After Rebate
Digital SLR 2.5"
40-150 & 17.5-45mm Lens
posted by dy at 4:06 PM PST - 20 comments 
I am trying to transfer a number of scanned family photo files from 2 old pcs which do not have USB ports. Is there any other way to move these files without using a flash drive or internet upload other than spending hours copying to diskette?
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posted by crepeMyrtle at 3:05 PM PST - 14 comments 
Should I walk on good shoes that support my feet, or does that weaken them and should I learn to walk on canvas shoes instead?
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posted by davar at 3:02 PM PST - 14 comments
How far in advance, or how close to the time, is the most advantageous time to purchase airline tickets in order to get the cheapest fares? For instance, if I were planning to travel in early August, and it's late April now, should I buy my ticket now, or should I wait until closer to the time (and how close is the "sweet spot")? Are there risks of the price going up substantially (more than $100)? This refers to U.S. travel (SEA-ATL in this case), traveling mid-week, with a weekend stay.
posted by matildaben at 2:50 PM PST - 11 comments 
I run a chain of internet cafes and appear to have a high turnover of staff.
I am now about to start a round of interviews of prospects.
Could someone help me out with a list of potential questions
posted by patphelan at 2:43 PM PST - 12 comments 
I am trying to express the concept of 500,000 gallons (US liquid, 128 fl. oz.) in terms of the volume of some other container or object. Can you think of a good analogy?
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posted by nekton at 12:47 PM PST - 26 comments 
Any concerns with the Nikon D50 or indeed any better Digital SLR for the same money?
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posted by pettins at 12:41 PM PST - 10 comments
I got a new helmet about 4 months ago, and paid about $100. I wear it all the time, and value the safety it provides. However, I've noticed that nearly all bicycle helmets only have the harder plastic part on the OUTSIDE of the helmet, not also in the inside. I find my helmets always get dented on the inside or on the areas where there is no plastic covering. Why can't they manufacture ones that have it all around the foam areas? or at least on the surfaces that have contact with the table if I put it down on a table? Very frustrating to be always buying a new one, just because the foam gets damaged so easily. I'm willing to spend money to protect my brain, but it seems a little plastic would go a long way to make the helmet last a little longer. I know the helmet is supposed to absorb impact, but would it not absorb impact if there was plastic all around the inside and outside?
posted by jldindc at 12:15 PM PST - 22 comments
I'm dating a girl who's 19 in Los Angeles. My standard date is drinks and dinner, maybe a show at a bar. All that is out. And I'm running out of mini-golf, karaoke and similar ideas. Where can I take this girl in the LA area to do something adult and less cutesy? Ideas?
posted by rileyray3000 at 11:59 AM PST - 38 comments
I have iPhoto2 on my Mac but after 3.5 years I find it pretty lame, so I decided to buy iPhoto6: but then I found out it comes bundled with iLife 06, ie 7 Gb of other programs I don't really want or need. I have about 11 Gb of free disk space. Is there a way to find a simple copy of iPhoto6 or, say, even iPhoto4? It should be about 600-700 Mb, I suppose. thanks!
posted by PenguinBukkake at 11:38 AM PST - 12 comments 
Why was there no effort made to rescue those trapped on the upper floors of the World Trade Center with helicopters?
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posted by terrier319 at 11:10 AM PST - 20 comments
I'm looking for a something (php/mysql) that will help me build a simple database driven website. The CMS i've seen and used (such as drupal, post nuke) seem like overkill.
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posted by quarsan at 11:09 AM PST - 11 comments
Does anyone have experience using Testim or other testosterone gels? I have a testosterone deficiency which is causing anemia/fatigue and have just started using Testim. What should I expect in terms of feeling better? How long for improvement? Definite improvement? Not worth the risks?
posted by ancientgower at 9:23 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm up for a promotion at work, but my boss has already told me that I probably won't get it. She still wants me to go through the interview process because it'll be 'good experience'. Should I?
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posted by aristan at 9:14 AM PST - 24 comments
Let's say I have an array of 100 adjoining hexagons, 10 hexagons per side. Let's also say I also have an array of 100 adjoining squares, 10 squares per side. Each single hexagon and each square encloses the same area. Is the perimeter of the array of 100 hexagons longer than the perimeter of the array of 100 squares?
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posted by Rumple at 8:42 AM PST - 17 comments 
We're looking for a fun place approximately equidistant* from Washington, DC and Columbus, OH to spend a long weekend in July or August. Six adults, 3 kids (ages 1 -6). We're hoping to find someplace reasonably priced. Camping is not an option with most of this crowd, and a place with a kitchen would be great. Any suggestions?
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posted by amarynth at 8:42 AM PST - 8 comments 
Having probs downloading torrents. I'm on OS X. Can anyone help me or walk me thru how to make it work consistently?
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posted by Manhasset at 8:12 AM PST - 15 comments
HTML woes: How can I make Amazon ads play nice with Google ads? Also, why is my web site's layout screwed up in Internet Explorer on Windows?
I can't figure it out. [more inside]
posted by jdroth at 7:38 AM PST - 8 comments
How can i tell when my cats are just playing with each verses when they are actually fighting?
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posted by drezdn at 7:28 AM PST - 25 comments
Where can I find and participate in high-level, Metafilter-style discussion of relationships?
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posted by agropyron at 7:19 AM PST - 10 comments 
I have four days (Fri to Mon) in May for a mini-vacation. I'm located in AZ and would like to stay in the western portion of the US, so I don't spend the whole time travelling.
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posted by cyniczny at 7:16 AM PST - 7 comments 
Went with friend went for a haircut; got nicked (twice) by the hair stylist. Back of the neck. Not sure if it was because it was a brand new clipper or a really old (rusty?) one -- Is he paranoid in worrying about it or is it something that should be taken care of immediately? Guy, and this is the Bubbles salon if that matters.
posted by cusecase at 6:54 AM PST - 13 comments
It is possible to have two distinct email servers (for two sets of non-overlapping addresses) for the same domain?
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posted by tiamat at 6:51 AM PST - 14 comments 
I need practical advice for extreme budget travelling in Eastern Europe this summer.
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posted by mosessis at 5:59 AM PST - 9 comments 
I am applying for a U.S. Student Fulbright. Any recommendations for putting together a proposal?
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posted by k8t at 4:22 AM PST - 6 comments 
I'd like to learn basic 3-d modeling. Right now I have 3-d studio max r4. Are there any good online tutorials or guides that go over the basics.
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posted by delmoi at 4:17 AM PST - 6 comments 
There are 10 possible exam topics. 6 will appear on the paper. 2 questions must be attempted. How well is an ass covered based on the number of topics covered?
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posted by kenaman at 4:03 AM PST - 13 comments 
How can I see what Tiffany jewelry looks like on a person without going to one of their stores?
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posted by radioamy at 12:44 AM PST - 8 comments
April 24
Database experts: I'm setting up a tagging system for a site I run. What's the most efficient way to go about it?
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posted by Savvas at 10:46 PM PST - 11 comments 
I heard it as it was dramatized on BBC World Service Radio around 2003. The story was told from the point of view of a descendant of one of the invading Martians.
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posted by micketymoc at 9:49 PM PST - 2 comments
Linux Printer Share:
i'm way over my head, I have a HP 648c USB printer, and I want to use my xbox that runs Debian natively (Xebian) to share the printer. Physical connection is no problem. But I am in way over my head in terms of setting up a simple printer share. It appear possible via Samba, but my experiments didn't pan out.
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posted by Napierzaza at 9:46 PM PST - 13 comments 
Does anyone know what's going on with all the helicopters in Brooklyn tonight?
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posted by jeb at 9:41 PM PST - 5 comments 
reviews/opinions about touchpad peripherals? carpal tunnel is kicking my god damned ass right now, and i feel like this might really reduce the stress/pain.
posted by radiosilents at 9:28 PM PST - 7 comments
I installed MS Excel after Firefox and now Excel is convinced that URLs need to open in Internet Explorer. I tried the suggestions in Excel's help file to change it back. They didn't work.
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posted by Tuwa at 8:28 PM PST - 9 comments
I think I just need a USB switch. Simple solution needed for sharing my new Canon printer (working wonderfully with my Windows 98 SE machine) with my true love's Mac OS X (10.3...) machine.
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posted by amtho at 8:15 PM PST - 9 comments
I've got two nickles to rub together, and like Charlie Bucket with a sweaty dollar coin going out to win the golden ticket, I too am looking for the ultimate bang for my website marketing buck.
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posted by rinkjustice at 6:33 PM PST - 17 comments
My company does not have a computer acceptable use policy. What is the bare minimum?
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posted by Roach at 5:12 PM PST - 27 comments 
Can anyone recommend a dentist and orthodontist in Los Angeles or Santa Monica?
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posted by mam at 4:38 PM PST - 6 comments
Apparently we're supposed to give a gift to the guests that attend our wedding. What to do?
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posted by furtive at 4:38 PM PST - 49 comments 
Help! Best advice for employee in 100+ person company likely to become insolvent very soon (UK)
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posted by kiwi.es at 4:23 PM PST - 12 comments
Vintage bicycle question: I recently acquired an old 1970s schwinn 10-speed road bike. The ticking sound created by the freewheel when coasting is exceptionally loud. Is this normal? Can anything be done to quiet it down?
posted by anticlock at 4:21 PM PST - 14 comments
Have you seen the redesigned Presidential Daily Brief memo featuring "terrorist determined to attack America"? (Do you have the link?) I'm looking for the same type of design examples for alphanumeric or numeric outlines.
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posted by McGuillicuddy at 4:16 PM PST - 9 comments
My fingernails are thin and break really easily - is there something I'm missing in my diet, or something I can take to make them thicker and stronger?
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posted by pazazygeek at 3:39 PM PST - 18 comments
Is it possible to Fax a PDF in OS X Tiger? When I try, the result is cut off and in landscape orientation
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posted by ParisParamus at 3:30 PM PST - 6 comments 
I am beginning to experience a small amount of success as a freelance writer, and want to put together a professional website so that folks may hire me/contact me if they desire.
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posted by Thistledown at 3:12 PM PST - 4 comments
Hello, I am trying to find a way to get from Barcelona to Ibiza, I know there are ferries and there are short flights. But I am looking for a very fun way to go, I heard there was a short cruise. Does this exist, do they have liquor?
posted by Gabe014 at 2:17 PM PST - 3 comments
My wife and I are moving to Mexico in August for a year. We are concerned about getting our dog there by air. Has anyone done this and what would you recommend?
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posted by Hands of Manos at 2:04 PM PST - 15 comments
What is the cause of curly hair, and further, why does the curliness of hair differ? Proteins? If so, is it genetic? How do "hair-straightening" products work?
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posted by Frankieist at 2:02 PM PST - 6 comments 
Allergy question. I'm getting married this summer and my fiance has a wonderful kitty that I love to pieces. But I'm allergic to cats. Is there any way for me and kitty to survive in one apartment without me choking to death or crying all the time?
posted by hughbot at 12:29 PM PST - 27 comments
Why does it always seem to be windy in Tony Soprano's backyard? Some sort of dramatic symbolism, or filmed in a windy part of New Jersey?
posted by Keith Talent at 11:46 AM PST - 16 comments 
Are there any good tools out there for analyzing binary sensor data? I would like to create something like a timeline of data.
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posted by b1tr0t at 10:46 AM PST - 7 comments
Home network consists of two XP machines, an OSX laptop, and an Ubuntu laptop. Have just been given an old PIII to use as a file server. What OS should the file server run and what should I use to format the disks?
posted by humuhumu at 10:35 AM PST - 18 comments 
I'm interested in Encyclopedia collecting. Where would i find info about prices of old encyclopedias etc? (other than ebay)
posted by storybored at 10:26 AM PST - 10 comments
I'm making a cake for my best friend's BFA show opening reception. She wants it to match the furniture and jewelry that she's showing-
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posted by cilantro at 9:55 AM PST - 13 comments 
Howard Stern Film Festival has wrapped up recently, and today was the day when they announced the finalists. Since I have no access to list to Stern, I was wondering if anyone cought the finalists of this festival.
Thanks in advance!
posted by cheero at 9:51 AM PST - 3 comments 
I am about to sell a 1996 Toyota Tercel that has seen better cosmetic days. It runs fine, has a pretty new exhaust, and a new thermostat. However, the engine light is on. I got an inspection at a Toyota dealer and the read out states that there is nothing wrong with it, but the light will not turn off.
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posted by toddst at 9:46 AM PST - 13 comments
I need recommendations for a (travel?) fan that is small enough to not take up much space when packed in a bag, but that nevertheless kicks out a very decent breeze. AC power (not batteries) very much preferred, since it will be used near-constantly and I'd eat through zillions of batteries otherwise. Reasoning explained after the break.
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posted by WCityMike at 9:17 AM PST - 7 comments
I'm having trouble deciding on a modchip for my xbox. Like any normal person, I'd prefer to keep my costs low. But, I'd prefer to do that by simply not purchasing features or options I don't need.
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posted by Spoonman at 8:51 AM PST - 13 comments
I'm 6'8". People are always asking me how tall I am. Instead of telling the truth, what are some witty, non-confrontational responses I might use?
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posted by trevyn at 8:47 AM PST - 95 comments
What quirky/marginally unsafe/weird/fun/"too good to be true" places do you remember from your childhood (and that might still exist now)?
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posted by crosten at 8:24 AM PST - 48 comments
Ethanol Evil? I've heard having energy and food competing for land will be bad for the environment. I've heard ethanol burns cleaner and will create less CO2 which is good for the environment.
Also a side question, how much ethanol is currently in gasoline, and is that a good or bad thing?
posted by parallax7d at 8:11 AM PST - 9 comments
How can I be certain that the external hard drive I want to buy to backup my Powerbook hard drive will not require an external power source?
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posted by gregoryc at 8:04 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm looking for an application (or plugin) that will act as a "Virtual DJ" (complete with cross-fading and beat-matching) with no input from me.
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posted by mr_silver at 7:58 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm from the UK and I'm going to Canada next week (Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa). I asked
earlier, about Montreal but our plans have now expanded to other cities... So, what shouldn't I miss? Of course, there's...
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posted by handee at 7:03 AM PST - 21 comments 
Inspired by
this post, I want to either create or find a repository of links to sites facilitating asking possibly insensitive questions of a member(s) of a group. Thus, I'm looking for links to such sites.
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posted by Gnatcho at 6:15 AM PST - 10 comments
I need help generating an 'explanation' for my bankruptcy 6 and 1/2 years ago that will not make me look financially incapable to a potential investor. Are there any 'good' explanations for filing bankruptcy that I could use in order to not have this fact work against me? I need potential circumstances that would warrant a bankruptcy and sound reasonable to a potential business partner. More inside...
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posted by AdInfinitum at 5:25 AM PST - 17 comments 
I need to remove a fairly thin but durable chrome plating from a threaded area in a brass boiler tank.
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posted by dong_resin at 4:48 AM PST - 12 comments 
Does anyone know where I can find a list online of 500-1000 most common spanish words or phrases, along with their meanings? I searched a bit and found quite a few that had 50 or a 100 approximately, but I want more. I have a Spanish to English dictionary, but I want to print out a quick reference sheet. The list can be words or phrases, it doesnt matter too much.
posted by JokingClown at 12:09 AM PST - 4 comments 
April 23
Posting for a friend: A question for all you 3D rendering people... I want to know if there is any technology that is supported in recent GPUs that interpolates a 3d surface based on the vertex normals of a triangle in order to gain a higher level of detail.
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posted by autojack at 11:38 PM PST - 6 comments
I have a CPAP machine, a REMStar Plus, and I'd like to adjust the settings on it to turn it down since I've recently lost a lot of weight. I can't get to my clinic to do this since I'm currently in Nepal. Anyone have any suggestions on how to do this?
posted by AArtaud at 10:03 PM PST - 5 comments 
Anyone know of any good sushi restaurants in the D.C. area that're open on Saturdays? Preferably all-you-can-eat places, suitable for a date.
posted by kafziel at 9:32 PM PST - 21 comments
Are there any up and comming real estate markets? The type of place you can buy a good starter house for around 100k/150k. bonus for liberal minded places that are close (45 min drive max) to a midsized city.
posted by kantgirl at 7:03 PM PST - 24 comments
Greencard Filter: A friend wants me to write a letter supporting his green card process; are the potential legal ramifications for me?
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posted by anonymous at 6:05 PM PST - 32 comments
Why are some YouTube videos so much better quality than others? What video specs and file format (AVI, MOV, MPG) produce the best results?
posted by JudgeBork at 5:56 PM PST - 6 comments 
[LongLostChildhoodMemoriesFilter] I am looking for a book that I had as a wee-one, involving a night-time adventure through the city via a boy's imagination and a shoebox diorama.
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posted by elr at 4:49 PM PST - 11 comments 
Bloglines always shows me duplicates of many Daily Kos posts (even though I have "Updated Items" set to "Ignore"). Is there a way that I can work around this, weed the duplicates out somehow? Perhaps using a middle-man of some kind?
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posted by thatgirl at 4:38 PM PST - 7 comments
Can I plug my laptop into a guitar amp without damaging the laptop? I'm using a male eigth inch to male quarter inch cable between my laptop's integrated soundcard and a fender amp's second input. I tried this briefly and it worked, though the sound quality is what you'd expect of such a setup. I then plugged a guitar into the same amp. Everything still worked, but upon removing the laptop, the guitar got noticably louder, leading me to worry about what kind of potential I was putting across the soundcard's output from the guitar. The soundcard does not seem to be at all damaged.
posted by phrontist at 4:36 PM PST - 9 comments
I want to bike all the way around Lake Ontario, starting in Toronto and heading East. I have questions!
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posted by loquax at 4:08 PM PST - 26 comments 
Has anyone previously published a JavaScript methodology for using the Tab key to indent while within HTML textarea controls?
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posted by cyrusdogstar at 3:58 PM PST - 13 comments 
What's a good Windows-based program for sending daily blind carbon copy E-mails to a small group of people (like 10 or 20)?
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posted by rolypolyman at 3:37 PM PST - 11 comments 
I want to use a hosting account (e.g. 1&1 or godaddy or similar) and stream video and audio. Do I need a special service? And how does Google Video do it? What is the best format for Video streaming?
Thanks!
posted by bright77blue at 2:07 PM PST - 6 comments 
How can I tell what polarity a device is? I have a Sonic Impact T-Amp and I want to use a universal adapter for it -- all I know is it's 12v and can be powered by 8 AA batteries.
posted by mattholomew at 2:00 PM PST - 8 comments 
Hotel-Filter: Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana.... In May I'll be travelling with my parents (60ish) and my S.O. to Eastern Europe. We (i.e. mom) won't be interested in hostels (at least not loud, dorm-room-ish ones). We will, however, be interested in quaint, reasonably priced, and very clean / tidy places to stay. They needn't be in the city center. Pensions, B&B's, etc. would be swell as well. Any thoughts on any of these cities will be most helpful....
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posted by rumbles at 12:48 PM PST - 8 comments 
Help me name this device.... Saw this at someones house. A small device that allows you to control a dvd player or stereo (any infrared device) while it's within a cabinet with the doors closed. A small box is stuck on the outside of it that apparently catches the signal and transfers it inside and resends it to control the components within. Does that make any sense?? Where can i find this thing? Thanks!
posted by joshgray at 11:35 AM PST - 12 comments 
Can I set it up so that my flash drive automatically backs itself up onto my home computer when I plug it in?
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posted by goatdog at 11:21 AM PST - 10 comments
FamousPaintingFilter: Anybody know a famous (?) painting depicting a woman with a young girl lying in her lap, breastfeeding her and .. uh... what seems to be "touching" her .. uh... "down there"?
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posted by slater at 11:01 AM PST - 12 comments 
Well, here's a dumb one: can I pour motor oil down the, uh, little tube where my dipstick rests?
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posted by Ian A.T. at 11:01 AM PST - 13 comments
My friend has about eight original paintings that were used as the cover art for some Alfred Hitchcock mystery books published by Dell in the 1970s. I've tried an Internet search but can't locate the name of the artist. Can anyone help me out? (More inside . . . )
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posted by mijuta at 9:30 AM PST - 8 comments
I give up. I've been searching for months for a remix of the song Underwater Love by Smoke City. The version I'm looking for was on an electronic/dance compilation a friend had bought in Spain in the late 90s. I'm not even sure if this version was done by Smoke City. The original song is slow and lovely, but I want the fast danceable version. Any info or leads would be appreciated.
posted by Constant Reader at 6:26 AM PST - 7 comments
For *cough* professional *cough* reasons (see profile) I'm interested in how a large scale "vote for your favorite" phone bank would be setup. Every year during American Idol seasons fans complain that they were unable to vote for their favorite - why might that be?
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posted by dhacker at 3:45 AM PST - 28 comments
How to remove groups of records from a text file using awk or similar in Unix based on a flag at the end of the record-groups?
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posted by misteraitch at 2:50 AM PST - 27 comments 
According to
this site, Canada has piled $570 billion in debt between years 2000 and 2004. My understanding was that our government has been running a
surplus since 1997. So, how did this happen?
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posted by lenny70 at 1:59 AM PST - 29 comments
After configuring two laptops (Dell E1705 and Dell XPS M1710) to my needs, the only differences are the graphics cards and the price. The XPS houses the 512MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GTX whereas the E1705 comes in the 256MB NVIDA GeForce Go 7800 flavor. The price difference is that the XPS is $1,253 more expensive. What are the major differences between the two graphic cards? What about overall differences?
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posted by Jonasan at 1:54 AM PST - 12 comments 
My wife is looking to start her own T-Shirt design and printing business online. What kind of software, printer and paper will be required ? Are there any online resources for starting a T-shirt printing business ?
posted by labnol at 12:28 AM PST - 12 comments
April 22
I was raised Christian (Southern Baptist, was baptized). However I feel pulled towards Judaism. There is Jewish ancestry on my mom's side but for whatever reason, someone had to have converted. In a way I want to 'take it back'. How does one begin a conversion process to Judaism? There is a Reform synagogue here but I feel so foreign there since I know so little of Jewish traditions.
posted by miltoncat at 11:16 PM PST - 42 comments
I've got a tower (AMD 3000+ with a gigabyte motherboard, 3/4ths of a gig of ram, etc.) that I'm trying to set up for a media center. The thing is, the first screen (where it's checking the ram) the keyboard works fine. I can go and edit my bios settings, save and exit, etc. However, on the next screen (where I have the option of booting from CD and such) keyboard input ceases to be.
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posted by TrueVox at 8:47 PM PST - 10 comments
Are there hybrid academic fields out there allowing one the option of working in the service of various causes while possibly teaching if one is able? Thus far, I have become interested in the NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH in NYC and THE ANNENBERG SCHOOL OF CULTURE OF COMMUNICATION at U Penn. Does anyone know about these schools / know about other hybrid programs / fields?
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posted by withdillemma at 8:03 PM PST - 7 comments
Connecting my DVD player to my TV apparently damaged the latter's composite cable ports. Now I'm wondering if this could happen to other devices.
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posted by yz at 7:57 PM PST - 5 comments
I have a large cyst on one of my ovaries but I have to wait until the beginning of the week to find out if I have to have surgery and the waiting is killing me! I am wondering if some of you could throw some educated guesses my way on what I may be in for?
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posted by LeeJay at 6:58 PM PST - 37 comments 
Okay, for whatever reason, I cannot find this information to save my life: In men's suits, what is the typical length for a "short" (as in not regular or long) suit jacket? For a regular jacket? Is there a range of typical lengths?
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posted by Medieval Maven at 6:54 PM PST - 2 comments 
So I just had some new laminate hardwood floor installed and on cue scratched it today . . .
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posted by quadog at 6:02 PM PST - 3 comments
Destinations close to DC: I have fairly severe panic disorder that is aggravated by travel, and would like to take a trip for my anniversary. I am considering Bethany Beach in Delaware, but are there any other places I should research/consider within an under-three-hour drive from Northern Virginia?
posted by juniper at 5:05 PM PST - 9 comments
My parents divorced when I was a toddler, with virtually all my baby pictures plus many hours of movies (including birth, first steps, etc.) going to the non-custodial parent. For a variety of painful reasons, I have been long estranged from that parent, as well as that entire branch of the family. And that is of the good. Yet it would mean so much to be able to fill in the blank slate of my childhood with images and sounds. Am I wrong for feeling as though morally this collection belongs to me? Does a child, especially an estranged child, have the right to ask for their baby pictures? And how, precisely, do I ask such a favor of a person from whom I want absolutely no other contact?
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posted by nakedcodemonkey at 4:37 PM PST - 12 comments
What percent of your income do you spend on your car payment and mortgage payment?
posted by comatose at 3:30 PM PST - 57 comments
I really, really, like Boards of Canada. What other similar music might I like?
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posted by Otis at 3:15 PM PST - 38 comments 
I have some pictures taken by somebody else using a digital camera. I am trying to match them up with a digital model to do photomontages. I need to figure out the 35mm equivalent focal distance on the shots.
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posted by signal at 2:54 PM PST - 6 comments 
I've been doing web app development for about 7 years now. Ideally I would love to get away from being a coder and go more down the technical architect route. Any tips or personal stories about making that change, or is it simply a matter of increasing your knowledge and applying for the opportunities?
posted by xmutex at 1:25 PM PST - 7 comments
Anyone know the laws regarding video surveillance in apartment complexes? My crazy landlord has taken to using security cameras in the commons area to harass tenants...
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posted by Blingo at 1:12 PM PST - 15 comments
What is the cheapest and most user-friendly magnetic stripe card writer? (A hi-co writer is greatly preferred.)
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posted by Symeon at 12:10 PM PST - 4 comments
I am building a website for a nonprofit and they want to have a volunteer sign-up form on their site where the input can easily be turned into an e-mail list.
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posted by JuliaKM at 11:49 AM PST - 6 comments 
I want to script the "Turn Bluetooth (On|Off)" action in OSX. I don't know how. There's just a little bit...
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posted by majick at 10:43 AM PST - 6 comments
I saw this website a while ago that offered pay as you go web hosting. You would prepay and the usage (disk, bandwidth, etc) would deduct from your account. I seem to remember it being dirt cheap. Anyone know what it is?
posted by kenneth at 10:28 AM PST - 10 comments
Could someone recommend a Database Software package that is less complicated than Microsoft Access. I just need a package for entering customers' addresses and phone numbers and have six or seven fields that can be sort. As you can see, a very simple database; yet one that is effective.
Thank you!
posted by Mckoan1 at 8:22 AM PST - 13 comments 
I'll be moving to Charlotte, North Carolina in three months - and I have no clue what to expect. How do I find good online resources, specific to Charlotte, to help me figure out how to survive?
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posted by itchi23 at 8:17 AM PST - 7 comments
A friend confided in me that he has learned that a business acquaintance is doing some very illegal things (namely, soliciting children via the Internet for sex, and exchanging nude pictures with said minors). He wants to report what he's found out, but the problem is, the way he acquired the information is also highly illegal -- namely, email hacking.
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posted by justonegirl at 8:08 AM PST - 52 comments
In a rush I used a vintage wood desktop as an ironing board. Smart. My new super-powered iron seems to have caused the finish to smear and/or partially decompose into a chalky wax resin. How do I remove and repair?
posted by jeffmacintyre at 7:23 AM PST - 3 comments
Does anyone know the origin of this ubiquitous
angel print? It has followed me around all my life in the midwest... I’ve seen all sizes of prints, several different versions including fountains and nightlights.
Where did it come from?
posted by dkippe at 6:35 AM PST - 12 comments
Could anyone help me with a frustrating html / css problem relating to a glitchy display in internet explorer?
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posted by Meatbomb at 3:47 AM PST - 6 comments 
Please help me with a diagnosis of these symptoms.
My girlfriend just had what I would describe as a panic attack.
I understand we should probably talk to a doctor, but please help us out for the time-being.
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posted by Newbornstranger at 12:26 AM PST - 20 comments
April 21
More American urban sociology:
I live in a city with a diverse mix of ethnicities and cultures. How come the only people I ever see begging for spare change are either white or black? Why do I never see asians or hispanics begging? Is this a real cultural phenomenon, or am I just making false conclusions based on a too-small sample size?
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posted by kenoshakid at 11:17 PM PST - 13 comments
I have a folder of 300+ files with three digit file names. I also have a tab-delimited text file which has the current file name and the corresponding desired file name. How can I use the text file to properly rename all my files?
(This is on Mac OS X)
posted by nathan_teske at 10:45 PM PST - 14 comments 
Smith, Potter, Miller, Carter, Bishop, Thatcher, Fisher, Archer, Cook. Can anyone point me to a list of other surnames that come from occupations or come up with some other examples for me?
posted by pwb503 at 9:43 PM PST - 49 comments
TV filter: I'm a media studies major and I'm trying to find a reliable source for A.) Nielsen ratings & B.) Detailed Demographics for specific shows.
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posted by meta x zen at 9:06 PM PST - 8 comments
Have any really famous bands or even solo artists (of any genre) come from the Washington D.C. area (including Maryland and Virginia suburbs)? My friend and I were able to think of successful or even good and successful musicians from most every major city in the country except the DC area.....
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posted by skepticallypleased at 7:45 PM PST - 74 comments 
I need to try to make a business case that my internet company should start publishing RSS feeds. We like traffic, and my claim is that RSS will bring new traffic in. But I don't have a frame of reference for how much. It would be great to know, for example, what percentage of MetaFilter's users click in from an RSS reader. Any data from CNET or any other site, really, would be helpful. How much traffic growth can RSS drive?
posted by scarabic at 7:28 PM PST - 13 comments 
Is there a way to determine when a page (or a URL, for that matter) was last modified? I've seen a couple of Java suggestions, but they only give me the current date and time (and assume the page in question does not have a "this page modified on...." tag).
posted by astorias at 6:55 PM PST - 16 comments
Is melatonin present in the brains of other mammals, specifically dogs? Does it serve the same function? How unique or not unique is the brain chemistry of humans?
posted by geekhorde at 3:35 PM PST - 7 comments
I'm looking for video blogs that discuss the entertainment industry (film, music, stage, video games).
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posted by amusem at 3:35 PM PST - 7 comments
Is it okay, legally speaking, to use non-musical audio samples in a musical recording?
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posted by Durhey at 3:04 PM PST - 25 comments 
Nonprofit strategic planning and leadership skills. The groups at the forefront of environmental thinking today (or any cause, really) -- how did they become the visionary leaders? How did they get their power? Why are they considered one of the "big players?"
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posted by salvia at 2:29 PM PST - 8 comments
I have two paintings signed by Salvador Dali I am in the process in having them authenticated as legit or copies. To possibly save some resources I would like to do background on the paintings, but I am unable to find any information, any suggestions?
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posted by lutzla23 at 12:52 PM PST - 17 comments
My cat Lulu has a strange quirk - if you touch a certain spot on her tail while she's lying down, she will start kicking herself in the face. It does not seem like she wants to do this, it's more like a reflex. Could such a mechanism exist? Or is our kitty a little bit more special/brain damaged than we thought?
posted by agregoli at 12:30 PM PST - 22 comments 
"tab-gen abortion"
"a demonstration set of lams, pale green matchsticks made of compressed seaweed."
These phrases occur in a novel I'm reading; the speaker is (presumably) a gynecologist or CNP who is counseling a patient about a second-trimester abortion. I Googled and searched various medical encylopedias and came up empty. What is "tab-gen"? And are lams some kind of abortifacient suppository? Thanks.
posted by scratch at 12:10 PM PST - 8 comments 
I have renter's insurance; my roommates don't. Some of our "common area" things (TV, couch, microwave) belong to them. If I purchased these items from them for a paltry amount ($1), would my insurance cover them should an emergency occur?
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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:42 AM PST - 13 comments
I'm 20. How do I go about preparing a legal will and ensuring it will be paid due attention if I should die? And who should I pick as my executor? I live in Maryland.
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posted by schroedinger at 11:36 AM PST - 8 comments
I'm going to be out of work in two months (happily), and one thing I'm thinking of exploring is radio, both for the sheer fun of it and maybe as a career choice since when I was a kid I desperately wanted to be Johnny Fever. I have a
voice for it, I'm told, and the music knowledge, and the patter. I realize that I'll have to start out doing it for free at a college station or something, but that's cool. So, how does one go about doing this? Be as detailed as possible.
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posted by jonmc at 10:43 AM PST - 32 comments
A short while back, Levi's stopped making the 516 jeans, and the only ones that I can find in the UK are via eBay at around £70 a throw. Are there any UK-available jeans that are in the same style as the original 516's? Are they available online?
posted by gaby at 10:23 AM PST - 0 comments
Driving a Stick: Help settle the debate before I shove the gearshift up my boyfriend's wazoo...
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posted by romakimmy at 10:21 AM PST - 48 comments 
I'm looking for a bluegrass mandolin and/or guitar teacher in new york city - specifically someone near Columbia University or on the upper west side (or who would travel there for lessons).
Have tried finding one on craig's list and looked at flyers at music stores.
Any suggestions on how to find such a teacher, or knowledge of such a person?
posted by davidvan at 10:21 AM PST - 9 comments
I NEED HELP! I have quite a few projects that are in process and I need a personal assistant, girl/man friday, someone who can handle the little stuff while I do the heavy lifting.
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posted by elle.jeezy at 10:18 AM PST - 35 comments 
How should I organize or structure a Treasure Hunt for eight 5/6 year olds at a birthday party?
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posted by chr1sb0y at 10:12 AM PST - 10 comments 
Help me figure out where to live in Austin, Texas, while attending UT. Is it better to plan on walking or biking to campus, or is driving-and-parking viable? Or is there some kind of bus service that's the best bet? In any case, are there any neighborhoods where I can find a small house with a yard (I have a dog) for, say, $1200 a month or less? Thanks.
posted by lustra at 10:02 AM PST - 17 comments 
After struggling for years with depression and anxiety I've finally worked up the nerve to see a psychiatrist about it. When it's bad, it's really bad — can't-leave-the-house bad, end-up-in-the-hospital bad — but the past week or two have been good ones and right now I feel fine. (Not on top of the world, mind you, or otherwise manic, and not numb either — just
normal.) How can I make the most of my upcoming appointment with no symptoms to show?
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posted by nebulawindphone at 9:47 AM PST - 25 comments
I am an American citizen working in a company in the US that has its main outpost in the UK. I've been wanting my company to transfer me there for over two years, and have only really begun to vigorously pursue my aim last November. Currently, all bosses and middle management know about my desire to move, and they support it, but it still seems to be a process that is just dragging along. I've been told that HR in the UK now needs to speak to HR in the US, and that once that happens, I'll know more. This just sounds like it's going to take forever. Is there anything I can do to speed up the process? Would it be wise to contact HR myself?
posted by Lillitatiana at 9:22 AM PST - 3 comments
Will using aerobars on my road bike strengthen (or better yet slim!) my core?
posted by neilkod at 9:15 AM PST - 12 comments
A friend with a limited budget is looking to buy a reconditioned desktop computer. What are the best resellers to deal with? Anything in particular I should be wary of?
posted by TheManticore at 6:14 AM PST - 16 comments
When someone's heart stops and is then restarted with a defibrillator, what are the expected sequelae and the ordinary follow-up? I would assume a visit to the hospital, but what if the incident occurs in hospital?
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posted by OmieWise at 5:58 AM PST - 2 comments
In time, is the phrase "the back of seven" (for example), just after 7 o'clock or just before 8 o'clock? How does the language we use to tell the time vary from place to place?
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posted by Nugget at 2:07 AM PST - 48 comments 
I am considering accepting a job offer from a law firm that considered merging with a larger law firm within the past few years. The law firm I am considering going to has a reputation for being a good place to work because of an emphasis on collegiality, balance, etc. Most other firms in the area, including those most likely to be discussed in a merger, don't. What questions should I be asking to ensure (to the extent that I can) that if I accept this job, I won't find myself at a very different type of firm in a few years, due to a merger? I mention that the industry is law only for clarity's sake-- I imagine this scenario is common in many industries, and I'm curious how others have handled the situation.
posted by Harvey Birdman at 12:45 AM PST - 13 comments 
What’s the best way to screen an artist’s work and get some custom drawings done?
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posted by JParker at 12:32 AM PST - 5 comments
April 20
I've started getting lots of emails thanking me for my interest in a variety of services/info requests/subscriptions that I definately didn't ask for. Is this some wierd cyberstalking, or is there some new sophisticated type of spam going around?
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posted by davehat at 11:20 PM PST - 11 comments
So one of my buddies back East is flying out here to Seattle tomorrow on business (he's an apparel designer looking for cool inspirational ideas that he hopes Seattle can offer). Where should I take him?
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posted by johnstein at 10:19 PM PST - 6 comments
I can't figure out a way to browse Amazon via Listmania lists. Is there any way to do this? They show up on nearly every book page I visit, but I'd like to browse through them by user and topic.
posted by wires at 9:17 PM PST - 2 comments 
PageMakerFilter: How can I make PageMaker 7 and Acrobat 7 Pro play nice together to create 11.25x15 pdfs with a 10x14 live print area, with tabloid size PMD files as a source material. Other help with photos needed as well...
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posted by weaponsgradecarp at 8:30 PM PST - 6 comments
IHateHateHatePhotobucketFilter: Can anyone read the characters (Asian) on this bell my friend's had for about 13 years?
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posted by Lockeownzj00 at 7:38 PM PST - 18 comments 
During a recorded history lecture I was listening to recently, the professor mentioned in passing that Plato had said something to the effect that 'the Greeks never invented anything (but perfected what they borrowed)'. Can anyone point me to or quote the actual text in question, if it exists?
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posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:56 PM PST - 5 comments 
I'm looking for a simple Ajax commenting script that will allow commenters on a blog-like site to submit comments without actually leaving the page. I've found the one for Wordpress - but it seems to be a little too specialised for WP templates to be easily adaptable for my site's needs (though I will if I have to). Any links would be much appreciated.
posted by Dag Maggot at 6:44 PM PST - 5 comments 
I have a multi-pronged question about the soup-to-nuts process of movies getting onto cable television and actors getting their residual checks.
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posted by blueberry at 5:51 PM PST - 3 comments
I'm looking for 1970s / 80s era stock music that may have been used in technology-related or science-themed documentaries, film-strips, commercials for tech schools, or even narrated science museum exhibits. The music sounds very dated, probably late 70s or early 80's. There is a percolating type of rhythm, and really cheesy sounding synthesizers.
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posted by BoatMeme at 5:35 PM PST - 13 comments
My agency brought on a start-up MLM, and we need to provide software to manage the MLM salesforce, their downlines, commissions, etc. (Yeah, yeah... I know... ). In the past, for our normal clients, we've used SugarCRM to manage customers and the like. I'm wondering: can anyone recommend a good MLM management app — must have an internet interface.
posted by silusGROK at 5:25 PM PST - 8 comments
If I wanted an ecommerce site powered by something like
osCommerce and I wanted some additional functionality built that gave product previews via ajax,
similar to what NetFlix does, where should I look for a programmer to set it all up and about how much should I expect to pay?
posted by fourstar at 5:09 PM PST - 4 comments
Working on a project - please scan your memory banks - any TV or movies featuring people eating pancakes in a chain restaurant - preferably friendly not like Jack going off on the waitress in FIVE EASY PIECES ... Thanks!
posted by jbelkin at 4:22 PM PST - 18 comments
Comcast vs. DirecTV in Seattle Eastside? I'm moving soon and need advice on telephone, internet and television.
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posted by frogan at 2:32 PM PST - 12 comments
my hard drives recently perfomed some weird format-like trick on me recently and i need to restore the data
I've tried a couple of different 'repair' programs to no avail.
help!
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posted by quantumonkey at 2:13 PM PST - 5 comments
I'm selling my house myself without an agent. If an agent claiming to be a "buyer's agent" contacts me, tours my house for their client and ends up having their client buy my house, do I have to pay that agent? I didn't solicit their services, so I don't think I should have to pay, but I'm confused about things I've been reading.
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posted by SheIsMighty at 2:09 PM PST - 13 comments
I'm looking for a font a lot like
Trajan, but with lowercase letters included. Any ideas? Free or low-cost is good, but not required. This is for a website - display, not text.
posted by expialidocious at 1:50 PM PST - 6 comments
1. fail to show up for orthodontist consultation
2. ex-wife gets the account in her name
3. profit!
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posted by auntbunny at 1:29 PM PST - 17 comments
Do my boyfriend and I have a chance at long-term happiness if we lack a hot "spark" when it comes to our sexual attraction for each other?
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posted by VegasAnna at 1:24 PM PST - 67 comments
Our band recently recorded, produced, and distributed an album that has an explicit lyric. What are the legal ramifications of distributing music with explicit lyrics without that label?
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posted by joecacti at 1:10 PM PST - 7 comments
I have an errant .jar file that seems to hang from time to time. I would like to automate it's restart. I know how to perform a close or kill of a standard windows application, how is this done to a .jar file within the Java environment?
posted by kc0dxh at 12:19 PM PST - 7 comments
Webpage disappearing act: My blog's index page is showing up blank, however all the archived pages are there and function perfectly. What's going on?
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posted by me3dia at 12:04 PM PST - 12 comments 
I recently fell into ownership of a Palm Tungsten E2. I'd like to use this tool to help plan and execute a trip to Ireland that my wife and I will be taking with friends this fall. Help?
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posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:41 AM PST - 1 comments
Is there a web-based program for collaborative statistical analysis (preferably with pretty pictures)?
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posted by grobstein at 11:40 AM PST - 1 comments
I'm looking for information on joke copyrights -- specifically, what is considered fair use? Any links to resources on the subject would be appreciated.
posted by paulrockNJ at 11:29 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm thinking about running Windows on an Apple Intel laptop. Unfortunately one of the apps I use needs a hardware dongle on the parallel port. So I'm wondering whether one can attach a USB/parallel adapter, attach the dongle to that (maybe requires a gender bender) and have the app see the dongle that way. Or is the interaction between the app and dongle too low-level for that? Any help would be appreciated. I can't quite bring myself to buy an intel apple, buy windows xp, load it all up, and then find out I'm SOL.
Thanks in Advance.
posted by thayerg at 11:28 AM PST - 7 comments
MenstrualCycleFilter: So it seems that I'm being plagued by light-to-heavy spotting every couple weeks...
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posted by zippity at 11:13 AM PST - 17 comments 
I've fallen far behind in archiving my gmail Inbox and would like to clear it out. How can I archive every single message (more than 4,000) that's in there now?
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posted by davebug at 11:03 AM PST - 15 comments
When it came time for me to think about where my life was going, my parents let me know a couple things:
- they made enough money that the Canadian government wouldn't let them off the hook for helping to pay for my education, so student loans were reduced.
- they weren't going to/weren't able to help me with paying for my education anyway.
Consequently I never went to college or university. I've managed all right without any training or degrees, though not as well as I likely would have. I suspect I will never have time/opportunity/money to fix this.
My daughter will be born in late June. What can I do now (in Canada) to make sure she has better opportunities than I did?
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:59 AM PST - 23 comments
You are taking a walk around a public place in your city or town. This place is relatively new to you. If you had the opportunity to annotate a map and 'mark up' five categories of interest or experience, which five categories or types of sites might you choose to identify? Sensory experience? Social interaction? Sites of commerce? None of the above? Be as specific or general as you please.
posted by pinto at 10:44 AM PST - 20 comments
Every few minutes or so my Firefox browser freezes up (which freezes up my entire system) and I get an error box eventually that says "A script on this page may be busy, or it may have stopped responding. You can stop the script now, or you can continue to see if the script will complete."
Then it gives me an option to "stop script" or "continue". I am tired of doing this every few minutes or so. Please help.
posted by sandra194 at 10:40 AM PST - 18 comments
Gots me a bike, and now I gots me some questions(Repair cost estimates and what kind of freakin' bike it is, to be precise).
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posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:15 AM PST - 18 comments
I need help passing my driver's test. I'm 24 years old, and through a combination of laziness and attending college in a city with a great public transportation system, I managed to avoid driving for most of my life. Until now. So far, I've taken the test twice and failed both times. Each time I get behind the wheel with the examiner sitting right next to me, I get so incredibly anxious and nervous that all of my rational driving skills go out the window. I need all your war stories, tips, tricks, pointers, etc. on how to get through this.
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posted by anonymous at 10:15 AM PST - 28 comments
I'd like to transport frozen food (ice cream) and refrigerated food on an airplane from San Francisco. Is this possible? I think the optimal plan will involve dry ice for the ice cream. Where can I get it in San Francisco?
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posted by stuart_s at 9:46 AM PST - 11 comments 
I need to be able to print/view & scan colors accurately. What is the best way to go about setting up color profiles for multiple printers, a scanner & a monitor for the best "wysiwyg"?
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posted by Alpenglow at 9:45 AM PST - 2 comments
Has anyone ever used low-cost airlines to cobble together a round-the-world-style ticket made up of short-hop flights? Because I'm thinking about it. A lot.
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posted by mdonley at 9:41 AM PST - 17 comments
Looking for light music with "easy" rhithm for dans improvisation lessons.
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posted by Akeem at 9:25 AM PST - 3 comments 
Our company creates Flash presentations used in marketing (mostly) IT products and services. You can see the kind of stuff we do on our website, linked in my contact info. We do the research and writing -- where need help is in coming up and executing animation ideas. Only very basic Actionscript is required.
posted by bmckenzie at 9:07 AM PST - 3 comments
Where does the phrase "clean up on isle five" come from and what exactly does it mean?
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posted by bloo at 7:27 AM PST - 28 comments 
I'm searching for a Mac-friendly online trade broker. Something with great tools that I can use for up-to-the-soonaspossible statistics and whatnot. Any recommendations?
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posted by travis vocino at 6:26 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm going to be in Seattle for a few days and wonder what's a better day-trip for a couple of hours of hiking--Mt. St. Helen's or Mt. Rainier? What's the general travel time by car between Seattle and either of the two parks? Which offers the most scene route? I'm a light hiker, good for 2-3 hours or so. Would welcome route recommendations as well.
posted by quintno at 6:14 AM PST - 13 comments
I am looking for a good IP scanning program. I have been using Superscan, and Angry IP scanner. But both are lacking in some ways.
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posted by JonnyRotten at 6:12 AM PST - 5 comments
I wondered if someone could point me in the right direction on a problem I'm having http-posting from Macromedia Flash 8.
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posted by seanyboy at 3:40 AM PST - 4 comments 
I need help extracting hundreds of attachments from Mozilla Thunderbird.
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posted by fake at 1:32 AM PST - 6 comments 
April 19
Recently, Acrobat has stopped opening pdf's in my firefox browser. It works fine in internet explorer, but I'd rather stay away from that particular program. I've tried reinstalling, updating, changing preferences and more. Anybody else experiencing this?
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posted by gilsonal at 10:45 PM PST - 12 comments 
I'm in a situation where two girls who are friends with each other have both given me their phone numbers (in the context of a speed dating situation). This is not a secret to either of them.
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posted by anonymous at 9:21 PM PST - 34 comments
Writing for the silver screen (from a novice's view). I have the idea that I can write a few good scripts (screenplays) and if they make the grade, find an agent and make some side money. What is right and/or wrong with this idea?
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posted by snsranch at 8:02 PM PST - 32 comments
Does anyone remember the plastic chain charm necklaces that were such a hit in the 1980s?
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posted by brina at 7:25 PM PST - 15 comments 
So I'm trying to implement a webservice for a class project using Apache Axis, and I'm having some weird classpath (I think) issues.
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posted by middleclasstool at 7:01 PM PST - 6 comments
Bi- and multilingual mefites - in languages other than English, what are the generic rhymes that appear again and again in lyrics and poems?
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posted by RokkitNite at 6:56 PM PST - 27 comments 
Where can I find clear and direct laws regarding the playback of backed-up music at a place of business in the United States?
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posted by Dean Keaton at 6:40 PM PST - 25 comments
Canon In D: "Pachelbel's Canon" sheet music for viola and cello. Dad's having problems finding downloadable FREE sheet music for his high school-aged daughters.
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posted by spock at 6:39 PM PST - 5 comments
I've been talking with a wonderful person online, and we're meeting up soon. But I'm at a loss as to what we should converse about, and it's not because we don't have anything in common! Please suggest areas of conversation!
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posted by anonymous at 5:41 PM PST - 17 comments
BostonFilter: I'm annoyed that I can't find info about this online anywhere, but is the
MBTA doing their usual fare-free subway and bus rides on
Earth Day this year (4/22)? I'm having a housewarming party that day, and I want to invite all my out-of-town friends up early to frolic around town. Their Web site tells me nothing, nor does Boston.com.
posted by mykescipark at 5:37 PM PST - 5 comments
Looking for techniques on how to deaden an isolation booth in which we are recording drums.
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posted by jon_kill at 3:39 PM PST - 15 comments
A/V nerdfilter: I'm looking to control a 9x9 array of LCD screens driven by a computer for an art installation. What's the best/cheapest way to set this up?
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posted by unlicensedarchitect at 3:34 PM PST - 13 comments
What are the best ways to track referrer links & to track traffic to a Livejournal account or community?
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posted by tastybrains at 2:39 PM PST - 1 comments
I was looking to get a nice big Apple cinema display for photo work (photoshop, etc.), a bit of web page design, and the like. Question is, if i'm not doing anything else that hardcore -- editing full-length movies, etc. -- could I just get a Macmini to run the applications? I could save a lot of dough over buying a full G5 ... any thoughts?
posted by jgballard at 2:31 PM PST - 15 comments
I live in a converted warehouse space, and my bedroom has no windows and isn't against an outside wall. Because of allergies to my roommate's dog, I prefer to keep my door closed. Any tips on cooling a sealed room?
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posted by billyfleetwood at 2:29 PM PST - 9 comments
I'm going to buy a bird-feeder for my back garden, but I roll my eyes at the old lady down the road that throws bread crusts on to the pavement for pigeons? Am I a hypocrite?
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posted by calico at 2:24 PM PST - 12 comments
I recently bought a house that fronts a busy street that is also quite popular with the bass thumping, custom exhaust crowd. Anyone have any advice on building a tasteful noise abatement fence or wall?
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posted by TahitiBlue at 2:21 PM PST - 15 comments
I got a 2002 Subaru Legacy GT wagon for my 16th birthday and I hate it. It's slow, boring, and gets about 20 MPG. (more details inside)
I would really love to get a new car, probably for 12k max.
any ideas on getting my parents to let me get a new one?
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posted by joshuak at 2:04 PM PST - 77 comments 
I'm trying to get into the spirit of "Web 2.0"-ish
news sites -- the ones that let users tag, vote on, share and produce their own stories. But contrasted with the fireside feeling of reading blogs, the news-aggregator experience has seemed sort of cold, fragmented and short on users. What hot, promising or lively user-generated news services have you discovered?
posted by johngoren at 2:03 PM PST - 2 comments
I'm building a dingus (a pavilion, pergola, what have you)
similar to this, and I'd like to get some fast growing leafy vines to provide shade in the summer. I live in upstate New York (zone 3 or 4), and the area will get a good amount of direct sun. Any suggestions? I was thinking American Bittersweet - any pros or cons to that?
posted by juliewhite at 1:46 PM PST - 13 comments 
I was just reading about how those massive, gas-hogging Ford F-350 etc pickup trucks are the bestselling "cars" in the United States, by a huge margin. While this seems absurd during $3 a gallon gas, I wonder when this started becoming the case that pickup trucks were the top sellers. This is just anecdotal, but it seems to me that in the 1970s the only people who drove the then quite smaller pickup trucks were people who used them for work. I can't quite believe there are that many independent contractors in the US who need to buy these outsized vehicles. As they suffer (most seemingly quite rightfully) at the pump, does anyone know where to find historical car sales data -- i.e., when did Ford pickups become the most popular car in America?
posted by dearleader at 1:46 PM PST - 30 comments
I need miniature cans or bottles. I need approx. 200 in each of four colors, with a diameter of about half an inch.
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posted by blueshammer at 1:46 PM PST - 4 comments 
I'm looking for a free service or free software that will allow me to send broadcast phone message(s) to several group members?
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posted by johnd101 at 1:22 PM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking for a specific software program I used a few years ago. It was one of those "boss key" programs to hide windows you're working in.
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posted by etoile at 1:12 PM PST - 6 comments
Tax Filter: I still haven't filed my taxes from 2 years ago. Mainly because I am not sure what the cheapest, easiest way to do it is. Please advise this procastinator! (more inside)
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posted by Parannoyed at 12:49 PM PST - 10 comments 
ASP include files. Is there a way of including the same ASP file across several websites all hosted on the same server?
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posted by derbs at 12:36 PM PST - 5 comments 
Do I need to go through "sportsman education training" in order to obtain a New York State fishing license?
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posted by ducksauce at 12:03 PM PST - 3 comments 
An odd one and a tough call, perhaps, but it would make life easier: are there any Polish speakers out there who could point me to a Polish-language recipe site containing recipes for Spanish dishes, in Polish? And since I don't speak Polish, could you give me some direct links to the relevant pages?
posted by Holly at 11:57 AM PST - 4 comments 
I am looking for a Windows app that provides an onscreen visual cue when any sounds are played. It would be nice if the cue happened regardless of the status of the master mute. I'm having a tough time searching for this type of app without getting volume control widgets, etc.
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posted by ding3r at 11:57 AM PST - 4 comments
Good people of Metafilter, what's the best place in the Boston area to get a car repainted?
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posted by killdevil at 11:57 AM PST - 4 comments
I never restart the computer when I install things on Windows XP. I go weeks without rebooting, installing multiple programs. I've never had a problem. Two questions: 1) Why do so many programs require this? and 2) What's the potential for harm from ignoring their suggestion?
posted by pornucopia at 11:26 AM PST - 9 comments 
mod_perl madness! How do I choose between different perl modules at compile (such as it is) time? I'm trying to get a program to be able to run under either mod_perl or mod_perl2 (apache 1.3.x and apache 2.0.x, respectively). Almost all of the version specific stuff can be abstracted out, except...
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posted by Captain_Tenille at 11:07 AM PST - 8 comments
How do I tailor my resume to a position I have no direct experience in? Bonus: What to do about employers who think I want to have babies?
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posted by jessica at 10:31 AM PST - 14 comments
How to best teach children memory techniques to remember long numbers? I'm talking of mnemo techniques where you associate pictures to numbers. Like a wheel represents 0, a candle represents 1, a swan represents 2, etc. I know how to learn these as an adult, but are there any strategies adapted to children?
posted by Daldianus at 10:27 AM PST - 5 comments
DogFartFilter: My 2 year old Catahoula mix has truly repellant flatulence. Bad enough to make me leave a can of Ozium in each room.
How can we turn down the stink volume on her gas?
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posted by fenriq at 10:02 AM PST - 20 comments
My wife showed up to traffic court to take her lumps, but the clerks were mass-dismissing cases without even letting people in to see the judges. What gives?
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posted by mph at 9:52 AM PST - 12 comments
I'm interested in any tips, tricks, and advice on cultivating mental endurance.
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posted by moira at 9:50 AM PST - 13 comments
Ok, somebody HAS to know where this is from. I've been hearing it a lot lately and am pulling my hair out trying to figure out where this saying originated. If you know where the phrase "Winner winner chicken dinner" came from, please let me know. Thanks!
posted by charlesroper at 9:48 AM PST - 7 comments
How can I implement bi-directional synchronized table changes in a mySQL database and Microsoft Access?
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posted by mic stand at 9:33 AM PST - 6 comments
Why does my heart rate vary drastically day-to-day during cardio? 120 one day then 160 the next under same conditions.
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posted by wolfkult at 9:10 AM PST - 12 comments
Baseball Score Probabilities: Is it any more likely that the combined score of a Major League Baseball game will be even than odd (or vice versa)?
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posted by The Bellman at 9:09 AM PST - 16 comments 
My outlook express kept suggesting I "compact" deleted messages to save space. I finally acquiesced, and now the messages in my inbox and every deleted message from the last year are missing. Any idea whether they're recoverable?
posted by mert at 8:29 AM PST - 4 comments 
remember that time i was
going to china? i need to pick up our visas (which are ready), but it looks like the visa office is closed (for 'office overhaul') for the next 2 days, and our flight leaves before the office opens friday! help!
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posted by soma lkzx at 6:47 AM PST - 10 comments 
Specifically and exactly what kind of USB cable do I need for an iRiver IFP-180T mp3 player?
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posted by 23skidoo at 6:05 AM PST - 10 comments
Please teach me how to use a notebook. Yes, the paper kind. I've tried to go paperless, but I find that there are too many constraints to taking notes on a computer. I like the advantages of using a notebook: freedom, doodling, portable, easy to page-through and review. Ideas just flow when I use paper and a pen. I find that I don't review notes kept on my computer. With a notebook, I can page through a find ideas and thoughts from last month. With that said, I have a hard time sticking with using the notebook.
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posted by jpep at 5:27 AM PST - 20 comments
How would one create a web page showing a 3D rotating cube, with sides of the cube displaying arbitrary visitor-supplied images as their faces?
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posted by weston at 3:11 AM PST - 27 comments
Seeking practical advice on starting with Joomla in Dreamhost. After asking about Dreamhost and reviewing different CMS', I've decided on Dreamhost and Joomla for a webpage I'm creating.
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posted by BigBrownBear at 1:00 AM PST - 11 comments
Planning a bachelor party in/or near Louisiana. Looking for either a lake house, boat or other to rent for ~17 people for the weekend. Not the typical New Orleans thing. Suggestions?
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posted by donmayo at 12:37 AM PST - 1 comments
April 18
I am a shift worker in the UK. Am I entitled to a day off in lieu if a bank holiday falls on a rest or non-work day?
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posted by mikeanegus at 11:51 PM PST - 7 comments
What is any easy way to securely share a newsletter online to my fellow club members?This would entail 100 members downloading 20-30 mb newsletters quarterly.
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posted by plumberonkarst at 10:56 PM PST - 8 comments 
My wife wants to start a business making art for kids. She plans to make an original painting and then customize a canvas print with a kid's name. Any suggestions on an inexpensive way to get canvas prints? Any way to order such a service wholesale?
posted by Shanachie at 9:55 PM PST - 5 comments
In
this interesting fpp about the 2005 National Recording Registry, 'audio experts' are quoted as saying "too few people have the skills to preserve many at-risk analog sound materials." Where would one obtain these skills?
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posted by starscream at 9:46 PM PST - 5 comments
[tax filter]
I cashed in a UK endowment policy in 2005. I was paying GBP X per month from Sep 1989 until Apr 2005, and then sold the policy for GBP Y. What is the cost basis for US tax purposes? [more inside]
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posted by blue_wardrobe at 8:32 PM PST - 2 comments
I was involved in an hit and run accident as a pedestrian a little over a year ago, and I've got some questions about contributory negligence.
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posted by SweetJesus at 8:30 PM PST - 26 comments 
I'm new to C# and XML and want to create an XML parser to display weather data. I've seen XML parsers online that read from an XML file, however the XML weather data I want comes from yahoo.com as http://xml.weather.yahoo.com/forecastrss?p=location
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posted by deeman at 8:18 PM PST - 5 comments
PianoFilter: I'm a long-time pianist, but for some years (since an aborted college education), I've focused on popular music - or my own pop/rock compositions - to the exclusion of almost anything classical. Now I'm looking to remedy that error.
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posted by The Confessor at 7:29 PM PST - 4 comments 
Has there ever been a study to determine the differences between damage to the vagina found in rape, and damage resulting from consensual sex.... (more inside)
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posted by sourbrew at 6:13 PM PST - 25 comments 
I want to learn everything there is to know about the vocal technique found in metal and hard rock wherein the singer makes his/her voice get all 'raspy'.
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posted by BruceL at 5:01 PM PST - 11 comments 
Military briefings. A friend of a friend works as a consultant for the military. This person briefs soldiers before they go off on missions. What goes on in these briefings?
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posted by acoutu at 4:47 PM PST - 12 comments 
In the early 1970s (?) there was a subscription book series sold by Time Life Books. This was a wonderfully selected collection of reading material that I enjoyed reading every month. My set was destroyed in a fire and I am rebuilding it a book at a time from used book stores. Where can I find a complete list of the paperback titles published by Time-Life Books in this series? I can account for 91 titles. Were there more than 91 titles published?
posted by Raybun at 4:20 PM PST - 5 comments 
My brand new Sony Ericsson W600i needs a female name to match its orange-red exterior.
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posted by onalark at 4:03 PM PST - 18 comments 
My USB2 hard drive will only stay mounted if I keep accessing it. If I don't, within 5 hours or fewer, I can't access files on the drive or even do a directory listing. I can then unmount the HD, power cycle it, and it will mount again as if nothing had happened. If I keep accessing the disk, say by continuously playing an MP3 mix on it, the disk acts completely normal: uptime now (with MP3s playing) is something like 20 hours without the shadow of a problem.
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posted by rwhe at 2:55 PM PST - 12 comments 
Libel Filter: I am cutting and pasting this question on behalf of a friend. I have seen question in MF that are kind of similar, but I think this one has a twist.
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posted by sandra_s at 2:21 PM PST - 11 comments
Can someone help me identify this movie? It was a late 80s or early 90s film about a young American filmmaker.
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posted by zaebiz at 2:18 PM PST - 8 comments 
I'm in my mid 30s. I just looked at my retirement accounts (401K, SEP-IRA, stocks and CDs). These also total in the mid 30s. Am I on track?
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posted by DonnieSticks at 2:12 PM PST - 17 comments
My friends and I are considering participating in the
Keswick to Barrow 40 mile scenic walk (for charity). We are in varying states of fitness. Are we insane?
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posted by Acey at 2:06 PM PST - 15 comments
Where can I go online for cheap, fast manufacturing of a small plastic/foam widget, on the order of 100-1000 in number?
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posted by griffey at 12:52 PM PST - 7 comments
Is there a social networking site that would be the opposite of myspace.com. It's just a little bubble gum for my taste. I joined flork.com and that is a good one but a bit thin in membership. I really like the opinions and attitude here at Meta....I'm not looking to hook up or find a date but meet people with similar world views. Maybe Meta should start a social network....In any event all replies are welcome.
posted by jamie939 at 11:14 AM PST - 16 comments 
Does the US Department of Agriculture prohibit the use of growth hormones on meat raised for consumption? What other chemicals / additives are prohibited?
posted by luriete at 11:04 AM PST - 3 comments
I’m looking for organizations/agencies that arrange group international travel.
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posted by bwilms at 10:42 AM PST - 2 comments
Recently I have been getting emails from my domain bounced back to me from other peoples' automated anti-spam catchers. The problem is that I am not sending these emails...
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posted by untuckedshirts at 10:02 AM PST - 14 comments
I want to install WinXP on my new iMac DuoCore. Is there a difference between using an OEM install disk (legal original) and a full boxed retail install disk?
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posted by I, Credulous at 9:55 AM PST - 19 comments 
I'm looking for a specific blog about a Canadian couple who drove across the 48 U.S. states in a certain number of days, and then later biked across Australia.
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posted by hooray at 9:16 AM PST - 4 comments 
Lately I've been getting more and more spams where the content is delivered as an image. There's no keywords to filter; even the image filename and subject are random words. Are such messages unfilterable?
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posted by zek at 8:36 AM PST - 14 comments
This must have been discussed before. But could not find good answers via quick searching. I am looking for good website and blogs that would help me plan trips.
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posted by flyby22 at 7:37 AM PST - 7 comments
I have a huge list of unique identifiers. A person needs to enter, for each one of those identifiers, a list of tags, and I'd like to make it really easy for them to tab-complete those tags, based on the ones they've already entered.
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posted by dmd at 7:34 AM PST - 10 comments 
The small (450 students) private school I represent is looking for a new web design/host firm. Our present web firm designed, technically maintains, programs and hosts (through Pair) our site. We do daily updates - new dates, events, etc.
We don't know where to begin in looking for a new firm. What is the process? What are the half a dozen critical questions to ask, capabilities to look for?
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posted by feelinggood at 6:59 AM PST - 7 comments
I have a lot of free time now that I'm single again, but I don't really know what to do with it. Help?
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posted by anonymous at 6:55 AM PST - 22 comments
Game show-filter: How is the amount of money the Banker offers the player calculated on the show "Deal or No Deal?" My friends and I typically predict the amount within $10k, but I want to know the exact algorithm. Any ideas?
posted by LouMac at 6:46 AM PST - 18 comments
My husband and I (and our five month old son) are thinking of relocating from Austin to Houston, but we really know very little about the area. We're looking for some advice/recommendations about neighborhoods and suburbs in the greater metropolitan area, particularly those within a reasonable commute to UH.
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posted by roundrock at 6:43 AM PST - 9 comments 
I'm about to buy a light-tent to photograph wine bottles for use on a website. Anything I need to know?
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posted by xoe26 at 4:49 AM PST - 7 comments
Who gets to vote in US Presidential elections? Specifically, what are the rules for expats, Guam, and other edge cases?
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posted by ryanrs at 2:14 AM PST - 4 comments
A friend of mine is moving into a new house and I'm planning to bring her bread, salt, and wine on my first visit. Where do I find primo artisan bread in Los Angeles and what reasonably priced wine would the hive mind recommend to go with a meal of bread and salt?
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posted by rdr at 12:54 AM PST - 17 comments
How do journalists make contacts to conduct interviews ?
I am trying to write freelance but i need to interview the subjects of my story but many do not respond to my inquiry through email.
posted by Yiba at 12:41 AM PST - 20 comments 
April 17
What's a good way to add a 'distressed' look to a graphic? i.e. if I was screen printing and wanted to make a graphic look old and worn out, like a worn out t-shirt.
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posted by Paris Hilton at 11:48 PM PST - 11 comments 
Clicking Tracking: there is
MeasureMap,
PMetrics,
BlogBeat,
Crazy Egg, but
Google Analytics is apparently the best. What other tools and services for tracking your visitors would you suggest? I am about to start a new web design blog, but I don't know which tool I should use. Which are better? Which would you use for blogs and which for "normal" web-sites?
posted by volandmast at 11:23 PM PST - 2 comments
Do you know of any really neat alternative high schools in the Western United States? What's so neat about them? What ideas from them can I cheerfully steal and use in my own teaching?
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posted by mhespenheide at 11:13 PM PST - 2 comments
Has anyone ever started a record label? I would like some advice (other than "Quit while you're ahead").
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posted by lovetragedy at 10:58 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm currently using a computer with Windows x64 as its operating system and I need to log into a tax website to file my taxes, but the website does not support my operating system. I've tried Firefox, IE, and Opera, so it is definitely the operating system. Is there a plugin for any of the above mentioned browsers that will identify my operating system as plain ol' vanilla Windows XP?
posted by Mijo Bijo at 9:05 PM PST - 11 comments 
I recently traded in my ancient cell phone for a Motorola Razr (*cringe*) phone. How would I transfer pictures to my computer?
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posted by special-k at 9:03 PM PST - 9 comments 
I'm visiting China (Beijing and Shanghai) and Thailand this summer and fall. However, I'm a baseball fan. Does anyone know of any bars or anywhere where I can see some baseball games? I know soccer is huge everywhere but what is a baseball fan to do?
posted by josher71 at 8:56 PM PST - 7 comments
So every Easter my family has an egg cracking contest using hardboiled eggs. You pair off with a partner, smash your eggs together, and whoever's egg does not crack goes on to the next round until you are left with one winner. My question is, why does only one egg break? They never both crack, no matter how they are smashed together.
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posted by banished at 7:56 PM PST - 33 comments 
ParanoiaFilter: Several years ago I was riding down a Southern interstate and I was passed by a convoy of five or so SUVs. Everything except the front windows on the bodies was covered with what appeared to be black padding. No license plates that I could see. They gave me the sense of being military, but what the heck was the padding all about?
posted by thebrokedown at 7:23 PM PST - 16 comments 
Teaching English in Germany, or other jobs for English speakers for a non-German speaker: possible? how?
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posted by ori at 7:18 PM PST - 7 comments
Why do people with cancer burp constantly. My mother, who died of cancer (ovarian) and my brother, who I am currently taking care of (lung, liver and now brain cancer) , both burped almost non-stop after eating and during episodes of nausea and extreme pain or discomfort. Just curious. I don't want to ask this in front of my brother at his doctors appointment. Thank you in advance...
posted by orlin at 7:08 PM PST - 10 comments 
I remember back in the eighties when a huge output of oil came from the United States, particularly three states: Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. My question is simple - What Happened??? Why isn't there a lot of oil coming out of those states anymore? I have heard about "capped" wells and don't understand. Are companies still drilling in the oil rich states? If so, why can't it be increased to deal with the current Middle East oil supply? Inquiring gasoline consumers want to know!
posted by Gerard Sorme at 6:04 PM PST - 21 comments
What are the best mini or micro radio tuners? The PAL radio by Henry Kloss is good, but to big. Some thing that can be carried on ones person would be good.
posted by flummox at 5:35 PM PST - 2 comments
Research: Where should I look for stories or journalism about the type of thing that happened in the Superdome during Katrina, specifically where people believed (and reported to the press) that they had seen horrific acts that later were determined never to have taken place? I'm not even sure what the correct term would be (mass hysteria?) but I'm interested in the unreliability of primary sources in journalism, especially as it relates to Katrina.
posted by klangklangston at 4:05 PM PST - 11 comments
I want to take a bunch of numerical data (say, survey results) found in Word documents in roughly tabular form (though not in tables per se) and run simple statistical analyses on them. What's the best way to do this?
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posted by shivohum at 4:00 PM PST - 10 comments
My daughter's exhaustive search on the internet for free Bell ringtones for her Kyocera 5135 cellphone ended in her being empty-handed (and rather grumpy). Help me find some.
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posted by rinkjustice at 3:56 PM PST - 3 comments
We've decided to get rid of our landline and go with a softphone. The question is: which to choose? We have cable internet. We'd need call in (our own phone number) and call out (ability to call landlines from our PC). For the most part, we'd be talking to people with landlines. I know we can't dial 911 with these-- we have an old cell phone (no more minutes left, but kept charged up) for this purpose. What's better? Skype? Gizmo? Yahoo? Or something else?
We know that USB handsets are available with Skype-- what about the others? Also, how would this work with a home network? Are we restricted to calling from one PC or can we do it from any PC in the house?
posted by Shoeburyness at 3:26 PM PST - 8 comments 
How have different tv shows or movie franchises dealt with the death of actors between episodes/seasons/films?
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posted by Robot Johnny at 2:43 PM PST - 54 comments
If someone has a chronic health condition, and accepts a job at a small U.S. company, how likely is it that health insurance premiums will go up for employees at that company?
posted by anonymous at 1:57 PM PST - 6 comments
Very rarely after orgasm, I'll get a bizarre, indescribable pain in my penis (this is the reason I haven't been able to google it). It's almost like it's tingling, but in an incredibly uncomfortable way.
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posted by anonymous at 1:57 PM PST - 11 comments
eBayFilter: A friend is considering selling "stuff" part-time on eBay, but doesn't exactly know what he should sell.
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posted by bjork24 at 1:39 PM PST - 6 comments
We've seen adverts extolling the virtues of probiotics for years, now. On the TV a few minutes ago I was informed that Weetaflakes contain prebiotics. What's the difference? Should I care?
posted by rhodri at 1:06 PM PST - 5 comments
I'm interested in like, traveling and doing some volunteer work. You know, where you go somewhere do some charity work for a week or two, then come home. What organizations arrange these sorts of things?
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posted by delmoi at 12:51 PM PST - 11 comments
Tree-filter: on I-10, between Phoenix and Tuscon (near Eloy), the interstate cuts right through some sort of tree farm / grove. What kind of trees are they?
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posted by bshort at 12:08 PM PST - 10 comments 
What are some good examples of technologies that end up being used for different or more numerous purposes than originally intended?
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posted by TunnelArmr at 12:04 PM PST - 39 comments
Does anyone know what the tax filing business code is for a graphic designer?
posted by ryanissuper at 11:56 AM PST - 1 comments 
Any recommendations for physiotherapists in Vancouver, BC? Alternately, ideas as to what I should look for and/or avoid?
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posted by solid-one-love at 11:34 AM PST - 6 comments
Does adding garlic pills regularly to one's intake really help or is this just another fad without merit?
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posted by Postroad at 11:08 AM PST - 12 comments
My backyard is infested with suicidal worms. We have a pool. I've left the cover off this winter as it allows the filter to work better, but the bottom of the pool is covered in worms that have drowned themselves. Vacuuming the bottom at least every two weeks. Where are they coming from, as I never see them crawling across the deck towards the pool, even in the rain, and why are they doing this?
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posted by Keith Talent at 10:58 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm looking to get a small-run high-quality DVD packaging manufactured in the U.S...
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posted by still at 10:27 AM PST - 4 comments
What is the best morning routine, especially for someone who is (a) in college and (b) wants to fight something starting to look like internet addiction?
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posted by Ash3000 at 9:02 AM PST - 12 comments
Looking for amazing local music from Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic and the Netherlands.
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posted by evadery at 8:44 AM PST - 13 comments 
Where in the New York City area (withing 2-hour driving radius) can I take sailboarding lessons?
posted by skwm at 8:41 AM PST - 1 comments
I just got the oil changed in the car. I usually get them to put in 20-50, but this time they only had 15-45 or whatever it is. Problem is that I have about 10 quarts of the former and none of the latter in my trunk. When I top off the oil in the coming months, can I use the heavier stuff, or should I get the lighter?
posted by zorro astor at 8:40 AM PST - 11 comments
Advice for a perspective kiteboarder?
I live right near the beach in Toronto and after a couple of years of watching, I'd like to try kiteboarding.
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posted by dripdripdrop at 8:21 AM PST - 5 comments
I've seen several DIY shows on BBC America where ceramic wall tiles are painted using products described as 'new' - within the last 5 years - tile primers followed by paint and more recently, self-priming tile paint applied directly to the tiles. I've searched DIY sites and googled extensively, but I've yet to find a source in the US.
posted by carriest at 8:11 AM PST - 3 comments
Our dog was recently diagnosed with a mild form of canine
Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS). The vet prescribed 5mg Anipryl, which costs $100/month. I could get generic Selegiline from petmeds.com for $12/month. So I was wondering if anyone has had any experience of CDS in dogs, and using either med. Thanks!
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posted by carter at 7:36 AM PST - 2 comments
I am selling several rare 7" records on ebay. Since a few of them look like they will sell for $30-$80, I am am now concerned about how to best protect them when I mail them out. Can I cut out cardboard and use bubble wrap or should I purchase boxes specifically made for 45s? Any tips would be appreciated...
posted by toddst at 7:29 AM PST - 11 comments
PDF-Filter: I have to take one (4-page) .pdf file, and save it as two (2-page) .pdf files. One file will be pages 1 and 2, the second file will be pages 3 and 4.
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posted by kevin_2864212 at 7:26 AM PST - 6 comments
I need help and advice on buying a good digital camera and some resources on digital photography for a beginner.
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posted by katyggls at 7:19 AM PST - 30 comments 
I wish to purchase a book and need it immediately, there is a PDF option but it appears that it uses some strict DRM -- such as only being able to use it on one computer.
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posted by geoff. at 7:08 AM PST - 16 comments
On the NYT.com front page this morning, there is an advertisement for a hybrid Lexus SUV. It's just a picture of the SUV that says "look at the new Lexus" or something, but at the bottom near the rear wheel there is a watermelon. Why is there a watermelon?
posted by ohio at 6:55 AM PST - 7 comments
I make more money than my boyfriend. Normally this isn't a big deal, and has pretty much never come into play in our relationship (we've been together over a year). But lately he's been broke (his work's dependent on the weather, which has been crappy lately and so he hasn't been able to work much, thru no fault of his own). I'm in a position to help, but the situation seems rather delicate. Thoughts about how to proceed?
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posted by anonymous at 6:43 AM PST - 26 comments
I have some vintage clothes with permanent accidental creases in unwanted places. I was wondering how to remove them. One on a leather jacket and one is on a denim shirt.
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posted by lukeomalley at 6:37 AM PST - 3 comments
There's a lot of threads here about the meaning of art, and also a lot of great stuff about the beauty of CD cover art. What I want to know, is what it all means. Why do so many CDs featuring a white line art border, sort of like Victorian wall paper? Is there a way to tell what sort of music is inside by the picture outside? Is there a secret language of icons or symbology? Or is it just packaging? And if it is, is there some kind of marketing ploy to attract particular audiences? Does a sepia cover with a guitar and boots always mean country music? How am I being manipulated by album art? And where can I learn more about what it means, not just what it looks like?
Thanks
posted by b33j at 5:16 AM PST - 13 comments 
April 16
I'm going to start my second year of college in September. Only problem? I have no idea which college I'll be at. Help me out.
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posted by punishinglemur at 9:57 PM PST - 25 comments
Where can I find California court records by case number or name search? I'm especially interested in Orange County and Contra Costa counties. I've searched online but can't seem to find a state based online site to look all this up.
posted by skEwb at 9:54 PM PST - 6 comments
What set of newspapers and magazines can one read to observe the cross-section of political biases?
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posted by bargex at 9:50 PM PST - 13 comments
So I was reading a recent, likely-to-be-popular technical book, and I realized that the publisher doesn't actually own the domain name that they're using for a lot of the examples. So I bought it.
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posted by bingo at 9:23 PM PST - 30 comments
What would cause change of eye color? Growing up I had hazel eyes. Sometime in my twenties my eyes became blue (I'm now in my 40s).
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posted by ShooBoo at 8:52 PM PST - 15 comments 
I'm looking for a way to have three separate phone numbers all in different area codes with voicemail. I've done some research, and know you can do something like this with skype groups, but my experience with dropped calls on skype makes me wary. Does anyone know of any other ways to do this inexpensively? I'm open to VOIP or standard solutions, is skype my best alternative? thanks
posted by debu at 8:50 PM PST - 6 comments
Anyone know a good printer & laminator in New York City? I need several hundred attendee badges printed for an event I'm running soon in New York, and I need a good recommendation for a company that can print (in color), with individual attendee names on each badge, and then laminate and hole punch the badges.
posted by mark7570 at 8:33 PM PST - 2 comments
I find it interesting to peruse The Wallace Foundation and The Rand Corporation papers and research, what other "think tank" organizations should I look at?
posted by bigmusic at 5:12 PM PST - 13 comments
I am looking for other online resources like Ask.Metafilter, where one can post questions and expect answers of a quality similar to that of those found here.
Forums, mailing lists, yahoogroups etc (among others) that one can post general questions to and also those dealing with very specific subjects. A few subjects that I am particularly looking for are:
Science (biology and chemistry in particular)
math
Psychology
English Language and Literature
Philosophy
Writing
Suggestions on your areas of interest would also be welcomed.
Google throws up a lot of alternatives but I just wanted to pose this question here in the hope I'd get some tried and tested recommendations
Thanks!
P.S. I did try signing up at the WELL of Salon fame but found it too meandering for my taste.
posted by sk381 at 4:50 PM PST - 15 comments
How do I control and/or fix my consistent, internal, self-inflicted judgment & comparison torture? I need advice on how to stop beating myself up in my work, my social and my personal life with my own head!
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posted by gadha at 4:08 PM PST - 27 comments
I am a Senior Web Developer. I work in Minneapolis/St. Paul. I have a CS degree and I have been at my company for 5 years now (in the industry maybe 6 or so). I work at a big shop with big high profile clients and (i am assuming) larger than normal salaries?
I do this stuff during the day:
90% (of my day) HTML/CSS (expert)
8% (of my day) PHP/MySQL (hacker)
2% (of my day) JS & Flash/AS (slacker)
So what the fricky frack should I be making?
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posted by anonymous at 4:06 PM PST - 28 comments
After much struggle, I am finally getting good at remembering people's names. This new skill has opened a new avenue of embarrassment for me, though. I now frequently greet acquaintances by name, but often when I do so, they can't remember my name even though it's obvious they want to. What's the most gracious way of reminding someone of your name while minimizing embarrassment all around?
(posted by amtho's fiance)
posted by amtho at 3:50 PM PST - 20 comments 
My wife and I are about to go through invitro fertilization and we think we'll need about $20,000. We have maybe half of that now and would like to get a credit card to pay the difference. We're looking for a card that has 0% for a year, preferably some rewards back (miles, cash, whatever), and obviously a somewhat high limit. Our credit is very good so we should qualify for the good deals and rates. Any recommendations for good credit cards that would fit our needs?
posted by misterdot at 3:03 PM PST - 10 comments
I need to spend at least $25 at the grocery store to claim a discount. I want to minimize how much I go over $25.
I have a list of a half a dozen items I want and their prices.
Is there a program that can generate shopping lists that would meet the criteria? I want more than just the optimal list because I can get this discount repeatedly and I don't want to buy the same thing each time.
posted by storybored at 2:28 PM PST - 15 comments
Palm Filter: I'm away from home and my palm Tungsten T (that I've had for 2 years) is giving me grief. I only have my usb charging cable with me and, while when it's plugged in to my laptop, the power (and charge indicator) light is on. But when I stop charging (up to four hours so far) there seems to be no charge on the battery. Do I need to bin it?
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posted by itsjustanalias at 2:16 PM PST - 6 comments
Looking for a driver to use two finger scrolling under Windows XP on the MacBook Pro.
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posted by jedrek at 12:51 PM PST - 0 comments
Rochester, NY: I am making a welcome kit for a good friend moving there soon. What are the best comic book stores, indie film associations, great theatres, fun markets, cheap eats, coffee joints, weird local nights, etc.?
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posted by barnone at 12:32 PM PST - 16 comments
Found a good deal and we plan on visiting Maryland at the end of next month. I believe we are staying at what's considered the head of the Chesapeake Bay - Elke river???
Does anyone know where there might be any good clamming / crabbing spots or what fish we might catch? TIA! :)
posted by Jujee at 11:30 AM PST - 10 comments
Publishing Filter - what does a particular part of a book's copyright page mean?
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posted by greycap at 11:14 AM PST - 7 comments 
I hear a bird from my apartment all morning and well in to the evening. Its call is three notes, in a minor key, descending in pitch. In fact, those three notes sound almost EXACTLY like the first three guitar notes of the Black Crowes' song "Remedy." I can't see the bird. Any help?
posted by trey at 5:06 AM PST - 20 comments 
April 15
Strep throat and/or pharyngitis question: I'm in Nepal in the midst of an uprising and I've been fighting off a throat thing for months. It's difficult to go see an ENT specialist during a general strike, so I thought maybe someone could give me some medical advice. More inside.
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posted by AArtaud at 10:46 PM PST - 7 comments 
Is it always best to install a resource-demanding computer game on the system disk?
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posted by fondle at 10:14 PM PST - 12 comments
Can anyone produce a translation of Klopstock's poem "
Der Frühlingsfeyer"? By "produce a translation" I don't mean your own (unless you want to!), but I also don't mean "tell me it's in
European Romantic Poetry", since I can't find a copy of that book around nor can I get one in time (by Wednesday). I mean post one, or email me one (in profile), or the like. This isn't schoolwork, though it is
related to schoolwork—you won't be helping me cheat or anything like that. (I found
this translation online but am looking for something a little more faithful, if possible.)
posted by kenko at 9:58 PM PST - 3 comments
Is it just me, or has the verbal crutch "I mean" (used as a conjunction rather than a correction) really flooded into American English recently? Last night I was listening to a radio show and nearly all the callers were doing it. My wife does it. My friends do it. I have to stop myself from doing it. Is this at all new? When did it start? I really don't remember hearing this (or doing this) 10-20 years ago.
posted by rolypolyman at 9:04 PM PST - 42 comments
I'm working on an anthology of lesbian erotica. It needs to have been published between 1920 and 1940 (any country) and should hopefully be in the public domain. I'm looking for short stories or novels (or excerpts of novels), no pictures or poetry.
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posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:51 PM PST - 11 comments
How appropriate is it to consider someone your mentor, when you're hoping he'll grant you with something major in the future? Is this taking advantage of him and the mentorship? Or am I just being paranoid?
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posted by divabat at 8:36 PM PST - 9 comments
The used car that I had purchased on Thursday was broken into on Friday before I had registered it. They busted a window, got blood everywhere, stole the cd player, sirius radio, and then tried to hotwire it I guess because there are wires sticking out. I tried to start the car when I found it but the key got stuck in the ignition. It's an 88 Jeep Cherokee. Here's my problem...
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posted by camfys at 6:27 PM PST - 15 comments
I'm looking for a PHP based shopping cart system that is easy to install, easy to explain to the person adding items to the backend and works with UK-based CC handlers. Any recommendations?
posted by toby\flat2 at 5:16 PM PST - 5 comments
Can anybody recommend a moving company in Seattle, for an in-city move? Customer service is at least as important as price.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:26 PM PST - 5 comments
Is being in the presence of underage drinking in any way illegal? Under what circumstances? Controlled substance consumption? How is the age of the "witness" relevant?
posted by phrontist at 3:42 PM PST - 28 comments
SQL WTH: various examples given on websites and in a small stack of books don't work.
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posted by Tuwa at 1:52 PM PST - 9 comments 
Did the greeks, romans, and egyptians actually use cosmetics with a mercury content?
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posted by SpecialK at 1:12 PM PST - 7 comments
I've never really bought albums/CDs and ripped them. Atleast not all of them, I probably have like 15-20 albums, but that's it.
The major part of my music collection happens to come from the Napster times. Where only tracks would be downloaded, which have little or no filename according to convention.
So, I have tracks like "12-Thievery Corp-Fedime's Flight.mp3". I'd like to see this track as "Thievery Corporation - Fedime's Flight.mp3"
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posted by Devileyezz at 12:44 PM PST - 13 comments
Nowerdays we have ratings on films (PG, PG-13, 15, 18, etc). In the 50's or 60's what was the certificate for the films?
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posted by spinko at 12:40 PM PST - 2 comments
Many years ago I did something that was bad and illegal. I've been plagued by guilt and I want to talk to a psychologist about it.
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posted by anonymous at 12:23 PM PST - 36 comments
Can a non-Canadian man donate sperm to a Canadian lesbian couple and use that child as justification to apply for immigration? Furthermore, once his immigration goes through, can the non-carrying lesbian adopt the child and be a legal parent?
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posted by anonymous at 12:23 PM PST - 17 comments
Pursuant to the valuable surround sound system information found
here and
here, what options do I have with regard to my projector? [+]
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posted by mwhybark at 12:08 PM PST - 10 comments 
I have a linksys wireless-G 2.4 ghz router. I use a macbook pro. The set up cd for the router works only on Windows. The router works and i get wireless, but i was unable to set up a security feature. I am guessing anyone in my neighbourhood can use my signal. How can i make this secure if the set up cd with instructions is incompatible with my OS ?
posted by cascando at 11:57 AM PST - 9 comments
ColorManagementFilter: Why are my colors losing vivacity after exporting from Photoshop? Example inside.
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posted by charmston at 11:26 AM PST - 8 comments 
How do payday loans work? I need $280 NOW and there's no other way for me to get it. My car repairs cost more than I thought. I'm scared!
posted by miltoncat at 11:00 AM PST - 22 comments
Should we confront a good friend who is either completely delusional or a pathological liar?
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posted by cilantro at 10:26 AM PST - 27 comments 
My PC is in the living room. I want to be able to listen to iTunes in the kitchen and the bedroom. I have a linksys router, if that helps. What sort of setup works best for this? Wireless speakers? Which ones. I mostly listen to talk radio and audio books, so I don't need amazing sound. I would love a relatively cheap (under $200) solution.
posted by grumblebee at 9:47 AM PST - 25 comments
Are there any external drives that OSX can boot from in both a PowerBook G4 AND the newer Intel Macs?
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posted by philmas at 8:45 AM PST - 3 comments
The refrigerator died. We'll be getting rid of a lot of old bottles - which is environmentally preferable?
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posted by clarkstonian at 7:44 AM PST - 3 comments
The Wife and I will be taking 5 days off in July to see Pearl Jam at The Gorge, just outside of George, WA (ha!). We're trying to book airfare and I'm wondering what's the best way to fly there? Should we fly into SeaTac? Portland? Spokane? We figure we'll have to rent a car no matter what and are fine with the idea of seeing some country. We're flying from Los Angeles (LAX, Burbank, Long Beach and Orange County airports are all an option) and we don't want to have to change planes.
posted by inviolable at 12:39 AM PST - 17 comments 
April 14
CocaliciousFilter: it won't stop crashing, and I haven't even used it yet!
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posted by rmm at 8:01 PM PST - 6 comments 
at our wedding, should we get disposable cameras for the tables, go for an alternative type of camera (lomo, polaroid), or forgo the whole thing?
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posted by ronv at 7:15 PM PST - 35 comments 
Is the choice between academia and “real world work” a lose-lose situation? Is it possible for someone with a BA in English to transition into PHD programs involving poli sci, government work, public policy / advocacy thereby offering non-academic options?
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posted by withdillemma at 6:57 PM PST - 24 comments
Does any language have a word or phrase for the feeling of sorrow one experiences upon finishing a really good book?
posted by honeydew at 6:30 PM PST - 23 comments
We are vacationing in mexico on the 24th, but my wifes US passport still shows her maiden name. Do we have to hustle and get it changed, or will her changed drivers license be enough to get her in and out with her current passport?
posted by fumbducker at 6:27 PM PST - 12 comments 
Do you have a smartphone that you love that matches what I'm looking for? I can google featuresets, but what I'm looking for is personal experiences.
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posted by cellphone at 5:55 PM PST - 13 comments
A friend of mine asked me to paint an ostrich egg for her husband. I am happy to do it but I have no idea how. I normally paint in oils on stretched canvas. There is only one egg and I don't want to mess it up. Specific questions are:
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posted by eebs at 5:22 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for a PDA like
this only without the cellphone capibilities, and for a similar price (better yet: lower price!). As always, there is
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posted by TrueVox at 5:15 PM PST - 8 comments
Say that interethnic breeding has created a homogenous-looking mixed-race human species in the far-flung future. What kind of effect would this have on biodiversity?
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posted by chrominance at 4:50 PM PST - 22 comments 
Drycleaninghack filter: How to monitor how many times I've worn a suit so it can get cleaned at appropriate intervals?
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posted by TrashyRambo at 4:47 PM PST - 18 comments
Why do some neighborhoods get USPS mail delivered to their door (or at least to their property) and other neighborhoods get USPS mail delivered to mailboxes on the street near the recipients' property but not on it?
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posted by pwb503 at 4:09 PM PST - 13 comments
I'd like to know if item x drops below a certain price at Amazon? Are there any services that offer this functionality?
posted by jedro at 3:32 PM PST - 6 comments 
I would like to build a MythTV system to work with DirecTV. My questions are around the interface to the DTV receivers. Has anyone here done this?
(Questions inside)
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posted by spifl at 3:15 PM PST - 8 comments
Whom does the pronoun "he" refer to in the sentence "Whom did John implicate and did he get in trouble?" Why?
posted by yeoz at 3:10 PM PST - 15 comments 
Hi
I need some to help me buy a product from the following Japanese web page - http://store.yahoo.co.jp/donya/454747950010.html
Plese tell me where to click or what to do to buy this product.
OR, how can I get in touch with an Evergreen electronics distributer who will ship to Canada/US?
Thanks!
posted by bright77blue at 2:14 PM PST - 6 comments
Above the pressure at sea level, how many additional PSI can I expect checked luggage to experience ?
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posted by jldindc at 12:50 PM PST - 15 comments
My house recently flooded. Fortunately, we have flood insurance. Our adjuster claimed that we needed to remove our floors (hardwood and tile) throughout the house and replace. Our contractor (who I trust) said that's not necessary, that only re-finishing is required. Because of the discrepancy, I stand to pocket a chunk of change on the deal.
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posted by space2k at 12:35 PM PST - 9 comments 
I'm just saying this right now, this is a little disgusting. Stop reading now if that's an issue.
I just got one one those maginfying shaving mirrors. For the first time I notice something: a white spot (like pinhead sized) in approximately the middle of my lip and kinda far down. I have no idea how long it's been there. Coulda been there for years.
I left it alone for a week or two. It didn't get bigger but it didn't get smaller either. So I squeezed it.
This being my lip and not a rough patch of skin...well it hurt like hell. I was going to stop. But then, it came to the top, so I figured I'd give it one more pinch.
Boom. It pops. Like a pimple. Loose white fluid comes out. The thing closes up an hour later and then it's like it didn't happen.
What the heck just happened here?
posted by rileyray3000 at 12:25 PM PST - 12 comments
My mother owns a small business. She has not filed her taxes in several years. I need advice on what to do to either do the taxes for her or make it easier for her so I can get her do do it.
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posted by anonymous at 12:10 PM PST - 12 comments
TherapyContractModificationFilter: The contract my shrink wants me to sign has a paragraph saying that if he is asked to testify in a court case involving me (even if it's for the other side), I have to pay him. I'm not inclined to sign such a contract. Is such a clause anywhere near normal?
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posted by anonymous at 12:09 PM PST - 27 comments
Legal/Social ramifications of giving reproductive stuff to a same-sex couple who wishes to conceive?
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posted by anonymous at 12:07 PM PST - 12 comments
This music video [YouTube link] is...um...hard to describe. It's also entirely in Japanese, and my wife, friends and I have all been wondering for
more than two years just who these people are, and just what, exactly, they're singing about.
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posted by davejay at 10:35 AM PST - 14 comments 
I'd like to set up a honeymoon registry (aka vacation wishlist) for my 07/07/07 wedding, but none of the online ones that I've seen are to my taste. Is there any easy way to create my own, perhaps with a tool similar to DropCash?
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posted by bjennings at 10:16 AM PST - 6 comments
Any time I feel like I am under any sort of stress or have a decision to make (even an easy one), I seem to go through these cycles of avoidance, which usually involve checking several e-mail accounts and web sites that I follow. Then when that is done, and I return to work, I realize the stress is still there so I repeat the cycle again. This keeps me from getting much work done. How do I stop this cycle?
posted by rwatson at 9:37 AM PST - 25 comments
Bought some gold coins when they were "cheap" several years ago. Now, with the price up, I'm considering unloading them. Good idea? Any hassles? Any local experience?
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posted by Rash at 9:33 AM PST - 7 comments
Where can I find out little known traps , puzzles , paradoxes , myths and limitations of economics, beside wading through college textbooks?
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posted by studentguru at 9:27 AM PST - 7 comments
Looking for the component suggestions on what is the "sweet spot" as far as price/performance to build a cheap-ish desktop Linux PC.
I've already got a great monitor and a KVM switch, just need to build the box. I'd like to keep the cost in the $500 range.
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posted by de void at 9:08 AM PST - 12 comments
It's just getting warm here in Massachusetts and I have camping on my mind.
Can you think of any memorable places you have camped in New England?
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posted by beccaj at 8:10 AM PST - 16 comments 
Career change advice sought! Help me make the switch to editing/publishing.
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posted by Miko at 8:07 AM PST - 5 comments
Help! I love my Sidekick2, but it's broken. They don't sell them anymore, but the Sidekick3 won't be available for months, and I need a phone with similar features NOW. Should I abandon the Sidekick and get a new T-Mobile MDA? Anyone have one, and if so, do you like it?
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posted by ab3 at 7:41 AM PST - 11 comments 
Traveling alone to Toronto/Burlington ON for the first time in late July. I've never been to Canada at all. Tips please for a slightly nervous traveler.
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posted by yoga at 6:02 AM PST - 29 comments 
Music filter: OK So besides Jethro Tull's 'A Passion Play' and the obvious Brown Album* what other songs or albums have that Easter theme?
* Jesus Christ Super Star
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posted by Gungho at 5:22 AM PST - 17 comments 
April 13
I quit my job at a company after 2.5 years. I have (had) 5000 stock options at the time. Of that a certain percentage had vested (more than half). That company was purchased last week. According to the agreement I have and the "plan", I It clearly states that. I quit that job and was not fired. The term of the options are 10 years. I was told by the controller of the company I could not exercise my options.
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posted by arh07 at 6:45 PM PST - 17 comments
Are there any extant recordings of Samuel Beckett's voice?
posted by holgate at 6:03 PM PST - 8 comments 
My 2-year relationship just ended(?) last night, and so I'm flying out to Denver to spend Easter with my family. Any suggestions for good, take-your-mind off of things to do in Denver Friday or Saturday?
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posted by gus at 6:03 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for this optical illusion image. It's the one where you stare at the center of the image for 30 seconds then close your eyes and an after image of the Mona Lisa will magically appear to you. Does anyone have a link to this image?
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posted by SDAnder at 5:46 PM PST - 6 comments
With the rise of flash drive technology, it makes me wonder why flash drives can't be used as primary hard drives in computers/mp3 players/ handheld gaming devices, etc. Could an OS conceivably be put on a flash drive? One that boots up almost immediately? For all our advancements with computers, it seems like boot times are getting
longer, if anything. Flash drives keep getting bigger and bigger, up to 10 or more gigs nowadays, so when can I expect the computer manufacturers to roll out Flash drive computers? 5 years? 10? What are the technical limitations/challenges of Flash drives?
posted by zardoz at 5:31 PM PST - 27 comments
(Songfilter) -- I never thought of using askme for this purpose, but I've seen it lately as such. And, let me just now that it's tough. But, I heard a great song at, off all places, when I was at a taping of the Daily Show. All I can remember was that it seemed like a mix of New Age + R&B. And the only lyric I can remember is "in the backseat" (it was part of the chorus). Anyone know what song or band it could it be?
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posted by skepticallypleased at 5:16 PM PST - 17 comments
Gutteral, musical throat chanting, used as a way of communicating - an actual language? Used as a soundtrack for a BBC documentary, and I need to find a specific piece. (much more inside)
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posted by fire&wings at 4:41 PM PST - 10 comments 
I accidentally deleted my Utilities folder (OS X 10.4.5) in a moment of madness. Was there anything in there I actually needed? I am kind of missing Grab. Is there somewhere to download it, or do I need to dig out the install disc?
posted by roofus at 4:39 PM PST - 5 comments
Looking for something for Windows and/or Mac OS X that allow you to invoke or otherwise mark off an area at the side of the screen with only widgets/applets/chiclets/whateverlets in them. It should be different from, say, the OS X dock, in that it should claim its screen real estate fully -- no letting things slide under it or over it, windows that bump up against it should recognize its edge and stop.
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posted by namespan at 4:17 PM PST - 4 comments 
Help removing unknown black streaks from a 100% cotton white shirt. My friend works as a waiter and periodically black marks show up on his work shirts, particularly around the cuffs. They're not ink or food--are they sweat stains? They almost look like dark pencil streaks. They've come out in the past, but this time they're all up and down one sleeve and bleach and stain removal spray aren't doing anything. Any recommendations?
posted by schroedinger at 4:02 PM PST - 17 comments 
I'm taking Chinese classes this summer in Beijing. After that, I'd like to travel a bit and then find a job. How do I make this work, with regard to visa issues in particular?
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posted by jbb7 at 3:37 PM PST - 6 comments
Do you know of any Firefox search plug-in that will "search this site" (being the current *websitesite*) for text entered in the search box?
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posted by chefscotticus at 2:52 PM PST - 6 comments 
Learning photography with the Nikon D50. While it is a great camera and I am not a camera/techno-phobe by any means, the amount of features and possibilities of this camera overwhelm me from time to time. I would like to learn about all the features and tricks and tips and subject shooting scenarios that would help me understand aperture, shutter-speed and other photography elements better. In a click-and-learn sort of a way, almost. Naturally, this means that I find the manual and the (quite excellent) Nikon phototutor not up to the mark.
posted by cusecase at 2:07 PM PST - 13 comments
Ordering smokes online..
My SO was going to use my bank account to order smokes online, no credit cards accepted.
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posted by raildr at 1:21 PM PST - 16 comments
Is there a website that lists failed science fiction predictions, and successful ones?
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posted by drezdn at 12:42 PM PST - 13 comments
Today I saw a Slim Devices
SqueezeBox 3. Just read a
review at NYT. Looks pretty neat. That said, I have zero interest or use for the radio/pandora aspect of it. However, the other features may make it worth the price tag. But, before I shell out... what are my other alternatives? (On OS X)
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posted by Manhasset at 12:36 PM PST - 20 comments 
I'd like to get a good time/date approximation as to when I can see the Northern Lights. Any experts with the Aurora Borealis?
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posted by jadanzzy at 12:25 PM PST - 9 comments
Music recommendations for someone who has grown up/apart from indie rock.
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posted by kmel at 11:22 AM PST - 41 comments 
What are the best community (news, blogs, message boards, etc.) sites related to virtualization and virtual machines?
posted by EnormousTalkingOnion at 11:19 AM PST - 4 comments
I played various RPGs as a kid (D&D, Gamma World, Top Secret, Traveller) and later as an adult (most notably Alternity). My favorite RPGs are scifi. I don't have the time (or team) to play with now and would like to play on the computer. Care to recommend a good scifi (post-apocalyptic, space opera, trader-based or whatever) computer game or two? I'm especially interested in games that aren't just FPS.
posted by jdfan at 10:41 AM PST - 29 comments
Say you purchased a two-bedroom condo, but one bedroom was only accessible by walking through the other. What would you do about it?
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posted by Plutor at 10:09 AM PST - 22 comments
How can I back up all my contacts from my Nokia 6230, and put them onto my Sony Ericsson W810i?
posted by samstarling at 9:45 AM PST - 3 comments
I haven't filed last year's taxes yet because I'd been told Uncle Sam didn't mind you filing late, if he owed you (I'm due a tax return, rather than owing taxes). Now, I want to file an extension on this year's taxes, without having sent in last year's. Will doing this trigger the IRS to send thugs to my house?
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posted by anonymous at 9:36 AM PST - 5 comments
UKContractorFilter: I am going to be working as a contractor in the UK for a good while and the local tax laws perplex me to say the least. From
this link it looks like there may be ways to reduce my UK tax liability, and/or at least make it count towards my US taxes. Surely, I am not the first one to go through this; pointers, tips, good/bad experiences?
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posted by costas at 9:15 AM PST - 5 comments
Hosting an adult birthday party centered around the ABC show "Alias" as its theme. I'm looking for a good game or activity that could fit an espionage type theme.
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posted by MasonDixon at 8:22 AM PST - 14 comments
My wife and I inherited a koi pond (about 8 by 3) or so with waterfall, when we purchased a house last month. The pump recently stopped working - it's a Speck Pump Model 90 - looks years old. We visited our local Garden Center and spoke to their pond guy and he gave us several things to try - none of which got the thing running again. Can any pond experts help me review a quote I got to have a new pump installed?
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posted by mmangano at 7:57 AM PST - 8 comments
I have this ridiculously large collection of change. I want to redeem it for cash. I don't want to use CoinStar and pay a percentage. I don't want to sit there and make little rolls either.
Anyone have any creative ideas? or tools/devices to assist in this matter? Call me Lazy...
Thanks
posted by erd0c at 7:32 AM PST - 28 comments
Back in 1991 I used to play a Backgammon game on the PC - the format was based on the writings of a Russian (sounding?) Science Fiction author. I always meant to see what the books were like, but now I don't know his name. Any ideas as to who he could be?
posted by SpacemanRed at 7:03 AM PST - 4 comments
A school is thinking about moving it's library into the 21st century by setting up a content server and letting students/faculty/staff stream movies and music that the library owns over the network. Assuming they set up an authentication system, and only let a title be signed out to one user at a time, what are the legal issues they need to consider?
posted by parallax7d at 6:10 AM PST - 5 comments
The incidence of peptic ulcer disease in hyperparathyroidism is increased, presumably due to hypercalcemia leading to increased gastrin secretion. Why does calcium stimulate G-Cells to secrete calcium? I am trying to find a precide physiologic reason. Is there another reason for this link between HyperPTH and duodenal ulcers. Thanks!
posted by reverenddrjice at 6:03 AM PST - 7 comments
Can you name short stories, preferably from the classics, about a birthday?
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posted by dov at 6:03 AM PST - 5 comments 
If there's a 20 percent chance of rain on Monday, a 20 percent chance on Tuesday, and a 30 percent chance on Wednesday, what's the overall chance that it'll rain during this three-day period? How do you calculate this?
posted by futility closet at 5:57 AM PST - 60 comments
I've been trying to find/download a Beethoven piano sonata, op. 109 and have only been able to grab the first movement performed by Walter Klein. Does anybody know where I can download the whole piece? Who do you especially like performing it?
posted by sluglicker at 4:56 AM PST - 8 comments
Yes, I am going to try and find an accountant to answer this, but I figured I'd also ask the MetaFilter community...
I sold some stock options (Incentive Stock Options) last year. Because they are ISOs, my company did not withhold anything, which I anticipated, so I put enough aside to handle my tax bill. So instead of getting a refund, I owe $7k. Not a problem. I entered the info into TurboTax, and it's telling me I need to do quarterly estimated payments.
My question is this, because this was a one time hit and my company is already taking enough withholding from my paycheck, do I really need to make quarterly estimated payments?
posted by wisdom-seeker at 4:33 AM PST - 8 comments 
PDFfilter: How easiest to format/generate the same information to be sent to mobile phones and PDA's.
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posted by geekyguy at 4:15 AM PST - 7 comments
I've got a database of names, many of which have international characters (e-acute, c-cedilla, o-umlaut, etc). I want the search routine to be clever enough that if I search for "Celik" it'll find c-cedilla-elik, even though "c" and "c-cedilla" are entirely different.
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posted by Pericles at 2:57 AM PST - 16 comments 
It's a lot like the concept of a self addressed stamped envelope, except that it is for a package of unknown weight. Can I do this?
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posted by |n$eCur3 at 12:58 AM PST - 14 comments
April 12
What's the best combination of soundcard, speaker bundle and/or receiver I can get to work with a standard PC running
MediaPortal that I'm using as a HTPC?
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posted by mmcg at 11:57 PM PST - 8 comments
Educated in the UK, I have no idea what my SAT score is and therefore how I measure up to various entry requirements in the US. Is there a way of converting my GCSEs/whatever into a SAT score?
posted by cogat at 9:23 PM PST - 4 comments 
Seattle Eastside swimmers unite! I'm moving to Sammamish, working in Redmond, and I need access to a lap swimming pool for workouts. Someone throw me a life ring?
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posted by frogan at 8:27 PM PST - 10 comments
Suggestions needed for painting on a piece of plastic or plexiglass which would be lit from behind.
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posted by oflinkey at 8:25 PM PST - 8 comments
OK, NYC MeFi'ers, let's hear it- where's your dim sum place? I've been faithful to Ping's for the last few years, but have dumpling wanderlust. I'm also curious about some good vegetarian dim sum.
posted by mkultra at 8:12 PM PST - 15 comments
Can anyone enlighten me on the genre of music called "French Ya Ya"?
posted by protocool at 8:07 PM PST - 10 comments
Other than stalking
Lileks, what should we do when we're (husband, wife, 13 year-old daughter) in Minneapolis for two days this summer?
posted by baltimore at 7:54 PM PST - 25 comments
What do you expect when your flight is cancelled? What is the airline's responsibility, and has anyone found a way to encourage the airlines to help you get home sooner?
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posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 6:49 PM PST - 24 comments 
How far can attorneys go in appealing to a jury's emotions? Is there any restriction, formal or informal, on the use of such tactics? What precedent is there for their excessive use?
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posted by Embryo at 6:12 PM PST - 29 comments
If you were a 26 year old, poor, recent college graduate that wanted to move to Portland, OR what neighborhood would be the best to live in?
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posted by rokabiri at 5:55 PM PST - 20 comments
I broke the plug on my bose triport headphones and i'm trying to fix them myself. I bought wirestrippers and a stereo headphone jack but when I tried to attach the wires I realized I have no idea what im doing.
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posted by pwally at 5:10 PM PST - 10 comments
Elite BBS access. What were some of the most common questions used to verify a new user's level of elite in the late 80s, early 90s?
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posted by monsta coty scott at 5:02 PM PST - 14 comments
I'm not crafty enough to figure this out: I want to make a pair of fake "legs" that are wearing a pair of my jeans, socks, and shoes.
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posted by robbie01 at 4:34 PM PST - 11 comments 
My Sony w600i jumped 2 feet off an aquarium and cracked it's screen and has bled through. The display is totally useless and now the phone is acting up (dropping calls, static, etc.) I finally found this phone after major trouble with Blackberry and Motorolas. It was definately my favorite phone in my cell phone tenure. I now need a phone and don't want to pay 200-300 dollars (again) for a phone. I'm locked in a contact to the upgrade with a rebate is out of the question. Are there any stores online that I can find good deals on cell phones? What durable, simple frills phone would you recommend? I'm tired of spending good money and then either ruining it myself or having the phone go schizo on its own.
posted by ieatwords at 4:19 PM PST - 12 comments
Thanks to your earlier
help, I have successfully ported my C# project over to the Mac. I have also ordered a new DSL line with a static IP from bway.net. What do I need to know in order to host my website, accessible via my TLD, on a PowerPC Mac mini running OS X 10.4? How can I be my own DNS and mail server? Without overshadowing that question, would it be smarter to think in terms of DynDNS for external DNS/mail services?
posted by thejoshu at 4:17 PM PST - 16 comments 
What would be a cool/interesting medical book to have a first edition of, besides "Gray's Anatomy"?
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posted by Airhen at 4:11 PM PST - 18 comments
I'll be getting a net refund of about $300 from my fed & state tax returns and would like to invest it in some short-term way -- my wife and I are going to San Francisco for a conference in August, and I'm guessing we'll have about $500 in leftover costs once my work-related stuff is reimbursed. I'd like to turn that $300 into whatever I can to help cover those costs. Yesterday's report that gas will likely hit US$3 this summer points me in that direction.
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posted by aaronetc at 4:07 PM PST - 32 comments
Photoshopfilter: Running 7.0 in OS 10.3. When trying to save a 60+ MB file, PS states "Could not save because of a disk error" and eats the file instead. 40 GB on the disk, no errors from Disk Utility.
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posted by cramer at 3:30 PM PST - 6 comments
My DVD burner suddenly stopped working. Is it a hardware or software issue? Very long Error log inside.
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posted by Paul KC at 3:15 PM PST - 5 comments
I was visiting Blockbuster this morning whilst I was waiting for the bus and noticed a vast number of direct-to-dvd titles which I'd never heard of before but didn't seem half bad (based on packaging, cast, director, story). I'm signed up to ScreenSelect/LoveFilm (the UK's Netflix) and there isn't really a way to check for these things. Would anyone like to suggest some great films which went D2DVD? I don't mind anything and would include films which only received a London or Film Festival release. Region 2 only then please.
posted by feelinglistless at 3:02 PM PST - 3 comments
I have recently bought a Toshiba DVD/HDD recorder. It is hooked up to basic cable (no sat or hi-def) and I can use the TV Guide service to pick which programs I wish to record. The only problem is for some reason our local community cable station is not on the TV Guide grid so I can't record anything off of it. I receive the channel just fine.
I've looked at different things throughout the user guide but cannot find anything on how to get the channel onto my TV Guide grid. Is there a way to do this?
posted by pylon at 2:56 PM PST - 5 comments
I'm looking for songs that you associate with Liberal ideals. (Or "progressive" ideals, if you prefer.) Examples: "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen,
"If It Were Up to Me" by Cheryl Wheeler, "I'm Not the Man" by Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs, "War" by Edwin Starr, etc. I'd prefer the songs weren't blatantly "Republicans suck and Bush is mean" (though "When the President Talks to God" is a fine song); I'm looking more for songs about social activism and progressive ideals, about the things that Liberals typically hold important. (Songs about the general state of the world are fine, too: "Ball of Confusion", etc.)
posted by jdroth at 2:33 PM PST - 82 comments
Why does Word 2004 (OS X 10.4.3) freak out when printing a PDF of a document with the "different odd and even pages" pagination setting? How can I convince it that everything is OK?
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posted by themadjuggler at 2:21 PM PST - 3 comments
I've never had a landline -- just a mobile for the past decade. I got married last year, and the little lady has a landline. We need one where we live, since there's no mobile service. So I forward my calls to the home line when I'm home. The problem is that if I don't answer the phone, the voice mail service doesn't work. How can I make these two work together?
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posted by waldo at 2:07 PM PST - 9 comments
Should I be worried that my height-weight proportional 2-year-old daughter isn't eating her vegetables, doesn't eat a lot of meat, and strongly prefers fruit?
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posted by dw at 1:33 PM PST - 20 comments
What do you do with a legitimate company who keeps sending you email even after you've asked them to stop?
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posted by stefanie at 12:09 PM PST - 17 comments 
How can one create a best fit ellipse around a cluster of (x,y) points in a scatter plot within Excel?
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posted by geonags at 11:58 AM PST - 33 comments
I'm looking to deliver an arrangement of sweetpeas in the continental United States. Cost is no objective, and even the timing is not urgent -- anytime from now until the end of this month would work. However, I can't seem to find any florist that actually offers arrangements with these flowers!
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posted by NucleophilicAttack at 11:51 AM PST - 3 comments 
I'm looking for suggestions for a simple CMS when I don't have access to the production web server.
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posted by rschroed at 11:49 AM PST - 13 comments 
I have a relative undergoing Chemotherapy, who is losing weight excessively and needs to gain some back. Question inside:
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posted by BigLankyBastard at 11:49 AM PST - 25 comments 
Why is it that when drinking pop, I keep wanting more? Why doesn't it satisfy me like drinking a glass of water would when I want water? Is it a quality of carbonated sugary beverages, or am I just in love with the taste of it?
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posted by gilsonal at 11:40 AM PST - 27 comments 
How do I gently ask/remind my boss about a bonus that was promised to me in my original job offer?
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posted by Alpenglow at 11:39 AM PST - 25 comments 
I'm looking for a very simple USB gamepad. It should have a d-pad, no analog sticks, and as few action buttons as possible, ideally only two. Current trends in gamepads are packing them ever-tighter with buttons, so I despair of finding a gamepad with less than 8 buttons and triggers. Any ideas?
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posted by breath at 11:36 AM PST - 13 comments
Help me catalog and organize our graphic files! I'm trying to catalog thousands of graphic files, mainly Illustrator and EPS files. That part's not too hard. The problem I'm running into is, how do I have the catalog accessible to everyone in our company, preferably on our intranet?...
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posted by edjusted at 9:59 AM PST - 0 comments
Which database certifications would be most useful, from the point of view of employability?
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posted by nanojath at 9:45 AM PST - 5 comments 
My motherboard has 4 external USB ports and pins for 2 internal USB device connections. Can I expand the number of internal ones?
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posted by ChazB at 9:07 AM PST - 3 comments
I run a regional music calendar/forum/photo gallery site that works mostly with punk, metal, and indie type bands in Chattanooga, TN. I know my audience really well and evidently Adsense does not and I have the dismal click-through rate to prove it. so why can't I just contact labels, artists, distros, etc. that I know my visitors are interested in directly and work something out?
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posted by mcsweetie at 9:03 AM PST - 3 comments
I'm going to be moving to Seattle in a few months and I'm getting ready to start my job search. It's been just over a decade since I lived in the Northwest and I'm pretty unfamiliar with the current advertising/marketing/web scene.
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posted by ssmith at 9:00 AM PST - 6 comments 
What's the best way for me to structure going from being a full-time, on site employee to a half-time, offsite one?
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posted by fuzzbean at 8:25 AM PST - 3 comments
I friend of mine from London, England had this "way" of coming up with names for people. As an example; he would call me bubbles (wasn't thrilled about that) because you can associate it with "squeak" (the sound bubbles can make when cleaning something, or like squeaky clean), which rhymed with the word "greek" which is my nationality... does anyone know what this is called and what the origin is?
posted by Cohiba4009 at 8:23 AM PST - 34 comments 
I recently signed up for two high power servers (1 linux, 1 win2k3) with a dedicated hosting provider that turned out to be terrible. As a result I won't be keeping the servers, but they won't refund my first months payment. So, I have 2 servers 100mb/sec internet connection 1000gb bandwidth. Any ideas? Nothing illegal or immoral. Was thinking of a pulic mirror - or hosting some high demand files for a good cause? Problem is it's only for a month, so is it worth it? Ideas?
posted by JpMaxMan at 7:22 AM PST - 8 comments
Is there a phpBB mod that allows the admin to customise the content of the email users get upon signing up?
posted by By The Grace of God at 6:31 AM PST - 3 comments 
Pregnancy filter: did you do 1st trimester genetic testing? Did you do an amnio or CVS as a result? Did you completely freak out over tiny risks? How did you cope?
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posted by Mid at 6:06 AM PST - 20 comments
I have access to an old-style (ie chunky) PS2 with 'Test' logo'd on the side as opposed to the normal 'PS2' (
Pic here) and was wondering what I could do with it that would be interesting. Will it run home-brew code? If so, does anyone have links/resources to point me in the right direction?
posted by jim.christian at 5:53 AM PST - 8 comments 
JobHuntFilter: I'm looking for good, practical books with advice about the process –– how to write a compelling cover letter, what to wear to an interview, etc. I'm especially interested in short, succinct books like
Don't Send a Resume. Thanks.
posted by captainscared at 4:13 AM PST - 11 comments
Fellow artists: I want to paint and collage over photos printed onto canvas. Looking for advice about pitfalls, materials that work, etc...
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posted by wetpaint at 1:48 AM PST - 11 comments
What literary, philosophical works, or films deal with a person's attempt to figure out whether he should put up resistance against government-sanctioned persecution of minorities or dissidents at the price of his own personal well-being or whether he should comply with the persecution to ensure his own safety?
posted by gregb1007 at 1:20 AM PST - 35 comments 
I've got a 500 page book that I've been putting together and are wondering what is the best solution to print and bind in 5.5 x 8.5 inch size?
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posted by beammeup4 at 12:38 AM PST - 5 comments
April 11
So I need my wisdom teeth out, asap, and I've been quoted $1500. Can I save money by getting dental insurance?
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posted by sdis at 10:35 PM PST - 26 comments
My grandmother recently passed away and in her possession we discovered a matured "CATS" (Certificate of Accrual on Treasury Securities) "Series P" bond to be paid to my name. It's nothing huge, a few thousand dollars, but it matured in 2002. Though I'm fairly sure I've figured out how to redeem it, I'm having absolutely no success in understanding exactly what a "CATS" bond is. Plenty of Google results but it's all Greek to me, quite frankly.
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posted by incomple at 8:53 PM PST - 21 comments 
Help me pick a bicycle. I'm currently riding a bmx'er with 20" wheels. My days of jumping over stuff and doing table tops are over. I need a really good multi-purpose bike.
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posted by snsranch at 8:39 PM PST - 15 comments
Drinking Question: Recently was told to cut out carbonation and juices because of a stomach problem, but the gastroentestinologist said alcohol is still OK.
So what's the best mixed drink you can think of with no bubbles or acidic juices?
posted by slapshot57 at 8:35 PM PST - 34 comments
Can a Priest from a High episcopal Church marry someone at a Catholic Church? Can they Co-Preside?
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posted by UMDirector at 7:00 PM PST - 15 comments
Can anyone recommend some podcasts that focus on topics like web-design, css, web usability, and the like?
posted by punkrockrat at 6:52 PM PST - 3 comments 
Now that spring has sprung and it's time to pull out the skirts I'm looking for recommendations on the best self-tanning products.
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posted by brownbeards at 5:45 PM PST - 8 comments
My podcasts are in a horrific state of disarray. What tips and tricks do you use for organizing your podcasts? Do you use special playlists, third-party software, etc? I'm running the latest version of Tiger (10.4.6) and iTunes.
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posted by invisible ink at 4:01 PM PST - 6 comments
Does this exist? Search tool that displays multiple results from various news sources.
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posted by zooropa at 3:49 PM PST - 6 comments
I had the great fortune of recently running into
this fine fellow, who is currently in the middle of riding his bike from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska clear to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, all in the name of raising money for a youth home for at risk and abused teens in Alaska. Apparently, and unbeknownst to me, he has been wintering here in my home town of Missoula, MT for the past few months, but I only recently met him.
We got to talking about his website, and he mentioned that he had been on the hunt for an easy way for him to mark his progress on a map for visitors and friends to follow. I, being the fairly technically minded guy that I am, would like to help with that.
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posted by rabble at 3:46 PM PST - 5 comments 
I have been invited to a Passover seder, with the following wish: "It would be great if everyone could prepare something for the Seder (a question for discussion, a commentary on the Hagadda, an idea about Pesach, a poem…)" Any interesting suggestions?
posted by grouse at 3:10 PM PST - 15 comments
I need to apply custom type to Davey Board (bookbinding board), is screen printing my only option?
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posted by Sreiny at 2:34 PM PST - 9 comments 
How do I get iTunes to stop reverting the music folder back to my local laptop drive every time I leave the house? How can I play music that is housed on my desktop from my laptop through my stereo receiver?!
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posted by abbyladybug at 2:21 PM PST - 13 comments
How do you deal with a family member who constantly inflicts feelings of
guilt?
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posted by jca at 2:06 PM PST - 29 comments
I have audio coming from two sources; a Bell satelite receiver (RCA outputs) and my computer (phono?).
I would like to listen to both audio sources so that I can watch TV and play games at the same time while not disturbing my family.
posted by cbushko at 1:53 PM PST - 6 comments
How can I disinfect flowers that I want to present to my dad in critical care?
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posted by elamp at 1:49 PM PST - 21 comments 
I don't know if I'm living under a rock, but I can't place who's singing the song on the Lacoste website - http://www.lacoste.com/usa/main.html . I keep refreshing the site just to listen to the music (no this is not a plug - I do not now nor have I ever owned anything Lacoste....Nor am I affiliated with the artist ;-)
posted by JimBobNoPants at 12:48 PM PST - 9 comments 
What was I experiencing this morning? If I was awake, then I would be sort of concerned about my mental health. If I was asleep, then I would just regard it as regular bizarre dream stuff. However, I think I was somewhere in between the two.
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posted by eighth_excerpt at 12:30 PM PST - 23 comments
I want to create a page that archives my podcasts with titles, descriptions, and (most important) links to the mp3 enclosures for downloading.
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posted by La Cieca at 12:08 PM PST - 9 comments 
Recommended off-shore vendor for contact lenses? I'm looking for a foreign firm that will deliver to the US without a prescription, preferably overnight.
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posted by I Love Tacos at 12:00 PM PST - 17 comments
I'm trying to write a regex that gets passed into a java class to validate that a file is in a certain directory structure.
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posted by toomuch at 11:25 AM PST - 3 comments 
I'm working on a boardgame in which gods punish mortals, and am looking for examples from throughout mythology that demonstrate divinely disproportionate responses to human action. Can someone point me to particularly useful references, or offer up good examples? The game will probably be Greek mythology-themed, but I'm curious about examples of the phenomenon from any culture.
posted by blueshammer at 11:15 AM PST - 30 comments 
The front wheels are making a grinding noise when I move the steering wheel to the left ('98 Accord.) Happens even when the brakes aren't being pressed. Can anyone provide a Bill Frist-style remote diagnosis, and will I regret it if I don't bring it in to the shop for two more days?
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:17 AM PST - 25 comments 
Microsoft did a video ad based on a Flash Gordon film. It may have been for one of their server lines. The ad is a howl. Where can a copy be downloaded?
posted by Raybun at 10:05 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm flying up to Cleveland in May for a business meeting and have been toying with the idea of renting a car to drive home to Texas. What's the best way to approach this?
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posted by DragonBoy at 10:03 AM PST - 7 comments 
Is there any way to improve complexion ? My complexion is wheatish .. How can I become fairer ?
posted by inquisitive at 9:57 AM PST - 27 comments
How do you set type in DTP software so that a story with multiple sections has even lines across a four column grid?
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posted by anonpeon at 8:42 AM PST - 10 comments
I'm looking for software that will help me make better use of the time I spend on my computer. It should help me stay productive and discourage procrastination.
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posted by koenie at 8:39 AM PST - 9 comments
I'm looking for quotes from famous nasty-folk saying, roughly, that the people can't be trusted with information 'cuz they'll misinterpret it.
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posted by ykjay at 8:10 AM PST - 8 comments 
If I'm getting a tax refund, do I still have to file by April 17th (this year)? Someone told me that if you're getting a refund, it doesn't matter when you file......thanks!
posted by webjunkie at 8:09 AM PST - 14 comments
My Dad, who's 64, has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's. He has had shaking hands for about a year. He's a scientist and a very bright guy. I'm worried about him, and am about to start research on what can be done to eliminate the symptoms and slow things down. Could anyone provide me with good sources to start off with?
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posted by Yavsy at 7:46 AM PST - 9 comments
Must I report gifts on my tax return? I know the giver must pay the gift tax on gifts over $11,000, but do I have to report having recieved it anywhere on my 1040?
posted by saffron at 7:13 AM PST - 12 comments 
Bestfares.com. Scam or worthwhile deals? Does anybody have experience with bestfares.com? It's a $60 annual membership to get, ostensibly, below "sale" prices on lots of fares. And they look cheap. 'm most interested in airfares only (US + Int'l) and not in cruises, Vegas junkets, or hotels. Is it worth it? Any other hot ideas for actually getting cheap fares to, say, Europe?
posted by zpousman at 6:34 AM PST - 16 comments 
A question for the female four-eyed hipsters among us. Which eyeglasses are considered cool this spring?
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posted by cior at 5:54 AM PST - 19 comments
Does a vodka fruit infusion ferment? Is the resulting drink more alcoholic than the base distilled spirit?
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posted by aneel at 1:41 AM PST - 14 comments 
April 10
If you were throwing an international gaming party for, say, 2000 people randomly selected from around the world, what games would you have on hand for people to play?
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posted by b1tr0t at 10:29 PM PST - 37 comments 
On Unix systems, what is the origin of the directory name "/etc"? That is, why is it called that versus "config", "conf", or anything else that might make sense? Thanks!
posted by arrhn at 10:07 PM PST - 44 comments
Help my friend schedule his bocce leauge: 8 bocce ball teams meet weekly, playing 8 games a week over 4 timeslots (7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm) in 2 courts (courts E and W).
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posted by ao4047 at 8:41 PM PST - 2 comments 
In
Fors Clavigera, Letter V. (written in 1871), John Ruskin posts the following description of a piece of Victorian sculpture (which he goes on to castigate):
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posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:07 PM PST - 8 comments 
My iBook loves to disconnect from my Airport Express that I have set up in my dorm room. Basically, I'll go to sleep, go to the laundry room, or come back from class, and the network doesn't show up in my "Available" list anymore. The green light is still on (it's not showing yellow, blinking or otherwise), and the only way to fix it is to unplug the router for about 5 seconds and reconnect (effectively resetting it).
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posted by rossination at 7:58 PM PST - 12 comments
KevinSmithFilter: I remember Kevin Smith releasing, in illustrated comic book form, a recounting of how he met, dated, and married his wife. I've heard the story through
An Evening with Kevin Smith and remember seeing this comic book. It may have been released by a third party, and not Smith. One way or the other, I can't find that through my Google-fu. (I know, it sounds strange, but it really was rather sweet.) Can anyone assist me in locating it?
posted by WCityMike at 7:55 PM PST - 11 comments
Is an email "Cease and Desist" letter a legal notification? I have been under the impression that a piece of paper, duly sworn, sweared and served was required.
New York, civil matter. Yes, I know your not my lawyer.
posted by cedar at 6:19 PM PST - 15 comments
What sort of actual skills does one learn in Army Ranger school, SERE school, or USMC Basic Recon school? I see and hear a lot about mental conditioning, but little about what else this sort of training covers.
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posted by scaryblackdeath at 5:08 PM PST - 10 comments
I used to have one of those old VCRs where you had to tune each channel in by hand. It had a set of tiny little dials that let you scan the entire TV spectrum (and beyond?). When the cable wire was plugged in, I could tune in some bizzare things in the audio: rhythmic clicking, low pulses, and most interestingly, other people's phone calls. I assume I was picking up cordless phones, but how did this work? Did the cable system act as a giant antenna all over town? Has this phenomenon ever been documented anywhere?
posted by stopgap at 4:36 PM PST - 6 comments 
How do I find a competent human at the IRS? Or will my refund get spent by someone else, whose account number was mistakenly used (by my incompetent preparer) on my return?
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posted by garfy3 at 4:07 PM PST - 14 comments 
I am writing an essay (that I plan to dedicate a public website to) about spam. I am looking for surveys about what techniques/software/hardware people use to combat it. I also need to know what proportion of ISPs have built-in spam protection these days.
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posted by zaebiz at 3:28 PM PST - 8 comments 
I need to find a website that has a list of universities / colleges by state and also by size and city? Does this list exist some where?
posted by matimer at 3:03 PM PST - 1 comments
The CDRW/DVD-ROM drive on my Dell 5160 laptop is dead. I have a replacement drive. But I don't know how to pull the old one. I've worked on desktops quite a bit, but I've never done any real service on a laptop, other than upgrading memory. My Google-Fu has failed me. Can you help?
posted by wheat at 3:01 PM PST - 5 comments 
Looking for a black, matte-finish metal for a durable men's ring. Ideas? Things to avoid?
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posted by Gucky at 3:01 PM PST - 18 comments
Anyone have the holy grail of personnel scheduling? Web based, muli-user, and....
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posted by griffey at 2:44 PM PST - 3 comments
Does MyYahoo work for anyone else since they switched to the drop-and-drag interface? And if so can you tell me how to get mine working correctly? I've tried to use Yahoo help but didn't get more than an automated response and a "we've forwarded this to our development team" message.
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posted by octothorpe at 2:42 PM PST - 2 comments 
MetaFilter cinemaphiles...please help me find movies that in which the dominant theme (or important supporting theme) is the relationship between teacher and students.
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posted by luneray at 2:16 PM PST - 53 comments
Albatross 18 Panyga Golf Game Ladyfilter:
My boyfriend plays over 9 hours a day all weekend on this free Internet community golf game, stays up until 2am. As you can imagine this hinders conversation and our sex lives, drives me mad. After 2 months together How do I get him off this game for good when he is at my house!!
posted by sandrapbrady at 1:50 PM PST - 11 comments
Is there a class that I can take in Los Angeles on taking notes in shorthand? maybe at SMC or Valley College?
posted by joshuak at 1:09 PM PST - 5 comments
Is there a way to make requests for Mp3s on EX.com redirect to an Html file on AMPLE.com?
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posted by Satapher at 12:58 PM PST - 5 comments 
Where is the cheapest place to get about 1000, 256mb USB thumb drives imprinted (not just a sticker) with my company logo made?
posted by banished at 12:53 PM PST - 4 comments
Is there an accepted way to type the noise one makes when whistling? Fweet-fweet? I'm out of ideas.
posted by Krrrlson at 12:42 PM PST - 31 comments
I am looking for creative works by people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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posted by Marit at 12:24 PM PST - 16 comments 
Remote X Server access over SSH. I've got a Linux (Ubuntu) server that I have root access to over SSH and a Windows XP workstation that I'd like to set up as the client. Any good resources and tutorials?
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posted by voidcontext at 12:21 PM PST - 25 comments 
Looking for personal accounts from people living in Manhattan and working in the embedded systems field
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posted by cobrien at 12:08 PM PST - 1 comments
Yet another iPod question: before I send in my iPod for expensive repairs, I thought I'd check here...anyone else ever experience their iPod only playing the instrumental track? Was it fixable?
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posted by elquien at 12:00 PM PST - 18 comments
Is there another video game that captures the fun of driving around in Grand Theft Auto, crashing into things and running from the police? I have a ps2 and a PC.
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posted by agropyron at 11:38 AM PST - 28 comments 
I'm thinking of enrolling in a program at Portland State University called Master's in International Management. The program has a year of five days a week Mandarin instruction. Is this really enough time to become proficient in the language?
posted by josher71 at 11:27 AM PST - 6 comments
Recommendations for a silent (or as close as possible) USB computer keyboard? It will be plugged into an IBM ThinkPad T42.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 10:24 AM PST - 8 comments
We [lawyer, Japanese wife, 10-y.o. kid who likes tennis] are moving to Portland/area. We found a house we like in Lake Oswego, but... [religious and racial bigotry inside]
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posted by anonymous at 10:22 AM PST - 22 comments
SuperstitiousFilter: Our Doctor wants to induce my wife to deliver our first (baby boy) on June 6th. Am I crazy or is having a baby on 06/06/06 just asking for trouble? Or will it be a fun story for my boy to tell when he gets old?
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posted by skrike at 9:17 AM PST - 49 comments 
Any film that is pornographic in nature depicts sex as an interaction of two bodies that resembles two jackhammers fighting. Anything rated 18 or lower pictures sex as something that happens with virtually no movement and very little exertion.
Why have these two forms not only seperated but moved quite so far apart?
[it'll probably get NSFW in here] [more inside]
posted by twine42 at 9:08 AM PST - 24 comments
What men's fragrance comes in a tallish bottle (not squat), is blue and smells quite light, but very classy?
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posted by lunkfish at 8:52 AM PST - 12 comments
Seeking a new internist, family doctor, and wonder what Board Certified means as relevant to credentials
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posted by Postroad at 7:23 AM PST - 6 comments
If sound were to travel closer to, say, the speed of light than the speed of sound, would we still be able to determine its horizontal direction?
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posted by disillusioned at 5:18 AM PST - 20 comments 
I'm looking for an app that will calculate how much sun different parts of my yard get over the year.
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posted by obiwanwasabi at 3:34 AM PST - 7 comments
After reading
this question from last week I began to wonder: Are there any conventions/cliches in fiction that stray so far from reality that they distract you from the believability of the story and have no story telling merit?
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posted by Acey at 3:12 AM PST - 82 comments
I love my new 5.1 computer speakers, but my downstairs neighbors don't, which has let to occasionally angry banging coming from downstairs. It's not like I'm blasting sci-fi movies at 2 in the morning, but is there anything I can do with the subwoofer to minimize the impact to them but not emasculate the boom-boominess of my Quake 4 too much.
Difficulty: no "turn down your subwoofer". It's already down.
posted by softlord at 2:26 AM PST - 14 comments 
Hmm... ruh-roh. I've just developed a craving. Where can I get really good crab in the San Francisco Bay Area?
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posted by symphonik at 2:18 AM PST - 8 comments 
April 9
I'm building a water cannon that shoots out from the grill of my car. Range is lacking, and I (probably) don't have the funds for a more powerful pump. I need a better nozzle, possibly one utilizing a blowoff valve to build pressure. Advise.
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posted by Derive the Hamiltonian of... at 11:43 PM PST - 30 comments
AskMeFi Physics folk: How do astronomers account for the temporal distinctiveness of their galactic subjects in their calculations?
I understand that observations of the red shift of quasars delinates a speed increase in the expansion of the universe - yet my brain explodes when I try to understand how the enormous expanse of
time is factored into these models.
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posted by 0bvious at 11:17 PM PST - 12 comments 
OK. So I have been playing guitar and keyboards and making music for some time now, and I recently have begun doing more work on the computer, composing and recording. I need help making drum tracks.
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posted by RustyBrooks at 10:50 PM PST - 22 comments
Years ago, when I needed money badly, I sold my beautiful Selmer tenor sax...I went into another branch of the arts, but lately I've been fooling around with a friend's horn, and I'm really enjoying playing. I don't intend to do anything but amuse myself and maybe play with some like-minded buddies - mostly traditional jazz, some soul horn section type stuff, but definitely no Smooth Jazz or Wailing Rock.
The problem is I can't really justify the big bucks replacing my Selmer would cost...and I'm spoiled, of course, by the horn I once owned. Any advice for tenor horns under $1,000 - new or used? How about $2,000? I know the proof is still in the playing and trying, but I'd love some help getting started.
thanks!
posted by soulbarn at 10:41 PM PST - 7 comments
My friend had this really neat program on his windows computer that I'd like to have, but I have a mac. It was some kind of player that would show the lyrics of the song and actually scroll them while hilighting the appropriate line. Not quite like karaoke, since the individual words weren't hilighted, just the line, but close. It was pretty neat. He said it was ttplayer, but everything I google on that comes up in Chinese! I'm running the latest version of iTunes and Mac OS X Tiger. Suggestions?
posted by riverjack at 10:39 PM PST - 6 comments
Anyone know of a bicycle that would fit a very tall (6' 10") man? Recumbents and velocipedes need not apply.
posted by thinman at 10:29 PM PST - 13 comments
I'd like to strengthen my grip, but those spring handgrips are weak. Do stronger ones exist?
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posted by tomble at 9:46 PM PST - 16 comments 
I want my browser to remember my password for a couple of sites, but it must assume that I don't want most of my passwords remembered. I hate browser popups that ask "Remember this password?" What's a good solution? I use Firefox on Windows.
posted by pornucopia at 9:44 PM PST - 5 comments
I'm helping to administer a World of Warcraft guild and I need a recommendation for a DKP tracker that has some specific requirements.
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posted by billybunny at 8:24 PM PST - 6 comments
I know nothing about Orange County, but I need to live there for 5 weeks. Help!
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posted by rkent at 7:37 PM PST - 13 comments
I'm looking for a way to access a very slow, graphics-intensive website more quickly. How can I force Firefox to keep this website's images in its cache?
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posted by meeeeeep at 7:32 PM PST - 7 comments
Overcast skies at twlight, looking westward. A bright flash of white light, followed by instant red. Sunset, in the blink of an eye! What is this phenomenon called?
posted by Laugh_track at 6:22 PM PST - 7 comments
A question for those familiar with American Sign Language (or other signed languages): When hearing speakers are surprised or shocked or wish to indicate they have just said something they shouldn't they often clap their hands over their mouth. This is usually immediate and seems almost involuntary. Is there something similar used by deaf signers or do they tend to use the same gesture hearing people do?
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posted by LeeJay at 5:52 PM PST - 10 comments 
Study tips for a mature age distance education student? Most specifically, what do you do when you’ve read the same paragraph 3 times and you still haven’t retained any information from it?
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posted by b33j at 4:35 PM PST - 14 comments 
Planning to drive between these two cities this summer and would be interested to know a.) how long would the quickest route take (and what is it) b.) can you suggest a scenic route (and how long you think it might take).
posted by quintno at 4:32 PM PST - 4 comments
Netflix users, a straw poll: Recently at least one third of my discs arrive heavily scratched up and skip
heavily. Are your experiences similar or do I have a terrible dvd player that hates me?
posted by fatllama at 4:18 PM PST - 40 comments
Help me track down a pop punk band I heard on a small Berkeley radio station Tuesday evening (4/4). They may have played in LA last weekend (4/1-4/2).
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posted by salvia at 4:01 PM PST - 7 comments
I seem to have my goddesses and creatures mixed up in my head. I'm looking for the name of a creature that can turn into a crow/raven or wolf, and stalk through a battle field feeding on the souls of the dying.
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posted by FunkyHelix at 2:45 PM PST - 8 comments 
MildewFilter: Is there a way to remove mildew off of a painted indoor wall without bleaching/stripping the paint?
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posted by spiderskull at 1:18 PM PST - 7 comments
Which food has the highest number of calories per gram?
posted by reklaw at 12:34 PM PST - 19 comments
There are some UK sites I'd like to purchase from but they don't ship here to the States. Anyone know of a workaround that doesn't involve personally knowing someone over there? Something like
shopthestates.com, but for UK shopping...
posted by teddymac at 12:18 PM PST - 4 comments 
I'm looking for an essay posted somewhere that was a response to cynical music fans who were "put out" when their special underground band hit the mainstream and became sellouts.
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posted by dhacker at 11:57 AM PST - 16 comments 
I receive a weak wireless signal in my dorm room. With this connection I can use AIM, send and receive e-mail, and upload and download from my FTP site, but I can never view web pages - everything always times out. Am I missing some solution that will let me get on the web? I'm using WinXP.
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posted by ludwig_van at 11:12 AM PST - 17 comments 
I earned 12,100 total income this year. All 1099. Have not made any estimated payments. How bad is my tax situation?
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posted by anonymous at 11:05 AM PST - 18 comments
I want to take a screenshot of a particular web-page every 15 minutes from a Linux server (no running X server). Ideally, I would like a command-line application, but a free or very cheap and reliable web service might work for me. What are my options?
posted by rjt at 10:40 AM PST - 7 comments 
What is the lens like device that photographers use to view photographs at very close range (almost next to their faces) and why do they use it?
posted by sk381 at 8:40 AM PST - 11 comments 
I’m trying to learn Italian and I’d like to find some software to help me with pronunciation practice.
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posted by rdr at 2:32 AM PST - 3 comments
Recently I have been listening to Magic Numbers, The Thorns, Hal and Teenage Fanclub. Should I listen to Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Big Star, Badfinger, Mamas & Papas, Raspberries, Bread or America?
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posted by meech at 2:18 AM PST - 16 comments
I licensed my short film to the CBC program "Zed" and it showed recently. They also put the video, along with a nice little host intro, up on their site. I'd love to have a copy of this and would like to download it, but the video is deeply embedded in flash and I can't figure out how to download a copy or find it in my cache. Any ideas? The video is
here. Thanks for any help! (I have OS X running Firefox.)
posted by debris at 12:37 AM PST - 12 comments 
April 8
What is the best food dish (speciality) out of every culture? I've decided to try at least one thing from as many cultures as I can think of and find an authentic meal for each. For example, I know nothing about Korean, German, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Portuguese, or Irish food - any suggestions there? Thanks!
posted by agregoli at 11:19 PM PST - 58 comments
California Bar Exam: not only out-of-state, but out-of-country. Should I pony up for the Bar/Bri?
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posted by livii at 8:04 PM PST - 14 comments
Looking for a tool that can take multiple RSS feeds, strip duplicate entries and output a single feed. None of the RSS meshing tools I'm seeing seem to offer the duplicate removal. I'm subscribed to searches through 20+ feeds to make sure I catch all available references of a URL on blogs, courtesy of
MonitorThis, but the number of duplicates is becoming a big problem.
posted by will at 8:01 PM PST - 3 comments 
Can anyone suggest interesting science-flavored demonstrations, experiments, or spectacles to be performed at a wedding?
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posted by fermion at 6:57 PM PST - 35 comments 
OptimizationFilter: I need to maximize a function of about ten variables. I can only approximate the value of this function at any point, by running a simulation which takes about a minute of computation time. [more inside]
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posted by lenny70 at 5:04 PM PST - 19 comments 
Where did the current design trends in web design (featured prominently in Web 2.0) have their genesis?
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posted by bjork24 at 4:15 PM PST - 26 comments
I'm trying to get some video off of a burned DVD. I'm using Streamclip and Quicktime and it's working fine -- except that the clips I'm getting are only a fraction of what's actually on the DVD (maybe 5%). Does anyone know how I can 'find' the full clips and then put them into a format I can use? (.mov) There's other stuff listed (bup and iso), but as I understand it VOBs are the only things you want...
posted by jgballard at 2:54 PM PST - 4 comments
My fibroids have gone from nuisance to pain, and I'd like to get rid of them. What method(s) would you recommend?
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posted by rosemere at 2:41 PM PST - 9 comments
Is there any reason why I should be feeding my cat wet and dry food, instead of just dry food?
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posted by granted at 2:24 PM PST - 23 comments
Can or should I bother to bust a blogspot blogger for blatant plagiarism?
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posted by tula at 2:14 PM PST - 19 comments 
Avocados.
What do you all like to do with them BESIDES guacamole?
posted by konolia at 12:17 PM PST - 62 comments
I need to "load up" Powerpoint with a directory of 150 jpegs, one image per slide. And I have to do this for 5 presentations. This is REALLY tedious to do by hand, one by one. What can I do? I don't want to use a slideshow program because I do want to sort images and append text on the slides.
posted by zek at 12:14 PM PST - 3 comments 
Are there any problems with naming a band after other people's names -- people we don't know?
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posted by pealco at 12:08 PM PST - 17 comments 
What is your killer recipe for rum punch? Like they make in the Caribbean/Central America. Except that I am going to make it in suburban Boston and pretend that I am in the Caribbean.
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:38 AM PST - 8 comments 
Last night I heard a great version of this song recorded by what sounded like a string quartet. Does anyone know anything about this cover? Google has failed me.
posted by lunasol at 11:30 AM PST - 3 comments
Is there a site that lists when shows in syndication are being run in order from the first episode? The goal is to get a TiVo season pass and watch the episodes in order.
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posted by revgeorge at 9:50 AM PST - 6 comments
I'm looking for PC games (preferably open-source and/or freeware) that provide limitless amounts of depth and challenge for those willing to stick with them.
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posted by jimmy at 8:45 AM PST - 26 comments 
My car needs to be repaired. It is a 2000 Chevy Malibu with 95,000 miles on it and needs new spark plugs, new spark plug wires and the carbon deposits cleaned out of the intake manifold. The repair shop is charging $450 for this. Am I being ripped off?
posted by stockaholic at 8:17 AM PST - 17 comments
I want to put together the ultimate Computer security kit to fix my uncle's ailing computer. Suggestions?
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posted by katyggls at 12:48 AM PST - 23 comments
April 7
wifi sharing via USB dongle filter: Is it possible to share network/internet connection via a usb dongle (from XP)? if so how?
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posted by mule at 10:31 PM PST - 7 comments
i lost a partition in a reformat, but the data is still on my harddrive. i want to get the data off. i have
r-studio, but not enough disk space on the existing partition to put the other data on it, and i thought i shouldn't create a new partition to put the data on, as that could mess up remaining data. i don't have an external harddrive. is there any way i can safely get the data off? thanks!
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posted by willmillar at 9:44 PM PST - 7 comments
my round, global map, mouse pad freebie (oracle, circa 1994) is gross. can i wash it? or do you have a cool (new) round mousepad link?
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posted by valkane at 8:59 PM PST - 8 comments 
I know that some states are "at will employment" states, and other states are not. But which are which? Is Iowa an at will employment state or not?
posted by delmoi at 8:51 PM PST - 4 comments 
Can sometime tell me if there is a plugin for Winamp or perhaps a standalone program that can play .ram files? I would really rather not install Real Audio, I think you can guess why. Any guidance would be most appreciated!
posted by ChaoticIndustry at 8:42 PM PST - 11 comments
In the past week, my 6-year-old nephew has been diagnosed with severe dyslexia and significant auditory processing problems. I'd like some information from others -- dyslexics, teachers, parents, sibs, etc. -- in terms of how I can help support my family as much as possible.
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posted by scody at 8:03 PM PST - 12 comments
Years ago in Italy I was watching late night network tv, and they used to love to show really strange stuff for insomniac viewing... Anyway, I saw then an odd Disney public service cartoon that was probably produced right after WWII with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs about how to prevent malaria. You know, like telling Dopey to dump standing water out of abandoned tires and the like. Has anybody ever seen this too? Know where I might be able to find it (and others like it?) Or did I just dream the whole thing?? :-)
Thanks!!
posted by Misciel at 7:45 PM PST - 5 comments
Strange Mac problem: it won't boot from certain CDs or from the hard drive. Norton Utilities and DiskWarrior both say the hard drive is okay. I'm stumped. Older G3 beige minitower, OS X 10.3.
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posted by tommasz at 7:32 PM PST - 8 comments
DreamWithMe filter: What if everyone read science fiction? How would the world be different?
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posted by amtho at 7:04 PM PST - 27 comments 
Politics Filter: Why is Rep. Tom Delay resigning in June rather then serving his term out? Please no partisan bickering...
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posted by meta x zen at 5:45 PM PST - 20 comments
Time to get rid of the Wal-Mart bike that got me to and from my grad school classes. I'd like to upgrade to something that will let me join in on local 15-20 mile group rides. What should I be looking for?
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posted by MsMolly at 5:24 PM PST - 23 comments 
My spiffy little USB flashdrive thingy is coming apart, coming loose from its plastic casing. The metal parallelepiped inside is easier to slip into my wallet and looks cooler, IMO, but I'm wondering what sort of damage all the plastic protected it from. Question:¿will it harm my USB flashdrive thingy to go about naked in the world?
posted by signal at 4:45 PM PST - 12 comments
Are there any movies that have changed from, say, comedy to drama midway through? In other words, completely going from one style to another completely different one?
posted by sharksandwich at 4:34 PM PST - 63 comments
I snapped
this picture of a plane on a typical approach for landing at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a small propellor deployed under the plane. Googling taught me its a ram air turbine that is used for emergency power during a hydraulic/electrical failure.
Does anybody know if its used under normal conditions, or did a happen to snap a picture of a plane during an (unpublicized) emergency landing?
posted by punkfloyd at 4:06 PM PST - 17 comments
I have always known (or been told) that you wont get a ticket if you were to exceed the freeway speed limit by 5-10 miles. Why is that?
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posted by special-k at 3:46 PM PST - 38 comments
I remember hearing about an academic study on the effect of cell phones on people's walking behavior (i.e., they were weaving more, etc.) Does this ring any bells for anyone? Or similar studies?
posted by dearleader at 3:24 PM PST - 4 comments
Has anyone ever heard of an individual not able to experience the effects of THC after consumption?
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posted by anonymous at 2:45 PM PST - 19 comments
What movie were they referencing with the whole Hot Wheels sequence in the latest episode of South Park?
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posted by fungible at 2:33 PM PST - 11 comments
What's the origin of the phrase, "X, threat or menace"?
posted by leotrotsky at 2:29 PM PST - 10 comments
Is there any federal (US) website that details the amount of land owned by the government on a regional basis?
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posted by buggzzee23 at 2:24 PM PST - 8 comments 
I need to add a bigger hard drive to my oldish Mac G4. This kind of machine can only see 120G of storage on a drive.
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posted by zadcat at 2:10 PM PST - 5 comments
Could use some help troubleshooting a signal strength problem on my wireless network
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posted by gfrobe at 2:03 PM PST - 6 comments
I love these
retro assemblages. Is it plausible to create small metal assemblage sculptures using nothing but patience and industrial epoxy? and if so,
- What epoxies would you recommend?
- Are there sites that cheerfully discuss this sort of industrial craftiness?
Thanks!
posted by craniac at 12:53 PM PST - 19 comments 
Is there a way to set an environment variable in the unix shell from a python script? Can I set a variable in the shell that executes that same script? For that matter, is there a way for any script to do this?
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posted by kuatto at 12:17 PM PST - 8 comments
is there an html editor that can edit webpages directly on the website online, or do an illusion of it (ie, do the ftp-ing in the background with local copies)? Ideally it would allow a 'preview' before uploading it back to the host, and ideally you would be able to save 'drafts' locally (like with email) if you want to work on them later.
Oh, and ideally it would be free (cost nothing). ;)
posted by jak68 at 11:47 AM PST - 20 comments
I have an Excel Spreadsheet (using Excel 2003). Rather than creating formulas to answer ad hoc questions that I have, I would like to be able to quickly type in a SQL querty against the data in the spreadsheet. So, I could scroll down to the bottom of the sheet to see how many rows I have, OR I could type" select count(*) from data_table" instead. I prefer the latter. Any suggestions?
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posted by apark at 11:26 AM PST - 6 comments
I just got a new 250GB SATA hard drive and a SATA to USB 2.0 enclosure to put it in. When I plug everything in & hook it to my iBook, I get the following error: "You have inserted a disk containing no volumes that Mac OS X can read. To continue with the disk inserted, click Ignore" (3 options: "Initialize...", "Ignore" or "Eject"). How do I get it to work?
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posted by cg1 at 11:15 AM PST - 8 comments
How should we modify housetraining if we live in an apartment building?
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posted by gavia at 10:33 AM PST - 8 comments
My mother has been using one particular brand of Mexican Vanilla for years and is almost out of it. She says she can't find it anymore and I'm kinda bummed because it made the best darned cookies. She says it is called La Puresa (Pureza?) and has a pale yellow label. She used to get it by the quart in liquor stores. Any clue as to where you can find the stuff now?
posted by slim at 10:13 AM PST - 13 comments
Hello,
We have a video project that we have made inside Adobe Premire 1.5. We have tried to burn it to DVD via Premiere, but it kept giving us a record error.
We also have Nero 6, but whenever we select DVD Video and place the avi file into the browser, the record button for burning a DVD is not enabled.
Thank you in advance for your help.
posted by cheero at 10:13 AM PST - 10 comments
Is there a single word which means "negatively defined" (or "defined by its opposite" or "defined by not being other things" or "defined by the absence of something")? In English if you can manage (I cannot think of one), but maybe in another language? German perhaps?
posted by unknowncommand at 10:07 AM PST - 22 comments 
I'm looking for writing on or examples of "irony"/hipsterism and taste/authenticity/postmodern self-consciousness, etc., or alternatively, historical writing on atomization and society.
[more inside]
posted by kensanway at 10:05 AM PST - 15 comments
I'm looking for reccomendations for
Linux PVR software for a security camera application. I want to be able to store a lot (limited only by hard disk space) of high resolution video from a 3 chip DV camera (which will go through a TV tuner card). So far this is rather standard, but I have the (unusual?) requirement of needing to be able to store a lot of metadata from sensors with the video. (more inside!)
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posted by phrontist at 9:35 AM PST - 3 comments
How can I force my current hosting company to let me transfer my domains to another hosting company?
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posted by k8t at 9:25 AM PST - 11 comments
I'm looking for that famous picture of a Hippie placing a flower in the rifle barrel of a soldier, but my Google-fu has escaped me. Where can I find it? Or is it all a conspiracy . . . Please help!
posted by spakto at 7:39 AM PST - 11 comments 
Looking for ideas for different vintage photograph treatments. i.e. not just duotones or hand colored. Or any other victorian inspiration you know of.
[more inside]
posted by Brainy at 7:32 AM PST - 12 comments 
Has anyone ever managed to use iTunes and COM to access the iTunes database and modify MP3 meta-data tags? I need to change the genre for every track by a certain artist and since I have a list of over 800 artists, it is not something I can do by hand.
[more inside]
posted by mr_silver at 6:40 AM PST - 13 comments
I need to find good thrift stores (or just not expensive stores) in Atlanta that sell late fifties to early sixties clothing (vintage or restyled, as long as the restyling isn't too weird).
[more inside]
posted by Medieval Maven at 5:51 AM PST - 4 comments
Is the phrase "Protestant Work Ethic" and "Puritan Work Ethic" the same thing and what is the source of this concept?
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posted by pettins at 5:39 AM PST - 11 comments
Firefox lost my bookmarks and search engines. I know, I can't get them back, but why can't I put them back?
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posted by bryak at 2:37 AM PST - 14 comments 
What Linux distro should i use to replace an old exchange 5.5 sever and just provide pop3/smtp services
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posted by daveyt at 1:51 AM PST - 10 comments
April 6
I need to make a relatively small (incorporating 1/4" rods) metal assembly. What is the metal, engineering equivalent of an erector set?
[more inside]
posted by sirion at 9:53 PM PST - 13 comments
Looking for scholarly psychology article comparing cognitive behavioural therapy to medication. Preferably showing CBT to be superior to meds alone.
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posted by Idiot Mittens at 9:33 PM PST - 9 comments 
I want to read as many blog posts as possible that were posted during a specific week-or-so period in 2004. What tools/sites can help?
[more inside]
posted by staggernation at 9:31 PM PST - 6 comments 
MusicVideoFilter: Help me remember a rap video that rejiggered a bunch of horror films.
[more inside]
posted by j.s.f. at 8:06 PM PST - 5 comments 
[FreelanceFilter] I need a lawyer's advice! (or other freelancers) I work as a freelance web/Flash developer, and getting money from clients after the job is done is always a huge pain in the ass...
[more inside]
posted by kaseijin at 7:14 PM PST - 14 comments 
What are the legal penalties, if any, for guessing a former spouse's email password correctly and using that access to gather information for child/spousal support court case.
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posted by Jazz Hands at 6:38 PM PST - 22 comments
I was interested in buddhist or other religious or even philosophical doctrines on the notion that desire enslaves the MIND. Scientific references, too, but my guess is that religion and philosophy have devoted more thought to this area.
To clarify, I am interested in the COGNITIVE effects of desire, not moral issues (as in the 7 deadly sins, gluttony, lust, etc.)
Any leads greatly appreciated!
Thanks a bunch!
posted by adamrobinson at 5:59 PM PST - 11 comments
I live in Massachusetts and have a quick business trip to California Sunday through Wednesday next week. I will be have free time in San Francisco 6p-10p Sunday and Monday and 4 - 10p in Irvine/LA on Tuesday. What cool stuff can I do that beats "going out to dinner and walking around the tourist area"?
posted by kaytrem at 5:31 PM PST - 11 comments
Sugar cubes are NOT cubes!! I need a cuboid with at least 2 equal dimensions...
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posted by Ampa at 5:27 PM PST - 20 comments
What programs have you found that helped you improve productivity working with a Tablet PC? Primarily, what programs are best for entering text when in tablet mode?
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posted by JeNeSaisQuoi at 5:18 PM PST - 5 comments
If you live or work near a time zone line, how is life different for you and what difficulties have you run into? A more specific sub-question involving cell phones included...
[more inside]
posted by tkolstee at 3:43 PM PST - 10 comments
Does anyone know where chinese takeaways in the UK get their sweet and sour sauce and "smokey" noodle flavouring?
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posted by aqueousdan at 2:03 PM PST - 16 comments
Has anyone on AskMe joined joga.com?
Football (Soccer) Fans: Is a social networking site centered on football (and brought to us by corporations) worth the effort to locate an invite?
[more inside]
posted by trixie_bee at 1:36 PM PST - 8 comments
I am working with a vendor who needs FTP access to our servers. I can't give that and the ones who can, won't. So what are my options from here?
[more inside]
posted by nramsey at 1:22 PM PST - 17 comments
I purchased a brightly-colored, embroidered tapestry from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. It is certainly not an antique, but it is hand-made, delicate and somewhat old. My well-intentioned (but perhaps lacking in common sense) roomate threw it into the washing machine and, needless to say, the colors ran. Is there any way I can restore the tapestry to its former state or at least to some approximation of such? Would a dry cleaner be able to help?
posted by anonymous78 at 12:54 PM PST - 4 comments
Suggestions for fun places to take kids (ages 6 and 2 1/2) during 2 weeks in Denmark in June/July? Is Legoland Billund worth the drive from Copenhagen?
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posted by chr1sb0y at 12:48 PM PST - 6 comments
I am wondering if there are any resources that can draw a connection of any kind between low blood sugar and poor thyroid function, and thus fatigue?
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posted by miss tea at 11:53 AM PST - 8 comments
I need to find networked photo management software, similar in function to Picasa or ACDSee, but with the ability to share "tags" between multiple users over a network. The products I've been able to find all allow tagging, but those tags are available only to that user, and my company needs to search the photo tags without each user having tagged each photo individually.
[more inside]
posted by XSteveMurphy at 11:52 AM PST - 8 comments
having just lost an expensive digital camara, and having had to replace it, is their some type of insurance that covers losing such items? I know renters insurance covers you if you get broken into, but I'm more concerned with losing items in public.
If there is something available, what does it cost, is it worth it ?? etc.
I live in Austin, Texas.
posted by leftfooter at 11:38 AM PST - 11 comments
Does anyone know where to get an inexpensive (legit, no happy ending needed), but decent, massage in Chicago? Basically, the same question as
this, but in Chi.
posted by rbs at 11:28 AM PST - 7 comments
PremiershipFilter: Does the FA Premiership have salary caps on teams? If not, is there a sense of competitive imbalance, whereby fans of like Middlesbrough feel that their team will never be able to compete with the likes of Man United?
[more inside]
posted by xmutex at 10:24 AM PST - 27 comments 
I have a pair of jeans and the zipper is always coming unzipped. Is there anyway to fix this?
posted by philcliff at 9:55 AM PST - 18 comments 
Given that you are in a monogamous relationship, when is flirting outside of that relationship inappropriate?
[more inside]
posted by sequential at 9:51 AM PST - 43 comments
Tax Attorney or Accountant in San Francisco? I'm trying to get my financial house in order, and I've been bad about getting all my taxes filed a couple of years ago. Anyone have good experiences dealing with this in SF?
[more inside]
posted by bitdamaged at 9:50 AM PST - 3 comments
My SO is putting on an Italian wine tasting, and has tasked me with finding good music. I am clueless.
I have three criteria that need to be met...
[more inside]
posted by everichon at 9:03 AM PST - 24 comments
SupervisorFilter: I recently started working in an office and I supervise 4 people. It's a job where there is a definite year-long cycle, so every day is a learning experience for me. All 4 employees here have been here between 7 and 15 years. They all know what to expect and what to do. How can I effectively supervise them when it seems like sometimes they may be using my inexperience against me?
[more inside]
posted by SheIsMighty at 9:01 AM PST - 7 comments
How do I buy a product from an online store in the UK that doesn’t sell to the US?
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posted by bove at 9:00 AM PST - 6 comments
Abstract/academic-filter: How do various disciplines quantify unspoken implications or mutual understandings? Lingustics, social sciences, anything!
[more inside]
posted by electric_counterpoint at 8:40 AM PST - 10 comments
Is an Intel Mac with Bootcamp and Windows a viable option as a Windows gaming box?
[more inside]
posted by nthdegx at 8:25 AM PST - 8 comments 
I would like to set up DHCP on our factory wide LAN. But I have some serious reservations. I need it to be secure, and I need to have control of who can get a DHCP license.
[more inside]
posted by Jonsnews at 7:57 AM PST - 13 comments
I'm having all the carpet in my (pretty big) house replaced and I've got 6 carpet installers in my house right now. So far they seem to be doing an excellent job in putting in the carpet _and_ they've willingly agreed to move my son's furniture in my daughter's room and vice versa (they're switching rooms) when they put the furniture back. I know I need to tip them and I really should make it a pretty good tip since they're doing extra work, but how much would be a good tip? Because there are 6 of them, even $20 is going to add up to a pretty fair amount of money. But I want to do what's fair, particularly since they're doing a little extra and I don't want to give just $20 if they really are expecting more. So what's fair? $20? $40? More?
posted by katyjack at 7:14 AM PST - 14 comments
Some strange problem with my cable TV. I was connecting a new Sylvania DVR/VCR unit in my bedroom. I used to have a Sony DVD/VCR in that same place and the cable reception used to be just fine. First thing I noticed after attaching the new unit is that the signal quality is very poor. But anyway then I come down to living room which has the Comcast's digital set top box connected to the wall outlet. I noticed there was no signal on TV and box was displaying a 'this channel would be available soon' message. Usually that means some kind of bad or no connection. Before I went up to the bedroom everything was running fine. Did plugging in the DVR/VCR unit blow the cable circuit ?
[more inside]
posted by flyby22 at 7:00 AM PST - 4 comments
Can collection agencies discover my whereabouts through my tax filings with the IRS?
posted by anonymous at 6:22 AM PST - 6 comments
Later today I'm teaching a class on Ian McEwan's
Atonement. I'd like to juxtapose the extremely complex kind of atonement depicted in this novel with other, structurally simpler stories of atonement. Any ideas?
[more inside]
posted by josh at 6:18 AM PST - 7 comments 
Having recently moved to downtown Silver Spring, I am looking for a kosher butcher in the area. I rely mostly on public transportation to get around, but I do have access to a car. +1 for any suggestions relating to kosher restaurants and kosher food markets, as well.
Thanks!
posted by seinfeld at 5:36 AM PST - 13 comments 
Denver's public transport is on strike. I'm coming over from overseas this weekend and will need to rely on public transport to get around. Ack! What should I do?
[more inside]
posted by divabat at 5:00 AM PST - 16 comments
Talc is an ingredient in TUMS?
This says the talc is "different", or it's not talc at all that's harmful, depending on how you read it. But people are told to use cornstarch and not baby powder because of inhaling the talc, and women shouldn't use it around their nether regions, as per
this contrary article. Does this make sense to anyone? I avoid baby powder, but I don't know what I'd do without my TUMS.
posted by Iamtherealme at 2:47 AM PST - 14 comments 
Now that San Francisco is getting
city-wide Wi-Fi, I'm starting to look around for something I've always wanted: a portable Internet Radio device. Any recommendations?
[more inside]
posted by vacapinta at 2:29 AM PST - 3 comments
Our two and a half year old is driving everyone crazy. He’s going through a phase of extreme uncooperativeness.
[more inside]
posted by Siberian Mist at 2:03 AM PST - 35 comments 
April 5
How did I manage to blow up a computer power supply when I tried to connect audio out from a VCR to the line in on the computer soundcard.
[more inside]
posted by The Monkey at 10:41 PM PST - 12 comments 
Are there any other covers of the song Bizarre Love Triangle (by New Order) other than the ones by Frente and Stabbing Westward?
[more inside]
posted by nakedsushi at 10:41 PM PST - 16 comments 
Is there a name for the argument or fallacy that states, essentially, that "Everyone is subject to the injustice that I have created-- the fact that you disproportionately bear the burden of this injustice is immaterial."
posted by Kwantsar at 8:03 PM PST - 13 comments
Key Ring filter: How can I prevent my keys from falling out of my pocket (assuming my pocket is the only place that I can keep them) and how can I prevent individual keys from working their way out of the ring?
[more inside]
posted by dino terror at 7:52 PM PST - 16 comments 
My husband and I will be in Knoxville TN for a weekend and have about 4-5 available hours on Saturday May 6th. Any suggestions of what to do?
[more inside]
posted by AmericnJewl at 7:46 PM PST - 8 comments
Posting for a friend: Should she break up with her boyfriend because he doesn't want kids?
[more inside]
posted by kechi at 7:38 PM PST - 47 comments
What reasonable, legal reason could my new neighbor have for having 30+ visitors (one at a time) over the course of five hours every day?
[more inside]
posted by MeetMegan at 7:14 PM PST - 119 comments 
Last Minute Visual Basic 6 Help!!! How do I compare a given date to today's date, based on a number of months?
[more inside]
posted by fvox13 at 6:31 PM PST - 4 comments 
What's the best way for me to advertise a new website to get some alpha testers? and a related question inside
[more inside]
posted by karen at 5:54 PM PST - 10 comments 
I like to view dance moves, which are increasingly in Flash video format. Is there a Flash player with slow motion, frame advance and continous rewind?
[more inside]
posted by mrkohrea at 5:39 PM PST - 4 comments
Is the
Lost timer/clock (or anything like it) available for purchase? (Season 2 spoilers inside...)
[more inside]
posted by nervestaple at 5:02 PM PST - 9 comments
In an emergency situation, facing a serious deadline, Windows decides to stop working. Not knowing what else to do, I reformat the harddrive. Crisis averted. Now, how do I re-connect to my second and third harddrives?
[more inside]
posted by panoptican at 4:41 PM PST - 7 comments 
I'm looking for small gift suggestions: a co-worker of mine recently learned that her daughter needs a second knee surgery, and she (my co-worker) has to take several weeks off work to care for her daughter, who will be mostly home-bound for a month. Both mother and daughter are depressed and stressed out by the prospect, and I want to get something for them to enjoy when the daughter (who is in her 20s) is recuperating. I'm looking to spend around $25.
posted by Harvey Birdman at 4:28 PM PST - 14 comments 
Where can I submit my creative writing for possible publication in a magazine, journal, etc.?
[more inside]
posted by jne1813 at 4:19 PM PST - 14 comments
Looking for best 'get me up to speed' resources for Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop & how to take jobs to printers.
[more inside]
posted by Chuck Cheeze at 4:00 PM PST - 11 comments 
Stupid web development question about updating a database on a mouse click without re-loading the page (AJAX required?)
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posted by TunnelArmr at 3:54 PM PST - 13 comments
I'm creating a series of Photoshop Actions to automate processing images for my blogs. Most of it is resizing images and the like, which is easily done in an action. As part of this, I'd like to open a dialog to ask for a filename, then to save the processed image to a specific directory with that filename. Can that be done in an action, or do I need to write a script to do it?
[more inside]
posted by baggers at 3:32 PM PST - 3 comments 
I want to acquire a law degree for the best value (in terms of quality and cost). How much will earning a masters degree first enhance my qualification to a prestigious school? The second question I have is how much a masters degree will enhance my qualification for scholarships? There is no question that a masters would make me a better law student and enhance my education; however, I am wondering whether the financial investment in grad school is worth it for what I want to accomplish.
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posted by j-urb at 3:26 PM PST - 16 comments 
So what does "editor-at-large" mean? Curiously I can't find anything at all on Google or any online dictionary.
posted by cillit bang at 2:43 PM PST - 10 comments
Where can I find a self-adjusting nut wrench? And more broadly, what are your favorite places to go for tools?
[more inside]
posted by joshuaconner at 2:36 PM PST - 17 comments
Where can I get Deep Dish Chicago pizza in Los Angeles? And preferably something with tomato sauce, a great regular crust and nothing in any way affiliated with people who'd be crazy enough to put goat cheese on a pizza?
posted by rileyray3000 at 2:29 PM PST - 11 comments
I'm just about to finish my first year of law school, which, because it has a set curriculum, was an experience I shared with 65 other students. I'd like to do something to thank them...thoughts?
[more inside]
posted by girlpublisher at 2:15 PM PST - 16 comments
After finding some local porn models on myspace, I became interested in making my own porno movie. What camcorder should I get?
[more inside]
posted by thebbxx at 2:10 PM PST - 20 comments 
Why is a foul tip into a catchers glove not an out, but a pop-up foul that the catcher gets is? Is there a minimum height the ball must reach?
posted by davebug at 1:59 PM PST - 6 comments 
So I'm selling my house, it's under contract, and the inspector for the buyers has come back with radon test results over the EPA-recommended limit. What to do?
[more inside]
posted by beagle at 1:52 PM PST - 7 comments 
I need suggestions for tech-related training or conferences that I could attend sometime this summer or fall, in the continental US, preferably on the West Coast.
[more inside]
posted by cyrusdogstar at 1:38 PM PST - 0 comments
Should I report my colleague's sexual harassment? I am a male faculty member at a unionized academic institution. A male colleague frequently uses sexual innuendo during department meetings. (Examples: After being assigned a task: "I like to get used" to the more offensive: "I was orgasmic!") But now he's taken to making some comments to others one-on-one.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:36 PM PST - 31 comments
Calling all biologists - I've amplified a 700 bp region of cDNA for the gene PGI and now am trying to amplify this region using genomic DNA. Way more detail inside...
[more inside]
posted by a22lamia at 12:51 PM PST - 25 comments 
eBay filter: I have an item for sale and was asked whether I accepted bids from Canada. Should I?
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posted by whatitis at 12:33 PM PST - 16 comments
Gross Filter: I remember hearing a couple years ago about a couple incidents involving swimmers and badly maintained swimming pool filters wherein the swimmer would be sitting on the bottom of the pool, on the filter, and the filter cover would give out, resulting in the most horrific situation I can think of.
[more inside]
posted by heavenstobetsy at 12:21 PM PST - 25 comments
I'm feeling a bit run down and have a slight cold -- is it better for me to skip my workout?
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posted by o2b at 11:45 AM PST - 7 comments
In Mac OS X, the "Finder/Spotlight Comments" is a handy way for me to store additional information about documents. It would be great to be able to read them without having to "Get Info". In particular, I'd like to either have them show up when hovering over the document in Finder (that is, use them as Help Tags), or have them show up in the Preview pane.
[more inside]
posted by math at 11:32 AM PST - 5 comments
Here's a shot in the dark: In Czeslaw Milosz's
"The Witness of Poetry" there's a translation of Wislawa Szymborska's "Autotomy" that is different from the Baranczak/Cavanagh translation in her
Collected Works that I'm familiar with. The translation is unattributed -- am I then to infer that the translation is Milosz's?
posted by .kobayashi. at 11:22 AM PST - 1 comments
Is there are a free way to find the ad or PR agency of record for companies? Something like the Red Books, but, you know, free?
posted by ChasFile at 11:20 AM PST - 6 comments
What is the coolest / most unique / romantic marriage proposal you have ever heard of? A friend of mine is trying to come up with ideas on how to propose and I would like to tell him a few awesome anecdotes.
posted by jasondigitized at 11:14 AM PST - 30 comments
Any Excel or MS based report card generating or tracking tips for a variety of different grading criteria?
[more inside]
posted by brent at 11:13 AM PST - 1 comments
I am moving to Okinawa, Japan in seven months. I am looking for logistical tips on how to make a temporary international move go smoothly.
[more inside]
posted by jeffmshaw at 9:44 AM PST - 5 comments
I am looking to sublet or rent an apartment in Berlin for the summer or possibly longer. Where can I find listings on the net aside from Craigslist?
[more inside]
posted by dydecker at 8:21 AM PST - 11 comments
If someone were to create an actual working version of fictional technology, would the inventor have to pay royalties to the owner of the original fiction?
[more inside]
posted by Servo5678 at 8:01 AM PST - 19 comments 
I recently switched my major from international relations to anthropology because I'm sick of politics and don't want to deal with it anymore, let alone for a career. But wtf can I do with anthropology? I want a job that allows me to travel the world, but becoming a journal-writing academic sounds like the worst thing ever.
[more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa at 7:07 AM PST - 17 comments
I wear glasses and I need a prescription dive mask for snorkeling, but I don't know anything about them. Anyone have tips or recommendations?
posted by smackfu at 6:54 AM PST - 11 comments
Looking for unique dessert celebration ideas for our one-year-old's birthday. What are some good alternatives to the 'smear cake everywhere' tradition?
posted by Otis at 6:41 AM PST - 15 comments
Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced (around $300) Open Type Font collection that offers a good variety of non standard fonts for ad creation and page layout?
[more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:37 AM PST - 6 comments
I caught
The Godfather: Part III on cable last night, and I was wondering about something. There's a street parade in (I guess) New York's Little Italy in which, along with the priests and altar boys, there's these four guys in hooded robes carrying a nearly life-size figure of the Madonna and Child. The robes and hoods these four porters are wearing look exactly like Ku Klux Klan outfits, only without the sigil that's typically seen on them -- just plain white.
What's the significance of these four people wearing hoods -- why would they be covered up in this fashion? Is it just coincidence that their pointy-topped hoods make them look like KKK regalia, or did the Klan copy a Roman Catholic fashion statement?
posted by pax digita at 4:28 AM PST - 12 comments 
I've read that Gödel's incompleteness theorem shows that there are definite limits to what logic, mathematics and by extension computers can do. This seems to be unknown among humanists such as myself. What are the things logic cannot do? Earlier AskMe questions about Gödel
here and
here (
this answer is especially good).
posted by Termite at 12:11 AM PST - 50 comments
April 4
My Windows 2000 system has started spontaneously reducing the key-repeat rate and the rate at which windows scroll, slowing each to a crawl. Other weirdness accompanies this.
[more inside]
posted by Tubes at 11:15 PM PST - 9 comments
Where should I go to get some art framed nicely and affordably in Vancouver, Canada?
posted by stray at 10:31 PM PST - 7 comments
I get depressed when I don't have any work to do, but get totally stressed with the workload I usually have. What gives?
[more inside]
posted by sdis at 10:07 PM PST - 18 comments
I have a client who has a Windows 2000 server and a LAN consisting of a whopping 3 other computers.
He would like a program that lets him know when employees have logged onto the network...preferably by email notification. He doesn't care for anything as machine-centric or intrusive as Spectorsoft, but would like a small utility that does it's small job well for a small cost.
All suggestions are appreciated.
posted by titans13 at 9:45 PM PST - 4 comments
Parrot Filter: After a long study, I have decided that the Eclectus seems like the best parrot breed for me. I was wondering if any one has any experience with this breed of parrot.
[more inside]
posted by Infernarl at 9:04 PM PST - 5 comments
A couple years back, I found a website which allowed one to create a three-strip cartoon, choosing some of the characters from the cartoon Red Meat. You could input the dialogue for the characters and the site would generate your cartoon. Can anyone help me find it? Thanks.
posted by lometogo at 8:55 PM PST - 8 comments 
My teenage son is way too involved with IM and a MUD, to the exclusion of his homework, and it's turning into a real problem. He needs the Internet for his homework, so we don't want to cut him off, just restrict some of the services he's over-using. But our DSL modem won't allow us to implement the restrictions we need.
[more inside]
posted by lhauser at 8:12 PM PST - 40 comments
Where can i find a high quality Rubik's cube with colored panels instead of stickers?
[more inside]
posted by sophist at 8:00 PM PST - 8 comments
Help me find free (or inexpensive) software to record the stream from a web cam (like
this). I don't have access to the camera on my network, so the stream is only available to me via the web.
posted by ajr at 7:40 PM PST - 3 comments
I use an elliptical trainer for 40 minutes per day. Is there a quantifiable benefit to doing the 40 minutes without a break?
[more inside]
posted by visual mechanic at 7:26 PM PST - 10 comments 
What is a really comfy chair, for like reading and watching movies in? Preferably a big cradling chair where I can tuck my legs to the side. My folks have one but it's tacky and smelly.
posted by parallax7d at 6:54 PM PST - 24 comments
I'm trying to install the Eve3 framework on a Powerbook G4 in order to run the Magic Bullet Suite 2.1 plug-in for Adobe After Effects Pro 6.5. I have the downloaded framework file, but when I copy it to the Frameworks folder, the UNIX Eve3 executable file changes into a document, rendering the thing non-functional.
[more inside]
posted by Toolshed at 5:56 PM PST - 4 comments
BabyFilter: Are there any theoretical or actual risks or issues associated with using a(n orthodontically correct) baby's dummy (pacifier)?
posted by wilful at 5:45 PM PST - 15 comments 
Are there any alternatives to Toastmasters for public speaking practice clubs? I've been to a few local meetings to see what they're like and the style is just too regimented for me.
posted by yoga at 5:41 PM PST - 6 comments 
Pen and paper RPG identification filter. I am trying to find a RPG I download in the waning days of the BBS's that was a tongue and cheek (but still pretty fully fleshed out) RPG based on fairys.
[more inside]
posted by JonnyRotten at 4:49 PM PST - 4 comments
Any Weblogs out there for or by the World War II generation? I know not everyone of that age group is computer savvy, but my mom is, and since there seem to be Weblogs for every other subgroup, I'd love to find her a few good links. If not, she may have to start her own...
posted by GaelFC at 4:09 PM PST - 13 comments 
Does anyone have recommendations for a company to replace windows in Washington, D.C.? I've got a few original, uninsulated, leaded-glass windows that need to go bye-bye.
[more inside]
posted by delfuego at 2:42 PM PST - 6 comments 
Does anyone remember an AOL newsletter named "The Write Stuff?" Anyone have an archive of it?
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posted by daninnj at 2:30 PM PST - 2 comments
I'm looking for a venue to hold an event for 50 or fewer people in Las Vegas. It will be a social event, basically people standing, talking, having a few drinks and eating. A sit-down restaurant is not quite it - not social enough. In the past, in other cities, we've rented out upscale beer joints for this event. Can anyone recommend such a place in Vegas? Close to the main strip and Mandalay Bay is preferred.
posted by scarabic at 2:29 PM PST - 8 comments
Are there any known and proven preventions and/or cures for seasickness and stillness illness?
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posted by NoMich at 2:16 PM PST - 12 comments
Work at home as a Processing Assistant for a financial Company. Has anyone heard of this before? Seems like a scam.
[more inside]
posted by clubfoote at 1:22 PM PST - 8 comments
Hypothetical Jail Filter: What happens if you refuse to give identification to an officer after commiting a petty misdemeanor?
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posted by stratastar at 12:55 PM PST - 22 comments
I need to renew my car tabs, but my ex-girlfriend stacked up $800+ in parking tickets on my car, unbeknownst to me. There's no WAY she's going to pay for them (she's got her own problems that lead to no money, and I really don't wanna talk to her anyhow). What to do?
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posted by mattoly at 12:52 PM PST - 16 comments
What are some good mail archiver solutions for Exchange 2003? The goal: view mail across mailboxes, retain deleted messages.
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posted by geoff. at 12:47 PM PST - 1 comments
So, the Achilles' heel of Social Networking is the 'What Now' Issue. Once you've listed all your friends publicly, which doesn't solve any problems you had in the first place, you're pretty much left hanging. Ideas about getting around this problem in building a social networking app?
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posted by Firas at 12:19 PM PST - 13 comments
Is it true by broadcast and cable standards or regulations that you cannot say "God does not exist" on TV?
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posted by c at 11:58 AM PST - 13 comments 
I'm, seeking way to clean a stainless steel electric cooktop. I have a 20 year-old Jenn-Air and the cooktop has become discolored in places by greasy smoke drawn to the downdraft. I have tried Dawn Degreaser, which works very well on fresh grease, but not this, and also a Scunci Steamer which was useless. Dawn + Scunci = nada. (Except some interesting fumes.)
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posted by KevinKarl at 11:54 AM PST - 13 comments
Why does one of the biggest coffee franchise across Canada will only accept cash
as a payment method ? I understand that banks charge a fee per transaction but I would
assume profits from sales could justify such a commodity but Tim Hortons seem the think
otherwise. maybe someone could explain why such a decision is still viable in 2006.
posted by selfsck at 11:47 AM PST - 32 comments
I've ceased smoking cigarettes. Problem - I have developed severe motivation problems. Suggestions for solutions?
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posted by PurplePorpoise at 11:44 AM PST - 16 comments
I'll be making an unexpected trip to Nashville shortly, and am wondering about places to stay on a very tight budget, preferably near the Southern Hills Medical Center. Plus, I don't drive.
posted by Ohdemah at 11:37 AM PST - 2 comments
Are there any calculus-question-of-the-day sites out there?
posted by nomad at 11:05 AM PST - 5 comments
Is there such thing as an application I can install on a client's web server that will allow him to edit certain HTML documents and save them?
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posted by Robot Johnny at 11:03 AM PST - 10 comments
Short Term (6+ months) stay in
San Diego: Looking for recommendations for interesting + relatively affordable neighborhoods/towns in/near SD with possible rail/transit access to Downtown (for work).
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posted by shoepal at 10:28 AM PST - 19 comments
anyone know a good polish deli in the washington metro area, preferably maryland side, where i can get fruit pierogi, easter butter, and either golabki or a decent kielbasa?
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posted by crush-onastick at 10:04 AM PST - 5 comments
I am using the UserContent.css file found
here to block most ad images from showing in Firefox 1.5. Some sites I visit (and want to support) get their only revenue from ads. Does this method of blocking ads cut into their revenue?
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posted by toomanyplugs at 9:37 AM PST - 6 comments 
Guitar filter: Looks like a 3/4 sized acoustic guitar, popular in the 1930's, tuned EADGBE like a normal guitar (I think) but one octave higher. Produces a nice "crystal" sound. The one I saw looked like it had a Martin logo on it, but can't see anything like this on the Martin website....
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posted by oxala at 9:26 AM PST - 12 comments 
What are the chances of actually getting caught using a P2P file sharing program such as BitTorrent to download pirated stuff? Is there more likelihood of getting into hot water depending on what you are downloading (i.e. movies,TV shows, music..)? Can anyone suggest a method of using BitTorrent that will avoid these problems?
posted by curiocity at 9:18 AM PST - 22 comments 
1st Wedding Anniversary help. Have read all of the other threads on idea's for 1st anniversary gifts and have decided on booking a weekend away. Now the bit I need your help on. Where to go for a romantic weekend in the UK (not London, both of us work there). Complication is, my wife will be 7 months pregnant, so bonus points for nice relaxing things to do whilst we're away. Weekend in question is last weekend in April.
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posted by lloyder at 8:47 AM PST - 10 comments
MarriageFilter: Is it possible for an average citizen in Manitoba, Canada to legally perform/solemnize a marriage ceremony?
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posted by stungeye at 8:44 AM PST - 4 comments
On his shows on the Food Network,
Mario Batali is usually wearing a lightly quilted vest when he's not in the kitchen. Who makes it and where can I find it? (examples follow)
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posted by cherryghost at 8:18 AM PST - 10 comments 
A coworker is interested in broadening her general knowledge with an emphasis in History and Science. So, she's looking for a site she can set to be her home page where she can get bite sized chunks of interesting information (like 5 to 15 minutes at a time). Any suggestions?
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posted by willnot at 8:11 AM PST - 11 comments
I am looking for suggestions as to small, good, and fast Web 2.0 website development companies for a near-term project...
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posted by blahblahblah at 7:59 AM PST - 7 comments
What is this young adult fiction I read in the mid-1980s about some papers read in a public square giving clues (and red herrings) eventually leading to some sort of inheritance?
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posted by Tuwa at 7:58 AM PST - 13 comments 
I'm about to sign a lease for a new loft that's currently under construction. They have set a move in date for the new place: August 1st. My current end-of-lease and move-out date is July 31st - what if the new place isn't finished?
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posted by nitsuj at 7:37 AM PST - 14 comments
I am giving serious consideration to setting up as an IT consultant. I'm well proficient in Windows and Mac, Office suites; applications and web technology. In addition, I enjoy talking and fixing computers. I've done some such already, but on a small scale and for people I already knew. My question is: what kind of things should an IT consultant be able to do, what are common requests, what should I charge and how (per job/per hour?). Are there any potential pitfalls? Is it a good idea? Thanks a bunch.
posted by dance at 7:27 AM PST - 13 comments
Tobacco related product damage to white leather sofa- suggestions for repair/hiding damage? More inside
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posted by Gratishades at 5:37 AM PST - 4 comments 
Is there a batch process that take a bunch of itunes-ripped stuff and convert it to mp3, and is there a reliable linux itunes replacement? And what are the gotchas I ought to be looking out for here?
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posted by handee at 4:37 AM PST - 13 comments
HTML tricky layout filter: The page I'm developing is doing some unsuspected things: what good advanced HTML forums do you use?
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posted by jwhittlestone at 4:30 AM PST - 7 comments
I've successfully developed my own website using HTML and CSS. Now I need to add simple facilities for customers to order and pay on-line. What are some good on-line tutorial sites to help me?
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posted by TiredStarling at 12:49 AM PST - 12 comments
April 3
Why are so many image files named DSCF####.jpg? Is there some specific tool which does that? I've always wondered what it was. (And what does DSCF stand for?)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 10:27 PM PST - 31 comments 
What literary critic is said to have used the only couple of his great work as rolling paper for his cigarettes?
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posted by munyeca at 9:19 PM PST - 7 comments
What are cellphones good for? I just got my first one and I certainly love it. The phone part and everything, but what more can I do to it?
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posted by Napierzaza at 9:03 PM PST - 16 comments
Can anyone actually make six dozen cookies based on the cookie recipe? I can, at best, get three dozen. Unless I use a half teaspoon measure and make cookies sized for Lilliputian midgets, there's no way I get six dozen. Is it me? Is it the lying liars that make these recipes? Betty Crocker, et al, constantly put expectations of dozens of cookies that always come to naught (naught being 24 - 30 cookies).
Chipits,
j'accuse!
posted by Salmonberry at 8:22 PM PST - 16 comments
How does the Christian Bible explain or account for fossil evidence of cavemen and dinosaurs? Was Adam a Neanderthal? Were there dinosaurs on Noah's Ark?
posted by robbie01 at 7:21 PM PST - 39 comments
I'm looking for a
musical spectrum analyzer program for Windows which can help me figure out notes and chords from WAV or MP3 samples.
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posted by chef_boyardee at 7:17 PM PST - 17 comments 
Frequency of sex as relates to men and women, with pregnancy added as a twist. There is, of course....
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posted by anonymous at 7:08 PM PST - 33 comments
What are the most frank, telling criticisms of issues like RIAA/DRM/Music Industry that you've read before?
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posted by Lockeownzj00 at 6:42 PM PST - 13 comments
I've spent the past day or so trying to figure out how to calculate a hidden value in my data. It varies linearly with time, or closely enough that we can make that assumption within any given dataset. Where this goes beyond a simple linear regression is that each datapoint is known to be above or below the hidden value. The data is collected in a C# program and processed in Excel; an Excel function would be the ideal solution.
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posted by bjrubble at 6:18 PM PST - 14 comments 
Mefite Fisher people: I don't know anything about fishing and want to do some surfcasting with my kids.
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posted by snsranch at 5:36 PM PST - 2 comments
Our lab uses Excel to record vital data about the participants in our studies. We usually record a date of birth and the date a child was run in separate cells. However we've had no luck creating a formulatthat calculates the person's age (in months, or in years;months) based on those two other cells. As a result of having to do it by hand, errors often occur. Ideally, I'd like to customize how rounding happens, but at this point I'll take what I can get.
posted by drmarcj at 5:03 PM PST - 12 comments
Registered to take the CFA exam June 2. Assuming my past studying efforts count for naught, can I start tomorrow and pass? I have a reasonable grounding in the subject area, and am not working. What kind of commitment would it take? Official Schweiser prep course and CFA Institute time estimates (~250 hrs) are noted.
posted by Phred182 at 4:19 PM PST - 7 comments 
Our next door neighbors (who we really like a lot) are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. The traditional gift for no. 10 is aluminum/tin. What would be a fun/useful/romantic/cool gift for us to get them based on this theme/material? Budget = around $50.
posted by ericbop at 3:40 PM PST - 16 comments 
Is there a smart, well-oiled ISP I could subscribe to for DSL where my needs won't get lost in the corporate shuffle?
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posted by Lillitatiana at 3:40 PM PST - 16 comments 
How do I make a multi-lingual best man's speech at a German wedding?
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posted by ajp at 3:22 PM PST - 6 comments 
I notice that in the US condos are rarely more than 3 levels (except in a very few places like NYC). In many countries that I have visited, condos are usually 5 levels up to high rise buildings. If condos are built to reduce the land cost per unit, wouldn’t it make more sense to build additional levels? Or other costs such as those invested in parking structures will push the cost per unit further up? If so, is 2-3 level the ideal cost for developers and buyers? I guess my question can apply to apartment complex too. Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
posted by dy at 3:13 PM PST - 17 comments 
In an effort to increase productivity, I've been trying to escape my all-too-familiar laptop with all its enticing shortcuts and bookmarks and start using my school's sexy G5 workstations. How can I install teTeX or some other LaTeX package on these babies without root?
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posted by onalark at 3:04 PM PST - 9 comments
Is there a Windows e-mail client for power users that I am missing? I recently tried Thunderbird, Outlook, The Bat, Pocomail and Opera.
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posted by davar at 2:44 PM PST - 12 comments 
What are the Big Ideas for combating global warming? Who is proposing them? Which do you find most plausible?
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posted by Galvatron at 2:37 PM PST - 15 comments 
Boxes. I'm looking for a place to source about 100 boxes (wood/plastic) for flowers etc at a wedding. Long and thin, looking around 4 x 3 x 12 inches? Location Texas. Any suggestions of cheap flower wholesalers would be great too.
posted by Mossy at 2:35 PM PST - 5 comments
I am using Copernic's Desktop search, and a mighty beast it is. Problem: it is not returning all results. Any ideas?
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posted by Holly at 1:52 PM PST - 5 comments
Is there a way to keep IE from flashing to white when navigating within an iFrame/frame?
posted by Edible Energy at 1:42 PM PST - 7 comments
I would like to find an application that will give me a little sports (actually just MLB) ticket, or score updates so I can see what is happening in afternoon MLB games without having to check the web.
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posted by Deep Dish at 12:51 PM PST - 4 comments
Is there an easy way to set up a Motorola SLVR or RAZR so that MMS/WAP functions properly in other countries (i.e., using a different SIM card)?
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posted by JudgeBork at 12:45 PM PST - 3 comments 
I'm going to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in a few weeks, and am looking for some ideas of things to do...
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posted by gwenzel at 12:27 PM PST - 19 comments
Are there any environmentally friendly ways to use coal as an energy source? Bonus points if these methods are economically plausible. If none exist currently, is there any interesting research being done?
posted by insomnus at 12:22 PM PST - 11 comments
I want to backup a Windows partition to a DVD, so that I can make my own restore disc. Is this possible?
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posted by northernsoul at 12:12 PM PST - 3 comments
Naught but a month-and-a-half after purchase, near-daily usage of my self-adhering athletic tape has left it unable to adhere to itself. I've been wrapping it around my feet and shins. Is there any way to get its grip back or do I have to purchase more?
posted by schroedinger at 11:35 AM PST - 12 comments 
I bought my house in the Los Angeles hills about two years ago. A week ago, I was approached, out of nowhere, by a City Inspector regarding two decks off the back of my house.
The decks were built by the previous owners and were very likely unpermitted - which is not uncommon in the hills where I live. The larger of the two decks did have a permit applied for by the previous owner, but they seemingly didn't follow through on the permit and built the deck anyhow. The deck was very professionally done - complete with casons and concrete poured - but may not be up to code.
My question is: as the current owner, am I responsible for a deck built by the previous owner that may be unpermitted? Can this inspector, who didn't come on my property but merely espied it from the street below, demand that we allow them to inspect the decks - built a few years ago?
I have heard conflicting opinions from people - some who've said it's my responsibility now, some who've said I should tell the inspector I don't know anything about the permits but the decks "came with the house".
posted by bocksheesh at 11:00 AM PST - 16 comments
Ever since college I have been working to lose a fairly significant amount of weight (> 75 lbs). I'm looking for suggestions as to how I can make *this* time be the *last* time I ever have to try.
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posted by catfood at 11:00 AM PST - 27 comments 
I have a deck with a patio underneath. I have created a guttering system between the deck joists that keeps the patio dry, but it isn't much to look at. I would like to install a "ceiling" attached to the underside of the joists. One major challenge is that the joists are 24" centers, so sagging is a major concern.
Ideally, this material would:
-Provide a reasonably finished look
-Be available in white
-Not add tremendous weight to the overall structure
-Be water resistant in case my guttering springs a leak
-Be in the neighborhood of $1-3/sq foot.
My only idea so far is the soffit treatment they use in vinyl siding applications. Any other ideas are most welcome!
posted by jbradley at 10:45 AM PST - 8 comments
Where to stay the night that's roughly halfway between Cortez, Colorado and Escalante, UT?
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posted by Jase at 10:45 AM PST - 9 comments
My husband, brother and brother-in-law are doing a triathlon in August. Where can they practice swimming in open water in Atlanta and/or Athens, GA?
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posted by mdiskin at 9:09 AM PST - 6 comments
GmailFilter: I am having a hard time keeping my gmail inbox down to manageable numbers. I want to do something very specific. Is it possible to set gmail to automatically archive all read messages? That way my inbox stays clear and I don't have to remember to constantly click the archive button after reading a message.
posted by billtron at 8:27 AM PST - 5 comments 
An Australian friend of mine is in the UK with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend has a full visa, whereas she is only allowed here if she's in a relationship with him. Trouble is, she wants to leave him, and there's still 2 years to go before she can get a full independent visa. If she splits with him, she has to move back to Australia after 2 1/2 years here, and start all over again. What to do? Is there any way she can stay if she splits with him?
posted by wibbler at 8:14 AM PST - 8 comments
There is a homestar runner cartoon that my wife and I were joking about this weekend... he is applying for a job or something and says "if you take a look at my resume" and pronounces it like resuming a download and not like a job resumé. Anyone know which cartoon this was in?
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posted by skrike at 8:11 AM PST - 7 comments 
I'm exceedingly susceptible to seasickness. I'm an avid scuba diver, and I'm now learning how to sail. Both activities put me in smallish boats, and if there's any chop, it's only a matter of time before I am leaning over the side. I don't want my inner ears to keep me from doing things that I enjoy. Please share your tips on keeping your inner ears happy and your lunch down.
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posted by ambrosia at 8:02 AM PST - 18 comments 
Is it possible to convert a FAT32 disk to HFS+ in-place (i.e., with all the data intact)?
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posted by dmd at 7:45 AM PST - 8 comments
DrivingFilter: I want to learn to drive - should I take a short trip somewhere cheap and do an intensive course?
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posted by spiff101 at 7:02 AM PST - 6 comments
Got a splinter (actually a metal whisker) in the sole of my foot. Can't get a hold of it without some significant flesh excavation. Will it get expelled eventually, or do I need medical attention?
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posted by de void at 6:16 AM PST - 24 comments
I'm moving to Boston in the next couple of months. Is there a good, big photography store in or around the city? Not just the local Ritz to get my film developed; I'm thinking somewhere with the technical breadth of
B&H in New York. I'd like to be able to get 120 film, used lenses, developing chemicals, etc. Any suggestions?
(I realize I can order from B&H online, but finding somewhere local would be preferable.)
posted by Plutor at 6:13 AM PST - 9 comments
Where in NYC can I buy coptis detoxifying formula? What are some other alternative treatments for colitis?
posted by spaghetti at 5:44 AM PST - 6 comments
What specific laws are illegal immigrants breaking while being here illegally? What laws are broken if they hop the border, and what laws are broken if they over-stay a visa? Are violating these laws crimes, or civil infractions? Are there any state laws on immigration violations?
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posted by Paris Hilton at 2:41 AM PST - 23 comments 
If you had to amass a large collection of mp3s of mainstream rap club bangers in a short amount of time - how would you do it?
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posted by dihutenosa at 12:30 AM PST - 29 comments 
April 2
The significant other and I will be spending a couple of days in the Adirondacks in late May and are looking for suggestions as to places to visit.
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posted by mrbula at 11:49 PM PST - 5 comments 
I just made instant pudding with lo-fat almond milk (it's what I had on hand) and it didn't work- it never thickened into pudding. Why didn't it work? What is it about dairy milk that makes instant pudding work properly? Would it work with soy milk?
posted by hyperfascinated at 11:17 PM PST - 11 comments 
I have a week to make a set of three concert programs for an upcoming music festival at my university (I am a music student). LaTeX? InDesign? Word? The catch: I am a novice (albeit an eager one) at all but the latter program.
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posted by rossination at 10:41 PM PST - 12 comments 
What kind of careers are available for someone with a psychology major and a business minor?
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posted by aquavit at 10:34 PM PST - 16 comments
If someone writes a letter to their clergy, can someone deposition the contents of that letter from either the sender or the receiver? Should the sender ask the receiver to destroy it?
posted by mecran01 at 10:14 PM PST - 7 comments
How can I clean glue residue off my polyester shoes without wrecking them? Difficulty: theres also suede leather on the sheos.
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posted by GleepGlop at 10:01 PM PST - 7 comments
I want to (sometimes) delete all browsers on my Mac. But sometimes, I want them back. Help me.
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posted by terceiro at 9:38 PM PST - 15 comments 
I am Inheriting $100,000.00. I recently learned I have a CD with my name on it as the sole "POD" (Payable On Death) beneficiary. I have a basic understanding of personal finance and investing. I am married, 39 years old with one child. I'm really a little lost with this. I've been told a hundred grand is not enough to tweak the interest of a financial adviser. Do MeFites have any ideas on how to invest $100,000.00? Should it be Stocks? CDs? Mutual Funds? I would welcome any and all advice - including a sample portfolio if you so desire. Thank you!
posted by Gerard Sorme at 9:05 PM PST - 39 comments 
What are the advantages and problems involved with buying my father in law's home?
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posted by sperare at 8:09 PM PST - 3 comments
I'm trying to recall a phrase, probably french in origin, that refers to the character of a specific period in a chess game when both sides have developed their pieces, but are loathe to attack.
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posted by Manjusri at 7:43 PM PST - 9 comments 
Selling-Furniture-in-France: Any suggestions for websites to post to to sell furniture in France (specifically in Lyon)? Craiglist, for instance, seems to have a rather small following in this town. Any other thoughts/secrets to selling stuff in France are appreciated....
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posted by rumbles at 7:21 PM PST - 3 comments 
I'm trying to program an atmel atTiny26 using an STK500 and AVRStudio, but I seem to be unable to read or write to the chip: even the signature reads as FF FF FF. It's a brand new chip, and I've checked the wiring a few times (but could still be wrong).
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posted by jacalata at 6:56 PM PST - 6 comments
I am looking into returning to New York from Texas after 25 years. Have visited a couple of times and would be interested in the following information: It may be difficult to get New York licensing for Massage Therapy (long story, nothing illegal) Does anyone have experience with unlicensed massage therapy in New York?
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posted by bellaja at 6:05 PM PST - 0 comments
So I left my Z3's top down the other night, and the next morning the interior was soaked. I've toweled everything down and have been driving around with the heat on full blast, but some areas have still not dried and I don't want no mildewy car.
posted by icetaco at 5:43 PM PST - 14 comments
How can I allow visitors to a website to make an online reservation for a specific block of time? I'm putting together a site for someone who offers gondola cruises, and to simplify their life I'd like to be able to do what airlines do: allow visitors to book a half-hour or hour-long reservation and pay online, so that time slot is taken and no follow-up phone calls are necessary. How do the airlines (and similar businesses) do it, and is it possible for us?
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posted by cacahuete at 5:20 PM PST - 9 comments
Online repositories of EPS graphics/charts/diagrams/maps
of any type... above and beyond the standard "clip art." The more elaborate, complicated, and random, the better...
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posted by cadastral at 4:07 PM PST - 10 comments
For many years I beat my self up because my photographs did not approach the quality that I saw in magazines. This stopped when I was assigned to repair and maintain an offset printing press. I saw the offset being a four color (five if you factor the brilliance of the paper) mechanical process while my photographs were being done in a single or three color chemical process. The printer told me that images that were to be offset rather that darkroom printed had to be slightly overexposed. When a chemically processed photograph was placed beside its' offset printed twin, they showed two very different images of an identical subject. Is a magazine photograph a true photograph or is it really something else? Can a magazine illustration accurately portray what a photograph from a negative looks like? Does this question exist with digital photography? Please discount duotone and tritone B&W printing. I have been trying to wrap my head around this for years and the question still troubles me.
posted by Raybun at 3:39 PM PST - 12 comments
Anyone used Earthlink's trueVoice VoIP service? They called with an offer today. I'm suspicious of VoIP, but I'm tired of paying $53 per month for DSL plus $100 for phones plus long distance, etc. They're offering $69 for 8mbps DSL plus phone line and unlimited local and US/Canada LD, $14 for additional line, and no extra taxes or charges, (they say). My worst fear is that it's usable but rinky-dink like Skype.
posted by QuietDesperation at 3:39 PM PST - 6 comments
What would you say to computer users if you could give a lecture about a basic net safety/computer use?
posted by srboisvert at 2:41 PM PST - 37 comments
I recall reading that years after Newton and Leibniz, a school teacher slogged from the steppes to the big city with his independent invention of calculus. Apocryphal? Name, place, source? Yeah, I know about the quarrel between Newton & Leibniz, and Indian & Japanese calculus. I think this poor guy was Russian.
posted by gregoreo at 2:39 PM PST - 7 comments
Does anyone know of a mp3 tag editor which cab include a http reference and all the other usual stuff for XP? or LInux?
Thx
posted by bright77blue at 2:36 PM PST - 4 comments
Are there reputable projections for global warming's impact on the inland United States?
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posted by danny boy at 2:04 PM PST - 9 comments
I have to support my Dad with his new computer, and I can't do that just by phone or by driving over there every time he has a problem. Is Apple Desktop Remote a viable solution to help with this?
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posted by mikel at 1:31 PM PST - 14 comments 
I'm moving to the Caribbean within half a year and I'm having a hard time finding the best place online to look for jobs. I'm don't know where in the Caribbean I'll be moving yet. My background is in graphic and web design, IT and technical writing.
posted by brokekid at 12:12 PM PST - 4 comments
Flash masking effects: I'm trying to duplicate the flash slideshow photo transition at
http://www.247consult.com/ (minus the menu). I've found a
file on istockphoto that's close, but very difficult for me to customize to my own photo dimensions. I've yet to find a decent tutorial on masks much less one that creates the nifty "box" effect. Furthermore, I don't know what this type of mask is generally referred to....Ideas?
posted by masymas at 11:51 AM PST - 5 comments 
Help me solve my iBook/OS X mini-disaster. No desktop after failed software update.
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posted by hwestiii at 11:28 AM PST - 4 comments
POSTED / NO TRESPASSING - Has this always been the norm? When did it become popular for virtually *everyone* to do this to their land? How serious are people, in your experience? Also, is there anywhere where they don't do this (as much)?
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posted by zhivota at 10:10 AM PST - 42 comments
Anyone care to ecommend a good clock repair shop in or around Atlanta? We've inherited an old (~1920) Seth Thomas clock that we like, but it won't run for more than an hour or two.
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posted by donpardo at 9:08 AM PST - 5 comments
Using work apps at home under OS X. How do I make an image of my work hard drive on an external Firewire hard drive, bring it home, boot up my Mac from it, and use the apps to do print production work?
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posted by rleamon at 8:53 AM PST - 2 comments
I'm attending a Catholic funeral in a couple of days. I'm not Catholic. I know that I shouldn't take communion or recite the Nicene Creed, but what about the rest of the service? Do I stand and kneel when everybody else does, or do I stay seated? What's the proper etiquette for the whole affair?
posted by waldo at 8:52 AM PST - 42 comments 
We are beginning a small business and need recommendations for a commercial to reproduce limited copies of original works of art.
Credibility in product and dealing is more important than cost. We will also need business cards, posters, post cards, polo shirts, and tee-shirts down the line.
Our preference is the Portland, Oregon area, Seattle works too. We can work with a UPS/FEDEX set up if communications are great.
Thanks, this is a key piece to our inevitable success!
posted by KneeDeep at 8:31 AM PST - 3 comments
Since the dawn of recorded time, you can use a certain easy to remember serial number
1 to install any Autodesk product. This number is widely known and used by the "try before you buy" crowd
2. Why would this be so? Any conjectures on why Autodesk hasn't plugged this hole?
1I won't post the actual #, lets say it starts with a multiple of 100 and then has a bunch of digits in sequence.
2Or so my friends tell me.
posted by skree at 8:03 AM PST - 10 comments
I wish to take a business trip to Japan next week and I wish to take my new girlfriend. She tells me shes afraid to go because she has a bench warrant out for her. if I take her to the airport will they check this and arrest her?
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posted by geengi at 7:46 AM PST - 25 comments 
Any good suggestions on a Media Center OS for my main tower? WMCE would be my optimal choice (I won an Xbox 360 from Mt. Dew, and I wanna use it's full functionality). However, I also have a modded xbox to use as a frontend. Oh, and by media center, what I really mean is TiVo like setup. Any other functionality is gravy.
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posted by TrueVox at 7:00 AM PST - 4 comments 
RevengeFilter: My friends and I are receiving threatening phone calls from a neighbour. How can I subscribe him to a few text message alert services, considering I know his number and I am in the UK?
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posted by Acey at 6:23 AM PST - 15 comments
How did kids in the sixties and seventies know that playing their Beatles songs backwards told them that Paul was dead, or that Black Sabbath wanted them to kill themselves?
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posted by twine42 at 6:22 AM PST - 20 comments
What prevents the volume control working on a Mac when the optical digital audio output is being used?
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posted by bruceyeah at 4:37 AM PST - 10 comments 
We are moving to Dublin with our eight-month old baby and I'm finding it difficult to find information on playgroups, nursery rhyme groups etc. Does anyone know of any? Generally, what sort of social activites are there for new Mums in the city?
posted by Mrs.Doyle at 12:48 AM PST - 2 comments 
So we need to rent a car for 2 months this summer, and most car rental agencies are quoting us numbers in excess of $2 or 3K. What Would The Green Do?
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posted by yellowcandy at 12:43 AM PST - 10 comments 
April 1
How do I reset the resolution on a large plasma monitor connected to a Mac Mini via DVI?
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posted by forrest at 10:39 PM PST - 7 comments
In fly fishing, what is the difference between backing and fly line? Is backing a necessity?
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posted by Paul KC at 7:54 PM PST - 8 comments 
This is for the authors and/or editors of mefi. I submitted a story to a publication that claims a 5 week turn around. That was just over 9 weeks ago. They also ask that authors not inquire about submissions. Am I obligated to wait any longer before submitting to another magazine or can I assume the rejection was lost in the mail and submit elsewhere?
posted by Grod at 6:40 PM PST - 10 comments 
In
Star Trek: First Contact, when Picard initiates the Enterprise auto-destruct sequence, he orders his crew to meet on Gravett Island, which is apparently an uninhabited island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. My question is; does this island actually exist?
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posted by Effigy2000 at 6:38 PM PST - 8 comments 
Information on decent hotels in Amsterdam (a smallish B&B-type would be ideal), reasonably close to the city centre, with high-speed access (and preferably non-smoking)?
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posted by jokeefe at 5:44 PM PST - 4 comments
How do I mail ice cream from one of the 48 continental states to another? I'm unclear on either the logistics, best packaging/cooling technique, or any regulations.
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posted by NucleophilicAttack at 3:15 PM PST - 9 comments 
I'd like to record a version of
this song on Garageband for my girlfriend's birthday, but I cannot figure out the chords, and I can't find them anywhere online. Can anyone please help?
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posted by interrobang at 1:40 PM PST - 11 comments 
I have been scouring the web for a way to get easily-available local-area movie schedules via RSS.
Yahoo,
Google, and
IMDB all present perfectly decent HTML of this information, and there is one
My Yahoo to RSS service; sadly, it's ad hoc and frequently fails to set the localization cookie. What am I missing? This should be a revenue oppotunity for the studios and theaters - where is the sweet creamy RSS I crave?
posted by mwhybark at 1:37 PM PST - 6 comments 
I need to move many files in different subfolders to one folder, thousands of images to be precise.
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posted by fondle at 1:30 PM PST - 7 comments 
What are the most realistic swordfighting movies? Also, let's analyze the swordfighting in popular movies.
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posted by agropyron at 12:19 PM PST - 78 comments 
I find out last night that I have 18 months to complete (read: start AND finish) my M.A. thesis in Media Studies. What do I write about and how do I do it?
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posted by delosic at 12:03 PM PST - 10 comments 
I'm using a
Squeezebox to stream music from my 'puter (running XP) and my wife's (running OS X) to my amplifier via my wifi connection.
It's time to get me some external storage so we can combine libraries, so I'm looking for either a plain ol' external drive OR a networked storage drive.
Question is: can I get away with an external drive or do I need networked storage to make this work? I've read through similar archived questions but haven't quite gotten the clarity I so desperately need. More inside....
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posted by alexfw at 11:58 AM PST - 9 comments 
During the first few years of MTV's late Sunday night show '120 minutes' (1986-2003) it was followed by a show of experimental videos. Usually these would be devoted to some theme. The show lasted about a half an hour in length and was, I believe, an English product.
Does anyone know what this show was called and anything about its history, current availability, and or producers?
posted by filchyboy at 11:51 AM PST - 19 comments 
Is there any way, on an Intel iMac with two displays, to make apps like World of Warcraft or Unreal Tournament leave the secondary display alone?
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posted by mph at 11:25 AM PST - 8 comments 
Has anyone had good experience with book swapping sites? I've got lots of books to trade, and rather than sell them, I'd like to trade them for other books I want.
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posted by dpx.mfx at 11:24 AM PST - 4 comments
How do clean the base of your eyelashes?
posted by fenriq at 11:21 AM PST - 9 comments
How can I better present my information than a bar graph with both very tall and very small bars?
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posted by event at 11:16 AM PST - 12 comments 
My wife and I are approaching our fifteenth anniversary, which, by tradition, is the crystal anniversary. We don't need stemware, and we don't do new age healing. Do you have any suggestions for gifts?
posted by barjo at 10:15 AM PST - 27 comments
Family
Entertainment
Filter: I have three pc's, two run windows (one dual-boots XP and Blag linux) and the third is an old PII that runs Fedora. I also have three daughters who all like being on the computer
at the same time.
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posted by rinkjustice at 10:11 AM PST - 3 comments
In this day and age, are there any chances of finding a previously undiscovered island? Even if it is really very small? If so, where would my best chances be if I wanted to sail around and take a look?
posted by aletheia at 9:41 AM PST - 16 comments
Is it possible to route audio from a Mac's built-in mic (or other audio source) over a network to another machine in mostly-realtime? If so, how?
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posted by namespan at 9:29 AM PST - 4 comments
I'm looking at used pickup trucks in California. Some of the listings on craigslist are described as having salvage titles. What precisely does this mean? Would a service like Carfax tell me why the vehicle has a salvage title? If this isn't something to be avoided at all costs, what should I ask a mechanic to look for in checking out the truck?
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posted by mhespenheide at 9:11 AM PST - 10 comments
I get conflicting reports from people on how 60-days notice works in the Ontario "Tenant Protection Act".
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posted by cardboard at 8:54 AM PST - 4 comments 
What is the best way to respond to an acquaintance who reveals he has been recently diagnosed with HIV?
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posted by anonymous at 7:05 AM PST - 17 comments
I'm graduating from college this summer and have the travel bug. I'd love to work at a hostel somewhere wild and interesting, like Prague or Amsterdam. How does one even go about getting a job there? And any advice from anyone who's had the experience?
posted by Lisa S at 6:41 AM PST - 4 comments
Discovery filter: I once watched a documentary on the discovery channel in which a troop of monkeys would steal puppies from their mothers and raise them with the troop. It was kind of a symbiotic relationship where the dogs would help guard the troop and in turn get food. What was this documentary called?
posted by azuma at 2:49 AM PST - 3 comments