August 2004 Archives
August 31
GOP convention blogs?
American Politics: Is there a list of blogs specifically covering the GOP National Convention? How about a list of blogs by bloggers at the convention? [more inside]
Counterfeit Bollywood CDs?
Bollywood soundtracks on Amazon marketplace seem suspiciously cheap, like US$4-6:
Lagaan
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai[labeled CD single but appears to be the full soundtrack]
However, I can't google up any information indicating that these are bootlegs/counterfeit. Anyone know?
Lagaan
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai[labeled CD single but appears to be the full soundtrack]
However, I can't google up any information indicating that these are bootlegs/counterfeit. Anyone know?
Custom apparel online
Best place to get custom apparel? I have heard of Cafepress and bought one from Zazzle a loooong time back. I see that Zazzle has more variety. Any other cheap, good, flexible sites?
Exchanging Currency
Seeking advice/information on exchanging currency. I am planning on converting a chunk of money in yen to dollars and moving it from a bank in Japan to one in the US. Has anyone had experience doing this and could give me a heads up about what issues I need to concern myself with, aside from the exchange rate?
Error message when launching winamp.
Whenever I launch Winamp (the latest version) I get this error message: "Winamp has caused an error in MSVCRT.DLL. Winamp will now close." I've tried rebooting and reinstalling. I've scoured the net for support but found nothing clear. Does anybody have an easy to explain fix? I have a large playlist (almost 9000+ items). I don't know if that's the cause or if it can be worked around. Thanks in advance.
Is there a website compiling framegrabs of computer screens in feature films?
Is there a website compiling framegrabs of computer screens in feature films? In other words, a photo gallery including Jeff Goldblum's Mac virus from Independence Day, Matthew Broderick's terminal in Wargames, the 3D filesystem in Jurassic Park, Scotty's "transparent aluminum" GUI in Star Trek IV, and so on.
I find it hard to believe this doesn't exist on the Internet. (If it doesn't, then I'm going to start it right away.)
I find it hard to believe this doesn't exist on the Internet. (If it doesn't, then I'm going to start it right away.)
Making a Cat Exercise
How do you make a fat cat exercise? {MI} [more inside]
How do I select a new credit card?
I have a credit card from a company that I quite like, but they've slowly been raising my APR. Every year, I get a notice that it's gone up a few more points. (Despite that I've got a great credit rating.) Last week, when I got the notice about the increase to 18.9%, that was the final straw. There are a bajillion credit cards out there, and the choices are overwhelming. How do I select a new credit card?
What can I use to generate electronic text when using my laptop is impractical?
The electronic Moleskine? When it becomes impractical to use a full-sized laptop on the road but you still want to generate electronic text, what do you use? (much more inside). [more inside]
My Windows XP Pro can't find drivers automatically - what gives?
Brokenwindowsfilter - My XP Pro SP2 box no longer automatically installs hardware. Yesterday I plugged in a plain old USB mouse and the hardware wizard came up, but after doing its thing it said that it couldn't find the driver. I had to tell it to manually look in places like windows\infs\ and windows\system32\drivers to find the files. Anything I can do to get it working again without doing a re-install? (The same thing happened with a USB keyboard when I tried it.)
Why was Niles Crane played so differently in this rerun of Frasier? Did he evolve as a character or just change suddenly?
A couple months ago I saw a re-run of Frasier on a plane. I believe it was fairly recent. It prominently featured Niles Crane. The weird thing was, David Hyde Pierce was playing him differently. Way less prissy, voice was completely different (i.e., normal.) I found it jarring and unpleasant. Faithful viewers, what happened? Is it less bothersome to those of you who watched him evolve?
Online bill pay
Online bill pay. Is it safe? Any service providers you recommend? Would I be better off going through Yahoo or my bank or something else?
How do I shut down a store selling bootleg video game systems?
There's a kiosk at my local mall selling Virtual Stations, which appear to be bootleg video game systems. They have hundreds of games inside, all appear to be Atari or Nintendo games. This can't be legal, although the people at the kiosk claim they are. The Nintendo logo is gone from the games, but its clearly Nintendo property (ie Donkey Kong). The controllers are molded n64 and Playstation controllers. it just screams BOOTLEG.
They are selling them for an outrageous price, and I hate to see people taken for a ride. How can I get them shut down? Who do I call? Local Police? The Mall? The FTC?
They are selling them for an outrageous price, and I hate to see people taken for a ride. How can I get them shut down? Who do I call? Local Police? The Mall? The FTC?
Does freeipods.com actually work?
Does anyone have any personal experience with freeipods.com? My brother wants in. I'm more than sceptical. [more inside]
IE5 -> Panther
So. I've finally upgraded from OS9x, and I'm now using Panther... but I have no idea how to migrate my IE5 bookmarks, my Eudora e-mail and contact stuff, or my Palm contacts, calendar, memos, and the like. I know items like this have been asked, but I've not had any luck with Google.
How do I stop XP from thinking this old program is newly installed?
Stupid annoying WinXP question. I installed an older program I use for data analysis in my lab. Every time I click the start menu it shows up as a newly installed program, despite the fact that I've used it quite a bit. I want it to go away and show up as an old program, not highlighted like a new one. The only help I can find using my formidable Google-Fu is "Turn off new program notification". Well, I don't want to do that; I like to know if something new has been added to my machine. Anyone know how XP marks programs as newly installed, or highlighted, and how to turn this off on an individual entry basis rather than across the board?
Nicked Bump Near My Lip While Shaving, And the Blood's Not Coagulating
SeepingBloodFilter: like this shaving nick, I'll cut to the point inside... [more inside]
TiVo
What do you TiVo?
Need a new mouse
I need a new mouse. My MS Intellimouse Explorer has served me well, with its 4 buttons, scroll wheel, and optical tracking, but is dying a slow (and annoying) death due to its cable connection coming loose somewhere. What's your mouse of choice? [MI] for some more specific requirements... [more inside]
What URL comes to mind when you think of the phrase 'beautiful website'?
What URL comes to mind when you think of the phrase 'beautiful website'?
Pros and Cons of an Economics degree
My friend needs help deciding on either a BA or BSBA degree in economics. He would like to work in international trade or something related. What are some pros/cons of each degree (and possible minors for the BA)? He would probably be working for a few years before pursuing a master's degree.
Looking for a simultaneous multi-user word processor program
I want a word processor that lets two users simultaneously edit the same document. Every word processor I've used since, like, 1982, only lets one person edit a document at a time, for fear of people saving over each others' changes. In this modern age, I'm sure that someone has figured out a way to have changes be instantly transmitted to the other user over the network. Any leads?
What can be accomplished with HALF-circular knitting needles?
KnittingFilter: What can be accomplished with HALF-circular knitting needles? Apparently I didn't look closely enough at the photo on eBay, for when my circular needles arrived, I discovered each to have a (factory-installed) disk-like stopper, rather than another needle, on one end. Google turns up nothing (but I've guessed in calling them "half-circular"). Photo here.
How can I copy tracks from an iPod to a Mac G5?
My Dad has a first generation iPod and a G5. What (free, preferably) software can he use to transfer songs from the iPod back to the Mac?
I need a way to turn on my PC remotely so I can use the home media features of the TiVo while away from the computer.
The TiVo is upstairs, the computer downstairs. Is there a product (or hack) that will let me turn on my PC remotely so I can use the home media features of the TiVo without lugging my lazy ass downstairs to turn on the PC? (More Inside) [more inside]
Is there a way to make the title attribute for an ANCHOR tag have a line break?
Is there a way to make the title attribute for an ANCHOR tag have a line break (rather than just being one big long sentence with a ... at the end)? I tried inserting
and \n and \r etc. etc.... and everything else I can think of...
and \n and \r etc. etc.... and everything else I can think of...
Bulk-renaming Folders
Is there a way to bulk rename a bunch of folders in Windows XP by just removing any white space? I want to upload these to a web server and would prefer avoiding the %20 madness.
Do you notice when somebody else wears the same outfits often?
Along the lines of the "do you wear a suit" question below:
Do you notice when somebody else wears the same outfits often? (MI) [more inside]
Do you notice when somebody else wears the same outfits often? (MI) [more inside]
August 30
need new textbook for web design class, fast
Less than three weeks before I begin teaching my class, I've been informed that my text is on back order and "would I like to order an alternative?" I've been using Web Design in a Nutshell, 2nd ed., and, as I begin my search for an alternative, I thought I'd ask if anyone has any suggestions for an introductory text on web design?
Amtrak to NYC
Is planning a nine-hour Amtrak trip just a bad idea? Specifically, I'm needing to get from Burlington, Vt. to NYC. What's Amtrak like these days? (Note: I'm a non-USian who's used Amtrak only once, and that five years ago.)
Help me with my wireless
My laptop can no longer receive the Internet! The internet comes, via DSL, into my DESKTOP pc. The Desktop's DSL modem is hooked up to a LinkSys Wireless-B router, which broadcasts the Internet signal to my laptop. The lights on the LynkSys are blinking as usual. My desktop is receiving the web just fine. My laptop IS showing the little "connected" (two-computers) icon in the system tray, and when I hover over it, it says "Wireless Network Connection... Speed 11.0 Mbps, Signal Strength: Excellent." But when I start of a browser, I can't get to any page. I CAN get to the same pages on my desktop. Help! [more inside]
Suiting Up
Do you wear a suit to work?
Quesiton about Roll Call at the 2004 US Republican National Convention
I'm watching live coverage of the RNC. Someone from each state is giving a little speech, and then either casting some number of votes for President George W. Bush, or "passing". What is the point of this, and what is the difference between the two choices?
Movie sleep rituals
A very bright acquaintance of mine, personable, well adjusted, loving dad, relaxes by watching the same short scenes from a favorite movie (LOTR, Matrix, etc.). He'll watch the same scene every night for months. He says that when the line is delivered, he feels complete and can go to bed. Is this common? Does this behavior have a name?
How can I create MP3-CDs from WinAmp playlists?
Is there anything good out there which will let me create MP3-CDs from WinAmp playlists?
Business Photography Tips
DigiPhoto Tips: I'm going to be building a website for my dad's one and half person materials testing shop. As I head up to Tulsa for Labor Day, I'm going to head out there to take some pictures for the site. The only problem is, the lighting there is all flourescent and, well, machine shop like. Any tips for taking the pictures (while using very pedestrian digicams) or manipulation in photoshop are much appreciated.
Starter resources for white hat/grey hat hacker skills?
I'd like to learn some white hat/grey hat hacker (as in cracker) skills. I'm interested in focusing on Windows systems and possibly web mail, as I think knowledge in these areas would probably be the most marketable. What's a good resource to pick up the basics? What are some good websites to follow the discovery and status of vulnerabilities?
Hakka cuisine
Hakka cuisine - Went to a supposed Hakka restaurant on Saturady night. Googled Hakka this morning and all references were to a nomadic branch of the Han people from Northern China, that migrated south and devised a cuisine based on offal in and around Hong Kong.
The Hakka restaurant I went to was described as Chinese by way of India, and that's pretty much the standard definaition here in Vancouver. So, anyone know the deal on what Hakka is? [more inside]
The Hakka restaurant I went to was described as Chinese by way of India, and that's pretty much the standard definaition here in Vancouver. So, anyone know the deal on what Hakka is? [more inside]
Mandarin language learning tips?
Does anybody have any experience with learning Mandarin (specifically Putonghua, I guess) in North America? Are there any useful programs, tips, or strategies that people have employed? Are there any good online programs or resources? Is it extremely difficult for romance language speakers to pick it up? Thanks!
Why do I get blank text in MovableType 2.661 on IE6 until mouseover or scroll up?
Blank text in Movable Type 2.661 on IE 6 - until mouseover or scroll - then text shows up. What's going on? [more inside]
Can you help me get a good massage in New York City?
NYC massage info needed. [more] [more inside]
Lost Post Office Package
Lost package through the United States Postal Service: I sent a box to myself full of books from one end of the country to the other. One of those three boxes has gone missing, and I want it back. Do you have any ideas (other than to keep hoping it shows up...) to help me recover it? [MI] [more inside]
Best practices for urban inline skating?
Urban rollerblading: I've just taken up rollerblading again, after an absence of some years. It's coming back pretty well, but I have some best practices-type questions. [more inside]
Free font sites?
What are some good sites for free fonts, both classic and trendy? [more inside]
August 29
What are the best PC games that you can play with a game pad?
What are the best PC games that you can play with a game pad? [more inside]
Russian Olympic warm-up jacket
I'm trying to find an Russian Olympic warm-up jacket for my adult daughter. Nothing political, she just likes the colors. All my searches just turn up U.S. stuff. Any suggestions?
Where can I get really cool desk accessories?
GettingOrganizedFilter: I've just finished reading David Allen's book Getting Things Done, which is awesome, and am now ready to turn my life around! First step: where can I buy really cool desk accessories?
Help me find a poem about bores and dinner parties...
I'm trying to find an old poem or essay that I read many, many moons ago. I am not sure I even have the specifics correct. It basically dealt with having to reject a dinner party invitation because the author couldn't stand to be with bores and the people there. For some reason I think it was by Wilde, Orwell or Larkin. If anyone can help me find it, I will be much appreciative. Thanks.
How do I repair a broken Canon A80 battery cover?
I've got a Canon A80. It dropped. The battery door now does not close all the way, I know the door lost a 'latch' piece from the interior. I can't imagine it's under any sort of warrentee. So. Any thoughts on how to repair?
Can someone's standing be vitiated by honesty?
Can someone's standing be vitiated by honesty? For example, telling someone they are fat and need to lose weight? [more inside]
Recommend a book that will help me make simple electronics?
I want to learn how to make simple electronics, like LED controllers that I can hook up to a serial port. Can anyone recommend a book to get started with? [more inside] [more inside]
Where should tour buses dump their septic tank?
Where are tour buses, like the kind bands travel around on, supposed to dump their septic tanks? This obviously isn't the proper method, so where?
How to manage an unwieldy keychain
I have the key to get into my apartment. The key to open my apartment complex's gym. The one for the pool. The remote to open the gate to the complex. The mailbox key. My Albertson's Preferred Savings card. My car key. My car remote. My office key. Two random keys that unlock things I'm not sure I even own anymore, but other than that, I use all these keys on a daily basis. My keyring currently composes half the bulk of my outfit on any given day. Please help me. [more inside]
August 28
Why don't male movie stars have nose hair?
How come those male movie stars never have any nose hair? Is there some magic celebrity nose hair removal technique? Are CGI budgets so high because most of the money is spent removing any hint that Mel Gibson or Tom Cruise has nose hair? Or, do films have a production assistant whose only job is nose hair collection each morning?
Reality of the Stanford Prison Experiment
Everytime I read about the Stanford Prison Experiment, I become skeptical. I can believe the kinds of things that are described happened, I just can't believe they happened so fast. Is there any evidence things didn't happen as described, that the happenings were exaggerated?
Prenuptial agreement pros and cons?
Prenuptial agreements. Got one? Know someone that does - or didn't, and wishes they did? Looking for personal experiences, good and bad (purely out of curiousity, of course). Are they crucial in these modern times...or just unbearably unromantic?
Can I rename my new partition?
I have a new 160 gig HD that I partitioned into two drives. One of the partitions is exclusively for mp3s. Unfortunately, when I open the drive, XP treats it as a "My Pictures" folder. How do I change it to a "My Music" folder? Ordinarily, I'd go Properties>Customize, but when I go Properties on the root folder, I get hard drive properties. (General / Tools / Hardware / etc.)
Stop Constant Dog Barking?
Have a new dog, about a year old... goes crazy, and barks nonstop when we have guests at our home, any suggestions on how to break this habit.
What do you think about these BlogWare options?
BlogWare: b2,WordPress or Nucleus? My hosting provider is set up for easy auto-installs on each of these freebies. Are any of these worth checking out? What do you recommend?
Seeking faucet handles labeled in French
I have been unable to locate a source for French-labeled faucet handles - ones labeled "chaud" and "froid" instead of "hot and "cold". My wife has plans to redecorate one of our bathrooms with a Parisian theme, and this little detail eludes us. More below. [more inside]
Speed Reading
Is speed reading for real? Or is it just some gimmick? Have any of you managed to use specific techniques to significantly increase the pages/minute you read without much affecting comprehension or retention?
Was Top Gun homoerotic?
You're right, I am dangerous. Did Top Gun seem as ridiculously homoerotic when it came out in the 80s as it does now?
Heavy duty sunblock advice wanted
SolarFilter: I am a redhead and thus I use sunscreen and sunblock a lot. [mi] [more inside]
What is a reasonable price for a funeral wreath?
What is a reasonable price for a funeral wreath?
What can my kids and I make out of an old washer and dryer?
What can you make out of an old washer and dryer? My kids and I are looking for something to do. You can help!
I want to introduce the world of comics/graphic novels to my 12 year old daughter.
I want to introduce the world of comics/graphic novels to my 12 year old daughter (I used to read Creepy, Eerie and Heavy Metal when I was her age but I haven't touched a comic book since). I just ordered "The Complete Moonshadow" simply based on the cover art and some glowing reviews I found. My daughter's taste leans heavily toward LOTR style literature. Recommendations welcome.
How to fix the headlights on my '72 Volvo ASAP?
My headlights are out! [M to the Izzo] [more inside]
How can I quickly select all text except CSS tags?
S'there any quick CSS-based way to prevent text from being selected? [more inside]
Help me find the artist
SongLyricFilter : I heard a song on a local semi-indie radio show, and would like to know who it was. I remember precious few details, however. Sparse arrangement, just a singer and a guitar at first. I remember the phrase "space and time" coming up a lot, and something like "I could write a long letter."
Sorry to be so vague. Any ideas?
Sorry to be so vague. Any ideas?
Looking for public domain art
Long shot - anyone know of any public domain/ no copyright horribly twee paintings/ illustrations like this (not photos)?
Portable sheet-fed scanners
Portable sheet-fed scanners: I'm going to be running around all over the place this semester, and I would like to reduce my dependence on paper. This earlier thread mentions the Visioneer portable sheet-fed scanner, which runs $200, but I'd like to go cheaper - specifically, I have found the Pentax DSMobile for $100. Does anyone have any positive or negative experiences with portable scanners? I only plan to scan grayscale, so I don't care about resolution, but I do care about speed.
What to see at the Toronto Film Festival
Selecting things to see at the Toronto Film Fest. Here's a list of films playing at TIFF. International MeFites and film nuts: have you seen/heard anything about any of them/the directors? What should a TIFF-goer see or avoid? If you're going to the Fest, what are you seeing? Got extra tickets you want to sell? Looking for ones to buy? Lets use the thread to maximize the event. {more} [more inside]
Global Warming - which country will handle it best?
Which country will cope best with Global Warming over the next 50 years? As an Australian (living abroad), I used to think that Australia would endure the effects of Global Warming better than some more populous countries. But after reading about growing salinity problems, soil degradation and deforestation back home, now I'm not so sure. Are there any sources of information that detail the predicted effects over the course of the next 50 - 100 years for different areas of the world? And even better, I'd be very interested in detailed info focused on Australia, on a state-by-state basis.
August 27
AVI to MPEG conversion tool
I need a free tool to convert AVI files to MPEG files [more...] [more inside]
Was Benjamin Franklin a serial killer?
If my wife and I ever have a child, and it is a boy, I would like to name him after Benjamin Franklin. However, she says he was possibly a serial killer. Is this true? What's the skinny on ol' Ben?
What Latin text should I tranlate?
What's a good text to translate to get my increasingly rusty Latin back into shape? [more inside]
Why are there so many producers on Six Feet Under?
Why so many producers? [the more, she is inside] [more inside]
Help, can you identify these three symbols?
I am trying to identify three different symbols, two of which were bumper stickers and one is a popular tattoo...[mi] [more inside]
I'd Hit That
The origins of the phrase "I'd hit it" [more inside]
How to get my external hard drive to work with my new computer?
Really this is my last resort. I recently built myself a new computer (Asus K8N-E Deluxe) and everything's fine except I'm trying to transfer my old harddrive to my new harddrive. I had a slave in the old computer (Asus CUSL2 for those keeping score). It's 40GB and has ALL my important data. I think you can see where this is going. If it's plugged in and running, even set as slave, the computer won't boot. Obviously, more inside.
Name this song
Identify what song this is from my wicked guitar playing. [mp3 inside] [more inside]
Vasectomy recovery tips
kinda-personal-filter
Now that mrs. Richat and I have two beautiful daughters, I am thinking of partaking in a small procedure, but I have some questions that will be, well, you know, inside… [more inside]
Now that mrs. Richat and I have two beautiful daughters, I am thinking of partaking in a small procedure, but I have some questions that will be, well, you know, inside… [more inside]
Is this site TopSiteReviews legit or just a shill?
Is this site TopSiteReviews legit or just a shill? The domain was registered 10 days back and WHOIS data is protected by proxy. I found it while researching the topic in this thread. Are there other sites which are legit?
What programs for OSX will let me read a comic book file with the extension .cbr?
A friend sent me a comic book saved with the file extension .cbr are there any OSX programs that will let me read the damn thing?
Tips for a first writer's conference?
I'm going to my first writer's conference tomorrow! Does anyone have any tips on what I should do, particularly in tke Ask-A-Pro part, where I get 5 minutes one-on-one with an agent or publisher? [more inside]
Is her birth control medicine made from dehydrated horse piss?
An ex-girlfriend of mine was telling me that she recently went off of birth control for the first time in years because she found out it was made through some form dehydrating female horses and then processing thier piss. Sounds like an urban legend to me, but I can't find anything on google in either direction. Any clues?
my books are wet, help me save them
Please help me save my books. The movers just dropped off several rooms worth of my pretties, which have been sitting in a storage facility in Kansas for nearly two years. I was, needless to say, ecstatic, until I realized that fully a quarter of the boxes show signs of wetness around the bottom. Looks like they've been sitting in an inch or so of water for Logos knows how long. At least the bottom layer of each box is thoroughly soaked, and stinky. What is my best path at this point to dry out/preserve/resuscitate/de-mildew?
Matching existing vintage tile colors in my bathroom?
BathroomFilter: We've talked tile before. I need help matching existing vintage colors [more inside]. [more inside]
Can anyone supply links to further information regarding Atefe Rajabi?
Can anyone supply links to further information regarding Atefe Rajabi, a young woman reported to have been judicially murdered in Neka, Iran? The original sources were not authoritative, and I've been hoping this might turn out to be propaganda. Iranfilter remains silent on the subject.
The story was energetically discussed in the Blue and I'm sure we agree the Green is not the place to reprise that conversation. I'm just looking for more and, I hope, better information.
The story was energetically discussed in the Blue and I'm sure we agree the Green is not the place to reprise that conversation. I'm just looking for more and, I hope, better information.
Essential iPod accessories?
So. I'm looking at getting an iPod (probably the mini ... for running and stuff), and I'm overwhelmed by the accessories: what do you think are the essential accessories for using it by itself, in the car, and in the home (eg in the kitchen)?
Buddhist deathbed practices in Tuesdays With Morrie
In Tuesdays With Morrie, there is a passage in about ones relationship with death: Morrie answers, "Do what the Buddhist do. Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks 'Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?' " Is there really such a practice in Buddhism? I haven't been able to find one non-Morrie reference anywhere.
Teutonic Art
The Jagermeister logo (deer and cross)--is this a certain style of Teutonic art? Where would I find other images like it?
Finding Low Airfares in Advance
Airfarefilter. I already know the dates for a trip next August. It's possible to drive (approx 12 hours), and we did drive this year, but it might be nice to fly instead. Clearly its not possible to book flights this far in advance, but starting the search for low fares early should have some advantage. What are some good strategies for finding low airfares and when should I start to implement them? [more inside]
property management company trashed our garden. What to do?
OS X native, 1st person shooter recommendation for mother-in-law?
My mother-in-law, is looking for a good 1st person shooter, in the vein of Doom/Quake. It must be OS X native, and be able to run decently on her 500 mhz G4. Any Suggestions?
Word 6.0 file says it's password protected, but we think it might just be corrupted. How can we recover it?
My father wrote a document years back of memories of his (now deceased) college roommate and their Berkely debauchery. Now that (Word 6.0) file says it's password protected, though he suspects it's just corrupted. Li'l help? (More inside on what I've tried so far.) [more inside]
Does anyone have any experience with self solemnizing a wedding?
Does anyone have any experience with self-solemnizing a wedding? My fiance and I are getting married soon and, since Colorado allows it, we'd like to solemnize our own wedding. Please share experiences and/or opinions, poetry has already been taken care of. Simple, tasteful, non-religious but meaningful is our goal.
Mac OS X Program to Show DV Camcorder Input Full-Screen?
Is there a program for Mac OS X that will take the input from my DV camcorder, and display it so that it takes up the whole screen? (iMovie shows the input only in a window.)
What reader will allow me to highlite PDFs?
PaperlessOfficeFilter
I do my best to not print out PDF documents and I realized that I could reduce my printing to almost zero if I had a PDF reader that would let me hilite and save hilites and add my own notes. Acrobat Reader doesn't seem to do this.
What readers can do this? I prefer linux or MacOSX but I do have a laptop that can boot Windows.
I do my best to not print out PDF documents and I realized that I could reduce my printing to almost zero if I had a PDF reader that would let me hilite and save hilites and add my own notes. Acrobat Reader doesn't seem to do this.
What readers can do this? I prefer linux or MacOSX but I do have a laptop that can boot Windows.
MP3 renaming software
Is there a tiny (and free) Windows program I can put in my "Open With" menu for mp3s that will simply rename the file to [Artist] - [Title] based on the file's ID3 tags?
How do you find out which concerts/performances you would like to see are coming to your town?
How do you find out which concerts/performances you would like to see are coming to your town? Hang around tickemaster.com like myself and my fellow morons?
August 26
Scam?
Does anyone know if Money For Surveys is a scam? I feel silly even asking since I always assume things like this are a scam, I just happen to be seriously broke right now and i'm grasping at straws. Additionally, is there any good sites for checking which of these sites are scams and which are legit?
How can I anti-dust-coat a monitor that was wiped down with alcohol?
ScreenFilter! Coworker has used alcohol-based wipes to clean his monitor, removing the anti-dust coating. Now he has a streaky monitor that attracts dust. Is there a magic wand to make it all better? (Closely related to this recent query.)
Shooting range in or around Las Vegas?
I have never fired a gun, and neither have most of my friends, as far as I know. (We're all Canadian).
In November, a few of us are heading down to Las Vegas to celebrate the 40th birthday of one of the gang. I'd like to make a trip to a shooting range part of the festivites, but I don't have clue where to start. [mi] [more inside]
In November, a few of us are heading down to Las Vegas to celebrate the 40th birthday of one of the gang. I'd like to make a trip to a shooting range part of the festivites, but I don't have clue where to start. [mi] [more inside]
Is reading at chain bookstores no longer okay?
Are large chain bookstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble now discouraging customers from lounging around and reading? The amount of comfortable furniture seems to have decreased over the years, and one Borders location had an employee unusually concerned about me finding what I'm looking for when I was sitting on the floor reading.
part time jobs
What's a good part-time job that doesn't suck? One that's flexible, pays more than minimum wage, and won't have you reaching for the cyanide pills after two weeks. [MI] [more inside]
Damaged antiglare coating on CRT monitor.
The screen of my 17" CRT developed a strange, highly-reflective, streaky sheen after sitting under my stairs for six months. (Photo, close-up photo.) I've tried several cleaning agents, but nothing takes it off. The only thing that happened in the interim is that somebody spilled a cup of hot coffee in the vicinity, which splashed the screen, but we cleaned it off pretty quickly and didn't notice any damage at the time. Could coffee etch glass? Or could something else have caused this? Is there anything I can do to clean the screen?
Why are the Halloween episodes of The Simpsons so often repeated in syndication?
Why are the Halloween episodes of The Simpsons so often repeated in syndication? [more inside]
Fat and Tall Guy Pants
Fat-tall-guy-filter: I can't keep my pants on. [the more, it is inside] [more inside]
I'd like advice on building an exposure unit, and anything else related to screenprinting.
Amateur screenprinters! I am considering building my own exposure unit (for fine art screens -- i'm not trying to start a shirt business). I could use your advice on this matter and anything else related to screenprinting (i'm not completely new to this, but all input is valuable) {mi}. [more inside]
Looking for a TV-show Title
I remember a TV-show, oh so very vaguely, that I want to say was called "Popcorn." But it's not, apparently, according to Google and IMBD... [more inside]
Apartment in North Jersey
I'm trying to find an apartment in North Jersey (Belleville, Bloomfield, Rutherford, Clifton, Montclair), but brokers and realtors have saturated the online classified ads and Google results and I'd like to avoid unnecessary fees. Any advice? I've checked Craig's List and the Village Voice and I have a few local papers, but I'd like to know of a decent way to skirt the middle man.
Feats of Strength
Some time ago I saw two male gymnasts on a late night talk show (I think) who did a routine where they lifted eachother and twisted their bodies in amazing ways -- all at EXTREMELY slow speed. Anyone know who these guys are?
What's a good Linux distro for a n00b?
LinuxFilter: I'm going to delve into the world of Linux and dual-booting. What's a good distro for a n00b? Any tips, especially pertaining to partitioning and installation?
What are some things that a french curve can be used for? How was this specific set of curves decided upon?
What are some things that a french curve can be used for? How was this specific set of curves decided upon?
Sampling The Dead
A couple of years ago, Natalie Cole sang a duet with her dead dad via tape splicing. Digital audio sampling has come far. But, does the sampling technology exist to create a whole new songs (e.g. new Frank Sinatra sing new songs)?
Cheap air travel in France
We're going to the south of France in November, and have been investigating options between Paris and Provence. TGV train, Air France between Charles DeGaulle and Marseille etc. Then my wife discovers EasyJet. Orly to Marseille, Eight euros plus tax each way. How the hell does this work? Eight Euros? It costs more to take the train into town from the airport than that.
Someone want to give me the heads up on the EasyJet business model and why other forms of transport aren't obsolete. Why would anyone do anything other than this?
Merci
Someone want to give me the heads up on the EasyJet business model and why other forms of transport aren't obsolete. Why would anyone do anything other than this?
Merci
What is the very cheapest way to get high-speed internet in the Sunset district of SF?
What is the very cheapest way to get high-speed internet in the Sunset district of SF? In our place in Montreal we pay 40/month Canadian, and I know there are cheaper plans. Everything I could find in SF is at least 45 USD/month and generally more, unless you have a cable connection. My sis just moved there, has a very low budget and no cable connection. Thoughts?
Why does light reflect?
Why does light reflect? We see objects by the light reflected off of them. Can anyone explain on a molecular/atomic/sub-atomic level what the mechanism is that makes a light wave "bounce" off of an object?
Is it worth having surgery for my deviated septum?
Surgery for a Deviated Septum? Is it worth it? What are your experiences? [more inside]
Why does bandwidth cost money?
Why does bandwidth cost anything? Short of hosting companies finding a means to make some money, what is the actual cost justification on charging for overages, etc? Is it a racket or does traffic actually put an expense on an ISP forcing them, in turn, to charge customers? Always wondered. Thanks.
Archiving VHS To DVD?
Do any MeFites have ideas/experience/recommendations for a way to archive VHS tapes to DVD? So far my Google-fu has turned up software that requires having to add video cards to computers, plus a DVD burner, etc. My work would prefer a product that is a stand-alone thing that you can pop in a tape, then convert it to DVD and pop out a DVD. Is there such a thing?
Money in Amsterdam
I'm going to Amsterdam soon for a week with some friends, and I'm wondering what the best way to deal with money is. We're staying in a hostel that costs €178 for the whole week, which is about £120, so I was planning on taking £200 worth of euros with me, and getting more money using my Visa Electron card when I'm there. I'll be carrying the money with me the whole time. Is this the most secure/cost efficent way? Should I be taking more/less? Using travellers cheques? And will I have trouble with places not accepting the Visa Electron, as I have before?
New York specific gift ideas
New York specific gift ideas needed; more inside (additional keyword: NYC). [more inside]
How did some stranger lock out my brother's MSN account?
My 13-year-old brother uses MSN messenger a lot. Last night, a stranger popped up to speak to him, and after some taunting, told him he was going to delete his account. My brother got rid of him - and then found when he logged out, he couldn't log back in again.
What with my brother's tender age, there are a few holes in his story - has anyone heard of this happening before? [more inside]
What with my brother's tender age, there are a few holes in his story - has anyone heard of this happening before? [more inside]
Suicidal thoughts & therapy
If someone admits to having suicidal thoughts, what (if anything) can be done to them? [More inside.] [more inside]
I heart Huckabees
What's the canon for Bollywood films?
Bollywood films, for the curious white boy. What's the canon? Which ones best represent the for lack of a better word genre? Where should an interested outsider start?
Floors - how do they work?
How are floors held up in a typical house? Such as, for instance, a Dutch colonial? How much weight can they support?
What are some good undergraduate fine-arts programs in US universities?
What are some good undergraduate fine-arts programs in US universities? [MI] [more inside]
Diving Patterns
In Olympic diving events, why are there a couple of streams of water converging on the surface where the divers hit the pool?
How can I privately register a .nl domain when I'm not in the Netherlands?
I would like to register a .nl domain, however I am not based in The Netherlands. Can this be done?
Bonus points if my name / address information can be kept out of whois.
Bonus points if my name / address information can be kept out of whois.
Stupid Firefox question
Firefox filter...
Stupid question probably but....
Had a friend call last night for tech support help (like I'm capapble of supporting anyone...) more inside [more inside]
Stupid question probably but....
Had a friend call last night for tech support help (like I'm capapble of supporting anyone...) more inside [more inside]
August 25
Web browser with permanent cache?
Is there a web browser that has a permanent cache? [more inside]
Child Modeling
Kids, modeling and a confused father. I'm going to try this in a concise paragraph... on preview, forget it (more inside). [more inside]
Does anyone know a good ActionScript listserv or bulletin board
Does anyone know a good ActionScript listserv or bulletin board — generally patient with total newbies, quick response time, clear and thorough answers — where I can post my questions, link to my FLAs, and find out what's ailing my movies?
Asian Vacation
A friend and I will be travelling from Bermuda to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore for a three week vacation in late October - early November. We are straight single guys, 30, and would love to find some cool places to stay and things to do while we are there. We don't mind paying anywhere from $100 - $250 a night.
If you live in one of these cities, and can recommend some places to stay and things to do off the beaten track, it would be our pleasure to take you out when we get there.
If you live in one of these cities, and can recommend some places to stay and things to do off the beaten track, it would be our pleasure to take you out when we get there.
Taming a stray cat.
Taming a stray cat. We have a young stray cat that has been coming around our house a lot lately. I think it is living in our garage and I'd like to make an honest house cat out of it. [more inside] [more inside]
Online Banking
I need a new bank account (in the US), and I'm thinking of just going with an online bank with no bricks-and-mortar locations. Looking around the web, it seems a lot of them require high minimum balances for checking accounts. Do you have an online bank account? Do you love it? Do you hate it? What are the perks and drawbacks? Does anyone know of an online credit union?
Firewire -> USB?
We're trying to figure out if we can continue using my old PowerBook G3 (bronze keyboard) for another year. The deciding factor will be if a Firewire external drive can be somehow connected to it -- it doesn't have a Firewire port though. Is it possible to somehow get a Firewire --> USB connector? [MI] [more inside]
Acrobat Touchups
The "Touchup Item" tool in my version of Acrobat has disappeared. Can you help me find it? [More inside...] [more inside]
Glasgow-bound
GlasgowFilter: I am going to that fine city in a couple of days for my sister's wedding. Looking for any good book/record/vintage shops in town, as well as any not to be missed modern architecture (outside of Charles Rennie Mac). Ta much.
Smelly Watchband
My watchband is starting to stink. This happens to all of my watches. I've tried many, many things including soaking them in bleach (I usually only wear metal-banded watches. Largely because they last longer before stinking). Nothing has managed to stop the stinking. I like this watch. What can I do?
Looking for a one-line command (or a batch file) that uploads a specific file to a specific ftp server.
I'm looking for a one-line command (or a batch file) that uploads a specific file to a specific ftp server.
"If you don't live, you won't have to die" Russian song identification
Can anyone help identify a Russian song of which I have only a very hazy drunken recollection? [more...] [more inside]
How far apart should the lenses be for stereo photographs?
I'm going to try making some 3D wiggle pictures, like Jim Gasperini's. There's a how-to on assembling the digital images into animated .GIFs here, and a MeFi thread here, but I have a question about taking the pictures themselves. I don't have a special stereo camera. I'm going to try using two disposable cameras strapped to a ruler in parallel, with me manually snapping both shutters at the same time.
Here's the question: How far apart should the cameras (lenses) be?
Here's the question: How far apart should the cameras (lenses) be?
How do I open a computer chip?
I'd like to open up a defunct computer chip to photograph it under a microscope and inspect the city therein. Has anyone done this? How do I pry the tiny solid state thing open without destroying its beauty?
Help! I'm running my nipples ragged!
I started running about a month ago, and am loving it, but -- chafed, red, sore nipples are no fun for me. Does anyone have any advice on how to avoid rubbing my nipples raw while running?
Sticky Laptop Keys
PouredSodaInMyLaptopFilter: Thanks to a remarkable gust of wind, I managed to deposit about 1/2 of a Coca-Cola into my the right third of my laptop keyboard. Now the keys stick. Ideas? (inside) [more inside]
Bought a Domain from Gandi -- Need Help With Their Interface
Gandi, Typepad and custom dns/domain mapping, oh my. (More inside.) [more inside]
Question regarding hemispheres, direction and maps.
Question regarding hemispheres, direction and maps. [more inside]
Why will Windows only let me format a hard drive to half its capacity?
Why will Windows only let me format a hard drive to half its capacity? [MI] [more inside]
how do the electrons move inside my computer
Once a message comes through a cable and into the back of a computer, what path does it follow to get to the application (i.e. browser, e-mail client, etc.)?
Soap recycling
I swear I saw this a while ago - a soap-saver type device. You put your worn-down soap shards in it, and compress it down to make a new bar of soap. Am I losing my mind, or has anyone else seen this device? If you have any other tips for saving those last bits of soap, I'd love to hear them too.
Abu Ghraib Officers
JAG Filter: This article in the New York Times (reg. req. and expires soon - see also this article) states the judge in one of the Abu Ghraib cases is contemplating granting immunity to several officers to compel their testimony. This testimony could be helpful to the defendant who is trying to establish that he was acting upon orders from his superiors. I thought the prosecution not the judge decided who would get immunity, that is that immunity was like a contract whereby the prosecution agreed not to use the testimony in exchange for someone waiving their Fifth amendment rights. Any JAG lawyers out there? Do the rules differ about this in military courts?
Search, and you shall find... someone else!
What should be done (if anything) about a site that is capitalizing on my site's distinctive name and search engine ranking to popularize itself in a way that is totally unrelated to my site?
I run an RSS feed directory with a distinctive name, reasonably good content, and a decent rank in various search engines. Last night a "watch" application told me that 2 new sites now contain my site's domain name in their URLs.
I took a look at both of these sites, and they are simply embedding my domain name in their URLs so that they have a chance of matching on searches for the name. The actual pages are throwaway filler (as is the entire site).
I'm flattered and insulted.
My site's name is not a trademark (perhaps it should be), and I don't want to draw artificial attention to it by posting a link, and I certainly don't want to link to the offending sites.
Has anyone else had something like this happen to them? What can be done?
I run an RSS feed directory with a distinctive name, reasonably good content, and a decent rank in various search engines. Last night a "watch" application told me that 2 new sites now contain my site's domain name in their URLs.
I took a look at both of these sites, and they are simply embedding my domain name in their URLs so that they have a chance of matching on searches for the name. The actual pages are throwaway filler (as is the entire site).
I'm flattered and insulted.
My site's name is not a trademark (perhaps it should be), and I don't want to draw artificial attention to it by posting a link, and I certainly don't want to link to the offending sites.
Has anyone else had something like this happen to them? What can be done?
Promoting a website
What should be done (if anything) about a site that is capitalizing on my site's distinctive name and search engine ranking to popularize itself in a way that is totally unrelated to my site?
I run an RSS feed directory with a distinctive name, reasonably good content, and a decent rank in various search engines. Last night a "watch" application told me that 2 new sites now contain my site's domain name in their URLs.
I took a look at both of these sites, and they are simply embedding my domain name in their URLs so that they have a chance of matching on searches for the name. The actual pages are throwaway filler (as is the entire site).
I'm flattered and insulted.
My site's name is not a trademark (perhaps it should be), and I don't want to draw artificial attention to it by posting a link, and I certainly don't want to link to the offending sites.
Has anyone else had something like this happen to them? What can be done?
I run an RSS feed directory with a distinctive name, reasonably good content, and a decent rank in various search engines. Last night a "watch" application told me that 2 new sites now contain my site's domain name in their URLs.
I took a look at both of these sites, and they are simply embedding my domain name in their URLs so that they have a chance of matching on searches for the name. The actual pages are throwaway filler (as is the entire site).
I'm flattered and insulted.
My site's name is not a trademark (perhaps it should be), and I don't want to draw artificial attention to it by posting a link, and I certainly don't want to link to the offending sites.
Has anyone else had something like this happen to them? What can be done?
Good, full-length Flash cartoons online?
Is anyone out there on the net making good, full-length (ie. half an hour) cartoons in Flash?
Multiplayer FPS for Gamecube recommendations
VideoGameRecommendationFilter: I thought Goldeneye was a great multiplayer game. What first-person-shooter for the Gamecube would y'all recommend as being the most like it and/or the most fun in terms of multiplayer?
August 24
Gifts to Send to Iraq
One of my friends aparently has some buddies over in iraq and gave me this poser: two good HS friends (one much more so than the other) are over in Iraq and I thought it would be nice to send them some stuff. Do you have any ideas what they would like? For instance, if you were in a foreign country getting shot at, what would make you happy at the end of the day (keep in mind this has to fit in a 1ft3 box...so sorry, no naked chicks). more inside [more inside]
How do I find a lost hamster?
Lost hamster!! Our daughter's been watching a hamster for a neighbor. Somehow it got out of the cage. If we have to return an empty cage to the neighbors it's going to be ugly. This must happen a lot -- what are some tricks to recapturing the little guy?
General, or Glasgow-Specific, Advice on Spaces I Could Convert to Large Single-Room Studios
New house filter. I need somewhere cool to stay {MI} [more inside]
Setting up a French bank account and mobile phone
I'm studying abroad in Paris for the year, leaving in a little more than a week. What's the best way to set up and bank account and a mobile phone service from the states? [more inside]
London Daytrips
Londonfilter: I'm going in a few weeks. I've been there before (a lot), so need interesting daytrip ideas. I don't drive, so make it accessible by public transportation, and interesting/educational/cultural/fun, 2 hours or so from London. (MI) [more inside]
Chicago vs St Louis?
Chicago vs. St. Louis: I have job offers in both cities. I have never lived in either city, and I would have to work quite a bit harder at the Chicago job. I have specific questions inside, but the bottom line question is: Is the Windy City worth it? [more inside]. [more inside]
Bhangra Music
Bhangra. With my formidable Google-fu, I have scoured the net for all that I could find. In question form: Does anybody know of some excellent Bhangra? I saw DJ Rekha open for Le Tigre, and that's what's gotten me started. (I'll try to see her mix next time I got to NYC.) So something in that vein. Also, Asian Dub Foundation's mix of "Taa Deem" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is excellent. I hear Bhangra is big in the UK, so UKMeFites, could you do me a solid? [more inside]
Futon mattress advice
I am in the market for a new, fairly high-end futon mattress for my platform bed. I'm not particularly happy that the last one I bought lost its firm-yet-comfortable futon feel (and compressed) in about five years. Having searched the web and found no guidance, I was hoping the Mefi community might have some wisdom on the subject?
Significance of the number 36 in porn
I recently watched a home movie of this girlie being all naked and stuff but i was utterly perplexed by the number "36" written in large letters across her ass. I assumed it was just some personal kinky/weirdness till i happened upon a vintage BDSM photo of a young girl with 36 'spanked' onto her ass. Can any one explain the significance of '36'?
How is St. Louis for living (compared to Denver)?
I have a potential job offer in St. Louis, but I know almost nothing about the place, and can't figure out whether I should even consider moving from Denver to there. So I thought I'd poll the highly refined cultural palates of MeFi readers to get some impressions of the place from people who've spent some time there.
Is it as sprawl-choked as Denver? What is the overall political mood? Can a guy who doesn't want to live in a McHouse on a cul-de-sac find a nice older house for a reasonable price? Is the weather tolerable for a pansy like me who's accustomed to the constant sunshine and very low humidity of Colorado?
Is it as sprawl-choked as Denver? What is the overall political mood? Can a guy who doesn't want to live in a McHouse on a cul-de-sac find a nice older house for a reasonable price? Is the weather tolerable for a pansy like me who's accustomed to the constant sunshine and very low humidity of Colorado?
Why am I getting an error message when I go to Google?
With CSS, how can I place a box in the same position in Firefox and IE?
CSS trouble; using absolute positioning for a box doesn't seem to place it in the exact same spot in Firefox and Internet Explorer. [more inside] [more inside]
iBook Problems
iBookFilter - my wife's iBook running OS 9.1 fails to mount audio CDs or CD-R's. In each case, it instead asks to format the disk (which is laugable since the drive isn't capable of writing). How can she once again use the drive?
Why do bestseller lists differ from source to source?
What makes a bestseller? Something I've never understood is why different publications have different bestseller list. I mean, either the book sells X copies or it doesn't, right? How can it be on one bestseller list and not another? The only thing I can think of is that the NYT list is referring to sales in NY and WaPo concerns itself with it's own state, etc. But that doesn't make much sense. {more} [more inside]
Where to buy a NoMeansNo CD?
NomeansnoFilter: Other than eBay, where can I get a CD copy of their 'Wrong' album?
Long hair question
Total vanity question: Alright, I don't know much about hair, but recently I've grown my hair a bit longer. To my annoyance, my hair now dings out sideways at the end, like they're trying to defy gravity, and don't go straight down. So, what can be done? I wash them everyday. Are there conditioners or other things that I should be using?
What to do in PDX?
TravelFilter: Visiting Portland, OR, for the first time in a few days. Recommended places to go, things to do, people to see? [MI]
Media Player for Windows
I was just looking at mplayer, marveling at all the codecs and formats it covers. But, I am not a Linux geek, nor am I going to become one. So, is there a good universal media player for Windows? Free is nice, but not a requirement.
PDF conversion with hyperlinks in OpenOffice?
OpenOffice question. Is there an easy way to convert documents to PDF such that the hyperlinks still work? I'm on OS X.
Income tax question for an LLC
If one has a business that is registered as an LLC (with no partners-- just the one person) and if: the business location (office) is in one state, the owner lives in another state and most of the business (or clients) are in a third state in which state is state income tax due-- where the office is, the owner's residence or where the clients are?
Hard Drive Problem
Hard drive problem: I tried to move a functioning fat32 slave drive into a new machine. It showed up as RAW, so I put it back in the old machine. Now shows as RAW there too. Did I really lose all my data? .. [more inside]
Address book sharing
Is there any free app that will allow an officefull of networked Macs and one PC to share an address book?
Choosing a Plan
I need help choosing a health insurance plan. Medica? Blue Cross? COBRA? [more] [more inside]
Implementing a .PDF file that can be edited by multiple users?
What's the easiest way to implement a .PDF file that can be edited by multiple users (Mac and Windows)? (more inside) [more inside]
Can I replant mature blueberry and grape plants?
My neighbor has many mature blueberry and grape plants. Because he's rearranging things on his property, he's offered me some of the plants *if* I dig and move them myself. Is this possible? Is it practical? Is there some mechanized device that I can rent, borrow, or buy to make the job easier? Bonus question: I just chopped down three youngish Locusts, the largest of which had a trunk maybe six inches in diameter. What's the best way to remove the stumps so that I can plant fruit trees in their place?
Help me find this button
I'm looking for a picture on a badge with the phrase "Only rotters hunt otters"
Do you have it?
Do you have it?
Where can I download this Orange cinema ad?
[UKCinemaFilter] Whenever I've been to the cinema recently I've found myself watching a wonderful Orange advert
with Sean Aston where he's trying to pitch a love story and they're trying
to come up with the 4th in the trilogy ("Lord of the ringtones, colon, return of the phone call"). Does anyone know
whether it is possible to download the advert and, if so, where from?
with Sean Aston where he's trying to pitch a love story and they're trying
to come up with the 4th in the trilogy ("Lord of the ringtones, colon, return of the phone call"). Does anyone know
whether it is possible to download the advert and, if so, where from?
August 23
Do table manners dictate finishing everything on the plate, or leaving a little bit of food?
Do current table manners in your part of the world suggest you should finish everything on your plate or leave a little? [More inside.] [more inside]
Having trouble setting up 2 SATA hard drives as a stripe set in WinXP Pro
Having trouble setting up 2 SATA hard drives as a stripe set in WinXP Pro. (more inside) [more inside]
Missing Domain
Help! My domain has fallen off the internet, my email server is refusing to accept my account details, ditto my FTP, the control panel for my site is there, but no longer logging me in. Worse still, my provider's page now refers striaght to this page. What in the hell has gone wrong? Has my host been hijacked?
Digital camera that records video
Are there any digital still cameras that have decent video capabilities yet? MiniDV level for at least 30 seconds would be ideal but perhaps unrealistic.
How can I tell a graphite 400 Mhz G4 Mac Sawtooth (AGP) from a Yikes (PCI) without booting it?
MacFilter: How can I tell a graphite 400 Mhz G4 Mac "Sawtooth" (AGP) model from a "Yikes!" (PCI) model without booting the machine (no monitor)? I'm not too technically inclined, so bonus points for answers in layman's terms.
Parenting a French Immersion Student
My son starts grade 1 French Immersion next monday, and I was wondering if anyone here has experienced it first hand or have placed their children in it.
Lifespans in History
Life span, longevity and history... (MI)
I had an argument the other day with my friend concerning longevity and life span through history. He claims that people of history would have been lucky to live to be old and that most people died in their 30's or 40's. He added that people were practically married at 15, had kids and worked hard and died young.
I disagreed with him. Practically all historical figures seem to have lived into old age and the stories I have read and heard from historical accounts makes it seem as though there were plenty of old people around. It's not like old men and women are a modern thing.
My thinking is that the numbers that are often cited, 35 year life expectency for example, are only so low because of the high frequency of infant death. Who's right? Can you please use links to back up your arguments? [more inside]
I had an argument the other day with my friend concerning longevity and life span through history. He claims that people of history would have been lucky to live to be old and that most people died in their 30's or 40's. He added that people were practically married at 15, had kids and worked hard and died young.
I disagreed with him. Practically all historical figures seem to have lived into old age and the stories I have read and heard from historical accounts makes it seem as though there were plenty of old people around. It's not like old men and women are a modern thing.
My thinking is that the numbers that are often cited, 35 year life expectency for example, are only so low because of the high frequency of infant death. Who's right? Can you please use links to back up your arguments? [more inside]
Gmail Invite Expiration
I'm a current GMail user, and I just got my first invite to give away. I know a couple of people who might like one, but I want to contact them before sending it, since I know if they reject it, I don't get it back. My question: How long will the invite sit in my GMail inbox, awaiting dispersement? [more inside]
Any tools that will let me track keyword performance on major search engines for a given site?
Can you recommend a tool that will let me track keyword performance on major search engines for a given site? I understand Web Position Gold goes this, but it's expensive and word has it that google doesn't like it.
traditional weekly spankings for children
When I was little, my parents used to tell me that "in the olden days," many parents would spank their kids once a week, even though their kids hadn't been naughty. The spanking was supposedly preventative ("you'll get worse than THIS if you misbehave") or predictive ("I don't know WHAT you've done, but I'm sure you've done SOMETHING -- or you WILL do something...")
My question is: is this true? I mean, I know there are (and have been) all sorts of whack-o parents, but was there ever a general philosophy of parenting that advocated weekly spankings? My parents usually brought this up in the context of "you think YOU have it bad, well..." Were they yanking my chain? Is this an urban legend?
My question is: is this true? I mean, I know there are (and have been) all sorts of whack-o parents, but was there ever a general philosophy of parenting that advocated weekly spankings? My parents usually brought this up in the context of "you think YOU have it bad, well..." Were they yanking my chain? Is this an urban legend?
I have a Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra that doesn't recognize its battery.
MP3 Player Question: I have a Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra that doesn't seem to be recognizing that there's a battery there. [More Inside] [more inside]
Comment spam in MT blogs
I came home from my two week vacation to find an enormous amount of comment spam on my MT weblog. I've now read this so I guess I know how to stop it from happening again (if I can figure out all the tech stuff), but deleting is turning out to be a nightmare. Is there some easier way to delete this than going into each post and individually deleting the spam comments?
Healthy oil?
What's the healthiest type of cooking oil? I do a lot of faux-Indian / Thai / whatever cooking (think a big wok with lots of turmeric and pepper) and, being on a low cal diet, usually just use water or a drop of olive oil to stir things in. I would like to be able to use more oil, but don't know which, if any, could be considered healthy. Googled, but haven't found a comprehensive non-biased source yet.
How much should I sell my domain name for?
How much should I sell my domain name for? [more inside] [more inside]
Where can I find stats for general web usage?
Where can I find stats for general web usage? Mostly we're interested in knowing the approximate percentages of the nation's/world's web browsing environment. We track it for our own site, but I'd like to know how we compare to the web as a whole.
Is there a super-stripped down laptop I can find for cheap?
I'm thinking about purchasing my first laptop. All I want it to do is allow me to check email on the road, and maybe play DVDs. Is there a super-stripped down model I can get on the cheap? Should I buy something used? How much "fat" can I cut and still have a machine that will last a few years?
How do I make GTK apps look good in KDE?
How do I make GTK apps look good in KDE? Although I use KDE exculsively, I still use some GTK apps, like Firefox. (Oh for a Qt build of Firefox!) I hate the default look of GTK. I can use the GNOME theme editor to change the GNOME theme to something acceptable. The trouble is, 1) This seems to make the fonts in all my GTK apps too big, and 2) I lose the changes as soon as I log out. (And no, I'm not about to start using GNOME.)
August 22
Large panoramic posters to cover a wall?
I'd love to buy some Andreas Gursky posters for my new apartment, but alas they don't sell them anywhere. Can anyone suggest or link me to other panorama-like posters that are funky and cool and can cover a large wall? Thanks!
Prank Calls
Prank calls: about two weeks ago, there were a couple messages on my machine, "hey crees, we will fock you up" or something like that - it was unintelligible for the most part to the point that I couldn't tell if it was Spanish, Middle Eastern, or Eastern European gibberish. It spooked me, but I got over it... [more inside]
Camino runs much more slowly on my G4 667 TiBook than on the Lombard 333 Mhz Powerbook. I need a good browser.
MacBrowserHell: I just updgraded from a Lombard 333 Mhz Powerbook to a G4 667 TiBook with 1GB RAM. Camino now seems to run dog-slow. And the others have their troubles... [more inside]
Da Ali G Music
"Da Ali G Show". Know the song titles of the tunes in between the show's segments? Yeah, me too. My searching turned up nothing.
Territorial cat is getting injured
MoggieFilter: My cat keeps coming home injured. (more inside) [more inside]
CSS issues: need help with box model hacks
CSS Headaches: Hours into a redesign, everything is looking great in Safari and Firefox - is almost looking right in IE Mac, but is simply not functioning properly on the Windows side. Box model hacks are failing me. [A little more inside] [more inside]
What's the best software for streaming live radio on the internet?
What is the best software for a radio station to use when streaming live audio via the internet? Similarly, what piece of software do most individuals use to listen to webcasts? [MI] [more inside]
Rip, mix, burn?
Ripping LaserDiscs to another format. Any ideas? [mi] [more inside]
Teach Me to Cook
Cooking for the lazy and overworked. I eat a lot of overpriced crap lately - think boxed/frozen/microwaveable, or even just takeout - and for a number of obvious reasons I'd like to stop doing that. I think most of America is in the same boat with me, but can those of you who aren't give me some tips on learning to cook for myself? [more inside]
Stubborn Kitchen Spots
How the #^$& do you get those rubbery little orange dots off kitchen surfaces?? Presumably they started life as oil splatters, then mutated into a permanently bonded new substance that is sort of like plastic-encased goo. Degreasers haven't any effect. Same for Goo Gone, rubbing alcohol, or ammonia. Scrubbing powders do have some effect, but that's just to turn the combo into a brown tarry mess that retains the original goo's miraculous removal-resistant properties.
Moving from a wireless PDA to a smartphone - what connectivity is best?
Dead wireless PDA walking... [more] [more inside]
What if you lost all your ID?
If you were somehow stupid enough to lose every piece of identification you had--driver's license, green card, social security card, foreign passport and birth certificate, student ID, everything--how would you go about starting to recover it? You seem to need two pieces of ID (or at least one) to get any given ID replaced.
Ex-pat and loving it! How long can I do it?
LivingOverseasFilter: If you work for yourself and can telecommute, what's to stop you living overseas (for the longest time legally allowable), working online, and pretending to still be at 'home' for tax (and other) purposes? [mi] [more inside]
What's the point of running with sunglasses, even at night?
Why do runners and other athletes in the Olympics wear sunglasses? Orange-tinted glasses seem to be most popular, even when events are taking place at night. Is it because, in some cases, they're running under the glare of stadium floodlights?; do they somehow make them focus better?; or is it all a style thing?
Seeking software that creates a permanent, local, complete and searchable personal web-browsing archive
Can anybody recommend software that creates a permanent, local, complete and searchable personal web-browsing archive? [MI] [more inside]
Ceiling: Black/White/Red Wires. Chandelier: Brown/Ground Wire. How Do I Connect the Two?
She looked at her dining room, and saw that it was without light, so she said, "Let there be light." This had no effect, so she went to Home Depot and bought a chandelier, because she saw that it was good. Then she came home, took out the fuse, took down the old ceiling fan, and began to assemble the chandelier. Then she ran into problems, got frustrated, dropped the third person, and asked MeFites:
How should I connect a light fixture when there are black, white, and red wires in the ceiling and the chandelier has two spliced-together brown ones and a ground wire?
How should I connect a light fixture when there are black, white, and red wires in the ceiling and the chandelier has two spliced-together brown ones and a ground wire?
How to keep the favicons in my FF bookmarks visible?
It's hardly the end of the world but the favicons in my bookmarks in Firefox keep disappearing. Is there an extension which will check them and keep them updated without me having to visit them?
Reading Kant
I'd like to read Kant. [more] [more inside]
Presidential biographies
BiograPhilter. While I eagerly await the publication of volume four of Robert A. Caro's 'The Years of Lyndon Johnson', what other biographies do I have to read of American presidents/politicians? Note: I'm not American, so I don't really care much for the founding fathers, or Abe Lincoln's constitutional worries etc. Also, no partizan bitch books or hagiographies, please. The wielding of raw power is what interests me most.
Good European biographies (De Gaulle, Talleyrand, Churchill) are welcomed as well.
Good European biographies (De Gaulle, Talleyrand, Churchill) are welcomed as well.
How to determine the index in a string for a line-break in Actionscript?
Actionscript: Is there any way to determine the index in a string of a line-break, when that string is presented in a text field?
August 21
Male Patsy Cline Movie
My friend remembers a movie he's seen about a large man who can sing just like Patsy Cline, and who amazes people with his imitation of her...but hours of Googling has come up with nothing. Can anyone remember this? He knows he saw it on either IFC or the Sundance channel, but searching those sites hasn't worked either.
Links or Info on Citywide, Real-Life Games (a la Streetwars)?
I recently heard about a cool city-wide, real-life game starting to take place in my hometown, Vancouver BC called StreetWars: Killer. It's also set to take place in New York City. In the past I've heard rumours of a "PokeManhattan" and seem to recall BoingBoing posting about a city-wide Monopoly or Chess game, though can't find them. Does anyone have links on any city-wide, real life games like these?
Oh, the NYC game comments make it seem pretty cool. [more inside]
Oh, the NYC game comments make it seem pretty cool. [more inside]
Advice for US citizen seeking work in Canada
I'm a U.S. citizen, curious about looking for work in one of Canada's major cities. I know that our neighbors to the north are bilingual and more of a socialist democracy than the U.S., but otherwise I'm pretty ignorant. I couldn't find all the provinces on a map, for example. What books and web sites should I read to learn more about Canada's politics, geography, history and culture? With more social welfare are job benefits different? Could I expect more time off than my current two weeks a year? Any advice you can give me to help me make a final decision on relocating?
T-Shirts
Does anyone happen to know where I would be able to get a hold of a shirt like this one? I have no idea how I would even search for this sort of thing.
(Googling some of the words on the shirt along with the word 'shirt' or 't-shirt' just gives a bunch of random, very unrelated results.)
(Googling some of the words on the shirt along with the word 'shirt' or 't-shirt' just gives a bunch of random, very unrelated results.)
LinkedIn Virus?
Linkedin Virus: Have any of you guys received an email in the last week from a friend's valid email address asking you to join their LinkedIn network? It seemed harmless enough so I clicked the link, wasn't interested and closed the browser. Soon enough, my whole machine slowed down to a crawl and even after repeated reboots, it's still almost locked. Sound familiar? [more inside]
does the culture that makes sourdough sour have any nutrition benefits?
My favorite kind of bread is Sourdough (it's Californian, dude!), and I know I should be eating something more wholegrainhighfiberlowcarbwhatever. But I'm curious... if the cultures in yogurt are healthy for you, does the culture that makes sourdough sour have any nutrition benefits over plain white bread? And does Sourdough really take 2-3X as long to get stale and moldy than other bread, or that just me?
Or can anybody reccommend a best-tasing Whole Wheat Sourdough?
Or can anybody reccommend a best-tasing Whole Wheat Sourdough?
Bleach marks on sofa?
Upholstory: a new sofa my girlfriend and I bought about three weeks ago seems to have gotten 'bleached' by small -- really, very, incredibly small -- quantities of water. Is this normal? Is there anything we can do about it? {MI} [more inside]
Movable Type question: What sort of MT Maintenance/additions are best - MT 2.6x?
Movable Type question: What sort of MT Maintenance/additions are best - MT 2.6x? (more inside) [more inside]
Carribean Dream
i saw this question and answer, which is similar to mine, except that we're planning to leave from nyc/ newark airport and are looking for a relaxing, sunny location for a last-summer esacpe in the caribbean or the west indies... [mi] [more inside]
Tumble Dry Low
After doing coin laundry the past six years, I was thrilled to move into an apartment that had a pre-installed washer and dryer. Problem is, the dryer does not have a "low heat" setting, and fully 90% of my wardrobe is tumble dry low. The dryer's only settings are high heat, medium heat, and no heat. I don't want to shrink my clothing, but drying with no heat doesn't seem to get the job done. What do I do?
Do you find weather.com inaccurate? Can you recommend a better source for local weather?
WeatherFilter: am i the only one who finds the weather.com predictions for my area to be quite often (wildly) inaccurate? i check the site when i get up to decide whether to drive or ride a bike to work, and i'm getting frustrated at how bad it really is at predicting rain. if there's a 70% chance of afternoon rain as of 8 AM, how much can this really change by noon?
does anyone have a better source for local weather, one that might be more predictable?
does anyone have a better source for local weather, one that might be more predictable?
What's a good way to paint benday dots?
Anyone know a good way to paint benday dots a la Roy Lichtenstein?
How to rebind large books
Is it possible to get a large (1000+ pages) book rebound without spending a bajillion dollars? One of the covers on a reference book got really badly damaged, and I'd like to repair it (or have it repaired) without spending more than $20 or so. I don't care overly much about how it looks, as long as it, you know, covers.
August 20
Is there a way to fix critical structure errors on my Seagate hard drive?
Yet another boring tech question: my main hard drive died on me. It's a Seagate, so I ran their diagnostic tool and it tells me I have 2 critical structure errors. What does this mean? Is there a way to fix it, or do I have to reformat, or worse, toss it out? Vielen Dank!
Expired Chicken?
POULTRY FILTER: I bought a pound and a half of chicken last weekend. The sell-by date on the package was August 18. I usually cook all the chicken I buy before the sell-by date, but screwed up and haven't cooked one of the pieces. It's now two days past that date. Do I freeze this piece or throw it away? How do you know if chicken has gone bad? If its any help in this diagnosis: It looks and smells fine ... thank you, ask metafilter, as always, for your time and wisdom on these pressing concerns of mine! I for one would hate to throw away perfectly good chicken.
After I replaced C: on Windows XP Pro, the D drive frequently doesn't work.
Using XP Pro 2002. Main HDD dies, replace C:, now can't get out of BIOS without unplugging D: (storage). Actually, D: works occasionally, but during those regular operations it sometimes bluescreens and on reboot I get BIOS errors for *all* drives. Wha? [more inside]
MS Access
MSAccessFilter: I give up...how can I have the current selection in one control dynamically re-configure the choices available in another? [more inside, obviously] [more inside]
Switching Identities in Microsoft Outlook
Switching Identities in Microsoft Outlook
I'm now at a computer that has Microsoft Outlook instead of Outlook Express. If I want 2 different email boxes/addresses/ etc. - how do I do it? It doesn't seem to have the Identity Switching feature that Outlook Express had.
I can set up another email address but mail to it ends up in my default Inbox.
Can I set up multiple identities?
Can I at least set up my mail so that each identity has a different in and out box?
I'm now at a computer that has Microsoft Outlook instead of Outlook Express. If I want 2 different email boxes/addresses/ etc. - how do I do it? It doesn't seem to have the Identity Switching feature that Outlook Express had.
I can set up another email address but mail to it ends up in my default Inbox.
Can I set up multiple identities?
Can I at least set up my mail so that each identity has a different in and out box?
Hotel recommendations in Vancouver B.C.
Hotel recommendations for Vancouver B.C.? I'll be there a couple days for a wedding. My primary concerns are that it be central and unique/interesting. Any price range is fine.
How do I shot Now Playing and del.icio.us web
Fearless Leader Haughey has both a Now Playing and his del.icio.us links on his site. How would I do that for my own site?
Does subvocalization occur when a person is comatose?
Does subvocalization occur when a person is comatose? [more inside]
Tips on making a Career Change to Forensic Science or Social Work
CareerChangeFilter? I'm a publications editor at an art museum and enjoy it very much, but for a few years I've kicked around the idea of making a major career change. The two areas I'm interested in are forensic science and social work. ("What do we want?" "More!" "Where do we want it?" "Inside!") [more inside]
Collar Stains
Clothing stain filter: In addition to t-shirts, I have a number of shirts with a regular collar (non-button down). After I wear them for a while, EVERY ONE of them gets this little kind of brownish stain at in the front where the collar comes to a point. It looks kind of like rust. These stains are *really* hard to remove, and resistant to most stain removers. There are no similar stains anywhere on the shirt.
But my question is - what the heck is that stain? Where does it come from? Is it just me? Or is this a problem that all people who wear shirts with collars deal with but never talk about? Is this a message from the gods that I should only wear t shirts or only dark colored collared shirts?
BTW most of my shirts are wrinkle free cotton/poly blends, and they usually have one of those clear plastic collar stay things inside the material to keep the collar straight and pointy.
But my question is - what the heck is that stain? Where does it come from? Is it just me? Or is this a problem that all people who wear shirts with collars deal with but never talk about? Is this a message from the gods that I should only wear t shirts or only dark colored collared shirts?
BTW most of my shirts are wrinkle free cotton/poly blends, and they usually have one of those clear plastic collar stay things inside the material to keep the collar straight and pointy.
Seeking video clips of Nadia Comaneci's gymnastics routines
Where can I find online/downloadable video clips of Nadia Comaneci's "Perfect 10" gymnastics routines from 1976? The TV networks sometimes show tiny bits of the footage during women's gymnastics events, but I've never seen any of the routines all the way through.
Gift ideas for a midllevel exec and an executive assistant, on the level of $500 each?
I work in a small office and two employees are leaving. The first was a midlevel exec and the other was an executive assistant. We are throwing a going away party for both of them, and the boss has charged a couple of us with the mission of getting them each something on a budget of $500 each.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
Grain Storage
I have a couple questions about storing grains and where to find things to store them in. Step inside to hear them. [more inside]
Updated, skeptic, scientific nutrition & exercise guides?
Nutrition/Exercise: Does anyone know of a good skeptics/scientific guide to these topics? This should preforably be a magazine, newsletter or website -- not a book -- because there's new news all the time. [More inside...] [more inside]
Backup and sync software for OSX
Does anyone know of a good, reliable free/shareware OS X app that can do simple backup/synchronise operations. Something like Syncback on windows. Thanks.
3D and OSX
So I'm on OS9, and I'm about to make the leap to OSX... and I need to find a 3D graphics program. I don't need to do the next Pixar film... all I really need to do is build/model simple shapes, adjust lighting, then map images (vector and raster) to them, and export as either vector or raster (preferably with alpha channel transparency) to use in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
I'm new to 3D, so please take that into consideration.
I'm new to 3D, so please take that into consideration.
Moveable Type and Blogger
Anyone know what's up with MT copying the Blogger bar? I first noticed the blogger bar on evhead a couple weeks ago. Then this morning, I see a MT Bar on #1's own site and it is almost exactly the same! What's up with that? (links go to screen caps of the two sites with the bar)
Why do Mac and Unix GUIs look better than Windows?
Why do Macs and Unix GUI's seem to display graphics better than a Windows OS? Just the default backgrounds and such that are included, not any photos or anything. They seem to have more depth or are more crisp, or something. I've talked to a few co-workers about this and they all seem to agree, but don't have any answers. Is this an optical illusion, am I just seeing things?
Mac OSX shareware application to catalog my video collection?
A Mac OS X shareware app to catalog my home-taped video collection (on actual tape, not stored digitally) is surprisingly hard to find...
...there are classic apps, there are apps to catalog a collection of pre-recorded tapes/DVDs etc. but I want something that will help me keep track of what programme, what time code & on what tape all of the random stuff I've recorded over the years is.
...there are classic apps, there are apps to catalog a collection of pre-recorded tapes/DVDs etc. but I want something that will help me keep track of what programme, what time code & on what tape all of the random stuff I've recorded over the years is.
What software should I bring to attack unknown malware?
I'm going to be visiting my in-laws this weekend, in part to treat their ailing computer, which sounds to be suffering from a myriad of malware. I want to make sure I have the complete set of tools I need. More details inside. [more inside]
Is there a free alternative to the Wimpy macromedia flash-based mp3 player?
Is there a free or open source alternative to this macromedia flash-based mp3 player?
How to switch sick kitty from dry to wet food?
Sick-Kitty-Filter. Has anyone here had success in switching a cat from their favorite dry food to a prescription canned food? Any tips would be greatly appreciated...more inside... [more inside]
I'm a Big Fan
Have you ever had any success in trying to express, to a famous artist, your appreciation for their work, be they author/actor/musician, whatever? What did you do?
August 19
Hard Disk activity tracker for Windows?
The Windows task manager tells me the CPU and memory usage by each process. Is there a utility that can tell me which of the running processes are responsible for current HDD activity?
Dealing with spam in Outlook
I've had to give up Thunderbird and start using Outlook 2002 (in order to sync my calendar and tasks with my phone and pda) and now my workflow is being bogged down by spam. Help me inside... [more inside]
Desktop Backgrounds
Cool desktop backgrounds: everyone's got 'em, but where do they come from? In other words, I want to know where you get the eye candy you keep underneath all those icons. (Not saying a word about what's inside, but you can probably guess...) [more inside]
Bumper Sticker Mystery
I've seen a number of cars with a sticker of a white number eight on a red background on their back window. Does anyone know what that signifies? [more inside]
Are you a paying subscriber for any website online? How much are the annual fees?
Are you a paying subscriber for any website online? How much are the annual fees? Is it worth it? [more inside]
Laser Hair Removal
Laser Hair Removal - I don't know anyone who's had it done. What has been your experience? [more inside]
Help me return a found wallet
A construction person outside my apartment handed me a found wallet, asking if it was mine. It wasn't, but I decided to take it upon myself to find the owner. A white pages search turns up no phone # for the owner. Is there any option other than dropping it off at his home address, which is somewhat inconvenient?
Shoot them with silence.
My recent experience at work has led me to wonder whether there is any sort of personal noise cancellation gun? I envision a device or appliance that you can point at someone obnoxious to negate them using noise cancellation technology.
Where to get BBC The Office on DVD?
Does anyone know where i can get a copy (Buy, download, anything) of the Christmas Specials from BBC's The Office. I've been eagerly awaiting my chance to see them for months now and i don't know where to find them.
RNC protest slogans wanted
Does anyone have suggestions for short, articulate protest slogans for the RNC? [more inside]
Why is Apple assuming my outlet isn't grounded? And isn't this a capricious warranty?
So I have an iBook G4, and the power cord has two components -- the cord itself, one end of which connects to the computer and the other end of which connects to the transformer, and a detachable piece that contains the two prongs that actually interface with my power outlet. The power cord has been failing to maintain a connection with the wall so I ordered a new one, under warrantly. They only sent the transformer piece, meaning I had to reattach my old pronged piece and, lo and behold: Still not working. [more inside] [more inside]
How do I push Excel data into Access records?
I have a mountain of data to move from dozens of Excel spreadsheets into an Access database. The database is an existing one and sort-of documented. How do I go about doing this? I’m very comfortable with Excel, but not at all with Access---I’ve never used it before. How do I push Excel data into Access records? Are there any web resources I could use? Any books I should buy?
Robert Johnson-inspired Hip Hop
A few weeks I had to listen to a drunken guy drone on about hip-hop. There was one thing he said that caught my interest. He mentioned that there were tracks based on Robert Johnson samples. So what are the tracks and who does them?
How can I overcome my visual distaste and eat more fruits and vegetables?
Fussy-Filter
I am a very visual eater and extraordinarily stubborn. After avoiding pretty much all fruit and veg my entire life I am trying to take the plunge and expand my dietary horizons (without expanding my waistband). How can I get over the mental block of eating green and orange stuff? Can anyone recommend an easy way to get on the fruit and veg wagon or recipes that conceal the deadly veg from mine eyes?
I am a very visual eater and extraordinarily stubborn. After avoiding pretty much all fruit and veg my entire life I am trying to take the plunge and expand my dietary horizons (without expanding my waistband). How can I get over the mental block of eating green and orange stuff? Can anyone recommend an easy way to get on the fruit and veg wagon or recipes that conceal the deadly veg from mine eyes?
Mosquito bites
Mosquitos. Why does it seem that the bites itch more when I interrupt the mosquito (usually fatally) mid-bite? Is it just psychological -- I know the bite is there and so it just seems to itch more? Or is something physiological going on?
My computer keeps turning back on
Here's a weird one: my computer has been turning back on two or three minutes after I power down for the night. It only stays off after I shut it down for a second time. What's strange is that it is undeniably off during those three minutes; no lights, no fans, nothing. The machine just rises from the dead.
This has only been happening for the past week or so. It's an XP computer running an Athlon 2500 on an MSI motherboard with the factory power supply. Any ideas?
This has only been happening for the past week or so. It's an XP computer running an Athlon 2500 on an MSI motherboard with the factory power supply. Any ideas?
Can a network connection be killed from the XP command line?
Can a network connection be killed from the command line in Windows XP?
Searching "Help"
Help! I have run Adware and cleaned up my computer, but there is one thing stuck in my browser - one of those "we'll help you search!" things. How to get rid of something like this? I can't find it in the add/remove programs list, and Adware didn't come up with it. How to find it for removal? (Sorry, I am somewhat knowledgeable with computers, but not a whiz). This is Windows XP.
Internet Jazz Radio
I'm looking for an internet radio station that plays classic jazz. Mingus, Monk, Fitzgerald, Coltrane, Davis, Armstrong, Ellington, Parker, Gillespie, etc. Any suggestions?
Energy Independence
I'm looking for a good survey on the topic of U.S. energy independence. Could be book, newspaper or magazine piece, documentary film, website...Not so much interested in the debate over the urgency, Hubberts Peak and all that --the ideal resource assumes the rightness of the cause and provides an overview of the political, technological, and social progress and challenges surrounding getting there.
SP2?
SP2 be or not to be? That is the question...
August 18
How did you decide what to do with your life?
I find it hard to believe that no one has asked this yet but...
How did you decide what to do with your life? What questions did you ask yourself? When you have many ideas and none are "right", what factors should weigh more heavily than others when it comes time to decide? [more inside]
How did you decide what to do with your life? What questions did you ask yourself? When you have many ideas and none are "right", what factors should weigh more heavily than others when it comes time to decide? [more inside]
Physics: Is it cricket or just a law?
Newtonian physics/Cricket question. [6kb GIF and full question inside] [more inside]
XOR cat gate
Pet door. One cat gets to come and go as he pleases. The other cat isn't allowed to use it. Question: How? (more inside, of course...) [more inside]
What is the function of the orange tube/cylinder atop some lampposts?
What is the function of the orange tube/cylinder atop some lampposts? I see them every few street corners; the other lampposts usually have a little orange bubble on top. I'm guessing those are to let aircrafts know that they are above an urban area. The orange cylinders are about six or more inches high, and I'm very curious to know what they are for.
Boston Coffee Shop With Good Coffee, Not Dim, Tasteful Quiet Music (or Silence), and Some Comfy Chairs?
Can any Boston natives recommend a good coffee shop? [MI] [more inside]
What is the important literature regarding knowledge creation via formalization/structuring?
EpistemologyFilter What is the important literature regarding knowledge creation via formalization/structuring? [mi] [more inside]
Cost of MoveOn Vote For Change concerts (2004)?
Have you heard (through a friend, a source, a rumor) how much tickets to the MoveOn Vote For Change concerts will cost? Official ticket prices are not being listed, but I'm hoping someone here might know something. [more inside]
Syncing a PalmV with Outlook?
Palm V and Hot Synching help - We can't get an old PalmV to synch without look instead of the Palm Desktop. More Inside... [more inside]
Is there any way to wager on a Presidential or Congressional election?
Is there any way (legally or otherwise) to actually wager on an upcoming Presidential or Congressional election [mo inside]. [more inside]
How to 'age' digital photos?
Does anyone know of any good sites that show how to make digital photos look as though they were shot in the 50s/60s specifically the color balance you see on pics taken from yesteryear. [more inside]
Make them stop giving out my number
a supreme annoyance: apparently, the phone company (who knows which one) has updated someone else's residential phone # with an automated response that gives... my cell phone #. [mi] [more inside]
Confused by Jose Saramago's "The Cave"
After having read Jose Saramago's excellent book Blindless, I decided to read The Cave. I finally got through the book and was utterly confused.[mi] [more inside]
Seeking (free?) applications that can sort XML data by a node of your choice?
XML: I'm writing a Flash/Actionscript program that reads in an XML data file. The info needs to be sorted alphabetically, but people will be continually adding new data to the end of the file, so it will have to be resorted often. There's no easy way to sort XML data in Actionscript (and doing so would slow down the program too much, anway), so the data-entry folks will need to sort the data externally to the Flash app. Are there any (free?) applications that can sort XML data by a node of your choice? I need a solution that can run on a Mac or a PC -- or it could be web based.
30-Days Notice?
Moving Filter: Do we have to give 30 days notice that we're going to move? [mi] [more inside]
New York alternative radio
Could somebody give me the URL or to the call letters of the famous free-form alternative radio station in the New York area -- I think it's got "FM" in the name but not sure. I've already searched the MF archives in vain. Thx.
House building advice sought
Has anyone here ever rebuilt their home or built a new one? Lots of advice needed. More inside. [more inside]
Javascript/CSS/IE
I'm having a javascript/CSS/IE problem. I'm working on a website that has a line of buttons at the top for navigation, and when you mouseover the button, a menu drops down giving you sub-options. This is controlled pretty simply with javascript changing the "visibility" attribute in the stylesheet for the menu. A problem arises in IE, however, when there are form elements on the page. If the dynamic drop-down menu overlaps a form element, that form element disappears. (Specifically, this is happening with a menu) You have to reload the page to get it back. Anyone know why this might be happening, or how to fix it? Works fine in NS7, Firefox, Mozilla, etc..... [more inside]
Separating the Wheat from the Chaff
Metamoving. If you're of a slightly artistic bent and have boxes of books, photos, artwork, etc. many of which don't seem to have as much relevance as they did ten years ago, how do you decide what to keep and what to throw away?
Does anyone know how to create the Flash "books" that have turning page effects?
Does anyone know how to create the Flash "books" that have turning page effects as shown here and here? I have seen the effect several places, leading me to hope there is a tutorial, sample file, or program that will generate this effect.
Bizarro Superman III
Inspired by this thread in the blue: There's a version of Superman III I saw on Indian television last summer when I was in Pakistan. It had English subtitles, for some reason (it still had the original English-language soundtrack), but the subtitles had only the most tendentious relationship to the actual movie. In the subtitles' universe, for example, Richard Pryor's character was named Clark Kent. Superman's alter ego? Harry Kent. And it just got more and more absurd from there. Has anyone else seen/heard of this? Does anyone know where someone in America (like me) could get a copy?
What is the best place to go on the net for high-quality music videos?
What is the best place to go on the net for high-quality music videos? [mi] [more inside]
Better playlist functionality than Winamp?
PlaylistFilter: I find Winamp's native playlist manager too restricted. Ideally, I want a plugin/player with a playlist module that can accomodate trees and metadata; the extreme case being where I can have an arbitrary number of fields (incl. trackname, artist, genre, "mood"...etc) and then pass it through selection filters (all Classical which are AT MOST 3 mins AND NOT baroque AND soothing...etc). Of course, this is kinda the ideal case. What's the best realistic solution? (I don't mind switching players).
American Working Abroad
Any advice for an American trying to find a job abroad? Good resources, things to avoid, tips and tricks? Anyone have success stories? (Bonus points if you were looking in HK)
Portuguese poem that refers to the Algarve as a "rusted scimitar"?
CardosaFilter. I'm looking for a specific modern portugese poem which refers to the Algarve as a "rusted Scimitar" (Algarve possibly being Portugese for Scimitar). English translations of this poem do exist (I've seen them), but *any* information would be excellent. I think the poem talks about the destruction of Portugal by tourism. [more inside]
Help in building my own PC
I want to build my next PC instead of buying one off the shelf. Your assistance is requested. (mi) [more inside]
I'm looking for a small buoy hull for some scientific instrumentation.
Scientists, sailors, meteorologists: I need a buoy! I'm looking for a small buoy hull for some scientific instrumentation. [more inside] [more inside]
Roadside Assistance
This thread got me thinking. Anyone have a favorite roadside assistance service I can buy for my daughter? She has a cellphone, but who would she call if she was stranded several hundred miles away?
August 17
Saving WMV videos?
Saving WMV videos to disk? [more inside]
Identify this war film
Help! What is the name of this war movie? (mi) [more inside]
Wireless Networking
WirelessNetworkingFilter: I'd like some advice from you networking gurus (more inside): [more inside]
Calculating Electoral Votes
DiscreteMathFilter: Colorado will vote this November on a proposal to abandon its "winner-take-all" system in presidential elections, and award its electoral votes based on the percentage of votes cast for each candidate. I tried to model this based on the 2000 election, and the concept fell apart. [more inside] [more inside]
Swim Goggles
OlympicsFilter: What's the deal with the mirrored goggles all the swimmers are wearing? Does the mirroring serve any purpose?
HP recovery expertise needed.
Does anybody have experience with HP Recovery? I have a tricky case. [more inside]
What's the best travel book series?
What is the best travel book series? You know -- Frommer's, Rough Guide, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, etc. I'm finally getting of my duff and going somwhere (Costa Rica) and I want a reliable guide book to take with me. Something that I will actually find quite useful and not rip it into shreds out of pure frustration.
Club Chairs
I want to buy a leather club chair. [more inside] [more inside]
Does PHP5's newfound SOAP functionality truly support complex types?
Does PHP5's newfound SOAP functionality truly support complex types? [more inside] [more inside]
Is it ethical to break a deal with a car dealer?
Car buying ethics question: I'm buying a new car that's relatively rare and had set my expectations such that if I were able to get it for < $1,500 over invoice that I'd be ok with the deal. I negotiated one dealer down to $1,300 over invoice and put a $500 deposit down on the car yesterday (it's arriving late this month). [MI] [more inside]
Recommendations for marketing books.
What marketing books have you found effective? I'm specifically looking for senior-level strategy books, more specifically in high-tech, but open to general product marketing as well. I'm thinking of things like Davidow's Marketing High Technology or Moore's Crossing the Chasm Thanks!
What are those tiny bubbles that form on the sides of a glass of water that's left beside your bed overnight?
What are those tiny bubbles that form on the sides of a glass of water that's left beside your bed overnight?
How can I find out Olympic event scheduling without seeing the results simultaneously?
OlyFilter - Is is just me or is it downright impossible to find out when (and on what channel) a particular Olympic event is going to be on television without finding out the results? In this age of tape-delayed television, but with non-tape-delayed internet results, what is a man to do? Specifically, I want to watch all the Mens Basketball games that are on TV. Anyone have a list? I know there is a game on today (I think at three...) but I'm afraid to look for it online fearing spoiling the results.
baseball physics
Baseball Physics: Baseball announcers like to talk about how a sharply hit ground ball can "pick up speed" when it bounces off the infield grass (or, more often, turf). Is this possible? [more inside]
Best color film for daytime outdoor scenes
I while back I got some good recommendations on lenses to use for documentary style photography. Now I come to the Green looking for insight on color film. I'm shooting with a Nikon FM2 and a Canon Rebel 2000. The work is for a grad thesis film, mostly daytime with some scenes right after sundown.
What international tournaments exist that might be thought of as "mental" Olympics?
What international tournaments exist that might be thought of as "mental" Olympics? (That is, they contain a range of competitions based on intellect, strategy, problem-solving, mental arithmetic, etc...)
Very specific rectangular website button?
Website Buttons: I am looking for a certain type of website button. [MI] [more inside]
Instant messaging across different networks. Is it possible?
Instant messaging across different networks. Is it possible? [mi] [more inside]
2004 Olympic Athletes
I'd like to know the number of athletes from each country competing at the Olympics -- basically, the size of each country's delegation -- for a little project I'm working on. The Athens 2004 site and the news orgs' sites I've checked do not provide such information, from what I can tell.
P2P App for the Mac?
What is the best P2P application for the Mac?
OSX Panther
Looking for command line tools, scripts, whatever, to allow me to check for mail messages on OS X Panther [more inside] [more inside]
Where to Find a Desk in Chelsea, New York?
I need a desk, ASAP (preferably today) (the movers broke mine). I live in Chelsea. Where should I go? (I've tried Staples, Bed Bath & Beyond and The Door Store).
Under-$80 Hotel/Motel/Bed and Breakfast in Seattle?
Cheapish (under $80) hotel/motel/B&B in Seattle? [more inside]
Music in Ppt
Dealing with music in powerpoint. [mi] [more inside]
Looking for unusual covers of metal songs
I just discovered Sabbatum, an album of Black Sabbath covers-- in latin. I've been an Apocalyptica fan for years as well. Anyone know of other albums of metal songs covered in an unusual fashion? [more inside]
Loyalty Oaths?
I'm an non-GOP person who wants to attend a Bush rally in St. Paul. Are they still doing the loyalty oaths at every event? Is it legally binding? I'm not going to run on stage and interrupt anything, I just want to hear the man speak. Am I going to get in?
Breathing some life back into a CD changer.
I have a 12-disc CD changer mounted in the trunk of my aging car, and it's starting to fail. It refuses to recognize about half of the CDs put into it, and will frequently decide that a given CD is unacceptable at a track transition. It's also a lot more skip-prone than it used to be [exposition inside]. [more inside]
How do incumbents campaign and govern simultaneously?
USAGovtFilter: When any incumbent president runs for reelection and campaigns quite heavily, for months, how does all of the work of the executive branch get done?[mi] [more inside]
Where's a good all purpose reference site for administering a Unix server?
Where's a good all purpose reference site for administering a Unix server (a Raq4 if it makes any difference). I've read the manual and thus have the basics, but having absolutely no grounding in Unix, simple tasks take a lot of blundering around Google hoping to hit the right keyword.
For example; it took me a good half hour (twenty minutes search and ten minutes working out how to use Vi (have since discovered Pico) to keep my log files for more than a week (rotate was set to 1 in logrotate.conf)
For example; it took me a good half hour (twenty minutes search and ten minutes working out how to use Vi (have since discovered Pico) to keep my log files for more than a week (rotate was set to 1 in logrotate.conf)
Tips for good photography for selling products
PhotoPhilter: I'm in the process of getting ready to launch a new business based on a product that I manufacture. I've just realized that I need pictures of various products for web and possibly sales brochures. I know absolutely nothing about how to take good product pictures. Do any of our photo gurus have tips, websites, examples that they'd like to share? (more inside)
Sexual habit statistics - are there any reliable ones?
Are there any vaguely reliable statistics out there about people's sexual habits? I want to know how common my abject lonely misery is.
ISO online community bulletin board type software.
ISO online community bulletin board type software. I'm looking for one that will be used primarily by non tech savvy folks, and we especially want a feature that will allow us to mark comments read, leaving only new comments highlighted next time we login. [more inside]
Help expand my music collection!
Following up this question, I want to expand my music collection beyond classical & jazz. I don't know much about music from the 1950s to the present, but I know what I like. Melody is really importand to me. I prefer happy, sad and thoughtful to angry (I don't like "screaming" rock at all). I don't like drum-beat heavy dance music. I prefer the 60's/70's sound (or stuff influenced by it) to really contemporary stuff. Here are some examples of what I like: most Beatles, Simon and Garfunkle, ELO's "Mister Blue Sky", a lot of They Might Be Giants, some Billy Joel ("Piano Man", "Moving Out", "Uptown Girl"), some of The Mommas and the Pappa's, some Aimee Mann, some Carol King, The Beach Boys, and The Roches.
What else would I like?
What else would I like?
What software should I use to win ebay auctions?
For those who snipe on ebay, what software/plugin/service/whatever would you recommend? I feel uncomfortable giving a third party my ebay login info, if that's how these services work.
Sharing a limited amount of bandwith while keeping the network secure.
I want to share a limited amount of bandwith on my 802.11b to people at my bus stop, while keeping the network secure. (mi) [more inside]
August 16
Why am I having problems with a USB 2.0 card reader and my Win 2000 laptop?
A USB 2.0 card reader is causing my Windows 2000 laptop to completely hang up. [mi] [more inside]
Multimedia Resources
I need help finding some good content! I am putting together a course on Sociology of Religion using Powerpoint (in the David Byrne stlye), and I am at an almost total loss on finding short video clips, sound bytes, cartoons etc. to add to the classes.
What I am looking for is along the lines of the way that The Simpsons skews religion all the time (ie funny, not trying to sell you anything), though I am open to anything thought provoking.
What I am looking for is along the lines of the way that The Simpsons skews religion all the time (ie funny, not trying to sell you anything), though I am open to anything thought provoking.
iBook Noise
I'm hearing a horrible sound from my iBook all of a sudden. It sounds like the lever that moves the HD heads snapping back and forth repeatedly. It doesn't wholly interfere with the operation of the computer or crash it or anything (yet). It does seem to be coming from the front left side of the laptop, where the HD is located. What is happening? What sort of repair am I looking at, worst-case? Anything I can do? [more inside]
Large cross-genre gallery of best book covers?
I am looking for a large gallery of "best" book cover illustrations and designs. I want cross genre examples from any time period and any country. Hours of googling have turned up many images from the pulps of the 40s and 50s, most of them entertaining rather than well designed. Amazon is good but to random a process. Anyone know of anything like this?
is USANA a scam
What is the lowdown on USANA? A friend of mine swears its great, but seems like a big scam to me... anyone had any experience with this sort of thing? Website is vague and pyramid-scammish.
Online Photo Management
I have a rather picky online photo album management question. [more inside]
Free energy!
My gym gives out energy bars for free! Should I eat them? [more inside]
Outlook 2000 Error No. 0x800ccc0e -- No Profiles Fetching or Sending Mail
Outlook 2000 (WinXP) problem: Suddenly, none of my mail profiles will fetch or send mail. (mi) [more inside]
Men's Gymnastics
Why does the Olympics men's gymnastics "floor exercise" event not incorporate music, while the same event in women's does? The women's event seems more "dancey", but it looks like they both exhibit the same set of skills. What gives?
Sorry, your auction has ended.
EBay Filter: Auction Sniping - good or evil? [MI] [more inside]
Pogo
There's a Pogo sequence in which Albert Alligator (I think) is trying to come up with an advertising jingle, and one of the several he writes ends "...They're gristle to your mill!" What's he advertising? What're the full jingles? This is has been weighing on my mind for a few days.
Why are these red plastic cups so common in teensploitation movies and TV series?
PartyCupFilter. In teensplotation movies and TV series, these party cups often feature predominantly
whenever there's a party situation going on. Why is that? Are they a generic low budget brand, do they come free with kegs or are they the choice of a cool generation? [more inside]
whenever there's a party situation going on. Why is that? Are they a generic low budget brand, do they come free with kegs or are they the choice of a cool generation? [more inside]
OSX Mail Icon
In Apple's OS X, the icon for "Mail" depicts a postage stamp with the words "Hello from C_________." I can't read it. What does it say? It's not Cupertino or California. Or maybe Cocoa?
What are your favorite (preferably single-author) sites that are presenting stories / a novel / thematic essays?
Interesting online writing projects.... ? I'm thinking about tackling another (large) writing project via the 'net. What are your favorite (preferably single-author) sites that are presenting stories / a novel / thematic essays? I'm not really looking for blogs, but (maybe) serial pieces presented in blog format. Anyone doing / done this with success? (I'm sure there are a gazillion really bad ones out there...)
Print-run numbers on backs of books
I have seen numbers on the back of books that puzzle me; they look like this: 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13. What do these mean?
Help me get back on track
Help me turn around my life. I'm caught in a trap. [mi] [more inside]
Best Photo Blog?
I want to set up a photoblog, preferably within or in conjuction with my Blogger blog. I thought that Google recently acquired a company that might be doing this in the future, any word? If this is unlikely, what are the best alternatives? What if I don't care if it works well with Blogger, is there anything that is good and free that can serve my needs?
Angering Bulls
Regarding rodeo: How do they make bulls angry enough to want to kick and jump and run around to get a guy off his back? Specific method or general torture?
Weird Google adwords
What is triggering these odd Google ads? The CMS question below is 3/4ths right-wing ads, the LiveJournal question is employment misconduct ads, the 55-65 yo question is all global warming. Any thoughts what words are triggering each of those?
Is it possible to migrate data between any two of the most popular open source CMS systems?
Is it possible to migrate data between any two of the most popular open source CMS systems? {The reasons for this rather odd request follow} [more inside]
Archiving LiveJournal
I've got a journal in LiveJournal that I want to download to my home computer prior to deleting. The tool on the LiveJournal site will do this, but only one month at a time. Is there any tool that can handle more than a single month? I'd prefer the XML format, since I might want to do something with them at a later date.
Retirees
Where are all the 55-65 year-old people? [more inside]
How to fix a Treo 600
So it came to pass and I got my Treo 600. I've been using AOL 3.2.1 for Palm for a couple of weeks but now it won't let me log on to my master screen name. I'm apparently not alone on this, as discussed on this message board. AOL is not responding. Does anybody know of a fix? Thanks for your time. [more inside]
How can I schedule posts in Moveable Type 2.63 to be posted automatically?
Queuing posts on Movable Type 2.63. I'm going away for a week; what can I do to queue posts on my blog, scheduling one to automatically be published each day? [more inside]
Javascript Quandry
Javascript quandry. I'm tasked with the unenviable task of implementing another designers web design for one of my clients. In order to make the maintenance of the site easier to handle, I'm putting most of the navigational elements in a single document that will be server-side included. The fiddley bit is that the design calls for the navigational element for the particular page to be highlighted for that particular page. So if I'm on the CONTACT page, the menu element for CONTACT is highlighted. This would be easy enough to handle if the code for each page were a part of each page, but because I'm using a common file, it makes it trickier. (more inside) [more inside]
What is a "Remander Mark"?
What is a "Remander Mark"? I recently purchased a book on Amazon.ca and paid a ridiculously low price for a book with a Remander Mark. Now looking at the book the only thing I can see is someone made a line with a marker through the UPC code.
What camera or gadget can I get for $400?
My parents recently gave me $400 as a present, with the express condition that I use it to buy something (which means I can't save or invest it). Originally, they were going to get me an iPod, but I already have one. I'm thinking about a digital camera, so my question is: Does anyone have any suggestions for a good camera, or perhaps some other neat electronic gadget, in this price range?
What are some good ways to post documents of different sizes, styles, and layouts online for free?
What are some good examples of posting documents of varying shapes, styles, length and layouts (in this case menus) online. I'm thinking pdf -- but is there a way to do that free?
Recruited by Primerica - should I be insulted or flattered?
The other night at work, I was the only employee to be approached by a recruiter for the pyramid scheme company Primerica. Should I be flattered that he thought I had incredible customer service and sales skills, or insulted that he thought I looked like the biggest sucker?
Does cracking your knuckles give you arthritis?
"If you keep cracking your knuckles, you'll get arthritis when you're older." Is that actually true? Is there any risk for compulsive knuckle-crackers?
I want to add xml formatting tags to an input string in flash.
I want to add xml formatting tags to an input string in flash. [more inside]
Tips for Norway
Me, I'm looking at Norway...any tips?
August 15
How hard is it to get publishing work in Glasgow?
Inspired by the Oregon thread below: how hard is it to get publishing work in Glasgow?
Should I move to Oregon?
Oregon Is it nice? I fancy living in the US, and those spooky coincidence things are pointing to Oregon. [>>] [more inside]
Why is English the de facto language of the Olympics?
OlympicFilter: Why is everything in English? [more inside] [more inside]
B2 Visa to USA
US Visas: A friend of mine from the Philippines wants to get a US entry visa (B2). The paperwork isn't entirely byzantine, but she's fairly intemidated by the interview process. Can any non-American, non-visa-waivered Mefites provide some insight on the process?
Stopping Email Spam
ObfuscationFilter: I know putting a unobfuscated email address on your website is a bad idea these days, mmmkay. So I was wondering how can I put my email address on my website without being spammed to hell and back.
Which pr0n movies are your favorite?
Inspired by this thread, I find myself wondering, which pr0n movies are your favorite?
What sites can you recommend for torrents of bootlegged shows?
I have recently found that bit torrents are great once you haven't got a cap on your monthly bandwidth. I have found a couple of great sites for previously bootlegged shows, but what other sites can my fellow Mefites recommend?
(I would be happy to share the sites I do have inside if they are wanted!)
(I would be happy to share the sites I do have inside if they are wanted!)
Puerto Rican Dream Team
So the US basketball team got handed it's hide by the Puerto Ricans.
My question, and of course I understand many of the complex issues surrounding the soverignty of the territory, is...why are they allowed to have their own team? I mean, the guys on the PR team that just pummeled the dreamies are all US citizens, right?
What's the rule?
My question, and of course I understand many of the complex issues surrounding the soverignty of the territory, is...why are they allowed to have their own team? I mean, the guys on the PR team that just pummeled the dreamies are all US citizens, right?
What's the rule?
Ethernet Cards 101
I recently purchased an ethernet card for my laptop. It's not working. (MI) [more inside]
what is your favorite camera for format photos
I've suddenly decided that I am on the verge of diving headfirst into the murky waters of medium format photography. Any of you have any favourite cameras? Favourite brands? Favourite filmstocks? Rest assured, I will not be shooting weddings or yearbook portraits.
Can anyone recommend a good book on US demographics?
Can anyone recommend a good book on US demographics? Ideally, I'd like an overview of major demographic trends, with engaging vignettes demonstrating the impact on individual communities etc etc. I'm especially interested in the geography / demographics intersection - how is the population distribution changing? Who's going where?
I'd like your desert island 5 on CD, DVD, and Books.
I'd like your desert island 5 on CD, DVD, and Books. I know that's sort of a nonsense request, but I'm deploying to a desert island (well there is a small town), and I have extra room in my seabag for a CD/DVD wallet and a few small paperbacks (summer year-round, don't have to bring my winter uniforms). Help a sailor out, genre's not important, as long as they're your best selections!
Website for standard home routers for the less IT inclined?
I'm an IT guy. I have a dad who's less than brilliant with setting up routers, using routers, and "what the hell are they for anyway?" I'd love to spend hours telling him, but is there a site that shows a good generic way to set up standard home routers?
How much money can you earn before you have to pay US Federal income tax?
How much money do you need to make in a year before you have to start paying Federal income tax? Is there a magic number below which they just let you off the hook?
Recommend a Baltimore/Washington DC hotel
Baltimore/DCFilter -- Seems that I may have asked something like this before, but here goes anyway. I need a safe, comfortable, convenient hotel... [MI, of course.] [more inside]
What kind of leather planner should I get?
I'm such a helpless human being. I need a leather planner to write down various things (meetings, important information, what VDs I have, etc.). This cost will be alleviated by my corporate sponsor. The question is now, being that I for some reason have an unnatural hate for PDAs... what do I get? So far the "Coach mini planner" looks like a good thing to get. Now I want to be able to retain semblences of my youth and wish not for the planner to reek of 50 year old man, suggestions? There seem to be so many choices both expensive (Versace, Louis Vuitton, Coach) and not so expensive but a lot more dorky ones (Franklin Convey). [more inside]
Identify this Artist
I'm looking for info on a print I recently bought at a yard sale. The print is of a surrealist ink drawing. The main subject of the drawing is the Palace Bathhouse in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It is signed as "Kahn '77". Does anyone have any idea who the artist is or has anyone seen this drawing before? It almost looks like an illustration from a book.
Pop vs Rock
What's the difference between Pop and Rock? [More Inside.] [more inside]
AirPort Express basestation not working...
AirPort problem: I just set up my new AirPort Express basestation, and, believe it or not, it doesn't work properly. more inside... [more inside]
August 14
Are e-mails letters?
Do you consider email—or at least some emails—to be letters? [more inside]
Mystery Shopper in the UK
As an extra source of income I'm thinking of becoming a mystery shopper and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience of this and could recommend good companies to work for in the UK.
What does the "Loud" button do?
On car radios (in the UK - and possibly other countries too) there is an option for "Loud". Which, it seems, just makes the sound... well, louder. What's the point of it?
Taxation
tax question for a north american.
i have someone who has done odd "stuff" for me (and others) in the usa and, for fairly obvious reasons (more inside) he doesn't want to talk to his employer's accountants about his extra income. [more inside]
i have someone who has done odd "stuff" for me (and others) in the usa and, for fairly obvious reasons (more inside) he doesn't want to talk to his employer's accountants about his extra income. [more inside]
Things to do in Chicago when you're young and broke?
I'll probably be in Chicago by myself for a couple days at the end of the month. I'm 21, broke, and not particularly good at talking to people I don't know. Stuff to do? [more inside]
Saab repair question, or recommend a mechanic near Kansas City, Missouri?
Saabfilter
Any saab mechanics or semi experienced shade tree mechanics in the green audience today?
Need some advice...more inside... [more inside]
Any saab mechanics or semi experienced shade tree mechanics in the green audience today?
Need some advice...more inside... [more inside]
Good PalmOS games to download?
Just got me a new Zire 31, and anticipating a long wait for delayed flights at Dulles today, I'd like your recommendations for good PalmOS games to download. [More inside.] [more inside]
August 13
Problem with computer
My computer is driving me nuts! Something about it is extremely broken, because it's wildly unstable. [more inside]
Mac user needs help picking a windows laptop
Dedicated Mac user needs to perform Wintel-only dev work, needs new laptop. Thinkpad, or iBook/Powerbook? [more inside]
What chair should I buy for a home office?
ChairFilter: I can't get work done at home, partly because my cheap chairs suck. Ergo, it is probably worth investing in a good office chair for home. But what? [more inside]
They broke my car window and got caught by police; can I get them to pay for it? Can I help to increase their penalty somehow?
Some punks nailed the passenger window on my Jeep early Thursday morning in an effort to get to the stereo... [more inside]
Windows installer systems
Does anyone have any recommendations for Windows installer systems (InstallShield, etc.)? I'm specifically interested in multiple component rollout and autoupdate functions.
Treating a Sore Shoulder
Yep, I've got a slight strain in my shoulder, which is bad. What's worse is that I'm moving tomorrow, so I'll need to be lifting lots of heavy things. Preamble aside: how do you treat a sore shoulder? Heat? Ice? Aspirin? What works best for you?
Where did you meet the one you love?
Where did you meet the one you love?
Wedding present suggestions for a 22 year-old...
What's a good wedding present for a young person? [MI] [more inside]
advice wanted for 10-12 day trip to Italy
My wife and I are planning a 10-12 day trip to Italy in late Sept. and are looking for advice. We are torn between a guided tour-type trip where the majority is planned out for you or just getting tickets and hotel rooms and making the plans while we are there. Any advice or experience? [more inside]
Knoxville computer help recommendations needed
On behalf of a colleague, I need to find two separate things: a competent Windows tech support person to do a one-off job, and a very patient person or organization to give two middle-aged academics thorough sessions on how to use a computer. Both in Knoxville. A web search turns up hundreds of hits, but I need a personal recommendation or connection here to insure some level of reliability and skill. [more inside]
Editing multi-page tiffs?
Multi-page tiffs: I'm currently working on a project which involves scanning letters from microfilm onto a laptop. We save letters with more than one page as multi-page tiffs for logistics reasons. What I'm wondering is if there is a way to edit the individual pages after the fact (cropping, brightness, contrast etc. basic stuff)? Preferably free/inexpensive software.
Which nationwide dial-up ISP has the best coverage / most access numbers?
Which nationwide dial-up ISP has the best coverage / most access numbers? I’m heading on a trip across the northern half of America and back through the south, and I need internet access for my laptop. SBC has quite a few. What are some other choices?
Why does my wireless signal speed vary?
Home wireless setup: why does my signal speed vary? [mi] [more inside]
Is it ok to talk to someone on the phone while using the bathroom?
Is it ok to talk to someone on the phone while using the bathroom? [more inside]
Where can I find this CD?
As a follow up to this thread a while back, I'm now trying to find a copy of this CD (more inside) [more inside]
I need goofy, fun music!
Sometimes I like goofy fun music, songs with a sense of humor, music that occasionally kinda makes fun of itself. Stuff like Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and The Men in Black by the Stranglers (especially Waltz in Black) and Klark Kent and TMBG. Does anyone have any suggestions for groups in a slightly similar vein? [more inside]
Sending Texts
How do I send a text message to someone if I know their cell phone number but not the carrier?
What should be the first programming language I learn?
Programming languages: I'd like to take up programming as a hobby, with an eye towards evaluating it as a career choice. What language should I learn? [more inside]. [more inside]
Firefox at Work
I really love using Firefox instead of IE as my browser, but I'm having problems with Firefox at work. About half the time I try to use it at work, it won't load anything. It tells me that the page timed out. Whenever this happens, I have to browse with IE instead until Firefox starts working again, several minutes later. I have no problems with Firefox at home. I've heard this is a firewall-related issue, but I don't really understand. Is there a way to fix this?
Open Source version of Google News
Is there an open-source web app that's anything like Google News -- ie. groups news stories by similarity?
August 12
Help me find contact management software
Contact management software filter. Help me find the perfect program, inside. [more inside]
How/if to safely donate a kidney if you're overweight
I am thinking about donating my kidney but I'm about 100lbs overweight and probably a doctor would say I'm closer to 150lbs overweight. Does anyone know how fit one has to be (should be...) to donate a kindey and 1) the kidney be healthy, and 2) for me to remain healthy? Other thoughts to consider for being overweight and interested in being a donor would be appreciated too.
The Empire Strikes... ME?
Years ago I swear that I saw a tv special for The Empire Strikes Back where it made it seem that the empire had taken over my tv signal. Please tell and prove to me that I'm not hallucinating this.
Volunteer organizations and causes
I want to start doing some volunteer work. Can anyone give me some suggestions as to organizations or causes? My preferences are that it’s something in Toronto, that it’s political or sociological in nature, that it’s project-oriented rather than long-term, and that it involves meeting lots of people.
Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud.... [more inside]
Emotionally-involving videogames?
Can you think of any emotionally-involving videogames? Games where you develop an emotional bond for the characters, and have an emotional investment in the outcome of the story? Has a game ever made you cry? [more inside]
Is Microsoft's service pack messing with Firefox pop-up blocker?
MS Conspiracy Filter: Just installed XP SP2--which adds "pop-up blocking" to IE--and all of a sudden the pop-up blocking feature built into Firefox turns off every time I restart the app. Is anyone else seeing this? [little bit more inside] [more inside]
Automate file saves with CDex
CDex question. I'm liking it in all regards, but still banging my head over one convenience feature. Isn't there a way to get it to encode a CD as MP3s, and drop the MP3s into a folder with the artist or album title? All I can get it to do is dump MP3 files into its generic "output" folder, and it's slowing down my mass ripping. Help a stupid CDex newbie!
Music similarity explorer?
Finding music like other bands.... [more inside]
Windows XP: How can I migrate a user's regsitry settings (NTUSER.DAT) from one install to another?
Windows XP: How can I migrate a user's regsitry settings (NTUSER.DAT) from one install to another? (more inside) [more inside]
Software or Websites Adopting IEC Standard Binary Prefixes?
The latest version of ReverseConnect uses IEC Standard Binary Prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, etc.). Are there other examples of software, websites or other media that are adopting this less ambiguous usage?
Need a new lens block
Lens Block on digital Minolta Dimage 7i needs to be replaced. [more inside]
External Hard Drive Recommendations
I'm looking for an external hard drive that I will use to backup my personal computer. What should I buy? [more inside]. [more inside]
Is there anything I can do to make my laptop battery last longer?
Is there anything I can do to make my laptop battery last longer? I've had two HP laptops, and within months the batteries in both of them stopped holding a full charge. Presently, the icon indicates a fully charged battery, but when I unplug the laptop the battery dies within 30 minutes. Is this an HP specific problem? Is there a "better" kind of battery I can buy?
Where can I find music I will like?
Metafilter braintrust: Is there a site I can go to and enter an artist/group of artists and get recommendations based on my listening preferences? Something a little less retail oriented (ahem: Amazon). Thanks!
How can I get Apple's iPod Mini to talk to the PC using FireWire?
iPod Mini question: I've checked AskMe archives and asked this on Apple's discussion board, to no avail. How can I get the Mini to talk to the PC using FireWire? [MI] [more inside]
Is it legal to sell your vote in the US?
Is it legal to sell your vote in the United States? Since I don't care all THAT much who's president, and I live in a swing state, I was thinking of auctioning my vote off, or forming a syndicate with like-minded citizens to auction our votes en bloc. I mean, either party would get bigger bang for their buck buying 100,000 votes outright for $6 million, than spending the equivalent on hit-or-miss TV advertising. [more inside]
Animation Technologies
Adobe After Affects Vs. Flash. Which would be better to learn from scratch to create animation for broadcast?
Can anyone recommend a small business lawyer in the Chicago area?
Can anyone recommend a small business lawyer in the Chicago area? Downtown is preferable. Also, does anyone have any idea of what basic services of starting a business through a lawyer would cost? Ballpark figure?
Taxation and Reporting for eCommerce
Ecommerce filter: Here at work we are attempting to understand/define the default business rules for taxation calculations within an ecommerce app. Specifically we are all tied up in knots over the application of rates, reporting issues, etc. Is there an industry standard for handling this aspect of a transaction? Who defines the standards, and how can I find out more about it?
Republican survey - useful or useless to fill out?
My wife received a survey from the National Republican Congressional Committee which she doesn't want to fill out. She's given the okay to fill it out, but do I REALLY want to do that? [mi] [more inside]
Convincing my camera that the media card flap is closed
Sensorfilter: my digital camera's media card door sensor thinks it's open, even when it's closed. Has anyone ever disabled one of these things? The door stays closed just fine, just the camera doesn't think so.
How to decorate a pink-tiled bathroom?
DecoratorEyeFilter: what can I do about my bathroom? The pro is that the house is 50-ish years old and the wall and floor tiles are actual ceramic. The con is that they're PINK. Can anyone suggest some miraculous color for the non-tile walls above waist height that will reduce the atrociousness of PINK? I have considered grey, as one of the worst villains in the Rex Stout detective stories had an underground bunker/office with grey-stained wood panel walls and pink indirect lighting around the ceiling, but for all I know this color combo was chosen to show how warped and evil mr. villain was. Also, the way it's described, mr. villain's pink was a lot more subdued than the PINK I have to face each morning. Plaster and shower curtain are just white now. Should I just grit my teeth and live with it? The preferred solution (ripping everything out and re-doing it) is not a financial option. Hoping for a stroke of genius from of the many geniuses who hang out here. Thanks!
(PS, yes I also considered black, sorry, I'm chicken.)
(PS, yes I also considered black, sorry, I'm chicken.)
How do I search for all songs by X remixed by Y?
I recently heard a song at a friend's friend's place that I was told was a Sasha/Digweed remix of some unknown Future Sounds of London track. Any search engines where I can find out all songs by X remixed/used by Y?
What's good in 2004-era hiphop?
I'm not usually a big hip-hop fan, but a buddy's got me listening to Immortal Technique, and I'm really enjoying it. So my question is, what music do you people have that's like this stuff?
August 11
Information on USCIS infopass program
Has anyone used USCIS' new InfoPass program to receive their green card? (more inside) [more inside]
What's a good but affordable 2 person, 3 season tent?
TENTS - tell me what you know about tents. I am looking for a good 2-person, 3 season tent that won't break the bank. [specifics inside] [more inside]
Resources for searching US Supreme Court Cases by which law was being challanged?
Are there any good resources for searching United States Supreme Court Cases by which law was being challanged? Has the SC ever said a law banning interracial marriage is unconstitutional and on what grounds? (Hopefully an answers to the first question would allow me to answer the second on my own.)
TiVo - buy out right or subscription?
I'm in the market for a TiVo recorder. Should I pay the $299 one time fee or pay the $12.95 monthly subscription fee? Common sense says that if I have it for at least two years that the lump sum is the way to go, but I'm afraid that in that amount of time, TiVos will have gone the way of the MiniDisc. Should I have asked this question two years ago?
T-shirt art ID help, please?
I'm trying to describe a t-shirt to someone - I remember seeing around when I was a kid (in the '70s), but I cannot find a picture of it anywhere on this webernet thing. It was something like an eagle swooping down on a mouse or some other small animal, which was defiantly giving the eagle the finger. It may have also had some appropirately pithy saying associated with the image. Anyone know what I'm talking about?
Merging Video and Sound
How do I merge an .m2v video file and a .wav sound file into a single, coherent MPG2 file? [more inside] [more inside]
I'm depressed and need a better social life, please help.
I am bored to tears, need a life, please help [OMI]. [more inside]
What ever happened to Minoy?
He was heavily involved in the underground cassette/home taping movement of the mid to late eighties, releasing scores of solo and collaborative experimental recordings. Now he's apparently silent. Anyone know what became of Minoy? The Google cupboard is pretty bare.
Are there any veterans making money from patriotic songs?
Among musicians making more than a few bucks from patriotic songs (like Toby Keith and the current lineup of Lynyrd Skynyrd), who are actually veterans of the US military? [more inside]
Record Cleaning
I just added Guns and Roses - Appetite for Destruction with the orig artwork but the vinyl seems dirty and sounds bad. Does anyone have any preferences or suggestions for a good record cleaner?
Software to debug HTML
It would be nice if there was some favelet, firefox extension, or web-based app that would 1) scrape an html page for all the spans and ids on the page 2) compare this list to the stylesheet and 3) point out the elements that aren't in use any longer.
I haven't found anything like this, and I'm wondering if anyone else has.
I haven't found anything like this, and I'm wondering if anyone else has.
Fundraising
I've committed myself to raising a not-so-small chunk of change for charity, so I'm looking for some good fundraising ideas.... (more inside) [more inside]
In OOP, when to use a Collection of Objects with Properties vs. one Object containing a Collection for each Property?
OOPFilter - How do you decide when to use a Collection of Objects with Properties vs. one Object containing a Collection for each Property? [mi] [more inside]
Parsing Problem
htaccess, SSI, and PHP parsing. Can one file get both php and ssi parsing? if yes, how, if not, help! [*]
Bad "romantic" songs?
I'm making a cd of awful "romantic" songs. Please suggest titles in the vein of Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey" and Patrick Swayze's "She's Like The Wind."
Need New Tires
It's time to retire! So what are the ins and outs of buying new tires for my car? To me, one tire pretty much looks like another, and aside from "high performance" and "retreads," I don't really know what makes one tire better than another.
Buying a Leather Briefcase
To continue the 'bag' threads...
I realize that there have been threads before about briefcases, but my needs are slightly different and I want to see if I get different responses. I'm looking for a small leather soft-sided briefcase, but I can't find one I like. [more inside]
I realize that there have been threads before about briefcases, but my needs are slightly different and I want to see if I get different responses. I'm looking for a small leather soft-sided briefcase, but I can't find one I like. [more inside]
Looking for an attractive, inconspicuous, sturdy camera bag
I need a new camera bag. I don't want a huge blocky "traditional" one, just one big enough for my SLR, a lens or two, and perhaps things like wallet, keys, cellphone, etc. (I don't want to have to carry my purse and my camera bag at the same time). Ideally a backpack or shoulder bag or something of that easy-to-carry nature, it should be fairly inconspicuous (i.e. doesn't scream "LOOK! I'M A CAMERA BAG!!!") and reasonably attractive. It should be well-built and padded enough to protect my precious camera. Suggestions?
Help me replace my backpack!
My backpack is falling apart and I don't think I want another one, but I do need some kind of handy bag to carry around my sunglasses, phone, books, checkbook, snacks and so on. I don't think I can take myself seriously with a me-too bike messenger bag, though I'm not sure what my options are. Anyone have a cool bag they use for hiking around town?
Camino vs Firefox
Compare and contrast Camino and Firefox for OSX. What are the key differences? How are they similar? Which would do you prefer?
Working From Home
Do you work from home? How'd you get that gig? I'm an experienced Unix SysAdmin and most of what I do could easily be done remotely. I'm looking to move back west next year and would like to live farther out from a city center then I'd like to commute each day, so I'd like to find a job that would allow me to work home most of the time. Do people get hired into jobs like that or is it something that has to grow out of an existing job?
Travelling in BC
A friend of mine is planning a trip to B.C. in September. She and her husband will be doing the "circle tour" in British Columbia which has them travelling north from Vancouver to Powell River, taking the ferry to Comox and then heading south on Vancouver Island to Victoria (with a detour over to Ucluelet for whale watching). Her agenda in Vancouver (spending time with party hardy Grandma-in-law and her much younger boyfriend) and in Sechelt (kayaking) is pretty well arranged. However, she'd be most appreciative of any suggestions for what to see and do and eat between Sechelt and Victoria. They do not have time to do detours to the Gulf Islands due to time and relative-visiting contraints.
Are the interwebz to blame for typos?
Can the Internet introduce typos into a text-only email? >> [more inside]
Freeware Online Meeting Tool
Can anyone recommend a good webmeeting software for webcam-conferencing? There's tons of them out there, but I'd like a freeware one that's capable of handling more than two users at the same time, point-to-point (not via some server, due to lagging issues). iVisit is great, but will only accept two users in freeware version. As an extra challenge, it needs to be compatible with Linux and XP. Go geeks, go!
Good Automobile Moves
Can you all suggest a good movie that involves cars or car racing? Please think "good plotting and suspenseful" rather than "artistic and profound". I'm trying to select a present for my brother, who is a mechanic and trucker, and he thinks Smokey and the Bandit is the best movie ever made.
RSS Readers
Which somewhat mature, moderately used RSS readers are under the most active development? [more inside]
What should I do with this Macintosh PowerPC 6500?
Mac Suggestions Filter
I was given a powerpc 6500. Seems to work fine. Doesn't have much in the way of software on it and I understand I can't upgrade to osx on this machine. What should I do with it? I'd like to keep around for something...suggestions? [more inside]
I was given a powerpc 6500. Seems to work fine. Doesn't have much in the way of software on it and I understand I can't upgrade to osx on this machine. What should I do with it? I'd like to keep around for something...suggestions? [more inside]
Will future politicians have to explain their Web past?
Will future politicians have to explain their Web past [MI]? [more inside]
Help me find a site about growing treehouses.
I remember seeing a site a few years ago about a way to actually plan and grow a house using real, live trees planted strategically in the ground. There was a way the limbs were interwoven or something and it was pretty involved. This, obviously, was supposed to be a long-term project. I don't remember many details, except that I thought it was interesting at the time. Recently I've searched, but can't find anything about it. Maybe I'm not using the right search terms or maybe I just dreamed it. Does anybody know what I'm talking about?
August 10
How can I tell when my IM buddies are online?
Isn't there a site or application which can monitor the times at which your chat/ messenger contacts are online? I've done some serious Googling and MeFi searching on this but have turned up nothing, so maybe I'm searching for the wrong thing.
Where can I find the video of Lou Reed's "No Money Down"?
Where can I find a copy of Lou Reed's video for "No Money Down?" It's the one where halfway through the video, Lou turns out to be a robot and starts tearing himself apart. Freaked me out as a kid, and I'd love to see it again, in whatever format might be available. [more inside]
iTunes Auto-Open
Here's what I think will be a softball question: My iTunes auto-opens several times each day. I've looked in the HELP section, scanned for some sort of OPTIONS feature, but I'm drawing blanks. Why does it auto-open, and how can I stop it? Thanks (no more inside).
Hardwood Floor Question
I just installed floating engineered floors downstairs. There is apparently a fairly substantial but narrow depression in the middle of the room, which I missed when checking the floor. How can I fix this now that the floor is laid? [more inside] [more inside]
NYC Movers
Recommendations for movers in NYC? [more inside]
What does "in the round" mean?
I am planning on going to a concert at the American Airlines center in Dallas, TX and the concert is listed as in the round. What does "in the round" mean?
Recomendations for a simple comment/response application
I need a really basic web application that functions similar to a blog system but isn't. All I want is to create a single page with a question to which I will invite people to respond. I've considered using a wiki, but I don't want anyone to be able to edit anyone elses response. I'd also like to be able to sort responses based on a few required fields (but this isn't essential). I can just create a second Wordpress install with only 1 post, but that seems like overkill. [more inside]
GRE Sample Tests
I'm starting practice for the awful, awful GRE and I wondering if anyone knew of any FREE full-length GRE exams online or on CD-ROM. I understand that it's all on computer now, so the books i have out from the library probably aren't as good of practice as they could be.
What's a good replacement for notepad?
How can I stop receiving all these catalogues?
Catalog spam. I ordered a bed frame online, and was pleased with the result. Since then, however, I've been getting a catalog of some sort or another (Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Linens & Things, etc) almost every day - sometimes more than one. It's driving me crazy. Is there anything I can do short of changing address?
What's the best way to catalog my physical music collection using Mac OS X?
What's the best way to catalog my physical music collection using Mac OS X? [more inside]
Moving to Fall in Love
I am 30 years old and have been living in beautiful Bermuda for 4 years. I work as a computer analyst, have a good amount of money saved, and I am entirely single. Problem is, I am now ready to settle down, but a small island like this doesn't lend itself very well to meeting compatible single women who aren't tourists. If I was in love, I would stay in Bermuda as long as immigration laws would let me. I have been thinking about moving somewhere in which I can sustain my outstanding lifestyle ( think laid back, friendly people, beautiful landscape, great money ), while at the sametime increasing the likelihood of meeting / getting to know that special someone ( think hot, smart, down-to-earth, worldly ). I consider the world my oyster. I like small towns and big cities alike. Where should I consider living?
Recommendations for a new notebook?
I've got US $1200 to spend on a new notebook. I'm not a gamer; just a college student who surfs the web, watches movies, listens to music, and does some programming. Care to point me in the right direction?
Musicals that make you cry
This probably won't generate as many responses as this AskMeFi thread, but it inspired me to ask: What Broadway/Off-Broadway musicals, or scenes from musicals, make you break down and bawl? Even if they're performed by amateur groups (high schools, community theatre, summer camp)? Especially if they're performed by amateur groups? [more inside]
sound card issues on a pc
['PooterFilter] So I've put Win 2k Server on my laptop, and now the sound card clicks/skips. I'm not getting anywhere with this problem. Any ideas? [mi] [more inside]
Microsoft Script Debugger
Microsoft Script Debugger - Has anyone actually gotten this thing to work properly? I've got some JavaScript (that I didn't write) that is completely bisbehaving in IE (although it produces no errors...it works fine in FireFox, so my usual line of attack doesn't work). I've used the View | Script Debugger | Break at Next Statement and then refreshed the page. It opens the debugger app but doesn't open any source files and it most certainly doesn't break. Has anyone seen this behavior and overcome it?
Was the States List Puzzle a hoax? Was there money donated to charity? What are the answers?
The States List Puzzle: It's only just over half way through the list [of 48? 50? states] on the website, and the google answers (post one / post two) haven't completed the puzzle.
Worse, the list hasn't been updated in a year - so what gives? Is it a hoax? What of the money donated to charity? I know this has been posted to Mefi before, but it doesn't show on search....
Worse, the list hasn't been updated in a year - so what gives? Is it a hoax? What of the money donated to charity? I know this has been posted to Mefi before, but it doesn't show on search....
Multiple Degrees
Does anyone here have more than two Bachelor's degrees? If so, why did you get your second, and did you simply need to complete your major coursework or did you have to do the complete 60 hours/second two years?
How to unclog an Epson Inkjet printer
My crappy Epson inkjet printer crapped out. What's the best way to unclog it? [MI] [more inside]
Help me pick a video card
What would the optimal video card be for a P3 700Mhz system running ArcView/GIS and AutoCAD?
Also, would you choose a different video card for those apps than you would for gaming, and why? [more inside]
Also, would you choose a different video card for those apps than you would for gaming, and why? [more inside]
Need <$75 CCD-Based Webcam with Good Color & White Balance
I have a friend who's developing an application that solves a board game via visual recognition of the current state of the board. The image is captured via a webcam, and he's currently in the midst of discovering that the quality of the image (or specifically, the color and white balance) acquired by CMOS-based webcams is just subpar. Can anyone recommend a decent, inexpensive (less than $75, perhaps?) CCD-based webcam?
Hot Wheels!
Hot Wheels!
When I was a kid, I forever played with the Hot Wheels plastic tracks that click together. The tracks also had loop de loop and corner accessories. It was fun, because not only could you run your cars on it, but it was also like Legos. Building your track down the stairs and racing your cars down it. Just hours and hours of fun. Fast forward, many years later, I now have young children, and I would like to get them the same thing. I've looked in quite a few toy stores and on eBay, and mostly what I find is one piece items that require no assembly, or just small lots on eBay. If you've played with them you know what I mean, the tracks had a tongue that slipped into the groove of the next track. Does anyone know where I can find this? Do they still make them? [more inside]
When I was a kid, I forever played with the Hot Wheels plastic tracks that click together. The tracks also had loop de loop and corner accessories. It was fun, because not only could you run your cars on it, but it was also like Legos. Building your track down the stairs and racing your cars down it. Just hours and hours of fun. Fast forward, many years later, I now have young children, and I would like to get them the same thing. I've looked in quite a few toy stores and on eBay, and mostly what I find is one piece items that require no assembly, or just small lots on eBay. If you've played with them you know what I mean, the tracks had a tongue that slipped into the groove of the next track. Does anyone know where I can find this? Do they still make them? [more inside]
Traveling from Tuscon to Pasadena
i have a meeting in tucson, az, until friday 6pm, 22 oct. i need to be in pasadena, ca, by 9am next sunday (24th), so have the saturday free. i like travelling by bus/coach during the day (staring out of the window calms me ;o), but geyhound schedules seem to be overnight for tucson-pasadena. is there somewhere i could get to from tucson on friday evening, stay in a hotel there, and travel on to pasadena next day? i could fly, but would prefer to see something on the way, don't drive and know nothing about america... any other solutions? thanks.
Buying a Condo vs. Co-op in Canada?
Buying a condominium vs. buying a co-operative apartment. [more inside] [more inside]
Is there any legal force to an email disclaimer?
Email disclaimers - is there any point in having an email disclaimer? Is it legally binding? Is it merely a waste of bandwidth and brainpower? [more inside]
What do I do with my unwanted cassette tapes?
What do I do with my old cassette tapes? [MI] [more inside]
Collectors item Mountain Dew?
I went to buy a Mtn. Dew before work last night. The first bottle I picked up had a blue cap, I thought it was a new game. Turns out that it is actually a Sierra Mist with a Mtn Dew lable on the bottle from the factory. What should I do with it, I just had to buy it.
August 9
Movies to Cry To
I just watched Schindler's List and it made me cry like a frickin' baby. What other movie's make even the stounchest heart break into uncontrollable sobbing?
I want a free piece of software that can recognize songs from iTunes and query CDDB for them.
I want a free piece of software that can recognize songs (mostly from mix cds) from iTunes and query CDDB for them. Google has failed me. I seem to recall seeing something on MeFi about it, but searching brings up nothing. Help!
Practicing Buddhism
I've always been attracted to Buddhism - and as I'm now 3 days without cigarettes, a philosophy that tells me that the problem is in the craving, not in the thing craved makes a lot of sense. I've just read this and found it a great help - now how do I make the step from an intellectual understanding of the ideas to starting to practice? I live in London, if it helps.
What's the best book to buy for learning Flash?
What's the best book to buy for learning Flash? [more inside]
What's more persuasive: conviction or logic, enthusiasm or proof?
“People are persuaded more by the depth of your conviction than by the height of your logic--more by your own enthusiasm than by any proof you offer.”
Really?
Really?
WordPerfect
Help! Somebody in the office was working on a Word Perfect document and accidentally saved over the contents with a blank document. Google only provides info on corrupted or deleted files (without much info on Word Perect). It seems like this would be recoverable metadata, but I know nothing about Word Perfect. [more inside]
I miss my Home & End keys on my new Mac.
MacSwitchFilter - I'm a long time PC user that just got a Mac. I really really miss my home and end keys! I used to use them constantly! Is there anyway to configure my Mac so that the press of the home key triggers an apple-left arrow event and the press of the end key triggers an apple-right arrow event so I can have my old buddies back? [more inside]
Minor consent law (age?) for STD treatment in Oregon?
Minor consent law (age?) for STD treatment in Oregon? [more inside]
Reproductions of oil paintings
Oil painting reproductions...
Although it's probably not the greatest piece of art by some of your standards, I have recently become interested in obtaining a print or reproduction of a Frederic Church landscape entitled "Aurora Borealis."
The interest came to me after my girlfriend bought me an interesting book on the Aurora and the Church painting was on the cover. I went online to see if there were any prints or oil reproductions and I found this one on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3527534910&category=20136
My question is as follows: I have never purchased things like this. First off, is the quality of such a reproduction any good? Considering there are no other options, I'm in a bind with that one. Another question, is the price fair? [more inside]
Although it's probably not the greatest piece of art by some of your standards, I have recently become interested in obtaining a print or reproduction of a Frederic Church landscape entitled "Aurora Borealis."
The interest came to me after my girlfriend bought me an interesting book on the Aurora and the Church painting was on the cover. I went online to see if there were any prints or oil reproductions and I found this one on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3527534910&category=20136
My question is as follows: I have never purchased things like this. First off, is the quality of such a reproduction any good? Considering there are no other options, I'm in a bind with that one. Another question, is the price fair? [more inside]
Seeking free 3d models of office and residential buildings to download
Where could a young, devilishly handsome architect find free 3d models of office and residential buildings to download, preferably in 3ds or DXF format? [more inside]
seeking good information about headphones earbuds
I need new headphones. I use my mp3 player when I run, work out and at the office. Currently I use Sony headphones at work and Koss earbuds when I workout. The earbuds do not give me loud enough sound and they pop out. The Sonys don't give good quality sound either and they hurt my left ear.
I've been told that headphone/buds that go into your ear, instead of laying on top are better for good quality and loudness. Does anyone have any suggestions for really good headphones/buds that will stay on while running and exercising, as well as be comfortable enough to be worn all day? I'm willing to spend up to $75.
I've been told that headphone/buds that go into your ear, instead of laying on top are better for good quality and loudness. Does anyone have any suggestions for really good headphones/buds that will stay on while running and exercising, as well as be comfortable enough to be worn all day? I'm willing to spend up to $75.
Headset Adapters
cellphonefilter: I recently purchased a Sony Ericsson T637, and was unhappy to find that it does not have a standard 2.5 mm headset adapter, but rather some proprietary thing. According to SE's site, my only choices are a few cheap earbud/dangly microphone sets or an expensive Bluetooth one. [contemplating my options inside] [more inside]
Online form for programming contractor's contract?
IndependentContractorFilter: So I've landed a gig doing some contract programming, except we don't actually have a signed contract yet. Before I sink any more time (existing time being this afternoon) into it, and before I deliver anything, I want one, obviously. Does anyone know of any example programming contracts online I can crib from? All the obvious search words are so over-represented on the Web that my Google results are uselessly noisy.
Free or cheap conversational Spanish language lessons in New York?
Any free or cheap Spanish language lessons in New York? [reasons for miserliness inside] [more inside]
Anybody ever have a mirror resilvered? What did it cost? Is it something I can do myself? Is silver even used anymore?
Anybody ever have a mirror resilvered? How much did you pay for what size? Is it something I can do myself? Is silver even used anymore?
Moving To Ann Arbor
MichiganFilter: Okay. My best friend in the whole world, his lovely wife, and my god daughter are moving next week to Ann Arbor... they'll be living on-campus while he pursues his doctorate (artificial intelligence/machine learning voodoo). I can't keep them here, so I thought that sending them off with a veritable treasure trove of Ann Arbor secrets would be a nice gift. So: what to do? where to go? where to eat? how to survive the winter? and anything else a young married couple with a toddler should know.
Thanks!
Thanks!
MIDI phrase sampling software sought
I'm looking for a MIDI phrase sampler [detailed question inside] [more inside]
Windows version or equivalent of GarageBand?
What is the best alternative to GarageBand for the Windows side of the universe? [more inside]
LEDs via Radio Frequency
Electronics filter: Need to build something that'll light up different LEDs via radio frequency. Must be compact and battery powered. My electronics-fu is pretty good, but I'm not sure it's this good... [mi] [more inside]
Distance learning in IR - more MSc than PhD
Postgraduate qualifications in International Relations by distance learning: does anyone know of any good schools or courses, I'm thinking probably MSc rather than PhD. Also any experiences with distrance learning gratefully appreciated
ChimpanzeeFilter
The Koko the gorilla post in the blue reminded me of a video I saw on the internet about a year ago. I've since lost the link. Basically, it's a chimpazee that wears a waistcoat and shorts, and does all sorts of human activities. The one I remember best was it kickstarting a kid's motorbike, and proceeding to ride around on it. It was amazing, i'd be so grateful if anyone could help me track it down again. [more inside]
What laptop should I get to make music on?
Laptop Music filter- Can you help me pick out a computer to make music on [mi]? [more inside]
Why does my cat puke its lunch up once a month?
CatFilter: My otherwise-healthy kitty has sporadic bouts of yakking his lunch. No hairballs involved. It only happens maybe one week out of the month, but it happens regularly. *Inmoreside.* [more inside]
The MINI Cooper in bad weather
I'm thinking about buying a Mini Cooper. I test-drove one on a dry sunny day and loved it. But, I live in the Northeast, so I need to know: how do they handle in rain/snow/slush/ice?
Blogging software that allows custom fields
What good blogging software exists that allows me to create multiple custom entry fields? MT and Textpattern seem to suggest that future versions may have this feature, but is there anything that currently does this easily?
When was the Wall Street Panic that snopes is names after?
When was the Wall Street panic that Wallstreet Panic Snopes is named after? 1893 seems too early.
LSAT Scores
What was your LSAT score?
Speeding Tickets
SpeedingTicketFilter: I have a New Jersey License and I got a ticket in Maryland... [more inside]
XP Service Packs
So is there anywhere I can get my hands on the XP service pack release today? Without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to join the Microsoft club? I have a feeling it will be a mess, and I want to know what my friends and co-workers will be getting themselves into. Thanks for the help!
Is there a nice free program to use to automatically change desktop wallpapers?
I've got rather a lot of desktop wallpapers. Is there any nice (freeware) program I can use to automatically change these? I'm using Windows XP.
August 8
If "terrorists are plotting to influence the US Presidential election", what outcome are they hoping for?
Terrorism Question: I've heard repeatedly in the news and read in several news articles that terrorists are plotting against the United States in hopes of influencing the Presidential election. What does this mean, and how to they expect to influence it? [More Inside] [more inside]
Does anyone have any experience with parents that have moved into an RV full time?
Retired parents selling the homestead and buying an RVfilter... (mi) [more inside]
Hotels in Vienna
Suggested hotels in Vienna, Austria? Must be in the Ring, possibly hip/funky, not more than 125 euros/night. Prefer character over blandness, but definitely not looking for a hostel sort of experience.
Looking to broadcast audio a short distance
I design museum exhibits. Is there an off-the-shelf product that'll broadcast at least 4 channels to 20 or so headphones over a range of not more than a few hundred feet (or some variable distance)? Importantly, the headphones would allow the user to choose which channel to listen to. I'm looking for something far easier than setting up my own FM broadcast station...
There are things that get close, but I haven't seen a single solution that covers all the bases.
There are things that get close, but I haven't seen a single solution that covers all the bases.
Is it actually impossible to read text in a dream?
Is it actually impossible to read text in a dream? [more inside]
Linking to Amazon Wishlists
Amazon question. I once read the Amazon Hacks book but I don't remember if it covers this one, or how to do it. I'd like to be able to link to specific items in my wishlist. I've found one trick but it relies on the item number. Since this number changes each time the wishlist is updated, any link made this way won't last long. SMI
What's this book that was an editor's pick in Entertainment Weekly?
I'm looking for a book...[mi] [more inside]
Whats the soundtrack to your pity party?
Whats the soundtrack to your pity party? Every good masochist would rather hear depressing songs in their dark hours than be cheered up. What do you listen to when youre not quite here but you feel like you are?
International Placenames
I'm having trouble with the concept that placenames aren't absolute. [more inside]
Is there a tiny app for Windows XP that will let me put my PC monitor on standby with just one click?
Is there a shortcut or a teeny tiny lil app for Windows XP, that will let me put my PC monitor on standby with just one click. I don't want to turn the power off, just put it on standby.
Do We as a Society Take Care of Children from Short-Term Foster Care or Orphanages?
I've been thinking about orphans and I'd like more information—mostly first-hand anecdotal. But anything is fine. [more inside] [more inside]
How does one get a job traveling from city to city promoting such-and-such a product?
I've heard stories about people I don't really know who land these great "event marketing" jobs. How does one go about getting a job where you get to travel from city to city promoting such-and-such a product? (i.e. driving the Red-Bull truck).
What is making this Windows ME laptop freeze every time you plug in the ethernet and the Windows Shell runs?
I consider myself a reasonably good computer person, so the fact that I'm having this problem angers me. I'm working on a laptop for a friend -- a Toshiba Satellite 1805-S253 -- that runs Windows ME. When she gave it to me, it had a trivial problem with the Content Advisor, which I fixed; it also ran fine on a network. Now, 28 critical updates later, it runs fine off the network (which is the way she uses it), but the minute you plug a network cable into its built-in ethernet port and then try to run anything which uses the Windows Shell (e.g., Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer, any open/save dialog box), it freezes solid, and you have to manually quit the Explorer process in order to recover it. I've tried everything -- deleted all the clients in the Network control panel, plugged it into three different Ethernet switches, updated every single driver and/or BIOS that I could, prayed to the Holy Gods Of Built-In Hardware -- to no avail. Any ideas?
I'm not sure if this old motherboard works. Can / Should I give it a second chance?
Can I give an older motherboard a second chance? The long story is inside. [more inside]
Mac OSX Install
Is there a way to make a Mac OS X (Panther) install CD from a pair of eMac Software Install and Restore DVDs or install the operating system over a network on a computer that lacks a DVD drive? [more inside]
How to make make cool interactive/artsy web pages for free?
I want to make cool interactive/artsy web pages for free. How? [more inside]
What can I read or watch to understand the political right or neo-liberalism?
What can I read or watch to understand the political right or neo-liberalism? [MI] [more inside]
Insomnia Help
I have insomnia. Help! [MI] [more inside]
What are these black diamonds?
I'm on a fresh install of Firefox 0.9.3 and I'm frequently getting a line of black diamonds with white question marks inside of them when I load a page. Sometimes it just flashes and goes away and the page loads; other times, the page isn't loading at all. I've checked my settings and Googled it but can't figure out what this is. Been using Firefox for some time now and never seen this prior to this install. Any ideas?
WinXP Scripting
What's a relatively easy way to script browser actions (events?) in Windows XP? (mi) [more inside]
The name of the White Castle sandwich- slyder or slider?
Can I please get a definitive ruling on White Castle "slider" vs. White Castle "slyder"? Google tells me it's "slider" but I don't think that's right.
Why is wireless electric current not possible?
If we can have wireless voice communication and wireless data transfer, why can't we have wireless electric current?
Help me format my forthcoming book-exchange website
DirectActionMicroCharityFilter: So I stumbled on this link and this link at craigslist. Then just above it is this link.
And then I think about the massive pile of books I need to go through and that I probably need to thin the herd - but I also think about the fact that most of the children's books I have are sentimental family gifts I'd be loath to part with for that reason alone, but certainly not any material value. (They're well-loved books, of course.)
And then I think about keeping this sort of thing in mind when I'm trawling thrift stores and garage sales.
And then I think "Hey, that'd make a great website! A place to exchange books! Locally even! Or a data-mining app that would automatically attempt to find matches!"
Punchline inside. [more inside]
And then I think about the massive pile of books I need to go through and that I probably need to thin the herd - but I also think about the fact that most of the children's books I have are sentimental family gifts I'd be loath to part with for that reason alone, but certainly not any material value. (They're well-loved books, of course.)
And then I think about keeping this sort of thing in mind when I'm trawling thrift stores and garage sales.
And then I think "Hey, that'd make a great website! A place to exchange books! Locally even! Or a data-mining app that would automatically attempt to find matches!"
Punchline inside. [more inside]
Reasonable hotels in Glasgow?
I'm hoping to spend a few days in Glasgow in September but I'm hitting a wall in finding a hotel because of the cost hike due to the single supplement which in some cases is more than the actual cost of the room. Any singletons out there been to the city and stayed in a reasonably priced hotel?
August 7
Shared drives between PC and Mac
I have a PC with WinXP Pro. She has an iBook with Mac OS X. Together they fight crime share a router. e:\ is where I shove all my porn music. How can I make this available to her to copy what she wants to her machine or her ipod?
Hot CPU, Batman!
My processor gets really hot [MI]. [more inside]
Repairing a dropped Powerbook
Klutzyboyfriendfilter! My boyfriend dropped his 867Mhz G4 Powerbook and now it's busted. We're looking into repair options. [more] [more inside]
road trip advice going through San Francisco and Seattle
On a whim, I'm driving from Milwaukee to San Francisco to Seattle and back to Milwaukee again. I'll be going through WI, IL, IA, NE, CO, UT, NV, CA, OR, WA, ID, MT, WY, SD, and MN and am looking for some tips on sights I shouldn't miss. Any suggestions? [more inside]
I'm trying to match existing designs and need to identify this font.
MeFi Font Patrol: I have taken on the task of updating this website, and I need the name of the font that was used in these menu images. (More inside.) [more inside]
Can I set up superusers and limited rights accounts in OSX
I have a dozen iMacs that I just upgraded to Panther. I want to set up the superuser account and then a limited rights login that can run only specific programs etc. I find all the configuration stuff nice and easy, but a fairly long process. In OS9 I couple copy the multiuser settings to CD and drag and drog the settings in the system folder. I can do a similar thing in OSX, can't I? If so, how?
Differences between digital photo formats
[Digiphotography] Is there a difference between a digital photo taken in an lossless file format such as uncompressed TIFF vs. RAW Format?
Non-spammy ways to spread the word about an auction?
Help me figure out this auction marketing thing.
I'm thinking about selling some items from a defunct tv show. Since the current market for the show appears slow on eBay, and its fanbase seems to be pretty scattered. Fanfic, episodes guides, FAQs, etc. but not much in the way of communities. So I'm not confident an auction would be noticed by interested collectors without spreading word of mouth. Is that how this works? And if so, are there generally-accepted ground rules for (tasteful, non-spammy ways of) putting the word out?
I'm thinking about selling some items from a defunct tv show. Since the current market for the show appears slow on eBay, and its fanbase seems to be pretty scattered. Fanfic, episodes guides, FAQs, etc. but not much in the way of communities. So I'm not confident an auction would be noticed by interested collectors without spreading word of mouth. Is that how this works? And if so, are there generally-accepted ground rules for (tasteful, non-spammy ways of) putting the word out?
August 6
Non fiction recommendations for Celtic and Welsh mythology?
I have recently developed an interest in Celtic (Irish/Celtic) and Welsh Mythology as well as in books like _The King of Elfland's Daughter_ by Dunsany and _The Once and Future King_ by TH White. Any reocmmendations for nonfiction that covers the mythology or fiction that uses it?
How to read David Foster Wallace?
When reading David Foster Wallace, do you stop for every footnote, or read the piece all the way through and go back and read the footnotes later? Or are you too anti-hip cool to read David Foster Wallace1? [more inside]
Useful Windows diagnostic and troubleshooting utilities for house calls
I'm compiling a disc of useful windows diagnostic and troubleshooting utilities for when I have to make house calls for friends and relatives. what are some maybe lesser known tools that you guys have found particularly useful? freeware would be nice, but not necessary.
What is the "ancestral permanent residence" policy in the EU?
I'd like to live in Europe. My wife is a 2nd generation Latvian and I recall reading about an "ancestral permanent residence" policy that affects the EU, of which Latvia is now a member. I know there have been several questions about living abroad, but I can't find this information. Can anybody help? [MI] [more inside]
ACN Scam?
My mother has gotten herself involved in this ACN thing, whose 'opportunity' page just stinks of pyramid scheme. (Her current significant other has history with another so-called 'internet business'.) I suppose I don't have a huge problem with this alone, but the pyramid effect has set in, and I'm now receiving calls applying not-so-subtle pressure to join in, help out, save on my bills, make money, the works. On top of this, she's also asking for contact info for friends, an obvious attempt at generating leads. So, two questions - first, I'm certain this ACN thing is a scam, and would like to show my mother this, but am having trouble finding concrete proof online... testimonials, news pieces, et cetera. Can someone assist me with this? And second, how do I tell my mother, in a respectful way, to lay off the frigging marketing already?
Calendar and Classifieds
I build a lot of "community" sites - that is, not web communities, but websites that support specific communities. So I'm hunting around for a good set of decent and free PHP/MySQL scripts to do the sorts of things these communities often demand. Now up? A public events calendar and classified ads. AskMeFi has helped before, so hat in hand, I come back to the well hoping for more. [More Inside] [more inside]
Cycling accessories?
2 cycling accesories questions inside. One about a portable pump (Blackburn Airstik) and the tiny valves on my tires and one about Cycleops or other indoor trainers. [more inside]
Can you burp the alphabet?
EructationFilter! One has often heard tell of people who can burp the entire alphabet. But has anyone got firsthand experience? Because try as we may, my SO and I can't get past "C". [more inside]
Setting hotkey in WinXP for adding 2nd monitor.
XP: I'd like a shortcut or hotkey that will instantly do what Control Panel > Display Properties > Settings > Select Monitor 2 > Extend my Windows Desktop (etc) does. [come inside, y'all, if you like] [more inside]
Rent-a-Geek
rent-a-geek: Is there a site/service out there where I can hire someone to do some micro-jobs for me related to running a server? Something like Google Answers but instead of paying someone $10 to find out the history of hemophilia in New Zealand, I would pay someone $10 to fix my WebDav installation, or get mysql working, or some task that would take a Smart Person about 10 minutes of poking around. It's not that I can't figure this stuff out eventually but I am short on time. Such a site would have to have some sort of reputation management, I suppose.
(Geesh, I sound like I'm writing a business plan)
(Geesh, I sound like I'm writing a business plan)
What determines your accents? Can you ever lose them?
I've heard it mentioned, as recently as this thread that when you learn a foreign language as an adult , you never lose your accent. Kissinger is always brought up as an example. Is this true or is this an urban myth? Also, what if you were brought up bilingual and speak two (or more) languages flawlessly. If you learned a third language, what determines which accent you will have?
Searching within search results at Google
Is there a way to Google a Google? That is to say, is there a way to find where in a particular set of search results a particular result lies? [more inside]
Is it hard to switch to a trackball from using a mouse all your computing life?
I hate my mouse. At my new job, the whole desk setup makes it very uncomfortable (tingling along pinky and wrist). I'm debating on trying out a trackball (maybe this one or this one). Is it hard to switch to a trackball from using a mouse all your computing life? Is it worth the effort?
Using Excel's FIND feature to find open parentheses.
I need to use Excel's FIND function to locate open-parentheses, but since parentheses are part of the syntax of the function itself, it's choking. How can I escape the character to make this work?
Any advice for how to shop for a decent couch/sofa?
Any advice for how to shop for a decent couch/sofa?
I know how much space I have for it (~7 feet), and that I want to be able to lie my 6 feet of body down on it to watch tv in comfort. What else does one look for?
I know how much space I have for it (~7 feet), and that I want to be able to lie my 6 feet of body down on it to watch tv in comfort. What else does one look for?
Open Relationships
Does anyone here have experience with a polyamorous and/or "open" relationship? [mi] [more inside]
How do you organize your mp3's?
Much excellent advice can be found in the Green concerning CD to MP3 ripping and storage. My challenge: 60 gigs of MP3s and not sure how to organize them. Bootlegs from the salad days of Napster, high bitrate rips of my jazz collection, some cartoon songs from the 70s, etc. On what basis do people sort their many tunes?
Dating at work
Advice for the socially awkward, part three million and two. I've been asked to have lunch next week by a guy I recently met one time through work. I have accepted. I'd like to let him know I'm already in a committed relationship without coming off as cutting. He seems nice, with friend potential. Have I already blundered? Is it a date? Help!
Is there any way to just "listen" to the mic input on a PC?
ThisCan'tBeThisHardFilter: Is there any way to just "listen" to the mic input on a PC? [more inside] [more inside]
Tips on finding a good accountant?
Anyone have any tips on how to find a good accountant (especially for moonlighting consultants)? More >> [more inside]
Anyone have any experience and thoughts to share about HLA, FASM, MASM32, and/or RadASM?
I swore I wasn't gonna collect any more computer languages. Then I read up on HLA and installed it along with FASM, MASM32 and the really nice RadASM IDE -- and got pretty jazzed. Anyone have any experience and thoughts to share?
Font, format, and image resolution questions in logo designs for print media
I’m designing a logo for a friend’s small business that will be used initially just for business cards and perhaps a CD label. I know just enough about graphic design to be dangerous. I’m looking for general advice on image resolution, appropriate font suggestions, file format, etc. [more on the inside] [more inside]
Boss charging sales rep for customer's bounced check
ShadyBossFilter: The situation is this: items were purchased at a cost of $6800 from one company to sell to another company. Our customer either bounced or stopped payment on the check, but our boss is trying to leave our sales rep holding the bag (i.e. he is deducting the cost of goods from his paycheck). The sales rep stood to take in a percentage of the profit as commission, but I would have assumed that the company takes on the risk in situations like this, not the employee. We're in New Jersey. What's the deal? (p.s. Today is my last day.) [more inside]
My fiance and I have iChat AV cameras on Powerbooks. Can we work around blocked 16384-16403 ports to chat anyway?
OK, so my fiance just started med school 2000+ miles away from where I live. To stay in touch and keep our phone bills reasonable, we both got iChat AV cameras for our powerbooks. However, the neccesary ports (16384 to 16403) are not open on her school network. We contacted her IT department and a week later, the guy told her that he couldn't open those ports for security/bandwidth issues, leaving us high and dry. So, what would folks suggest we do in this situation? Is it really a security issue or just bandwidth? Are there any workarounds?
What goes in the fridge and what doesn't?
In your house, what food does, or does not, need to be refrigerated? [more inside]
Can I give artwork as a wedding gift?
Artwork for a wedding gift? It's probably a little risky, but I think I know their tastes such that it will go over well. [More, as usual, inside.] [more inside]
Tile Flooring Advice
Can anyone share any info on Edge Precizion Tile flooring? I'm considering it for a DIY kitchen, but have been reading some horror stories online from untrusted sources. (yes, I trust the opinions of my mefi pals!!)
How much should Google's stock be worth?
Amateur economists, VCs, MBA students: what's a fair price for a google share? Based on what assumptions? [more inside]
Regional Linguistics
Regional linguistics filter: Who says "open" the lights rather than "turn on" the lights and where are you (or they) from? In a related vein, who says "make" a party rather than "throw" or "have" a party and where are you (or they) from?
MIDI. Through USB. In Linux.
Help required regarding MIDI. Through USB. In Linux. Feel up to it? More inside. [more inside]
How to reduce reliance on a single web host for email delivery?
Web hosting woes: My host has had massive email issues for the last few days. Would it make sense to move DNS to somebody like Zonedit so that I can redirect email to other domains temporarily when situations like this arise? Any other suggestions?
Preventing Colon Cancer
My dad died of colon cancer at a rather young age. I have always been nervous about it myself, and i am 20.
I have never had blood in my feces, or anything unusual to that effect. What steps should I take right now to check for anything unusual?
I have never had blood in my feces, or anything unusual to that effect. What steps should I take right now to check for anything unusual?
DOS/Windows equivalents to Unix commands
Question re: DOS/Windows equivalents to Unix commands (more inside). [more inside]
Div div the div div?
I have a div within a div. I want them both to be exactly the same width (but not height), so that the inner div's border will overwrite the outer div's border. Is this possible?
August 5
Help me find these books on primitive navigation & diaspora
Okay. I have two books from my past that I would very much like to track down... but I can't recall the titles. [more inside]
UKFilter: Where can I find a list of Olympic qualifiers for the UK track team (womens)?
UKFilter: Where can I find a list of Olympic qualifiers for the UK track team (womens)? I found plenty of information online -- but no comprehensive list.
Is it legal to paint a trademarkedcopyrighted/patented product as art and sell it?
Is it legal for an artist to paint/draw a product (ex: iPod) as part of an artwork and sell it? Are there laws/precedents regarding this? Thanks.
Instrumental Blues
BluesFilter: Looking for some instrumental, ideally guitar only, delta blues. slide/electric/both/neither recommendations ok.
Is there a camcorder arm that clamps on to a desk and swivels around?
I want to use my regular camcorder for videoconferencing, and for magnifying small print on my computer screen. Do any of the videographers out there know of a camcorder arm that clamps on to a desk and swivels around?
Scheduled Backups
Will I ever be able to do scheduled backups again? I'm on XP Home, and Task Scheduler seems hosed. I get the message "Unable to establish existence of the account specified" whenever I try to schedule something. MS tells me this is a known problem, resulting from the account having been renamed, and that if I restore the original name, all will be well. I have no idea what the original name could have been. Suggestions?
Irresistible dance songs...
I'm looking for irresistible dance songs, songs that get you out of your seat and shaking it. Can you remember the best song you've ever danced to? (bonus points for obscure or genre-bending tracks)
Networking trouble involving two routers.
I need help from network-savvy mefites: I've just moved in to a house with four friends and we're trying to set up a network. Collectively, we have two router/switches with one feeding into another and computers plugged into both. All the computers are receiving an internet signal, but those plugged into the second router/switch can't communicate with those only behind the first and vice versa, making file sharing and iTunes streaming impossible. Is there a way to fix this? I'll try to stick around and give more specific information if needed.
Can I run the audio and video from my PC through my TV as well as a theater system?
I've bought this home theater system, a tv with s-video, and I've got the video card in my pc with s-vid and this s-vid+audio cable. Question inside. [more inside]
Amp for 20 year old speakers?
I've inherited some Polk Audio speakers - old ones from the 80s, and I need to get an amp to drive them. I don't know much about stereos. I think they are Monitor 7 series speakers, based on the model number inscribed on them. I'm taking them to Burning Man, so the amp should be cheap, but capable of making the music loud. I don't want to spend lots on a high-end amp. Just something that will work. What does "Recommended Amplifier Power 20-150 w/channel" mean?
Josh Whedon's Astonishing X-Men: questions of continuity
A question for people who've been reading Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men... [more inside]
I'm trying to find a serial radio play that CBC Radio ran about 12-15 years ago.
I'm trying to find a serial radio play that CBC Radio ran about 12-15 years ago. The show was about a regular joe who gets to be prime minister of Canada. His cabinet consist of just a couple people including an Indian Chief who is in some way associated with a turtle who is minister of defense. [MI] [more inside]
Help tracking down old French cartoons?
A couple of friends of mine were recently discussing some old French cartoons and would love any help tracking them down you might be able to provide. Even names, general info, etc. would be appreciated. [More Inside] [more inside]
Folder Controller
Windows XP Home. I would like to control access to certain folders so that other users can't access them. Is there either:
A. A way as administrator to hide the folders, and then somehow prevent other users from accessing the "Show hidden files and folders" option in explorer:
B. A FREE utility to control access to folders. I have searched and searched, but I can't find any completely free ones.
Thank you! [more inside]
A. A way as administrator to hide the folders, and then somehow prevent other users from accessing the "Show hidden files and folders" option in explorer:
B. A FREE utility to control access to folders. I have searched and searched, but I can't find any completely free ones.
Thank you! [more inside]
American Apparel Wholesale
I've heard that American Apparel's wholesale prices are way lower than the $15 they want at retail for a plain t-shirt. How low do they go? Also, someone the net must resell them (printed or unprinted) for less than $15. Who?
Are There Any Tricks, Subsites or Generally Unknown Secrets to Metafilter (i.e. Lofi)?
I didn't know about lofi until graventy mentioned it in Metatalk. Are there any other tricks, sub-sites, whatever you want to call them to Metafilter?
Political Blogs and Sites
PoliticalFilter? [more inside]
Searching for a Song Title
"...find someone else to beg..." This is a lyric from a song that last.fm played for me just as I was leaving yesterday. I couldn't get it to show me the title (server and browser troubles) nor did Google or lyrics.* have anything for that phrase. It sounded somewhat like Semisonic, but I'm not sure. Any ideas what this song might be? Don't make me beg.
Can anyone suggest a site that has good information regarding retirement homes?
Can anyone suggest a site that has good information regarding retirement homes? I would like some impartial information on one company in particular.
Can an old Mac actually ignore network security?
MacCruftFilter: a guy i know told me yesterday that he discovered he had the ability to wander around the network using an old macintosh SE (linked through a newer one, as it's too old to connect directly). the funny thing was that in browsing appletalk he realized he could look at and open files - not just specifically shared files, but any files - on any networked mac on campus (he didn't say if he meant OS X too, or only OS 9 or older). he figures the new macs don't recognize the old one as even existing, and the old one is too old to recognize the security setup on the new ones - so they ignore each other and he's free to open someone else's files. he didn't try creating or deleting anything, though. so here's the question: can any mac people tell me if is he right about why this works, and, if not, is this just a fluke? am i potentially opening a can of mac-security worms by even asking this?
Help me identify this software- is it spyware?
I have something on my MS Word window I can't get rid of, and I think it's spyware. Pic of offending thing inside. [more inside]
Recommendations for learning web design basics using Mac tools?
Any good online tutorials or books to teach web design basics? I need to know things about tables, layout and inserting/formating text. I'd prefer advice that deals with composer or some other free, mac friendly application. Thanks!
Is there a way to view the entries in Safari's autocomplete database?
Is there a way to view the entries in Safari's autocomplete database? (more inside) [more inside]
When you die, what song do you want played at your funeral?
When you die, what song do you want played at your funeral? [more inside]
Fearful
In another thread, somebody posted the following bit of advice to a 35 year old woman considering a very long car trip:
"if someone stops to help, stay in your car and from behind the closed window smile, tell them you've just called the highway patrol and that they'll be by in a minute... then thank them and wave them on"
I find this a pretty shocking piece of advice, and said so: "what kind of paranoid freak lives by this advice ... That's a pretty unpleasant mental space to be living in"
And JanetLand responded: "Frankly, that's what life is like for a woman. I try not to live there, but any letters sent there will definitely reach me."
So, here's my question - is this really where most women spend their mental lives? [more inside]
"if someone stops to help, stay in your car and from behind the closed window smile, tell them you've just called the highway patrol and that they'll be by in a minute... then thank them and wave them on"
I find this a pretty shocking piece of advice, and said so: "what kind of paranoid freak lives by this advice ... That's a pretty unpleasant mental space to be living in"
And JanetLand responded: "Frankly, that's what life is like for a woman. I try not to live there, but any letters sent there will definitely reach me."
So, here's my question - is this really where most women spend their mental lives? [more inside]
How can I keep cats out of my yard?
I need help deterring cats from my yard. Would like some feedback on products/ideas. see inside for (lots) more. [more inside]
What's the best way to complain about rotten customer service and is it worth it?
I want to complain to a company about rotten customer support. How do I do it and is it worth doing? [more inside] [more inside]
On Radiohead's Pablo Honey, is the bonus track supposed to be exactly the same except for a drum sticks lead-in?
Yesterday's low morale post made me dig out my copy of Pablo Honey, and I found something surprising [Super Bouns Word Jumble!!! Hint: "Where is there more?" D I S N E I ] [more inside]
Moving from Contract to Full-Time
I've been offered a full-time position at a company where I've been a contract worker for nine months now. Now what? (more, of course, inside) [more inside]
How Does "The Village" End?
I would like to know the ending to The Village so I don't have to actually see the film, which is supposed to be awful.
How do I make an old guitar smell nice?
How do I get rid of the musty smell in an old guitar that's spent a lot of time in a damp basement? (It's a pre-Beatle Hofner bass with f-holes.)
Trapped in a box
Blackberry users: Why does mine display the plaintext part of a multipart-MIME email (good), but my colleague's displays only the raw HTML code (bad) for the exact same email?
Working With Friends
Problem with a friend whom I also have a business relationship with. [oo my first more inside] [more inside]
bent CD, what can I try?
Slightly bent CD: I have a CD that's (somehow) become slightly bent; you wouldn't notice when you picked it up, but one side is bent downward just enough that it scrapes in my CD-ROM drive. I've had it under a stack of books for the last couple days, thinking that might straighten it, but it doesn't seem to have worked thus far. Is there anything else I can try?
August 4
Teaching English in Vietnam
Teaching English in Vietnam: Have you or has someone you know ever worked in Vietnam? I'm teaching EFL in Chiang Mai, Thailand now, and considering a move to Hanoi, where I hear the pay is better. I've visited Hanoi before and loved it. I'm seeking your experiences and informed advice.
Linux viewing problem
I finally took the plunge into Linux (Fedore Core) and almost everything went perfectly, except for my screen. Using a sony laptop with a ATI Raidon 345m graphics card, which I have found is not directly supported by Sony or ATI. However, any linux techies know how to fix it? I can view stuff, but FC likes to reduce my screen size and if I mess around to make it bigger, then the enlarged screen image burns onto my screen which I'm guessing is not a good thing in the long run. Anyone help or solved this problem in the past? (Also assume while I know a lot about Windows, but know nothing about the functionality of Linux).
Where can I find more stuff like Modest Mouse?
Driving NYC to Seattle
I want to drive solo from New York City to Seattle, taking a northern route. I am female, 35 years old. My family thinks I am absolutely insane to do this alone. The thought of having to make small talk for 2800 miles makes me want to weep. Is this trip really that dangerous? I have driven to Florida solo many times, and I have made a cross country trip (LA-NYC in 1991) before, so I have some idea what I am in for. I will have AAA, a cel phone, and probably a CB radio to stay in touch. Also, anyone offering any advice, tips, routes-- it would all be appreciated. Thank you!
Any recommendations for non-English rap/hip-hop songs?
Any recommendations for non-English rap/hip-hop songs? I've found a couple I like ("Represent" by Orishas (Spanish), "Hasta la Vista" by MC Solaar (French)), and I'm trying to put together a full mix CD. Bonus points for songs available on iTunes.
Getting attention for a new blog.
What's the best way to attract a readership to your blog? Must you be a self-styled journalist, pundit, or the like? Is it worth it to take out textads? Does it help to post on other people's blogs? Do you have to talk about bloggers, blogging, and the blogosphere all the time on your blog for people to read it? How do you get that first reader?
SUV tax write-offs
I never understood how the "SUV as a business write-off" thing works. Can any tax-savvy folks explain to me how this saves you taxes or gets you a virtually free car? More >> [more inside]
Choosing a Housekeeper
I'm a lazy bum who makes enough money to buy his way out of his problems. My problem: My girlfriend says our house is too messy, and she's sick of cleaning it. My solution: we'll hire a maid to come twice a month or so to do most of the routine chores.
My question: How do I go about finding a trustworthy, high quality housekeeper?
My question: How do I go about finding a trustworthy, high quality housekeeper?
I'm writing a 24-26 minute TV show about our library's historical database. What word length should it be?
How many words are in a 30 minute teevee show? I am writing the text to a half hour "How to use our library's historical database" show. I am doing it for public access with the local historical society. I have about 24-26 minutes to work with and I'm wondering what word length I should aim for? It will be a pretty low tech affair -- screen shots and pointers -- but if anyone can give me some advice as far as length [or anything else honestly] I'd sure appreciate it.
In New York, why do I always get a straw when I buy a soda?
After living in New York for 5 years, I'm finally moved to ask this question: Why, when I buy a can or bottle of soda, do I invariably get a straw with it? [bubbles inside] [more inside]
Examples of Geopolitical domino Effect?
Are there any historical examples of the political "domino effect" actually happening? Has one country ever changed its form of government, only to have several neighbors follow suit without invasion or coercion? I'm interested in any continent, any time period. [more inside]
Puppet Photography
This art photographer got a Hollywood effects house to build him a creature -- essentially a highly detailed, articulated puppet. He photographs the puppet in vaguely unsettling posed scenes alongside human models. What is this photographer's name? [more inside]
Moving Outlook Data
Personal digital information transfer between jobs: [more inside]
Can anyone recommend some good Shakespeare recordings (Audiobooks)?
I have an abiding passion for audiobooks (concomitant with my hour or so of daily commuting), and it occurs to me that this would be an ideal way to get over my general Shakespearean illiteracy. Can anyone recommend some good Shakespeare recordings? The more compelling the recommendation, the better.
Why is my computer freezing?
ComputerRepairFilter: I need some help tracking down the source of a computer problem. [More Inside] [more inside]
No Carrots Here
Our pet rabbit is crazy about graham crackers. She acts like a little dog and runs around in circles begging for them. Is it harmful to her to let her have a few nibbles when we're eating them?
Har Mar Superstar
August 3
What's the deal with the film The Village and the boom mics?
What's the deal with The Village and the boom mics? People are quick to call it a projectionist problem, but reports of seeing them seem way more common than they are for any other movie.
Help find a spoken word MP3
Searching for a spoken word MP3. Details are sketchy. I believe it's called "Marlon Brando and James Dean Came by On Their Motorcycles" but have also heard it called "Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen Came by On Their Motorcycles". I am *positive* that it was on a cassette (pre-cd days) called "Hollyword" and was by poet Eva Brandstein. I have searched google (though I suck at that) and allmusic and can't find squat that it even exists. Anyone know where I can find this MP3 or buy Hollyword on CD or if it was even released on disc? {more} [more inside]
What launcher do you use?
What launcher do you use? Quicksilver for Mac OS X seems to cause some kind of conflict so I'm axing it.
Ab Workouts
I want abs. I'm 5'8", 134lbs. I've never worked out and don't have time for a gym. Basically I'm looking for a good routine that I can do in, say, 15min a morning that will strengthen my abs and, if possible, give some visible definition. Right now I have a small belly. I've heard mixed things about crunches. Anyone have a good routine that meets my needs? I'd like to see results in a month or two.
Tennis Tournaments
The United States Tennis Association's website kinda confuses me. Anyone who plays a lot of tennis wanna help me out with something? [more inside] [more inside]
What software should I write?
I've been wanting to make some software lately, but i don't have any ideas. Got one for me? [mi] [more inside]
LA hotels with good wifi?
MetaLAHotelWifiFilter: can anyone recommend a decent hotel around the $80-100 per night mark in LA - with good wireless provision? Preferably in or nearish the Burbank area...? If that price is laughable (not really sure for LA), then just decent recommendations at whatever price.
Does etiquette demand hand addressing wedding invitations?
EtiquetteFilter. Specifically, I'm interested in wedding invitation etiquette. Even more specifically, I'm interested in the proper etiquette for addressing wedding invitations. No, not the proper wording, because I've found that ... I really just want to know: Do we have to address all of these things by hand?
Complete this phrase: "Home again, home again, jiggity ____."
"Home again, home again, jiggity ____." [more inside]
Help me set up a photo sales site, please
I have to set up a relatively simple photo sales site for a friend (as the only halfway tech person she knows). It doesn't need much - a basic basket/lightbox, accounts for customers and some relatively automated way for her to upload. Is there anything fairly off-the-shelf that will do this, or do I need to hack about with things like the opensource ecommerce project? Anyone know of good packages?
What is the best Digital Multitrack Recorder for a budget to mid size home studio?
What is the best Digital Multitrack Recorder for a budget to mid size home studio?
Is there a way in Photoshop to open multiple images as layers in a single PSD?
Hopefully a simple question, but I can't think of a googly-good way to ask. Is there a way in Photoshop to open multiple images as layers in a single PSD? For instance, can I select 10 .jpg images and somehow magically make them into a stack of layers in one .psd file I'm working on? Right now, I'm doing this by hand (open file, select all, copy, paste into .psd, wish for a better way).
What to expect from a proofreading test.
I'm going to be taking a proofreading test on Thursday, for a job. Does anyone have any advice about this? I've never had a proofreading job before, but my own writing is usually very typo-free, and I notice spelling and grammatical errors in books all the time. [more inside]
Outfitting a Home Gym
I'm looking into making my home gym better equipped. I've had one of those all-in-one machines that do the pulley benchpress, the butterfly and leg curls. I also have a bar with weights that I do those arm curls on. I went to a gym the other day, and see how limited I am with just doing benchpresses on a pully system. It looks as if free weights are the way to go, meaning I'll need a bench and such. I'm clueless on what to get and searching usenet comes up with flame wars on how differeint exercise machines will cause cancer/spontaneous abortions. [more inside]
What is the difference between 1-day contacts, weekly-wear contacts, and monthly-wear contacts?
What is the difference between disposable or 1-day contact lenses, weekly-wear contact lenses, and monthly-wear contact lenses? Are they really manufactured differently? [more inside]
28 hour day
Is this the only site on the web with information about the 28 hour day? I'm thinking about giving it a go, since I've managed to get a summer job that will let me work pretty much whenever I please. And was that site ever posted to MeFi? I'm sure it was, but I can't find it...
Incoming Charges on Mobile Phones
Why do US mobile phone companies get away with charging for incoming calls and SMS/MMS? What can customers do about it?
Inexpensive telephone providers in NYC?
Alternative telephone providers in the NYC area?: I need to find an economically viable solution to run 3 telephone land-lines and 1 fax line for a small business in Brooklyn. Our current provider is Verizon: we use >500 minutes a month, and pay about $350 (MI). [more inside]
Hhow many of you are planning on implementing SPF records?
With Microsoft poised to start using the new Sender Policy Framework with Hotmail in October and AOL "not far" behind, how many of you are planning on implementing SPF records over the next few months?
USB/mp3 voice recorders?
gadgetfiliter:
There seems to be a rash of "usb/mp3 voice recorder" flash thingies out there right now, like this. Many of them appear to be the same unit or same chipset, rebranded. Is there a good site that reviews stuff like this--generic gadgets available only online? And more specifically, how do I find the best one of these that will mount without drivers on my Ibook? I'd like to get something cheap to take voice notes in the car and be able to listen to mp3s.
I've been googling but not many reviews have come in. Many thanks.
There seems to be a rash of "usb/mp3 voice recorder" flash thingies out there right now, like this. Many of them appear to be the same unit or same chipset, rebranded. Is there a good site that reviews stuff like this--generic gadgets available only online? And more specifically, how do I find the best one of these that will mount without drivers on my Ibook? I'd like to get something cheap to take voice notes in the car and be able to listen to mp3s.
I've been googling but not many reviews have come in. Many thanks.
Stained Wood Floor
Cat urine and wood floors? Our cat didn't like our new house and left a mark that burned a spot in our wood floor. Any ideas on how to take the stain up?
How do I keep a goldfish barrel algae-free?
I'm looking after a neighbour's goldfish while she's recuperating after an accident. They're outside, in a half-barrel. The problem is that algi builds up in the water fairly quickly. Are there any tips to help keep the water cleaner, and improve the fishies' quality of life, in between changing it every week or so?
August 2
CSS issues with IE
CSS issues with IE. I'm working on a draft for my new photoblog and IE seems to be rendering part of it about 2 pixels off, but I cannot figure out quite why. Here's the page in question. It shows up fine in Mozilla, but in IE the logo and unordered list menu on the right are pushed to the right about 2 pixels, running over the border. I thought I just needed to use the "box model hack," but when I tried that it didn't work. Any tips? [more inside]
Nero spitting out blank CDRs
Has anyone ever had NERO spit out blank CDRs? [More inside] [more inside]
Korean Keyboard
I am designing a keyboard which needs to feature korean characters (hangul) on the keys. I installed a hangul font call batang but I still get english characters. How do I get hangul characters to appear on screen? more inside. [more inside]
How kosher is Younge Khachab Rinpoche?
A friend and I are both longtime Tibetan Buddhists. We've encountered a new lama who's been touring to give teachings in North America: his name is Younge Khachab Rinpoche. He has detached himself from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and is more or less freelancing, which has positive and negative implications. The question is: how kosher is he? If we take up with him, is it going to be a fruitful experience or a dead end? Does anyone have any experience or any friends in this subculture whose opinion they can ask, or avenues of inquiry to suggest?
Fan editing of films using macros
You know that fan-edit of the Phantom Menace without Jar-Jar? Well, I was thinking... [more inside]
Help me sue my no-show moving company.
Ugh! I am so pissed off! I am moving from Atlanta to New York on Friday and the movers were supposed to come tomorrow. Today at 5 pm they called and said, "We're sorry, we're actually not going to be able to move you after all. Sorry!" And I screamed and yelled and they said there was nothing they could do, they were out of trucks. I scrambled and by some miracle found another company that will move me Wednesday for $500 more. I'd love to sue this original company--East Coast Moving Systems--for the difference but don't want to pay for the attorney. What are my other recourses? They must be punished!
Has anyone had any good experiences with an online auto salvage yard?
Has anyone had any good experiences with an online auto salvage yard? My odometer and gas meter have stopped working and dodge doesn't service the part anymore. [more inside]
Office Begone!
How do I wipe every trace of Office from my OS X based Mac? [mi] [more inside]
Popcorn in Edinburgh? Tell me where?
This is a completely silly question, but: where the heck do I buy corn in Edinburgh? [mi] [more inside]
Where can I find deep-South groceries in New York City?
My wife and I live in New York City, but she's from the Deep South (Alabama). She's often miffed that when she goes to a grocery store in the city, she can't find food and treats that she grew up with (i.e. Goo Goo Clusters). I know you can order a lot of stuff online, but I was wondering -- since there are Korean grocery stores and Indian grocery stores (and even British grocery stores) in NYC -- is there a Southern U.S. grocery store? If not, is there a central website for ordering Southern food products (rather than multiple websites of various product manufacturers)?
Fantasy Football Help
Fantasy Football help! There are so many fantasy sports sites on the web that it's impossible to tell who knows their stuff and who doesn't. Oh, and they all want $19.95 to tell me that Peyton Manning is good. Any recommendations for some solid, free sources of fantasy football information?
Do Not Pass Go
I'd like advice about how to begin learning how to play the game of go--I'm specifically thinking of recommended introductory texts for the absolute beginner, but anything else useful you have to say is welcome.
How can I make a good proposal for Instant Run-off voting? And would Bush have won in 1992 under IRO?
I have a meeting upcoming with some of my legislators, on various levels, and I want to be able to make a good 5-minute proposal for Instant Run-off voting. Not that I expect to outright win them over, but hopefully hit a few points up front to make them sit up and pay attention, and maybe plant a few "hmmm" thoughts.
As a more specific sub-question on the same topic, I'd like to make the argument that, since 2004 is too soon for any change, and we cannot tell the future, it would be a non-partisan change. I think it's agreed that Gore would have won in 2000 under Instant Run-off voting. Am I correct in my belief that under IRO, Bush would have won re-election in 1992? [more inside]
As a more specific sub-question on the same topic, I'd like to make the argument that, since 2004 is too soon for any change, and we cannot tell the future, it would be a non-partisan change. I think it's agreed that Gore would have won in 2000 under Instant Run-off voting. Am I correct in my belief that under IRO, Bush would have won re-election in 1992? [more inside]
Quality of off-brand Ziploc bags?
I have noticed that off-brand Ziploc bags aren't closing very easily. While the real McCoy is sealing just fine. Anyone else experiencing this too? Is this a regional problem? (I'm near Seattle.)
Martial Arts in DC
I'm going to be moving back to Washington, DC in late August to go back to college. I want to begin taking martial arts classes -- but what should I take? (more inside) [more inside]
Is this Volvo a death trap?
So I gave up my car two years ago to become a committed pedestrian — which I've learned is no easy feat in this town (where the buses all but shut down after 6pm) — and now I'm getting a car to use around town where walking or biking won't cut it. Anyway... I need help: I've found a little 1985 Volvo 240GL with 450K km, and I have no idea how to figure out if it's a death trap... much less what kind of reputation the car has.
Suggestions?
Suggestions?
What's the best way to save money on an iPod purchase?
What's the best way to save money on an iPod purchase? Rebates, interesting freebie programs, etc. ... I'm interested in it all.
On that note: Any students want to save $100 on their Mac laptop purchase? The current deal through Apple Educational is that a combo laptop/iPod purchase nets you a $200 rebate. If someone wants an iBook/Powerbook and not an iPod, we could buddy up and split the rebate. (This applies especially to local Madisonians, since shipping concerns are nullified.)
On that note: Any students want to save $100 on their Mac laptop purchase? The current deal through Apple Educational is that a combo laptop/iPod purchase nets you a $200 rebate. If someone wants an iBook/Powerbook and not an iPod, we could buddy up and split the rebate. (This applies especially to local Madisonians, since shipping concerns are nullified.)
Family Budgets
Trying to create and stay on a family budget. Has anyone had any success following a plan from a book or website? Should I hire a financial consultant? (More . . .) [more inside]
Deck maintenance
Adventures in suburbia! I have a deck. Apparently, decks need maintenance, and mine sure needs to be power washed. Is this something that I can do (I'm about as un-handy as it gets)? If I do undertake this task, is there anything that I should know/look out for so that I don't leave a path of destruction?
Recommend a digital recorder that can also record phone calls.
Can anyone recommend a digital voice recorder that can also be hooked up to a phone to record calls/interviews?
Yogurt - So Filling!
A couple of years ago, I remember a news report about yogurt that made you feel full. Did it work, and can you still buy it?
Is it still possible to buy Photoshop 7.0 legitimately?
Is it still possible to buy Photoshop 7.0 legitimately? I want to support Adobe, but hearing about lots of "software activation" nightmares has made me loathe to buy version CS. Froogle and Amazon.com just give me what look like illegal "OEM" versions of PS7.
Creating a working regimen and sticking to it.
Looking to get in shape… absolutely no idea where to start. [mi] [more inside]
New Hard Drive
I've just bought and installed a new hard drive. At the moment, it's bolted to the drive bay by only two screws, along one edge. The drive bay that it's in is too big, and I don't have anything that could be used as a shoring bracket (the machine itself is a crappy OEM, and the case is built so that I've no way of approaching the drive from another direction to install one, anyway). Is there any real danger that my drive might damage itself by resonating?
Firefox / Javascript question... how do I get the mouse X/Y position across frames?
Firefox / Javascript question... how do I get the mouse X/Y position across frames (relative to the browser window, of course) [more inside]
August 1
Falling in Love
How long does it take to fall in love?
Help with projector/setting up a movie club
two for one:
I just set up my new projector and while it is AWESOME, i'm having an issue with running my incomputer tv input through and losing allot of quality. 1) is there a good piece of software for interpolating tv input to make it higher quality
2) i'd like to organize a movie club to take advantage of the new beast and meet people in my area (berkeley for the bay area mefites). I'm thinking a craigslist ad but i wasn't sure how you would start such a thing when you don't know anyone (similar to starting a bookclub or something) [more inside]
I just set up my new projector and while it is AWESOME, i'm having an issue with running my incomputer tv input through and losing allot of quality. 1) is there a good piece of software for interpolating tv input to make it higher quality
2) i'd like to organize a movie club to take advantage of the new beast and meet people in my area (berkeley for the bay area mefites). I'm thinking a craigslist ad but i wasn't sure how you would start such a thing when you don't know anyone (similar to starting a bookclub or something) [more inside]
Rural Broadband
Someone I know is moving to a tiny rural town in Southern Oregon, which has a population of about 700 people and no broadband. The nearest broadband is in Roseburg, located 17 miles away.
The property they will be on has a hill, which might make it possible to use some kind of tranceiver on an antenna and establish a connection with someone over in Roseburg -- either Qwest, the local phone service, or the Douglas FastNet, which is interested in bringing broadband to rural Oregon. Alternately, there are satellite services, such as Starband or DirecWay which does this kind of thing too.
Do any of you have any thoughts on the best (or most cost-effective) solution available for broadband in such a situation? Also, we are interested in knowing how to go about creating a wireless network / coop / small ISP that would service the local region. Any ideas on how to get the bandwidth, what kind of equipment we'd want to use, how to wire the town, and how to reduce latency?
The property they will be on has a hill, which might make it possible to use some kind of tranceiver on an antenna and establish a connection with someone over in Roseburg -- either Qwest, the local phone service, or the Douglas FastNet, which is interested in bringing broadband to rural Oregon. Alternately, there are satellite services, such as Starband or DirecWay which does this kind of thing too.
Do any of you have any thoughts on the best (or most cost-effective) solution available for broadband in such a situation? Also, we are interested in knowing how to go about creating a wireless network / coop / small ISP that would service the local region. Any ideas on how to get the bandwidth, what kind of equipment we'd want to use, how to wire the town, and how to reduce latency?
How do I get a vintage wireless sound in a home recording set-up?
HomeRecordingFilter. Of course, I'm recording an album at home. I'm already using a Rode NT1A mic, but I want to get the effect of a vocal coming through and old radio. I understand that I can fiddle with the EQ controls in CoolEdit (I mean, Adobe Audition...) and emulate the desired effect, but does anyone have any more tips to get the vintage wireless sound? While I'm at it - does anyone have any home recording tips in general?
How to get RealPlayer to work on Mac Classic 9.2?
RealPlayer for Mac Classic (9.2.), Can't get it to work: it never works for video, and not often, if ever for audio. I've fully deleted it from my hard drive and reinstalled it, but always get the error window: "Requested File Not Found. The link you requested may be outdated or inaccurate"
Not that I crave RealPlayer, but there's a good deal of stuff not available in Quicktime. Ideas?
Not that I crave RealPlayer, but there's a good deal of stuff not available in Quicktime. Ideas?
Mossy Roof
I was up on my roof earlier today and saw that it's covered with lichen, and there's moss growing underneath and lifting up the asphalt shingles. I there any kind of moss-or-fungicide I can spray or paint onto this stuff to get rid of it? (A trip to Loews turned up nothing.)
Bamboo Stalks Went Pale and Developed Brown Spot - Help!
Need help diagnosing bamboo ailment and preventing further damage. [more inside] [more inside]
What was this 1960s anime about a young girl, magic fish companions, and a great deal of swimming?
A question for anime/manga experts.
This is something I saw as a child, and have on occasion wondered about ever since. My regular Saturday/morning cartoons were pre-empted one day by a Japanese cartoon-- I remember it being as long as a feature movie, but that could easily be a trick of memory-- and I was absolutely enthralled with it; but I tuned in part way through, never got the name, and never discovered what it might have been. The year would have been around 1967 (earliest) to 1970 (latest). (MI) [more inside]
This is something I saw as a child, and have on occasion wondered about ever since. My regular Saturday/morning cartoons were pre-empted one day by a Japanese cartoon-- I remember it being as long as a feature movie, but that could easily be a trick of memory-- and I was absolutely enthralled with it; but I tuned in part way through, never got the name, and never discovered what it might have been. The year would have been around 1967 (earliest) to 1970 (latest). (MI) [more inside]
stinkier poop
My poop stinks more than it used to. What does this mean?
2 dogs, 1 house
Can two dominant male dogs peacefully coexisist in the same house? [More Inside] [more inside]
Aversion to Eating Noises
I have a strong, irrational aversion to the sound of people eating. Especially people that eat really loud and smack their lips and lick their fingers. Gum chewers make me want to explode. This neurosis prevents me from doing a lot of things like eating out with friends, etc. Anyone else out there have this particular problem, and have you found any way to deal with it?
Would a company let a member staff go because their health insurance cost the company more?
I don't understand something about health insurance benefits. [more inside]