I want to invite a woman (via letter) I like out on a date to see a Shakespearean play later this month. I want it to read somewhat like the general language used in his writings, but also instantly understandable to someone not very familiar with his plays and/or language. If someone could point me to a resource to help out or if you're willing to rewrite it yourself, I'd be very thankful.
posted by Jason Land at 7:57 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm looking for a clock. Here's the catch: I don't want it to be able to keep the right time.
posted by woolylambkin at 7:43 PM PST - 14 comments

I just broke up with my boyfriend and I am heartbroken and super lonely in New York City. How can I keep myself busy and meet new people? Help me out NYC Mefites/ breakup advice givers!
posted by pulled_levers at 6:54 PM PST - 20 comments

Today my laptop's backlight stopped working. The screen is visible, but very dim. I can't repair it immediately (if it's even worth it). Does anyone have any tips for lighting the screen to make it more visible? Shining a penlight didn't seem to help much, because the screen is so reflective.
posted by Charmian at 6:36 PM PST - 8 comments

Help me remember a rap/hip hop song from the early 2000s that listed a bunch of black girls names in the chorus ("Shenika, Felicia, Shirvana...") done by some (I'm guessing here) Atlanta-based group? Maybe Lil Jon or Ying Yang twins? Thanks in advance.
posted by jpburns at 5:51 PM PST - 7 comments

Does everyone have terrible secrets? Or am I paranoid?
posted by DueNorth at 5:42 PM PST - 41 comments

Why are taxi fare structures so complicated?
posted by cilantro at 2:20 PM PST - 9 comments

Can I use a Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor as birth control as well? Is there another device I can use?
posted by Gucky at 2:19 PM PST - 10 comments

PeeChemistryFilter: what the hell is going on here?
posted by elizardbits at 9:28 AM PST - 6 comments

This morning I came across the following sentence on pg. 58 of John Kenneth Galbraith's A Short History of Financial Euphoria: "The Constitution forbade the federal government and, needless to say, also the states to issue paper money." Article 1, section 10 says that states can't issue paper money, but where does the Constitution say that the federal government can't?
posted by timmygoestothezoo at 9:21 AM PST - 9 comments

Laundry Filter: Help me get our yellow pillowcase white again (without bleach).
posted by gchucky at 9:13 AM PST - 19 comments

Revenue Quebec Filter: I mailed my taxes to Revenue Quebec somewhere around the 3rd or 4th of May. That's slightly late, but it's OK because they owe me money. I even sent it express post so it wouldn't get lost. Two months later, I've received no cheque, no direct deposit, no notice of assessment--nothing.
posted by Decimask at 8:45 AM PST - 12 comments

Does anyone recognise this font and can tell me what it is? Posting for my mum - she has asked the publishers of the book in question but apparently they did not know!
posted by nunoidia at 6:49 AM PST - 3 comments

My 3-month-old son has suddenly become constipated. What do I do?
posted by zardoz at 4:05 AM PST - 18 comments

I have a 20-something friend who's leaving on the 22nd of this month, he plans on traveling for a whole year throughout Europe and South America. I want to get him something that is useful/meaningful for the journey, any ideas? For example: A watch? A Compass? (good or bad?)
posted by pixxie at 3:45 AM PST - 32 comments

I made a half-full jar of jam, is it safe to eat?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:43 AM PST - 20 comments

How do I go back to taking my fiction writing seriously after a brief, unhappy attempt to define myself by something else?
posted by thesmallmachine at 10:15 PM PST - 11 comments

What acoustical phenomena explain the apparent pitch-shifted echo I heard while observing tonight's fireworks display?
posted by Songdog at 8:26 PM PST - 11 comments

I am in debt to the tune of about 20,000 in credit card debt. However, I have great credit, (739) which I've finally cleaned up after a horrible year of ID theft. Most of my debt is on one credit card at 12% APR. I make about 35,000 a year, rent, and don't have any equity or a car. At the rate I can afford to pay at this point (450/month) I'll be in debt for about 8 more years. This seems unreasonable. Should I take out a personal loan, sign up for several low APR credit cards that offer no interest for a year, etc... I live off what I make at this point, and look forward to a credit card-free future. Thanks!
posted by letstrythis at 8:22 PM PST - 24 comments

Where can I rent time on a potter's wheel in Los Angeles next week?
posted by HotPatatta at 8:19 PM PST - 2 comments

Could someone explain to me two references I don't get? In Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog, Billy receives a letter from "Dead, Not Sleeping" (clip). Is that a reference to something? Also, in the Total Eclipse of the Heart "literal" video I posted to Mefi, there's a lyric that says: "And I've joined the Glee Club of the Damned (reference joke!)" (clip). What's "Glee Club of the Damned" a reference to? I presume it's a reference to something since they outright say it is ...
posted by WCityMike at 6:47 PM PST - 17 comments

How can I connect 2 Macs to 1 HardDrive
posted by Aya at 5:00 PM PST - 9 comments

Why does Google Groups keep emailing me informing me I can't post in a certain group, when I've never tried to?
posted by srrh at 2:23 PM PST - 2 comments

SummerSnackFilter: In an attempt to relive certain college days, I purchased a watermelon and a handle of cheap vodka. Cut hole, insert bottle, and in 24 hours, deliciousness, right? Wrong. Can the tipsy hive mind tell me where I went wrong? And other things that I can make along these lines?
posted by SNWidget at 2:04 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm in the UK, and would like to get a message to a passenger who's now on an Amtrak train scheduled to arrive into Boston's South Station in a couple of hours. She doesn't have a cell phone. It would be fine to get her the message at any point before she leaves South Station. Any suggestions?
posted by muhonnin at 12:00 PM PST - 7 comments

I suffered from depression and social anxiety throughout my mid to late teens so I did poorly in my A-levels which I picked based more on how easy I thought they'd be than how much they interested me. I managed to get into a decent Art School thanks to my graphics portfolio but I was miserable there. I transferred to a different school and got treatment for depression and was much happier. I just got my results for the first year though and they were terrible - I just barely passed. I'm starting to think I'm not suited to art school. I feel like I missed my chance to find a subject that really interests me and now I'm stuck on a career path which I'm not suited for. I keep fantasizing about going into science - I've always been interested in it and both of my brothers have science degrees - but I'd have to start from scratch and I have no idea if I'd be any good at it. Is this just a dumb pipe dream or is it something I should look into?
posted by Andy Harwood at 11:59 AM PST - 8 comments

The title sequences and credits are looking blurry on the videos I'm posting to WordPress. I need to find out the tricks to posting the best quality video possible to my blog, but I'm new to this. Help!
posted by miss lynnster at 11:28 AM PST - 26 comments

Help me calibrate my sense of female beauty.
posted by pseudonick at 10:45 AM PST - 27 comments

I'm looking for a wiki-database hybrid that I can self host.
posted by raamenchan at 10:27 AM PST - 8 comments

Any opinions or suggestions, on what to do/not do in the Keystone, Colorado area the last week in July?
posted by jaronson at 6:53 AM PST - 3 comments

TravelFilter: I have 36 hours in Beijing. What should I see (serious amateur photog) and where should I eat (dim-sum preferable.) Bonus: Good hotels with Internet access. Any help or suggestions appreciated!
posted by damiano99 at 6:51 AM PST - 9 comments

Hertz fender bender, do I need to file police report, and am I covered?
posted by spacefire at 6:43 AM PST - 5 comments

What do I do with all these potatoes? I need recipes that keep, and/or storage tips for tons of small to medium sized potatoes.
posted by purpletangerine at 7:25 PM PST - 24 comments

Property manager hid that other duplex tenant is property owner when getting me to sign lease.
posted by ishotjr at 6:10 PM PST - 21 comments

So I'm looking for a netbook. I know there are many comparisons online, and questions asked on here, but I'm drowning under the amount of reviews and the different type of netbooks. Especially as there seem to be new ones coming out each month. So which one would be best for me currently?
posted by Petrot at 5:21 PM PST - 20 comments

Paying for graduate school out of your 401k. Stupid idea?
posted by falameufilho at 4:28 PM PST - 8 comments

Can I get in trouble for performing a wedding without a wicense? I would not sign the wedding certificate or any other paperwork. Just "perform".
posted by Matt Arnold at 4:21 PM PST - 17 comments

In a recent batch of digital photos, all the greens (grass, leaves, etc.) came out purplish or really purple. 1. What camera setting can I change to prevent this? And 2. what can I do in Photoshop to correct this?
posted by feelinggood at 3:11 PM PST - 11 comments

I broke my PC's motherboard :( Please help me pick a replacement and guide me through the installation process...
posted by mullacc at 3:01 PM PST - 4 comments

How do I evaluate feedback at a job interview?
posted by Seeba at 1:18 PM PST - 10 comments