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A ladder left behind

Funmonkey1 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:55:24 -0800

[FearFilter]: 15 years ago I experienced an imminent death/serious injury moment that turned out ok. However, I still feel physical chills and tingly feelings even thinking about it. Am I the only one or is this common? Thoughts and stories appreciated. The science is a huge bonus. Short background. Many years ago some friends and I decided to put a ladder out the 3rd floor house in order to gain access to the roof.

I clearly recall the way back down the ladder and it is no mistake, balance was against me. That 1 second of fighting against of gravity while looking down is ingrained in my mind. The moment is etched forever in the brain and triggers immediate fear and physical response if I focus on it. WTF? After so long?

I can't be the only one that has such a memory that stirs such strong physical and emotion reaction. What is it called and how does one not be so jolted?

Not casual sex, but not not casual either.

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:09:04 -0800

How do you handle sex, in regards to dating a couple of people at once? (I'm a dude, for the record) I was starting to write a ridiculously long version of this question that wasn’t making any sense. So I’ll assume you know where I’m at when I’m asking it. I’m internet dating. I’ve done it quite a bit. In the past, I would sort of go out with anyone that moved. I’ve become much more selective about who I’lll go out with. So lets say for example that everyone I meet likes me and I like them, and we want to go on more dates.

Say also that I’m staggering meeting women based on schedules, so that sometimes, if I’m writing back and forth to 3 women, I might meet woman A on a Monday one week, have a 2nd date the Monday of the following week, have a first date with woman B on the next Tuesday, a first date with woman C on that Friday.

Basically: I’m equally emotionally involved in 3 situations, trying to get to know 3 women, and not be a jerk to any of them, or to myself.

So if I make it to date 3 or so with woman A, and intimacy starts to enter the picture, do I slow things down and explain that I’m also getting to know B and C? Do I say, hey, I’m into this physically and I want to do it, but you need to know there is B and C too? Or do I say, well, time to decide what to do about A, and whether I’d like to go with door B and C instead of A? Or something else.

I'm not on a 3 date=sex schedule. But sometimes it happens. This kind of thing also makes me nervous on dates, and I'd like to find a way to feel relaxed and honorable about the whole thing.

Laptop charger inlet slowly breaking.

ekpyrotic — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:43:01 -0800

Laptop charger inlet slowly breaking. Hey guys, the [one pin] port where my laptop charger connects is starting to break. I have to connect the charger to the laptop in a particular position for it to work. Otherwise, I'm happy with my 2-year-old laptop. Any advice?

Is the Zimbabwe govornment still printing 100 Trillion Dollar notes?

dent8101 — Tue, 19 May 2009 05:34:57 -0800

Is the Zimbabwe govornment still printing 100 Trillion Dollar notes? I looked in Google for a while and cant seem to find a definitive answer. thanks everyone.

No reserved blocks in ext2 on Aspire One?

Busy Old Fool — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:32:42 -0800

Why is it OK to have no reserved blocks in ext2 on the Acer Aspire One? This guide to recovering space on the Acer Aspire One gives as one suggestion:
By default the ext2 filesystems reserves 5% of all blocks for the superuser. You can safely set this to 0% and gain additional 325MB, or 375MB if you also remove the swap partition.
sudo tune2fs -m0 /dev/sda1

Now, I think I understand what reserved blocks are and why. Basically, it's because to avoid a situation where the free disk space drops close to zero, root doesn't have room in /var to do even the most basic things and the whole system starts falling apart. Please correct me if that's wrong or incomplete.

So why is it OK to unreserve these blocks on the Aspire One? Is there something about the way Linpus is set up that makes the above scenario impossible?

2 kids, one bedroom

RockyChrysler — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:33:15 -0800

how can i fit a 3-year old and an infant in one bedroom without them waking each other up during the night?

How does one hookup with someone from easily 8-10 years ago?

isoman2kx — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:31:19 -0800

How does one hookup with someone from easily 8-10 years ago? I've always wondered this as I see people here and there that I used to have a crush on back in like junior high or early high school, yet I'm just getting around to asking this now. I saw this girl that I went to school with today. She was a friend of my best friend's sister. I didn't really know her technically (10 years ago). So I broke out the yearbook after I saw her in church, looked her up on myspace/facebook and would like to talk to her with the intentions of eventually hooking up.

How does one go about doing this? Does it work at least some of the time or never? lol. My message so far to her on myspace was "Hey there. I saw you at St. Theresa's Church today. I swear you look familiar, were you in the same class as XXX's sister back at St. Ambrose?"

I think that's good enough for an intro. Not too creepy or anything. Yet, where do I go from here because technically I don't even know her?I've got like a 3rd degree of separation at best. This message goes for any situations similar too, like people you haven't seen in 4-5 years, people you barely knew but want to get to know. People you had like one class with 3 years ago, etc, lol.

-Travis

Moving company overseas, any software to help with online communication like Video & live Screen casting for online meetings.

spinko — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:15:20 -0800

Moving company overseas, any software to help with online communication like Video & live Screen casting for online meetings. I'm moving out of the UK in a few months, got rid of the staff and office to save money. Moving to Spain...

I have a few concerns regarding communication. Anyone know any professional software to ensure great communication for both me and my customers.

Phone numbers:
All going into Skype Pro

Video conferencing:
Video chat in Skype seems very clear for 1 to 1 video meetings. Anything else?

Screen casting live:
Im a designer, would like to show customers in real time if we are talking about tweaking a design. So far VNC, give them access to my screen when im working.

Anyone suggest anything else or better software. Will pay if needed as it needs to be professional.

Oh yeah, im on a Mac.

Help me find a one-act.

The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:17:09 -0800

I've been given the opportunity to direct a one-act play of my choice, and I need help finding one. I really just have no idea where to start looking for good on one-acts.
Here are the preferable requirements:
-a cast of five or less
-sets that are not wildly elaborate (as in, i could do a painted backdrop, bookshelves, chairs and a table, but i couldn't do a full-scale plantation style porch, complete with trellises and a second floor. fucking tennessee williams.)
-Less than thirty minutes.
-Something that's a little dark and touches on heavy themes, but has funny moments and ultimately some levity.

the last one is where I'm having some trouble. I can punch in total cast: less than five on the dramatists play service's website, but it's harder to find out the content and quality from a list of titles. So I thought I'd ask the hive about it.
(Thanks!)

Is Continental going to punish me for evading their clutches?

de void — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:13:14 -0800

Is Continental airlines going to penalize me for evading their attempt to double my ticket price? Originally booked a round trip ticket from EWR (Newark) to LAS (Las Vegas) on Continental.

Between originally booking the flight and today, I purchased a used car located near JAN (Jackson-Evers, Mississippi).

After looking into car shipper pricing, I decided it would be more economical to fly to JAN and drive the car home.

I went to continental.com, pulled up my original itinerary, queried a change in the return leg to JAN and saw my ticket price more than double from $350 to $750. Screw that.

I canceled the change and instead went to kayak.com. Through kayak, a one way ticket from LAS to JAN is $155. Continental is the carrier and it's the same exact flights (LAS to IAH, IAH to JAN) as they wanted to charge me $400 extra on top of my original round trip ticket price on the Continental site.

I booked the $155 one way flight.

Was discussing this with a co-worker and they indicated that the airline can fine you for "throw-away ticketing", i.e. not using the return leg of a round trip ticket.

Is this true?

How would you assign numbers to the different types of human effluvia?

Mapes — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:51:32 -0800

How would you assign numbers to the different types of human effluvia? We all know what "number one" and "number two" stand for. There is some precedent for referring to semen as "number three." What are some smart, memorable ways of numbering our other discharges: tears, sweat, earwax, saliva, breast milk, etc.?

Assume that the numbers might be used as a shorthand or code for privacy or obfuscation ("Cleanup number five on aisle seven").

The best answers will be suitable as mnemonics and be clever enough to seem obvious in retrospect. Example: #8 = vomit, because it's what you "ate." Creativity and memorability win here.

What cheap GPS to get for occasional driver in Canada?

ManInSuit — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:51:01 -0800

What cheap GPS to get for occasional driver in Canada? Can the green help me choose a GPS?

Here's my deal:

- I'm looking for something at the cheap end of things - Ideally around $200 (Maybe as much as $250. Maybe...)

- Need somethig that works in Canada (where I live) and the US (where I sometimes go).

- I'd use it mainly in rental or borrowed cars. I don't own a car, but go on road trips once in a while.

- Something portable sounds nice, since, even when I travel, I tend to get around by foot/bike quite a bit. But I'm cuious how useful this would really be. Have other folks used GPS for casual getting-around by foot or bike in new cities? This isn't the main feature I'm concerned about, but it's interesting. Can you even charge the batteries in these things outside of a car?

- Of course, accurate maps matter a lot.

- I don't care about MP3 player.

- Text-to-speech would be great, but probably out of my price range, and I can live without it.

Right now, I'm looking at the Garmin Nuvi 250 (which costs a shade more than I'd hope to spend) and the TomTom ONE 3rd edition. I'm also thinking about a Garmin C330- I used one a couple years ago, and it seemed great, and the are cheap now.

Reviews suggest the TomTom maps aren't so great, which makes me lean toward the Garmins. All the features in the world don't matter if the map's not super-accurate.

So...

- Would anyone recommend somethig other than the models I'd mentioned?
- Is the decrepancy in map accuracy really such a big deal as some reviews suggest?
- What would the Nuvi 250 do that the older cheaper clunkier C330 wouldn't?

Thanks!

Maximising my chances of success getting to top consulting company?

gttommy — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:44:17 -0800

I have a year before I am eligible to work for a big consulting company. What should I do during this year to maximise my chances of success, or bump up starting salary? I have only one subject (capstone thesis, no classes) to do next year, however big companies don't accept applicants who have not graduated. And graduate positions start only at the beginning of each year. With only one subject to do in 2008, I have a lot time.

Details:
Over a year of object-oriented coding
Over a year of mobile phones sales
Degree: BE Software, BA Int'l Studies in Chinese (6yr course)
Avg grades: ~73/100
Activities: Some involvement with clubs and volunteer programs, nothing outstanding or demonstrating leadership, debating skills or care for the greater community
Country: Australia
Willing to relocate to: UK, US, NZ, Asia
Companies of interest:
Particularly Bain and BCG for their reputation in culture and work/life balance

I've considered getting a full-time job geared towards it, like IT sales or business analyst. Also maybe being more active with uni activities. Just not sure what directions would maximise return. Any advice in any area is welcome.

Alternatives to Microsoft One Note?

sully75 — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:35:26 -0800

I'm looking for an alternative to Microsoft One Note Hi there,

I just started using Microsoft One Note. I hate to rave about an MS product but currently I'm loving it. It seems like the solution to a lot of problems I've been having organizing pictures and text for writing projects.

But I'm wondering if there are any better alternatives out there before I put all my eggs in this basket. Are there shareware programs that do basically the same thing? Has anyone used One Note extensively enough to comment on it? It looks good but I don't know anything about it other than using it for a few hours.

Thanks
paul

Is it 'Air Force One' even if you're a deceased President?

timpollard — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:17:05 -0800

I know ex-Presidents of the USA are still referred to as 'President' (presumably a courtesy term), so would a plane carrying a deceased ex-president still be referred to as 'Air Force One'?

Unified duality?

Korou — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:00:43 -0800

Is there a word which describes a state where "importance" and "non-importance" happen at the same time? A word describing the unity of duality, the oneness of paradox, and "two sides of the same coin"?

How will ticketing, baggage and customs work flying through Frankfurt?

traderjoefan — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 06:57:47 -0800

Can anyone help with questions on how ticketing and customs will work on international flight (Newark to Frankfurt to Gdansk, Poland)? I am really trying to visit my family in Poland this August but have these issues:

1.) I will be 6 months pregnant, travelling alone with a 2 year old (yeah, fun!) with bags for 12 days.
2.) Buying two complete trip tickets will cost over $2500
3.) I have Continental OnePass miles but they can't get me to Gdansk.

So the current solution is to use miles to get from Newark to Frankfurt, Germany on Continental, then catch a LOT Polish airlines flight from Frankfurt to Gdansk. This way, I will only pay $600 for the Frankfurt-Gdansk tickets.

THIS IS MY PROBLEM:

I will have a 1 hour 20 minute stopover in Frankfurt without a boarding pass for the next flight and I have received totally conflicting info from both Continental agents and an independent travel agent regarding ticketing and customs.

TICKETS:
Some say that when I check into Continental in Newark and LOT in Gdansk, I just need to show my ticket for the entire trip and they can 'check' me into the computer so in Frankfurt I can just go to the gate and show my ticket, even though I won't have a boarding pass (since I use miles for one leg and purchased a ticket for the other.)

Another agent (1 of the 3 I spoke with at Continental) says if I don't have a boarding pass, I have to leave the gates, pick up my bag, RETICKET and go through security again. I can tell you I won't make that in 1 hour 20 minutes for sure!

BAGGAGE AND CUSTOMS:
3 of the 4 agents said they can definitely check my bags all the way through both ways by just showing the tickets and I don't have to pick up my bag and go through customs in Frankfurt.

One of the agents (Continental) even checked with her supervisor and said I will definitely have to pick up my bags in Frankfurt and go through customs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
So can anyone help shed some light on this totally inconsistent info? I really would like to make this trip but if I miss either connection, it will be absolute hell!

Thanks in advance.

When can I expect a Flash drive computer?

zardoz — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:31:16 -0800

With the rise of flash drive technology, it makes me wonder why flash drives can't be used as primary hard drives in computers/mp3 players/ handheld gaming devices, etc. Could an OS conceivably be put on a flash drive? One that boots up almost immediately? For all our advancements with computers, it seems like boot times are getting longer, if anything. Flash drives keep getting bigger and bigger, up to 10 or more gigs nowadays, so when can I expect the computer manufacturers to roll out Flash drive computers? 5 years? 10? What are the technical limitations/challenges of Flash drives?

One-way auto rental.

malaprohibita — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 13:11:08 -0800

My wife and I are planning to fly into Seattle and drive down the coast of Oregon and California to San Francisco. We want to rent a car one-way, but the prices seem horrific. Are there any tips or alternatives?

One is not amused

benzo8 — Sat, 06 Nov 2004 18:00:41 -0800

"One is not amused..." Personal pronoun, or third person generalisation? [MI] Having had a (drunken) discussion about this tonight, I hope that MeFites can help put an argument to rest about this specific use of the word "one"...

I take it to be an archaic, or at the least affected, personal pronoun - "One believes this to be the case" meaning "I believe this to be the case."

The drinkers at my table believed it to be a third person generalisation: "If one drinks too much beer, one will get drunk" meaning, "If a person drinks too much beer, they will get drunk."

I disagree with their definition, reading the second example as "If I drink too much beer, I will get drunk, though not everyone else may."

So, does any have any cites or references which can prove one way or the other - is "one" an archaic, affected personal pronoun substitute, or is it shorthand for "a person" in general - a third person pronoun that matches its third person construction?