Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Tips

What to blend with new immersion blender?

anthropomorphic — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:10:34 -0800

I just got a brand new immersion blender. What should I blend? I've only ever made butternut squash soup and have never made smoothies. Any tips on the use of this thing and/or recipes? Aside from soup and smoothies, am I missing anything? Could I use it to cut up the butter for, say, a pie crust? Any tips on use?

I could almost handle the headaches, but I can I handle the stupids?

onshi — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:33:31 -0800

Tips & tricks for adapting to the side effects of Topamax (topiramate) for a full-time office worker & part-time grad student? I have been dealing with chronic migraines for about ten years, and have tried a number of preventative drug therapies during that time (elavil, flunarizine, propranolol) with limited success. Recently another disruptive health issue cropped up, which spurred me to try to get the migraines under control.

I am now a few weeks into a daily dose of Topamax.

Some of the much-discussed (on AskMe and elsewhere) side effects have already become apparent, most notably:

Difficulty with attention / concentration - last week there were at least two days where I accomplished almost literally nothing at work. I continually zoned out for quarter- to half-hour periods, and had trouble thinking clearly even when I did remain on-task for more than a few minutes at a time. Although this did provide some useful insight into my partner's not-always-so-wonderful-world of living with ADHD, I probably cannot justify trading sick days at home with migraine for zombie days at work on "Dopamax" for too long.

Clumsiness / ataxia / psychomotor slowing - terminologically, I'm not sure how to differentiate between these, but at any rate, I'm much more of a klutz than usual. I had been walking carefully on a torn medial meniscus since May while awaiting an MRI and (maybe) surgery, but since the Topamax my knee has been very sore due to countless stumbles and mis-steps. One slip was bad enough that I was walking with a cane for stability for two days afterwards, and I was almost tempted to keep doing so just for the added sense of security. I'm normally a brisk walker, and on top of the cognitive side effects it feels like adding insult to injury that I should have to shuffle along in physical space as well as in my mental environment.

Communication - both in written and verbal form... even simple sentences come out mangled, and I've been producing the most egregious typos -- e.g. "licidiouse" for "delicious" -- and completely mixing up word order to the point of utter nonsense without noticing (with that in mind, I apologize if my sixth proofread doesn't catch all of the errors in this post). At school, I have had to drop one of the two courses I was taking this term because the prospect of full participation in a grad-level seminar was too much to bear right now; as it is, I had to revert to a 'behind the scenes' preparatory role for a group debate for fear of making an ass of myself in front of a tutorial tonight.

Getting to the point, my question for anyone who has taken Topamax or another drug with similar side effects is: what strategies were you able to emplyo successfully to mitigate these (or other) impacts on your life? I know that it will only be possible to 'push back' against the drug to a certain extent, and that I will ultimately have to decide if its effectiveness versus migraine (if any!) is worth the cost, but at this point I'm trying to remain optimistic and gather whatever tools I can.

Thanks.

Palenque Package? Cabins? Ayudame!

Admira — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:17:06 -0800

I am going on a trip to Mexico next year and I'd love to go to Palenque. Friends of mine from Mexico recommend getting a package tour. I generally dislike package tours but I'm not sure how to find the best flight price, accommodation in VillaHermosa, trip to Palenque, and accommodation there. Anyone have any tips for how to get there, how to book, how long to stay, where to stay etc? A friend recommended staying on a cabin in Palenque but googling shows every one having extreme reviews of either "Loved it, best place in MY LIFE" or "Never stay here, terrible!".

We've also heard varying advice for how long to stay in Palenque, from 2 days to 7 days.

So I thought I'd ask the hive mind for Palenque travel tips!

Montana?

Rudy Gerner — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:24:55 -0800

I will be living in Montana for 6 weeks this winter. I've only ever lived in New England, with a couple of brief stints in other places. Please tell me what to expect. I am going to be living in Basin, Montana for most of January and February and other than knowing that it will be somewhat remote and desolate, I have no idea what it will be like to live there. Currently, I have a very urban lifestyle -- I throw on cold weather running gear and run outside, I head to Trader Joe's for cheapish food and Whole Foods or my local health food store for veggies and other comestibles. I go to the movies, bars, coffeeshops. I am a foodie. I am queer, a progressive, an activist, etc. As you can tell, your all around blue New England urban lifestyle.

Wtf will it be like in Basin, Montana? Any tips around day-to-day life, how to show, how to run (I definitely am interested in how to run, both weather-wise and is-it-safe-to-run-alone-in-desolate-landwise), how to recreate, what not to miss (I have heard Missoula is awesome), how to keep warm (weather tips greatly appreciated--no idea what to expect), how to interact with folks. I will have a car out there.

I have so little point for reference that I don't even know what I should be asking here, so I apologize for the vagueness. Thanks in advance.

Last minute advice for solo trip to Paris?

cider — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:21:50 -0800

I'm heading off to Paris for four days, and I'm starting to get a bit nervous that I'll forget something important. I've never been to Paris, and I haven't been to Europe for fifteen years. I'll be staying by myself in a hotel in Arondissement 7. I'm wondering if you can help me out with any last-minute tips or things I'm likely to have forgotten. Here are the types of questions that I suddenly find myself asking:

Will I need an adapter of some sort in order to charge my camera or ipod?

Am I required to carry my passport with me, and if so, should I get some sort of money belt? (I believe my hotel room has a safe deposit box -- is it better to leave it there?)

I'm assuming that I can get Euros out of a bank machine with my regular (Bank of America) card. (That's what I did in Germany years ago.) Is this true?

Will I generally be safe walking around at night? I'm a woman who will be travelling by herself; are there areas I should avoid?

I hate not having access to internet in case I want to look up directions, print tickets, or other computer-based tasks. I have an iPod touch -- is there likely to be free wi-fi around? Are internet cafes common in Paris?

Is there anything else that I'm forgetting?

Thanks so much!

Dresses, pants, whatever.

bendy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:43:49 -0800

I will make you a dress but I will also make you pants. I am planning to hang out my shingle as a "dressmaker" and maker of custom clothing, mainly for women. But what is the modern equivalent of a dressmaker? To me, dressmaker conjures up a nineteen-fifties person who carefully fits women into gowns of the era. What can I call myself today? Seamstress? Sewer? Also, any tips for people who are beginning a career in [whatever we are calling it]?

I like sugar and spice, but which ones are nice?

filthy light thief — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:10:31 -0800

I like cooking, and I have a variety of spices, but I have never learned how to really use them. How should I learn to use them? What are some tips for trying things out? Do you have any any good recipes that highlight particular spice blends in traditional or unusual ways? There are some good dish-specific spice posts from the past, but it seems most folks have some understanding of what the spices will do to the dish. I am mostly clueless, relying on recipes without understanding what each ingredient adds to the end product, and as such, I am hesitant to toss in a pinch of this and that and see what happens. To date, I usually use salt, pepper, plus onion and garlic powder. I'd love to make my own spice blends instead of relying on store-bought mixes. Thanks!

Metamess Prevention

magnoliasouth — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:04:25 -0800

What are some tips on preventing electric range messes? I'm not talking cleaning them, but preventing the messes in the first place.

You see, I am buying a new electric range and it is to be delivered tomorrow. I have 5 adults (three are young adults) in this house right now and it's a battle getting them to clean up after themselves, but that's for another post. The point is that I'm trying to come up with creative ways to keep my new stove nice looking and to prevent filth altogether.

I know there are a lot of seriously safety minded folks out there and while I'm not feckless I'm also not overly concerned with it, so ideas such as disposable drip pans, or oven liners, are fine by me.

Are there any other tips out there? Also I'm really looking for stove-top ideas since that appears to be the biggest problem.

Cooking Novice Attemps Salmon Dish in Quest for Love!

lemonfridge — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:00:32 -0800

I'm a complete novice cook, but I'm cooking salmon tagliatelle for my girlfriend on her birthday. I've made it twice for myself but I think it could be better... Ok, so far I'm frying the salmon fillets with a drop of oil till they are almost done, then adding some chopped spring onions to the pan during the final few min.

Then I'm adding cream and chives to the pan and mixing it all together, breaking up the salmon.

Add the salmon to the cooked tagliatelle, mix mix mix, serve. Serving with some nice bread and some wine.

It tastes fine, and my sister and dad have both enjoyed it. I just want to make it tastes a little bit more special. Any suggestions?

please note: I have never ever ever cooked anything before in my life. I don't enjoy it at all and I get extremely stressed during. Please keep it simple! :)

"Oooh, look, an exotic native woman!" "Buzz off."

divabat — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:55:09 -0800

What are some good travel guide websites that aren't so Western-centric and don't treat other countries like exotic sights to gawk at? I just rediscovered Matador after randomly signing up for it years ago, and while it looks really promising, it does have a really strong colonial "we are American tourists off to see the exotic isles and be really awesome Americans saving the world" vibe around it. It's something I've noticed with travel companies in Australia too - I was at STA Travel's promo for gap years and to me it felt like the rest of the world was there for their entertainment, or that they were humble foreigners trying to civilize the savages with their volunteer jobs, or something.

Being Malaysian, and being used to being made exotic, that sort of vibe never really sat right with me. I've been travelling since I was a baby, I _love_ to travel, and I love volunteering wherever I can (I was on a world tour that was part performance part community work - best time ever). But I don't click with the party-hard, white-kid-saving-the-world-by-teaching-English, befriend-other-backpackers type lifestyle that groups like Matador and STA Travel tend to espouse.

Are there any other good websites and resources for travel that have a different view on things? I'm after more how-to sort of stuff, like the best organisations doing X or the most interesting things about Y in Z country, or how to pack for a trip (as opposed to personal stories of travel). I'm 23, so something geared for youth is great, but again I'm not much of a club-hopper type. Anything that can take account of currencies that don't really translate well overseas (Europe for Really Cheap!) would be great.

Thanks!

Keep the black dog at bay

teraspawn — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:08:47 -0800

Depression in University/College: most of you seem to have been through it, do you have any tips? According to my research, about 90% of Mefites suffered from depression while they were in university ^{[citation needed]}. You gave me some amazing advice in my previous question about taking a year out from my course, and I'm happy to say I feel like I'm mostly out of the woods now and ready to start second year again in September.

However, as someone who's fairly prone to depression, I'm a little apprehensive about trying to keep up with my work, socialising and looking after myself (when I don't have my mum on hand to feed me!).

I've read this question on a similar topic, but I'm looking for general advice and tips on how to depression-proof my time at university, and how to do well academically without driving myself absolutely potty. What do you think, Hive Mind?

Insights gained via one's career

Earl the Polliwog — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:27:36 -0800

What have you learned through your career, major, or specialization that you wish the general public knew? I'm mostly curious about short and sweet things - stuff like "As a dentist, I've learned that you really should floss", or "It's worth it to understand the Fundamental Theorems of Calculus, even if you don't like math".

Things to do in Tulsa?

parmanparman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:12:54 -0800

I am ready to go. I have been waiting for the fiscal year (Happy New Year!) to declare action on several large ambitions. There is only one question that remains to be asked here: What are some fun things to do in Tulsa, Oklahoma for Labor Day Weekend? (I will have a rental car).

Can a restaurant gift certificate be used on more than one occasion?

ocha-no-mizu — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:48:14 -0800

Can a restaurant gift certificate be used on more than one occasion? A friend recently gave my girlfriend and me a very generous gift certificate for our favourite restaurant. So generous, in fact, that even if we ordered quite extravagantly, we could only use about half of it in one meal. What is the protocol for this situation? Will the restaurant give us another gift certificate for the balance, or will we "lose" what's left over?

Can we be greedy and spread this over two visits, or do we need to resort to being sociable and invite friends, or to ordering a pricey bottle of wine? Neither of us are big wine buffs, but we do have friends.

Bonus question: How are tips handled with gift certificates? Should this be covered by cash, or can the gift certificate cover it?

Ye olde NorthEast

furious — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:19:09 -0800

Mobile Phone coverage in Hanover, New Hampshire? General winter tips? Things to avoid? I need tips for moving to NH. Who I should use for mobile phone service in Hanover, New Hampshire and surrounding areas? It seems like Tmobile is spotty at best, and At&t or Verizon are better options. I need to have a working phone. I'd love to get an iPhone, so I'm hoping At&t works well there, but a working phone trumps any specific carrier.

Will T mobile let me out of the remaining time on my contract without a fight if their coverage out there is horrid?

I know next to nothing about the area really. I went back during winter and people had their windshield wipers stuck straight up in the air, presumably so they wouldn't freeze to the windshield.

I need more tips like this. Do I need to do anything special with my car battery? Do I need to make sure I clean snow off of my car even if I'm not going anywhere? etc.

The phone issue is major and I'm mostly concerned about surviving 6 months of winter, but really any tips you can give me about living in the Hanover/Lebanon/Concord area of New Hampshire are helpful.

City of Light on a light wallet

bricoleur — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:14:02 -0800

Care to share your tips and tricks for spending a week in Paris on the cheap? Accomodations: Clean and quiet. Open to anything from couchsurfing.org to short-term apartment rental.
Food: Cheap ethnic preferred, but I'm not picky.

Bonus points for stuff in the 13th and 14th (hoping to attend DrupalCon at Cité Internationale Universitaire).

D&D via VOIP?

Squid Voltaire — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:05:05 -0800

Tips for D&D via Skype (especially audio tips?) A couple of months ago, my good friend had never rolled a twenty-sided die. Now, she has a fourth-level gnomish mage!

She's traveling out of the country for two-and-a-half months, but I suggested that we play via Skype! I was inspired by Gabe, of Penny-Arcade fame, but I don't understand how he got it to work with just a laptop microphone.

We've tried talking to her via Skype before, and for one-on-one it's fine, but when six people all yell into the laptop it becomes incomprehensible noise. Does anyone have any suggestions? Should we all wear lapel mics? And how would that even work with Skype?

Worst case scenario, I presume that you can video conference call via Skype, so I guess everyone could have an individual laptop? That sounds pretty cumbersome, though...

Leave two separate tips?

Pocahontas — Thu, 21 May 2009 06:44:54 -0800

Why are there two lines to leave a tip at Trader Vic's? In the US here....after dining at Trader Vic's recently, I was surprised to see two lines on the credit card slip for leaving a tip: one for "captain" and one for "waiter." There's a nautical theme and all there, so does captain=maitre d'/hostess? I've never seen a tip line specifically for that. Anyone else see this, at Trader Vic's or otherwise? Or is this a new innovation thanks to the recession?

Waitress tax question

melangell — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:51:40 -0800

If you are a waitress, can you deduct from your taxes the amount that your restaurant requires you to tip-out to your bussers? (In my case, this generally amounts to $8-$15 for every shift I work.) Also, the restaurant that I work for requires me to claim my tips at the end of every shift. Since most of my tips are from credit card transactions, the computer tells me that amount each evening and I claim a couple dollars over that.

I know a lot of my co-workers claim way less than what they make, but is that safe to do if the restaurant has a way of tracking the vast majority of what you made?

Also, if the answer to my first question is that I cannot deduct tip-outs from my taxes, would it be OK to just subtract that amount from my credit card transaction tips at the end of each shift?

Thank you for your help.

surfer-filter: First timer looking for noob advice and tips

brenton — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:38:10 -0800

surfer-filter: First timer looking for noob advice and tips. My complete surfing history: Two years ago, a friend took me surfing and on the first try I rode a wave until it ended. Then I got out of the water. Today I was given a 6' board, and I'm going into the water without an instructor or surfer friend. I feel fairly safe doing this since I live by the Carpinteria State Beach, just about the most mild and tranquil beach ever. Never big waves or currents, all sand, and it doesn't really have other surfers for me to get run over by (though I do see them sometimes). Also, I go swimming by myself here, and I see others swimming by themselves, I don't imagine it's much more dangerous to take a surfboard with you.

So I'm just wondering if anyone can give me some basic advice for my learning to surf. How should I approach this? What else do I need besides the board? Special stretches to do beforehand? Special foods to avoid? I'm looking for any and all tips.

I'm sure everyone is going to tell me I'm going to die and give me safety advice. Okay... I'll listen to, and appreciate, such advice. But I'd also like some non-safety advice, you know, just tips on how to get started, things to be aware of, basic stuff like that.

(By the way, I already know a bigger board would be better, but let's assume for the sake of this question that I'm going to keep the 6' board and that I'll be able to get up on it. If that turns out to be a false assumption, I'll deal with that later. :D )

Help me pass my road test mefi!

QueenHawkeye — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:45:22 -0800

Help me pass my road test on Wednesday this time around. The last time I took my road test was sometime last summer. I failed because I drove straight into the first set of cones when trying to parallel park. I had a panic attack right before the test because the person taking me to my road test, had gotten lost on the way there and would not ask anybody for directions how to get there, and it was in the middle of nowhere! Note, I parked perfectly the three times I tried parallel parking the day before. I've never driven straight into a pair of cones before the test, EVER.

This time around, I'm trying to not have an anxiety attack but I keep thinking about how I failed the first time around, so that's not helping me right now.

I'm trying to get some practice time in, but I get criticized by the method [the way my instructor that I did my required 6 hours in NJ taught me how to parallel park.] I'm trying to parallel park by the person who's taking me out to practice. I don't even get practice driving on the roads, just parallel parking [and even that's not happening!]. I like to think that I am a decent driver, I follow signs, the speed limit, and practice in pro-active driving whenever I actually DRIVE on the road.

So I'm looking up to you mefi users; help me pass my road test this time around, tips to how to parallel park [or on/about the road test in general!] without having someone chastise me the way I'm parking with, will be loved and put into good use [hopefully].

Bonus points for tips to get rid of my anxiety/fear of failing the test this time around!

Teaching tips or advice.

Memo — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:48:54 -0800

If you have been a teacher for some time, what tips or advice would you give your younger self about the reality of teaching? i.e. things that are only discovered after being in a classroom for a few months/years. ESL-related things preferred but not essential.

Tips for Dual Monitor on Windows XP?

Admira — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:54:37 -0800

Hi All, I just got a second monitor at work. Yay me! My second monitor is a widescreen (my main one isn't). I'm still getting used to it, at the moment I have put email on the right hand screen, and everything else still in the main one. I'm only really struggling with Citrix applications - they seem to like to pop up in the middle, splitting across screens. But I'm after any dual monitor on Windows tips in general. I've already installed the free MultiMonitor Taskbar which I really like. Thanks!

Get out of the way of that round object.

pseudostrabismus — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:20:32 -0800

I throw like a little kid, and it's embarrassing. Please help me excel at adult dodgeball. I just joined a dodgeball league. We're playing in elementary school gymnasiums. 10" balls- foam interior, rubber skin.
All hits must be below the shoulders without a prior bounce. If a ball is caught before it bounces, the thrower is out.

I learn best from clear verbal descriptions of how to do sports-related things, as I don't instinctively pick up on applied physics. I need to be told in very specific & descriptive words what to do. For instance, I could never control where I bumped a volleyball until someone said, "Pay attention to the speed of the incoming ball and adjust the force of your bump to compensate- so if the ball's coming in fast, your bump should actually pull *away* from the ball, to absorb some of the energy." Sounds obvious, but I never figured it out in years of casual volleyball games, and until that day, I had no idea why my bumps were so erratic.

So, dodgeball. I'd like to learn:

How to throw fast, long, low balls. My throws need to hit people's shins from 6 yards away without bouncing first, and must be difficult for them to catch. I have decent upper body strength for a girl, but I don't know how to use it. My throws often go higher than I want, and are easy to catch- that's no good.
I tend to throw in arcs, but I've observed that it's better to throw in straight lines... how?
How to catch a fast incoming ball without fumbling it.
What exercises could I do to boost my dodgeball arm?
Any other dodgeball strategies that'll make me look like a champ.

Thanks!

The route to better transcription

low_horrible_immoral — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:19:27 -0800

Looking for your transcription hints and tips! I've just starting transcription (ie, typing from digital files) on a freelance basis. I'm doing fairly well but I'm sure there are load of ways I could work faster and more accurately - Word shortcuts, playback software (at the moment I use ExpressScribe), optimising the time it takes me to check things.

Are there any transcribers out there willing to share their hints and tips? Anything at all would be useful.

Thanks!