Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with US

Help me find a nice place to take my in-laws on a 5-7 day trip, anywhere in the US

Opal — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:53:46 -0800

My husband's parents will visit us in the US in February and we need to plan a 5-7 day trip for the four of us. Their first idea was Vegas, but they prefer some place they don't know yet. Suggestions? More details:
- They are around 65yo, active. It will be the four of us, no kids
- No rafting, no biking, no rapelling. The level of adventure allowed goes as far as a hike up a hill
- Comfort is expected - no luxury resorts, but no wilderness camping either
- We are not big spenders but are not on a thigh budget
- Good: history, art, either on an urban setting or not
- Bad: extreme cold. It'll be February, so nothing north. Bear in mind they're from Brazil, so anything snowy/windy or bellow 40 degrees is extreme cold
- They've done Vegas, they've done the Grand Canyon, so those are out

I'm considering a few places, and I'd appreciate feedback on them as well as other suggestions. So far I've thought about:
- Santa Fe or the Florida Keys on the artsy and sunny side
- Pacific highway up the California coast, fun and sunny
- Civil war, plantations, historical routes
- New Orleans

What else?

Proposing an official name for an Oregon Hiking Trail..how exactly?

naplesyellow — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:17:33 -0800

What procedure would one conceivably follow in order to propose a hiking trail be named for a person in the state of Oregon? A couple of years ago a man who was instrumental in mapping the hiking trails throughout the Columbia Gorge passed away. He had worked for the Forest Service. Many of the hiking trails are identified only by number. One trail in particular was his favorite and some of his friends and family want to propose naming the trail for him. Trouble is, no one has one clue how this type of thing is accomplished. Do we approach it as a formal proposal and submit it to the State of Oregon? or the Forest service? Can we consider it as a petition?

I apologize if this seems a simple question--I have tried googling to no avail. He truly was a wonderful guy and most instrumental in the preservation of the trails. I can help put together a packet to promote the idea..I have no idea if there is a procedure in place to follow. I didn't necessarily want to call the US Forest Service, if any of you already know what direction I should start in. Thanks for your ideas.

Proof of Irish citizenship for someone born, adopted in 1880s?

zippy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:01:54 -0800

Is this possible to search for (or prove the absence of) my Grandmother's Irish birth certificate and Irish citizenship from the comfort of my own armchair in the US, ideally inexpensively? My grandmother was born in 1883 to Irish parents, possibly in Limerick, possibly in Rhode Island (US).

I would like to know for certain whether she was born in Ireland and was an Irish citizen to satisfy the "yes, you can be a citizen if your grandparent was" Irish citizenship clause.

In other words I would like to track down my grandmother's "full civil birth certificate if born after 1864..."

Possible confounding factor - when she was a young girl (age 7 or so) her family put her up for adoption in the US. I do have her birth parents' names.

I could travel to Ireland and do this search in person at the General Register Office but this office doesn't appear to offer an option where I can do the search on-line or commission them to look someone up.

I presume that if I found a birth certificate for her in Rhode Island, this would confirm she was not born in Ireland, though I do not know if this was the case for registration and citizenship at the time. Consider this a bonus sub-question - would a Rhode Island birth cert. negate the whole Irish thing for someone in the late 1800s?

Please don't explode computer.

sepsis — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:38:49 -0800

US visiting UK, do I need an adapter or a converter for my laptop? I just want to double check because I'd really rather not have my laptop explode when I visit the UK next month. The AC adapter for my laptop gives the following specs:

65W, 20V
INPUT: 100-240V~1.5A 50/60Hz
OUTPUT: 20V . . . 3.25A

My understanding is that I would only need an adapter for the plug and not a power converter. Am I correct? Thanks for the help.

Is there a UK teasmade that will work in the U.S.?

1001 questions — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:56:23 -0800

Is there a UK teasmade that will work in the U.S.? I've suddenly been intrigued by teasmades and I was semi-interested in getting one as a gift for a person in the U.S. I have read various webpages about using UK appliances in the U.S. (including this AskMefi thread) and it sounds like I'd be out of luck in (easily) getting this item to work within the U.S.

The specific one I was looking at is the new Swan STM100 Teasmade model. The only specs I can find indicate a wattage of 780-850W. It's made in China so perhaps they also make a U.S. version, but I doubt it.

If in Norway, I'd go to the Ice Hotel

TheOtherSide — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:47:39 -0800

My airline miles are expiring: What awesome, unusual events are happening in the continental US November through January? Help! I need to book a flight to somewhere in the continental US, because my miles are expiring. I have enough miles left for one round trip ticket.

I know my usual favorite places (e.g. NYC, Austin, San Diego, San Francisco). But, I want to know if there are any awesome, unusual events that are going to happen in November, December, or January. Or, are there just odd places that I just should check out.

I'm a single guy, 34, and will be traveling alone. I like contemporary art, music, culture, food, backpacking, nature, retreats, technology, science, big experiences. I prefer the fringe over mainstream, and the smart, funny, and bizarre.

Let me know if you have any ideas

Shipping a caravan

newpotato — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:45:36 -0800

What difficulties/expenses should I expect in shipping a caravan from the US to Melbourne Australia? We've been looking for a caravan here in Victoria to put on a block of land and the prices for what we are looking for are in the $20k to $30k (used) range.
The same styles, but newer, nicer versions with slide outs, etc, are being had on Ebay in the US for under $3000. I've bought a similar one on Ebay for some Upstate property I have with no problems, so I have no issues with the whole Ebay thing.
The style we're looking for are called camper trailers in the US, they get towed behind the car, and have hookups for water for the sink, toilet, shower, etc., LP, and electric.
I know shipping is expensive as I've had a half container shipped from NY to Melbourne and that alone was $2500 back before gas prices went through the roof, but I'm interested in other issues I might have bringing one of these from the US to Aus. as well.
Anybody out in mefi land ever done this before?

Heading off trouble at the Peace Bridge

randomination — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:57:28 -0800

My I-94W visa waiver, given to me at the US border, was not collected when I crossed back into Canada. Will this be a problem if I want to come back? I am a British citizen and permanent resident of Canada. On a weekend trip to northern New York state in early July, I was given an I-94W at the Buffalo/Fort Erie border, for which I had to pay $6. The US border official told me that I could keep the form in my passport if I wanted to make any more short trips in the following 90 days.

On the way back two days later, I was waved on through into Canada, and the I-94W was not removed from my passport.

I thought nothing more of this, but idly Googling around this morning, I saw this and it alarmed me.

The waiver expires in 48 hours, and understandably I don't want anybody at the US border next time I cross to conclude I stayed longer than 90 days when I only stayed a weekend. Am I worrying about nothing, or do I need to send them a bunch of proof to show I came back?

How can I download a free US-only iPhone app from the UK

skylar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:32:54 -0800

I'm in the UK and want to download a free app that is only available through the US iTunes/App Store. I have memberships of both the UK and US iTunes stores, but unfortunately the credit card on my US account has expired. When it comes to the point at which I download the app (on either the computer or the phone) it asks for an updated credit card. If I could convince someone to "lend" me their iTunes login details for a short while, even if there was no money on their card, would this work? Anyone tried this or willing to help?

US UK Money transfer

sandra_s — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:20:26 -0800

US Friend would like to send UK Friend some money (lets say $100, but could be more). How to best do this so UK Friend gets the most she can out of the money? Looking for pros and cons of all types of transfers. Neither of us are trying to hide the payment.

For example, A check could take forever to clear and bank charges could eat the check up, right?

Does Paypal work US-UK?

Cash in a envelope?

Money orders?

Help!

and thanks in advance!

Magically delicious.

cobain_angel — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:39:28 -0800

Help me send my friend in Ireland some very American things. Bobby's birthday is coming up, and I would like to send my dear Irishman some mail-resistant stuff that he wouldn't be able to find in Ireland in a store. An example is Lucky Charms, which he informs me, is NOT available in Ireland.

Any ideas?

How destructive are current U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals relative to their maximum levels?

Joe Beese — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:54:02 -0800

How destructive are current U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals relative to their maximum levels? For simplicity's sake, we can define "destructiveness" as combined gross megatonnage, unless you have a better idea. I'm also assuming that it makes sense from a political/military perspective to consider weapons stored in former Soviet Union countries as belonging to Russia's maximum arsenal but not to its current arsenal, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Bonus points if you can find a link to a widely circulated graphic from the early-80s freeze movement. It represented the world's nuclear stockpile with dots placed in a rectangular matrix. Each dot represented one Hiroshima bomb, I think. One group of 3 dots was circled to indicate all the explosions in World War II - or something like that. And above them were dots and dots and dots...

Can a U.S. citizen and PR of Canada legally file for divorce in the U.S. rather than in Canada?

otfence — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:27:18 -0800

My husband and I are U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada. Are we required to file for divorce in Canada because we're legal residents there? If it's permissible to file in either country, anyone know of pro's or con's for either choice? I do know that in Canada there's a one-year waiting period (from the time of separation) required before filing. I'm particularly wondering if there are any known differences in how inheritance is treated in divorce. If it makes any difference, the state in the U.S. that I would file is Nevada, and the province in Canada is B.C.

3G USB for US and Australia?

obiwanwasabi — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:05:54 -0800

Which 3G USB key/stick thingy should my Mom buy if she wants to be able to use it in Australia and the US? She'll probably want a prepaid solution in both countries rather than a plan.

Best American hostels?

smackfu — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:58:49 -0800

What are the best hostels in the U.S. and Canada? The various hostel finder sites are aimed at people who know where they are traveling and want to find a place to stay. This works well in Europe where they are usually a dozen choices so you can travel anywhere, but not so well in the US where some major cities have zero good hostels. And I don't really care where I go, I just want to go away for a long weekend and not spend much money.

You can define "best" however you wish, but not requiring a car would be a big plus.

Constitutionality of US federal death penalty

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:34:03 -0800

How would a more qualified person refute my dumb legal theory regarding the death penalty? Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution states that the President "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States". The Supreme Court has interpreted this language to include the power to grant pardons, commutations of sentence, remissions of fines and forfeitures, and amnesties.

The death penalty unnecessarily infringes on this executive power by killing the inmate. The inmate’s punishment can no longer be reprieved (and arguably no legitimate pardon can be issued). Therefore the federal death penalty is unconstitutional, and the Bureau of Prisons has an obligation to attempt to keep prisoners alive so that the President can decide to issue a reprieve of their punishment.

Has this argument or a related one been dealt with in court?

The average human is mortal, Socrates is human, so...

kandinski — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:31:12 -0800

How to calculate the stats for the "Average" US citizen? And does it mean anything? Recently there have been news of a US study stating that the "average gamer" is 35, overweight and depressed. My first joking reaction was to say "hey, this is like the average US citizen!". Please don't hit me. But I would like to know how far this "average gamer" is from the "average USian", and how you would go about calculating it.

Also, as a side, question, I don't think that you can average people in any meaningful way. If the distribution is normal, the average fits the median, which does mean something. If the median gamer is 35, that means 50% of all gamers are over 35, and 50% are under 35. Wow, games are really not just for kids anymore, etc.

But that's the median. Are the details for the "average anything" useful to anyone, or is the "average person" just lazy rhetorical shorthand for "there's many of them"?

I thought of a really bad pun on the word "bean," but I guess I can spare you.

synecdoche — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:32:21 -0800

Why do cans of beans usually come in 19 fluid ounce cans in Canada, and 15 ounce cans in the US? Whenever I see American recipes that call for a can of beans, they list the can size at 15 or 15.5 ounces. All the cans I get in Ontario (and did in BC) were 19 liquid ounces. After asking on a foodie forum, I also learned that in the US, beans often include a weight in grams; my can also has a volume in millilitres. I'm curious as to why they do things differently and if my 19 fluid ounce can contains approximately the same quantity of beans as an American's 15.5 ounce can. (Note that I do not have easy access to an American can to check.)

I think that canned tomatoes might also vary between the countries, but I'm not certain. A typical can here is 19 liquid ounces.

When can we expect a report from the special prosecutor?

SLOHands — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:04:43 -0800

On September 29, 2008, Nora Dannehy was appointed Special Prosecutor by Attorney General Michael Mukasey to direct the criminal probe into the 2006 firings of nine U.S attorneys. According to the Law Blog in the WSJ, she was to turn in her report in 60 days. Obviously that didn't happen. The most recent news I can find is about her interview with Karl Rove on May 15, 2009. Anyone know more than this?

JFK without US visa?

Meatbomb — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:48:01 -0800

Question about transit without US visa at JFK, and alternate options. My woman does not have time to get a US transit visa. We need to go to Mexico, from Europe. For cost reasons, we need to buy separate flights, e.g. Moscow - NYC return, and with another carrier NYC-Mexico City return.

She will only have carry-on luggage, if that helps. Is it possible for her to transfer like this at JFK without having to clear US customs?

(BONUS QUESTION: anyone know of cheap direct flights to-from Mexico City from Moscow, Istanbul, or similar?)

Contractor vs. salaryman: Two types of worker enter, one gets work less often than the other in the current economy

ignignokt — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:49:06 -0800

Are contractors and salaried workers being affected differently by the slow economy, specifically in the IT industry? So, it appears the US economy is still worsening, but at a slower rate. However, unemployment is still going to hit 10%, according to that article. Who is it worse for: salaried employees or contractors? Any relevant stats?

Can I use a U.S. based web server to gain a U.S. ip address for a computer located outside the U.S.?

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:51:29 -0800

Can I use a U.S. based web server to gain a U.S. ip address for a computer located outside the U.S.? I have a dedicated windows web server rented from a U.S. web hosting company (the server is - to state the obvious - located in the U.S.). I would like to have a U.S. ip address for my home computer which like myself resides outside of the U.S. (In Europe).

I can access the web server via remote desktop from my work computer, this access is limited to my work ip address. However I would like to know if it is possible to use the web server to somehow acquire a U.S. ip address for my home (non-work - I dont have remote desktop access) computer, for the purposes of accessing services which are limited to the U.S. (HULU.com etc). So while I can easily gain access to the web server from home via other means like logmein.com I really need the U.S. ip address as I need sound!

Assume I know very little about this aspect of computing. Also know that I do not wish to do anything illegal nor do I wish to do anything which would throw up any red flags to my hosting company or appear like some sort of hack-attack to them. They are very well run and I am very happy with their service and do not wish to jeopardise it. Final comment about the hosting company - they have very tight security, enforce strong passwords and from my limited knowledge are likely to have applied all reasonable security measures to this web server. The reason I am not asking my hosting company this question is that I do not want to be seen to be requesting something which could potentially appal them.

Hoping I have given background detail on which to base an answer to the question. So one final piece of information. Within IIS there are 10 ip addresses which I can assign to directories on the web server. Don’t know if one of these can somehow be used by my laptop.

So to restate the question for clarity. Is it possible to use a U.S. based web server to provide a U.S. ip address to a computer outside the US? And if so how?

Smart couple, will work for fun and adventure.

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:39:32 -0800

I didn't get into grad school, but instead of vast disappointment, I feel like I dodged a bullet. Sigh, another question for someone who wants a fulfilling job, preferably not in the US, in the midst of an economic meltdown. My husband and I had it all worked out: I'd get accepted into a small, very exclusive PhD program at the only school with my specific department. My undergraduate advisers said I was a shoe-in, so we'd mentally prepared ourselves to move to a university town where I would devote the next 7 years to research and getting published. As it turns out, I was less of a shoe-in than originally advertised, and just received a definitive rejection after being waitlisted. Naturally I'm quite embarrassed--but I also feel oddly relieved. Even though I love this field of research, I was secretly dreading a life of dry coursework, and living in a teeny college town, and having to put my life (and my husband's life) on hold for 7 years while I got my doctorate. Maybe I'm coping with disappointment, but if that's what keeps me from jumping off a bridge, so be it.

Everything following the rejection letters feels very open-ended. My husband works as a freelance graphic designer, but he's bored with his career. We both have majors in the humanities. I've been a freelance writer, editor and substitute English teacher. And now that I'm not packing my bags for the academic life, I've wondered if we have more options. We'd like to embark on a new career path where we're not living in PoDunk USA while I slave away in library. We don't need glamor, or wealth, as long as we have an opportunity to enjoy our lives while we're young, childless, and in good health.

I know it seems silly to ask about interesting work in such grim times, but I'd also be mildly surprised if there are literally no options for two educated, articulate people who are willing to move anywhere and with open minds regarding the next career move. PeaceCorps? Teaching English in Asia? Train hopping?

Do we have options?

I want to know what all the cities of the world are known for.

lhude sing cuccu — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:30:19 -0800

What are some major cities known for? US and UK, mostly. So, I have to move sometime and I'd like it to ideally be someplace that has a relatively inspired music/arts scene.
Chicago was terrible. This is where the line is drawn; Chicago has the music of tourists (as I'm now assuming all 1,000,000+ pop. cities are good for) and art school indie-dancepop kids.
So, my question is: what are some cities of the world known for? It doesn't have to relate to music. For example, Chicago is known for its jazz and blues and tourist attractions, and someone like me who doesn't like jazz and blues really shouldn't move there. For another example, I am getting the vibe that Portland, OR is pretty community-oriented. But I could be horribly wrong, because I hadn't asked this question yet.
Sorry this is phrased so very awkwardly.

Which is the best book for a reasonably in-depth introduction to American politics and particularly the workings of The White House?

logicalsequence — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:33:53 -0800

Which is the best book for a reasonably in-depth introduction to American politics and particularly the workings of The White House? I'm a Brit but have become a huge fan of The West Wing after receiving the DVD boxset as a gift. I have a basic knowledge of American politics but I'm looking for a book that can fill in the blanks and expand my knowledge a little, particularly with regard to the "real" West Wing.

I'm not especially interested in the minutiae of US politics and similarly I'd prefer it if the book was written with something resembling humour (I have in mind in the style of a Bill Bryson or PJ O'Rourke), so perhaps a textbook wouldn't be suitable, more an idiot's guide.

Any offers?

Thanks.