Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with indiana

Firing based on a background check

billybunny — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:02:40 -0800

A friend works for a company who has recently performed a background check on all of its employees. It has instructed him to fire all employees who come back with a previous felony, even though in several cases, they knew about the charges when they hired the employees. This is happening in Indiana. Is this even legal? What rights does my friend have to oppose these firings, and what can these employees do about it?

I Can Haz Pierogies?

mrhaydel — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:46:52 -0800

Is anyone going to the Pierogi Fest this year? Has anyone ever been? The SO and I are considering making the trip up to the Chicago, IL/Whiting, IN area for the Pierogi Fest this year.

Airfare will certainly be our biggest expense, but I'm wondering if anyone is going this year, and has any ideas on how to save on all of the other expenses - that is, transportation, lodging, etc. We're willing to talk about sharing in any of these expenses if there are people wanting to.

We're in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area FWIW.

I'm also curious if anyone has gone to this particular festival before and has any tips - did you find that all 3 days were worth attending? What were the food prices like? Any must-sees/dos?

Thanks HiveMind!

Roadtrip from Chicago to Houston: How and what?

melodykramer — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:51:06 -0800

Chicago to Houston in one week, two lovely gals, one Camry: We're taking a road trip the week before July 4, starting in Chicago and ending in Houston. Any route tips? Things to see? Do? Quirky free attractions to see along the way? I'm in Chicago and she's from Houston but hasn't explored much. We're taking a week to drop her car back off starting in Chicago where we both are...we have 3-4 days to get down to Houston from Chicago and see what there is to see along the way. I'd rather not take big highways...but I've never ever ever been to the South or the Southeast, and would like to soak up as much as possible in the little time we have.

Things we like: hot springs, quirky roadside attractions, photography moments, rivers, THE BIGGEST ____, monuments, not spending a lot of money.

She's come up with 6 distinct itineraries that go in radically different directions, some involving Oklahoma and others involving Kentucky. I'm not sure what the best way is to get between here (Chi) and there and was wondering what kind of suggestions you have in mind.

Roadtrip: Indiana to Massachusetts

Etta Hollis — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:41:39 -0800

Need to transport myself and belongings from Indiana to Massachusetts....but how? I start an internship in rural Western Massachusetts (read: not at all near an airport) in October. I live in Indiana. What is the best way to get there? I do not need to plan the return trip.

I do not own a car, and I am transporting more than would be comfortable via airplane( bedding, all clothing, outdoor gear, sewing machine, books, etc), and the MA location is at least 3 hours from an airport, thus the car issue comes back into play.

Would a train or rental car be my best bet? I've never rented a car. Do you just rent it then drop it off at the destination? Is this cost effective?

Indy, Indiana, not Louisiana, Paris, France, NY or Rome

DiscourseMarker — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:01:54 -0800

Moving to Indianapolis, need neighborhood recommendations. Posting this for a friend: Mrs. Friend just accepted a job located near the SW corner of the greater Indianapolis tri-county area. They are currently in South Dakota (Brookings). Mr. Friend is looking for suggestions on where to live. They need a good school system (1 middle-school aged kid) and a house. They also need housing in Indy for grandma who is now in a HUD supported senior apt complex in Brookings. They like the college town vibe, but I think Bloomington is too far of a commute. Mr. Friend is a freelance writer/audio producer/stay-at-home dad.

Please give suggestions for good neighborhoods, MLS numbers, zip codes, etc where they can look. My friend thanks you!

Wrong State on W-2

mto — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:01:50 -0800

My W-2 says I paid taxes to both Indiana and California. However, I did not live or work in Indiana at any time during the year 2007. How do I go about getting this fixed? I already have a call into my HR department and they said there's currently a 3-day turn around on answering questions. So while I wait for them I thought I'd ask Metafilter and ensure I at least know what to expect.

This is the deal. In 2006 I lived in Indiana for a couple of months before moving to California. For my 2006 taxes (i.e. those I filed by April 15th of 20007) I paid taxes to both IN and CA. This is to be expected and all went fine.

For the entire 2007 year I lived and worked in CA and I've had the same job I had in 2006. My company uses a website to manage most HR things and I updated my address / personal information back in 2006. So there's no reason for them to believe I live in IN.

On my W-2 this year it shows me paying 3k in taxes to IN and 3k in taxes to CA. This 3k to CA is about 2k short of what I was supposed to pay to CA, so I owe CA right now.

Who do I call to get this fixed? What are the right steps? I imagine I need to get my employer to admit the mistake and issue a corrected W-2. However, how do I go about getting my money back from IN? I looked at the tax forms for Indiana non-residents and I don't think they apply to my situation.

I guess I'm just curious to know how this is supposed to go down and get fixed and who I need to involve to get it fixed. Since I have a 3-day turn around time on talking w/ my HR department I was hoping to go into the conversation a bit more informed and hopefully cut down on phone tag.

Moving to South Bend, Indiana

snap_dragon — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 05:27:22 -0800

I am looking for a good area of South Bend, Indiana to live. I am moving for a new job (which I got thanks to mefi help!!) and am looking for apartments. I do not know the area whatsoever. I have around $700 a month to spend and need it to house two people. Any thoughts on locations and what areas to avoid? I know I can browse online but do not even know what are the better (safer) areas...

ROAD TRIP!

mike_bling — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:55:14 -0800

I'm looking for things to see and do between Atlanta and Chicago, as well as a cool place to stay somewhere in between. We're taking a drive from Atlanta to Chicago at the end of the month. While I could do it all in one shot, the lady is just returning to the US after living in Italy for a year so I'm looking to reintroduce her to this country a bit on the way up. We are planning to take an architectural tour in Columbus, Indiana, and we're looking for a place to stay either the night before or the night after. It doesn't have to be near Columbus, but it shouldn't be more than a few hours off the trail. Bonus points for a place with some character or a big bathtub.
Other suggestions for places we shouldn't miss on the way up would be swell too. Columbus sounds awesome to both of us, so you can use that as a guide for what we're into (I heard about it right here on the 'filter). We like cool stuff. And off the beaten path is better.

Pronounce me this: "Cicott"

bricoleur — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:48:47 -0800

WastingThisWeek'sQuestionFilter: How do the locals pronounce "Cicott" in Lake Cicott, IN, USA? I've driven through that fair burg many many times in the last 25 years, and every time, I wonder the same thing. It's ambiguous from a phonetics standpoint, and Hoosiers don't seem to care a fig for phonetics anyway, when place names are involved. Please help me astound my traveling companions the next time I'm traversing beautiful Indiana.

Amish Cooking in Indiana along I-90?

14580 — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 19:04:42 -0800

We're looking for authentic Amish cooking in Indiana along I-90, and especially near Shipshewana, which we will be staying near. Any suggestions? I love Amish cooking because it reminds me of my Grandmother's and Aunt's cooking. We're returning from a road trip and I was hoping that we might find some authentic Amish cooking as we drive I-90 through Indiana.

Please don't suggest Das Dutchman Essenhaus or some similar place. We tried them on the way out and they weren't authentic and the food wasn't even good.

Dog-Friendly Getaway Spots Near Chicago

macadamiaranch — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:51:41 -0800

Do you know of any dog-friendly places for a weekend getaway within about 3 hours drive of Chicago? We need to get outta town for a long weekend and we'd like to bring our dog. We do not want to camp. We'd like to be near a lake (doesn't have to be a big one) and ideally something on the quiet side (so not the Dells or Indiana Beach). I've looked at some past threads of places to getaway in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, but I didn't find anything specifically about a pet friendly place. Help us relax and unwind with our pooch!

Indianapolis

Miko — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:46:26 -0800

Three weeks in Indianapolis! Your travel tips, please? I'm headed to Indianapolis in late October/early November for this seminar. Though there will not be a lot of free time, I want to make sure I do make the most of an opportunity to experience a new city. I've looked at this thread, but would like to add some more suggestions. Things I like:

-Live music, especially roots and alt.country
-Great food, especially in these categories: ethnic, chowhound/roadfood style, or unique bistro style
-Great pedestrian neighborhoods for walking around, people-watching, and shopping
-Outdoor activities and recreation spots for hiking, running, exploring, paddling, etc
-Daytrip destinations in the region
-MeFites to meet up with
-Bookstores
-Experiences I couldn't have anywhere else

I would normally ask for museums, but since we'll be visiting a bunch during the program I will probably want to avoid them during my off hours.

Thanks in advance for anything you're willing to share!

This is a question about cheese.

thirteenkiller — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:34:37 -0800

Where can I buy blocks of paneer in the Bloomington/Indianapolis area or, failing that, online? I was getting paneer at Sahara Mart in Bloomington, but they haven't had the nice frozen blocks of it in quite some time, they're just had little fried cubes.

Or should I try making it?

Achtung Boilermakers!

Crotalus — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:02:44 -0800

What's it like to live in Lafayette, IN? What adjectives come to mind? Charming, bucolic, rustic, boring, backward, dirty, podunk? What? Are Indiana politics as redneck as I worry they might be? What are the winters like? (I'm a Floridian.) Is it hilly or flat? Is the restaurant situation acceptable? Are there affordable homes close to Purdue? It is a good place for someone to bike to work? How are the elementary schools? My wife is Latina. Will she be able to find opportunities to speak Spanish and be Latin? In short, what is Purdue and its immediate environs like?

Advice on Bloomington, Indiana

k8t — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 12:35:27 -0800

Bloomington, Indiana question: I'm in Bloomington for an intensive language course for the next 2 months. Ideas on things to do, places to eat, general living advice? I read this post, but it was more for a short stay. I'm subletting a place with a 10-15 minute walk to both campus and downtown. My subleter left me her bike to borrow. I have no car.

As far as food, I'm into organic and not too keen on meat.

I'll be in class about 20-30 hours a week, but with afternoons free. I'll be trying to work a few hours each week as well, oh, and I need time to write my dissertation. So it isn't like I have tons of free time to explore.

Thanks!

Look out, world

thirteenkiller — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 18:49:27 -0800

How can I get over my confidence issues and find a girlfriend (or boyfriend) in Ft. Wayne, Indiana? Although there are people who care for me, like the person posting this question, and people in town with whom I sometimes go out and consume alcohol, I have still managed to convince myself that I am unattractive and have no friends.

I'm not physically unattractive but sometimes I sorta have a bad attitude. I like to talk about how I'm gonna kill myself because nobody loves me and I'll never find a girlfriend and I'll never lose my virginity and stuff like that. So, how can I turn my life around? By the way I don't want to go to college. Also if enough people seem interested, maybe I will post a pic. Seriously though, I am both cute and clever but just too cranky and shy and I have myself convinced I suck when really I don't. How do I get over this?

By the way, how unusual is it for a 21 year old boy to be a virgin?

Why is Indiana's Google Map satellite imagery so thorough?

UnclePlayground — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 13:57:08 -0800

Google Map satellite imagery filter: On Google maps, why does the state of Indiana seem to be so entirely scanned at highest resolution, when just about every other "place" on the map seems to just have high resolution scanning in heavily populated areas? What makes Hoosiers so special (to Google Maps, anyways)? Within the IN state borders, you can just about click anywhere and zoom in to the highest resolution. Just outside Indiana (say, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, etc.), you're chances are MUCH greater that clicking randomly gets you "We're sorry, but we don't have imagery at this zoom level for this region. Try zooming out for a broader look." Is there something militarily ominous about corn fields that Americans are unaware of?