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Name that pre-teen book!

hmo — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:38:03 -0800

I read this sometime in the 80s. It was a chapter book, just shy of YA. And it's title was something like "The 45th Thing I Love About Amelia" or "The 45th Best Thing I Love About Anastasia" (wrong number, wrong name). Oh, and at the end, the mom opens a closet door and there's a dead dog inside or something. I think it was first person, told from the title character. It was primarily about a girl, her family and friends. Throughout the story, her mother (and possibly other characters?) list off things they love about her or something similar, which is where the title comes from.

A pet or some animal dies, and some of the characters hide the body in the closet. At the end of the book, the mom is saying something like, "the 85th thing I love about you is that you BLAH BLAH BLAH" as she is opening the closet door to investigate the smell that has been growing in the last half of the book, and then BAM -- book ends.

Question title? I can't even think of my own title!

moons in june — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:28:01 -0800

Hope me Hivemind, I need a title for my business card! I work as a bookseller in an independent bookstore. I used to manage our location that recently closed, but now I'm at the main store. So my business card used to say:

Moons In June
Bookseller

Store Manager
Location City

Address
Phone
Email

The owner wants to make me a new card that doesn't have our old location on them, but as I'm no longer store manager I need a title to go in the third line where "Store Manager" used to be!

This bookstore is unique in that there are three "back of house" people who do all the shipping/receiving/ordering, and three "front of house" people who sell books and run the store. I'm a front of house, and the two other FOHers have "Store Manager" and "Night Manager" on their cards. I have slightly less duties than Mr. Store Manager and slightly more duties than Mr. Night Manager. The main one is salesperson, but creative stuff like making displays, arranging the store, signs, general prettifying usually falls to me. I also do the usual stuff, inventory, shelving, "curating" our selection, cleaning, arranging in-store events and so on.

The owner insists that my card has more than just Bookseller as my title, but for the life of me I can't think of what it should say. So I turn to you.

Thanks, hivemind.

PS, it doesn't have to be stuffy or serious, but it should be descriptive.

Talk me out of buying a salvage title Honda Insight

carsonb — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:36:32 -0800

There is a mechanic in a city nearby who restores and sells (and maintains) first-generation Honda Insights. Most of the cars his shop produces have a salvage title. He offers exclusive repair and maintenance service to purchasers. I've done a lot of reading and talking to people about this car—a trusted coworker owns one of his restorations—and I'm pretty much convinced that I want what seems to be one of the most over-engineered, fuel-efficient, cool little cars ever made. So what am I missing? I have to convince my uncle, the ultimate stodgy shopper, as he will help me with the funding. He's been a Honda owner since the 80's and appreciates the build and design quality of the manufacturer (to a fault even; he owns a 2011 Civic). He's really not going to like that the car I'm thinking of buying has been salvaged. Why? What should I be looking out for regarding a salvage title?

The only negative press I can find on this mechanic is that he refuses business from people who bought their Insights elsewhere. Every single soul who's testified online about having bought a car from him sings his praises. All of the reviews I can find of the first-generation Insight are glowing (from owners) and cautiously optimistic (trade reviews from 2001).

This question from 2011 is almost identical to mine, but I think the additional information about the particular shop I'm considering (and insectosaurus' friend was considering) might abate the 'salvage NO! weakened frame!' responses some. I trust you'll correct me gently, should I be mistaken. Thanks!

What book did I read?

blnkfrnk — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:43:44 -0800

I have very little information. Maybe you read this too, though. Fiction with fantasy/paranormal elements, early or mid-90's, female author, gay romance/sex, ghosts, condom factory, divorce, maybe some Wicca? Ok, here's the sum total of what I remember about the book:

Plot details:
A middle-aged woman who is involved with the paranormal, has a second sight, or possibly was a pagan/Wiccan/had a Goddess-related spirituality is divorced by her husband suddenly for a younger trophy wife. She may or may not have a school-aged little girl. I am pretty sure this woman takes a job in a condom factory and is bitter about it. Describes having to take condoms off of the penis-shaped mold as they go by on a conveyor belt. Contemporary small- or mid-town setting; I don't think any of the characters uses the Internet at any point.

I have no idea how these plot elements are connected, but: there are two gay men (lovers/partners) who are some kind of light/dark duality, which I remember being more symbolic than actually a fact in their world (sort of like they complemented each other, not that they were magical creatures or anything.) One is named Shadow. One dies (due to violence? and is dead for a while?) and they have explicit-but-emotionally moving sex while the dead one is an embodied ghost. The divorced woman character is somehow feeling this/experiencing the sex to the extent that it's somewhat like astral travel to another body/another person's emotions.

There is a strong theme of grief, and also the unfairness of being a woman in a sexist society.

Book details:
I read this some time between 1995 and 1998. I suspect that the book was recent at that time; I think the possible publication window is 1990 through 1997.

It was not a young-adult book, nor was it part of a series.

It was a paperback with a cover that was mostly dark cobalt blue, with figural but abstracted artwork in a lighter color, I think paler blue, yellow, and white.

Almost certain the author was a woman; I think I remember this being her second book at that time, or at least one of two books she had written. This book was better than her other book, about which I remember nothing but a white cover.

It was a novel of average length, no illustrations, text effects, or even illuminated capitals at chapter headings. Boring font. Probably not a trade paperback based on what I remember about the paper.

Stuff I think I made up:

I may be mixing up the plot of two books.

The cover art: possibly in that mid-90's early computer artwork style with figures made out of simple 3D shapes with a lot of gradient, but in kind of a faux-Picasso style? Sort of meant to mimic airbrushing, but with that computer slickness of very expensive, yet ugly, computer graphic design circa just-before-Toy Story. I know that's incredibly vague, sorry.

It may have been classified as a young adult book (at the Pasadena CA Public Library main branch) until someone complained about the explicit sex and got it reconsidered or removed for a time, or just reclassified to adult fiction.

At the time, I recall thinking it was not what I, a young teenager, would have expected from a young adult novel-- the sex was more graphic than, say, Weetzie Bat or Girl plus the majority of the characters were independent adults, plus the theme was really heavy with grieving and bitterness about marriage.

I remember thinking I was getting away with something by reading it...so that's probably why I want to read this again as an adult! Does anyone remember this?

What book did I just read?

Cosine — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:27:37 -0800

What book did I just read? I just read a recent (new?) sci-fi novel while on holiday. I am now drawing an almost blank trying to remember the title.

What I remember:

- a character called "Driver" or "The Driver"
- humans travel through space, a peaceful alien race accompanies us
- the computers that got us to space are gone
- one human family have been working for decades on the math required to allow human interstellar travel without alien help

How do I get my car title transfered into my name?

domnit — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:19:23 -0800

What is the process and what taxes must I pay when transferring a car title from my father to me? Interstate snowflakes inside. Due to circumstances when I was trying to buy my car, my father was the one who actually purchased and registered it in New York where he lives. I would like to officially take over the title and register the car in California, where I now live. What is the process?

My dad will be visiting me in California, so he can sign over the title to me in person. I figure this can be done as a gift. Then do I have to pay taxes / file paperwork in New York? I will need a California license, title, and registration. Will my NY inspection (good through August) satisfy the CA smog test or do I have to get the smog test done immediately? Do I get a CA license ahead of time (I still have my NY license), or do I just go to the DMV with my NY title and get everything done at once? What's the process that minimizes time and money spent while keeping my car legally on the road?

Physician titles in medical hierarchies around the world?

raspberry jam and clothes iron — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 07:35:20 -0800

In the USA, doctors in academic centers are interns (first year trainee), residents (subsequent year trainee), attendings (completed training), fellows (attendings who are further subspecializing and revert to trainee status). Also, leaders of primary teams and consulting services are both called attendings. What's the terminology in other countries? I'm most curious about English speaking countries (registrars? consultants? LMO?) but would also enjoy hearing about others also!

Car title transfer, from several states away, when the title is lost?

red_rabbit — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 23:08:23 -0800

Pretty please, help me! I sold my car in California in the middle of a move. We completed a bill of sale to be as official as possible, and I told the buyer that I'd mail her the title once the dust settled from my move. Now that I've unpacked, I can't find the title anywhere. The California DMV website lists some guidelines for replacing a lost title , but I'm still confused. Who's technically the legal owner right now? Would it be easiest for the buyer to fill out this form and check that the title was "not received from prior owner" and get on with it? Or would that incur some sort of penalty for either of us? I also checked out the third-party title-replacement folks, Cartagz.com , which is promoted on the DMV website. This says it'll take 2-3 weeks to receive a replacement title, doesn't say how much it will cost, and when I try to complete the transaction, it tells me it's unable to complete it and sends me back to the DMV website. Grr. And theeeen...what's the scoop on title transfers ? I would assume that I need to actually have a title to transfer in the first place, but would I then need to jump through this hoop as well once I receive the title? The buyer is a friend of a friend; we'd both like to do whatever results in her obtaining the title the fastest and costs the least amount of $. Also, I would like to regain just a sliver of sanity...this thing is driving me bonkers! Many thanks in advance for the help.

How to trade a vehicle, for a vehicle, for trade in.

NotSoSimple — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 10:14:15 -0800

Should I trade my rebuilt title vehicle for any other vehicle, just to get an increased trade in value? I am in the market for a 2003+ Toyota Sequoia. Currently Mrs. NotSoSimple and I have a strict budget we would like to adhere to, so we have a hard limit as to what we will spend on a vehicle. We also want only one car payment. We owe $7k on our current vehicle. The plan is to sell/trade our other two vehicles we owe free and clear: 2002 Subaru WRX w/ Rebuilt Title and 1990 Isuzu Trooper w Clear Title. Problem is the WRX. Rebuilt title, no one will take it for anywhere near the $7k I need. I keep getting people offering to trade vehicles, which I shrugged off. 1 month later, still no traction, still getting offers so I began thinking outside the box.

What if I take a trade private party with someone who had a vehicle that would give me the $7k or more I needed. Then turn around and trade that vehicle in to a dealer, pay off my current loan, and purchase their car. Stupid? Genius? Any other tips on how to get out of the bind. Note to self and others: DOnt get a rebuilt unless you are FOR SURE never going to sell it. I was not forecasting 5 years down the road when we purchased it...

Buy a house without a spouse?

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:54:41 -0800

Buying a house while married but physically separated -- what are the possible issues? I am physically, but not legally, separated from my spouse and living in our jointly owned home while he rents nearby. He'd like to buy a house and with his income, certainly could do so. We both have excellent credit and no debt except for our current mortgage. He makes more than double what I make and helps with our mortgage knowing that, in five years, I will either sell or owe him the equity in the jointly owned property. There is no chance of reconcilation between us but it is very much an amicable situation. We are staying married, but separated, because his healthcare plan is so excellent and cheap. Can we refinance our current property (the one I'm living in) while simultaneously allowing him to buy a new home on his own while staying married on paper? I need him to re-fi the loan (streamlined VA) because I couldn't qualify with just my income. What are the ramifications/issues for this second property he would be buying? By that I mean would he lose some tax benefit since, on paper, I assume he'd need to declare our current home his primary residence. Would I have to be on the title or could he be the outright sole owner? We'd both be willing to enter into private agreements that would allow for each of us to have our own residence and minimize the tax implications and any unnecessary process/burdens for our spouse.

Just because people are nice to you doesn't mean they have your best interests in mind

davejay — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 22:47:04 -0800

Friend of a friend's mother just passed away, and between the death and the funeral, the mom's sketchy neighbor talked him into selling his car for pennies on the dollar. What now? Let's call him Fred. Long story short: this is in California, the car is worth approximately $13,000 wholesale, and the sketchy neighbor talked Fred into accepting less than 25% of that. The neighbor has possession of the car; Fred may or may not have the money in hand (he's still in shock about his mom, the funeral was today, and he's kind of out of his mind right now), but he has not signed the title over to the neighbor or put anything on paper.

What options do we have in the short term to reverse this unfortunate lapse of judgment on his part? This is his beloved car, and he's obviously being taken advantage of, so when he snaps out of this he's going to be miserable. I'd like to help prevent this if I can, by whatever legal means are available.

Mystery Book Hunt

Miko — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:04:23 -0800

BookFilter: The sketchy detail kind. This is about a young adult novel, available by the early 80s, set among a family of artists or writers in, I think, New York City. Here's all I can remember about the book:

The protagonist was a young woman.
Her father was a writer struggling with writer's block, I think. He might have been a screenwriter, a novelist, a poet...unsure.
The father also drinks, though I can't remember if that's a major plot feature - but at one point the daughter is rolling her eyes to find out he's down at the "local pub!" (I remember this detail because I had not heard the phrase "local pub" before in my life).
She has a best friend who is sympathetic with this situation.
It is probably set in New York and maybe Greenwich Village specifically.
I may have learned the word "bohemian" from this book.
IIRC, the crux of the whole thing is that the girl wishes she were part of a 'normal' family instead of a broke, arty family.

This isn't much to go on...thanks in advance!

Everything is Amazing and The Bestest

whimsicalnymph — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:57:22 -0800

What are other modern fiction titles with superlatives? I'm thinking of "Everything is Illuminated" and "Everything Here is the Best Thing Ever". There seem to be a lot of these right now.

Please help me name a long form sports journalism aggregation site

reenum — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:08:22 -0800

I am thinking of creating a blog that focuses on longform journalism about sports and I need a name. Any ideas? I know Sportsfeat was out there for a few months, and I actually contributed a few sports stories to longform.org before they created that site.

So, I want to create a site where I post links to long form sports journalism.

I am stumped as to a name. Some ideas I had were:

thedeepgame.com
asportingmatter.com

I prefer a .com domain, but if the name is striking enough, a .net or .org is definitely on the table.

Thanks!

Help me remember the title of this pulpy novel about a military nurse named Honor?

phoenixy — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 03:47:58 -0800

Help me remember the title of this genre novel about a military nurse named Honor? So I read this book around 8 years ago, it was some novel that was sort of like a romance but it didn't really have any sex. I think the title was something like "Last Stand of Honor" and it was about a nurse named Honor in some kind of British military context, I'm almost positive some colonial war, and the bad guy was a Depraved Bisexual solider, and the love interest was a soldier as well. I may be mis-remembering some of these details.

(I don't remember the plot or anything, just mostly being upset by the depraved bisexual bit, since it was handled in such a gratuitous way...the villain's bisexuality is only mentioned once, near the end of the book, and is basically just presented as more evidence of his terrible villainy. I want to add the book as an example to the TV Tropes page but I can hardly do that if I don't know the title!)

Can anyone help me remember what book this was?

Possibly Screwed?

black8 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:44:36 -0800

My best friend bought a motorcycle out of state (seller in OR, we're in WA). Seller claimed to have 'misplaced' the title and would send it to friend ASAP. Trusting the guy, my friend didn't even get a Bill of Sale. Two months later, tabs have expired, no title and seller AWOL. I suspect he bought a salvage title bike and since he (facepalm) didn't get a Bill of Sale, he might be out several thousand dollars. Does anyone know of any action my friend can take?

That beautiful room? It's for you.

dlugoczaj — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:53:08 -0800

Name That Story/Author: Latina mother asks husband to build rooms for new babies. The last room--is special. I read this story some years ago and have been thinking about it a lot in light of all the anti-contraception propaganda out there these days. I don't remember if it's fictional or not, and I cannot remember the title or author, but the plotline is quite vivid:

The story is told from the viewpoint of a daughter in a Latina family (not sure what country), and it focuses on her mother. The mother's way of telling her husband that she was pregnant, yet again, was to ask him to build a new room onto the house for its upcoming occupant. Many rooms later, she asks him for a special room, and gives lots of detail (for some reason, I think this room was painted blue but I'm not completely sure of that). When it's finished, the mother asks her husband what he thinks of the room and he says it's very beautiful, and she says, "Good. It's for you."

The narrator casts this as a beautiful example of her mother's unselfish willingness to sacrifice the comfort of her marriage bed for the overall good of the family. As it's told, it is lovely in a way but the more I think about it now, the more horrific it seems, and all the more painful that the poor woman couldn't just use some protection and enjoy her (obviously loving) marriage. I feel like this kind of thing is getting closer and closer to being forced on American women politically, and I'd like to use it as an example.

So--does anyone know the details? A link would be welcome if it's online anywhere; if not, I'll use the library.

Can you help me identify this indie film from the last half of the 90s?

stevil — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 12:28:53 -0800

Can you help me identify this indie film from the last half of the 90s? It was shown repeatedly on either IFC or Sundance in that period. Set in LA, it seems now like a precursor to "mumblecore" films with non-actors poorly recorded with only a bit of a plot. The protagonist was male, shorter, dark-haired, and kind of aggressive in the way he would talk to people; I especially remember he would mostly repeat what other people would say, maybe two or three times, rapidly, with this angry tone. This movie reminds me a bit of Floundering, although that had better production values. They may be associated in my mind only because I encountered them at the same time.

The movie in question was a drama-with-comedy the way The Puffy Chair (as an example) might be; as so many "indie" films are.

I remember a scene on a playground where he talks with a woman, perhaps one he had been half-assedly pursuing, on a swingset.

I remember another scene where he's with his buddy in a convertible classic car, and they drive into a nice area of LA, and are stopped by cops because there's a crime scene up ahead. In this way, it reminds me of Floundering where the disillusionment of the characters is set against of sunlit 90s LA as a sort of social commentary.

44 USC and Federal Photocopiers: Illegal?

Jamesonian — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 03:09:30 -0800

How much in-house print and/or photocopy production can federal offices perform without violating 44 USC § 501? My federal employer plans to begin producing booklets and perfect bound publications in-house using the latest Xerox equipment, but 44 USC § 501 seems very straightforward:

All printing, binding, and blank-book work for Congress, the Executive Office, the Judiciary, other than the Supreme Court of the United States, and every executive department, independent office and establishment of the Government, shall be done at the Government Printing Office, except—
(1) classes of work the Joint Committee on Printing considers to be urgent or necessary to have done elsewhere; and
(2) printing in field printing plants operated by an executive department, independent office or establishment, and the procurement of printing by an executive department, independent office or establishment from allotments for contract field printing, if approved by the Joint Committee on Printing.
Printing or binding may be done at the Government Printing Office only when authorized by law.

If interpreted literally, wouldn't this make all photocopiers in federal offices illegal unless they have a waiver from the JCP? Does photocopy work fall under Title 44? Has the JCP ever issued any such waivers? Is there any government-wide advice on how much in-house production federal offices can perform without violating the law?

What fees will I face to register a title transfer a year late

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:24:53 -0800

I bought about a year ago car in Chicago, Illinois but haven't yet updated the registration info. What penalties could I be facing? I know I'm definitely outside the 'acceptable' date but I am now worried about actually registering the change of ownership if I'm going to have to pay through the nose or face other penalties. I have no tickets or anything and have updated my Chicago sticker so that's at least heartening. The problem is my registration sticker is going to be out of date soon and those tickets are expensive if you get one.

On the title the seller, who's a friend of mine, definitely dated it for a year ago. It's on the documents as the date so I can't fudge it there. The purchase price was $1200 for tax purposes.

What damage am I looking at here?

Can I Negotiate a Job Title?

cccp47 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:53:47 -0800

Is it possible or recommended to try to negotiate job titles? Hello everyone,

In two weeks I am interviewing in person for a new position at a bigger company than my current one. I have direct experience with all of the requirements that they have listed, and already completed a phone interview with them. Everything sounds like a good fit except for one detail: the job title.

My current position is as a "Regulatory Affairs Coordinator," the position I will be interviewing for is a "Quality Technician." In my current organization, Technicians only complete basic routine tasks by following a detailed set of instructions. From the job description and discussion in the phone interview, the new position would be a decision making role with responsibility for designing new processes, coordinating new product launches, ensuring regulatory compliance...basically a lot of independent functions.

To me the job that they are looking to fill is much more along the lines of a "Quality Systems Specialist," and I do not want to have my future resume be affected by what appears to be a step down in responsibility when in fact I would be doing the same work I do now if not more. Am I overthinking things, or is my concern justified? Assuming the in-person interview goes well and salary expectations are in line, could I try to negotiate for a better job title? If so, when would be best to bring such a thing up?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Pink Slip in Limbo? Another craigslist deal gone bad...what should I do?

wavejumper — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 22:59:46 -0800

So I was interested in this old Mercedes posted on craigslist and called the guy. He said it had just been crashed into in his driveway by his cousin and his insurance was "totaling" it; however it was really just cosmetic damage and there was a buyback option. The car would have "salvaged" on the title, but since he was getting paid by the insurance company, he would just let me have the car for whatever the buyback cost was. Called a few days later and he said that cost was $1000 less than the price he had originally advertised the car at, so I figured I might as well go look at it. Read on for the whole story... The most convenient place to meet was at his work, which was ~1 hour drive from where I live.

The guy turned out to be a kid, 20 years old, and he was the general helper / car washer at some kind of somewhat sketchy factory / repair place. His dad, who was a mechanic, kept yelling at him to get back to work, while he was trying to sell it to me. Anyway, it seemed like a reasonable deal for a fixer-upper, certainly the damage (smashed but functioning headlights and smashed grillplate) could be restored for far less than $1000, and it was mechanically sound. The kid talked a good game, and the test drive seemed fine. He didn't have the pink slip on him; it was at his grandma's restaurant, but his dad was heading over there, so his dad picked it up for me and we signed it over along with a homemade bill-of-sale. I paid him cash. However, he told me that because of the insurance deal and salvaging, etc., he was going to receive a new pink slip in the mail and I shouldn't register the car with that old pink slip. He would deliver the new pink slip along with some hubcabs for me when the pink slip arrived in the mail.

At that point his dad was fed up and sent him back to work, it was up to me for some reason to clean out the car of his possessions, which included a gun wrapped in a sheet in the trunk, some old playboy magazines, an incredible number of lip balms of various kinds, and a huge amount of gross trash. Well, I was getting a good deal, so...all right.

Cut to the chase: the kid never sent me the revised pink slip. I called and txted him and turned out his phone number had been canceled by Verizon. It's now been almost a month.

I'm worried that the five day grace period for submitting the pink slip has passed, as well as by some other paperwork I found in the car suggesting that there were other issues between this kid and the DMV.

One other note: about ~1 week in to my ownership of the car, the super-friendly kid turned sour on me when I called and told him my mechanic thought the (new, installed by the kid) starter was defective...I asked him to send along a receipt for it along with the pink slip. The Kid went off on a text-tirade berating my mechanic and bragging about his dad's mechanical achievements and experience, etc. Haven't heard from him since.

I do have his driver's license number and an old address, which I mailed a letter to. No response. I don't think it's the correct address since it's in a different town than where the craigslist ad said he was living. I could also try to track him down at his work or call his workplace. Dad was non-too friendly so I don't know how that would go and am a bit wary for some reason.

Should I: a) attempt to wade into the California DMV registration process with a somewhat deficient certificate of title, b) track the guy down at work and ask him what's up, or c) some other option?

How do I stop WinAmp from displaying the song title in the Visualizations window?

Trurl — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:02:08 -0800

How do I stop WinAmp from displaying the song title in the Visualizations window?

Book title search, Part Nthing

angiep — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:39:54 -0800

Please remember this historical novel title for me. I'm sure it's been at least 15 years since I read a novel about a stonemason's apprentice. The master mason marked his buildings with the letter "H". It takes place somewhere in medieval England, I think. I don't think it's Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. I have a vague recollection that there's a mystery involved in which the mason's mark is some sort of clue, and something about "white stone". I'm aware that this is a long shot, but MeFites (other than me) have awesome powers of recall.

What do you call the head of a regional office in Europe.

Disco Moo — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:21:15 -0800

What is an appropriate title for the overall manager of a regional office in Europe (Switzerland)? Currently this person is called "Operations Manager" however the argument is that this is more of a title for someone running a manufacturing line rather than the head of an office who would be interacting with clients and representing herself as the overall head of the office.

UK standard titles are fine as this will be in English, the person suggested Managing Director but this obviously a no-go.