Ask MetaFilter

Anyone ever break a rib? How painful is that, exactly? [more inside]
posted by Hat Maui at 11:20 PM PST - 29 comments

Who decided that the Portuguese explorer named Fernao de Magalhaes was to be known as Ferdinand Magellan? [more inside]
posted by vacapinta at 9:47 PM PST - 13 comments

How can my girlfriend and I work past an aversion or barrier to intimacy that has come up in our relationship? [more inside]
posted by aussicht at 9:14 PM PST - 19 comments

Recipe RSS feeds: where are the good ones? [more inside]
posted by Hackworth at 8:55 PM PST - 3 comments

I just got a new job in Manhattan, and while I've visited several times, I understand I don't have a great grasp on what it's like to live there. Yet. (And of course, may end up living in another borough after a certain period of time.) Can you NYC MeFites give a Virginian some assimilation advice?
posted by secret about box at 8:14 PM PST - 52 comments

Does anyone know why every funeral home I see has a sign with a clock and weather info on it? I was curious about this after noticing it during a cross country drive in Canada. Is there some history or tradition to this?
posted by bryce.clarke at 8:11 PM PST - 17 comments

A few years ago I got a yen to rent "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins". It was the middle of the day and the middle of the week, and the Blockbuster was empty. I was at the cash paying for the movie when someone else walked in and asked the cashier: "Do you guys have Remo Williams?" What are the chances of such a coincidence happening? [more inside]
posted by notcostello at 8:09 PM PST - 37 comments

Someone told me that there was a 9 in 10 chance of getting shot if one is held up at gunpoint. Is this true? [more inside]
posted by spiderskull at 8:03 PM PST - 26 comments

What is the cheapest and quickest way to get a copy of my birth certificate? [more inside]
posted by gaelenh at 7:50 PM PST - 16 comments

2 year old AirPort Extreme Base Station is haunted. It keeps dropping our connection to the internet. Computers show in Network Preferences as having an IP and being connected to the internet. This happens every 15-30 minutes. [more inside]
posted by will at 7:45 PM PST - 6 comments

I would like recommendations for good places to buy high quality artificial flowers. Online stores or places in NYC. Money little object as long as they look good. [more inside]
posted by gaspode at 7:43 PM PST - 6 comments

Anyone ever had a tachycardia? I'm in a brunch line, not stressed, not active, just standing there talking. My heart rate shoots up. My dad, a doc, is with me. Says my pulse is 150 bpm. It gradually decreases over the next 15 minutes. The doc today says it's weird for a tachycardia to lead to a pulse shooting up so high. I'm scheduled to wear a halter monitor for a day, but outside that, he says there's not much that can be done. Why do these occur, and how do I keep them from occurring again? Also, if I have lots of stress in my life (just finished a PhD, new very high stress job), can it cause my pulse to race at a time when I am not stressed? Any stories, experiences, information is appreciated. (About me: 35, female, in good health, not overweight, yet not athletic).
posted by abbyladybug at 7:01 PM PST - 25 comments

I'm interested in tracing my family tree. I've toyed around on genealogy.com before, but the sheer volume of information is staggering... and a bit off-putting for a novice like me. Is there a good, reputable, online service that will wade through the garbage and provide you with a well-researched analysis of your lineage? [more inside]
posted by bjork24 at 6:24 PM PST - 11 comments

Windows XP help needed! I suddenly can't copy photos onto my laptop. I'm getting a weird error... [more inside]
posted by kdern at 5:32 PM PST - 11 comments

Download limit question: If I can only download 20gb of data a month, whats the best (free) windows software for measuring and analysing all traffic coming in (and out) of my internet connection? Thanks...
posted by kev23f at 5:31 PM PST - 6 comments

Is there a way to use my microphone input as a headphone output on a Dell laptop running Windows XP? [more inside]
posted by pissfactory at 5:05 PM PST - 3 comments

Java Problems: The distance learning course I'm taking is broken. [more inside]
posted by atchafalaya at 4:37 PM PST - 5 comments

I just got a laptop computer. It's ugly. Can I paint it? [more inside]
posted by cilantro at 2:53 PM PST - 13 comments

My friend's (strictly indoor) cat recently died of poisoning. Potential causes? [more inside]
posted by unknowncommand at 2:48 PM PST - 14 comments

Help me write an amazing ad for my used car to sell it really, really fast - I'm moving abroad in two weeks. Lots of questions. [more inside]
posted by mdonley at 2:19 PM PST - 12 comments

Which HDV Hi-Def Camera should I buy? Looking at either the new JVC GY-HD100U (which shoots 720p) or the Sony HVR-Z1U (which shoots 1080i), both also shoot standard DV. I will be using the camera for business reasons...training videos, interviews, maybe a wedding or two. Basically I guess it comes down to 720p or 1080i. [more inside]
posted by UMDirector at 2:05 PM PST - 5 comments

Suppose I wanted to get a grasp of modern philosophy. What books should I read? [more inside]
posted by delmoi at 2:01 PM PST - 37 comments

Anyone have info on Ramouz? Ramuz? W. G. Sebald writes of someone studying "Ramuz" in Rings of Saturn. I've found books by every other writer mentioned in R.O.S. but this one. Then today, I'm reading Raymond Carver, and he has a poem about a Hamid Ramouz, "soldier, scholar, desert explorer". . . I'm wondering if this is the same guy, and does anyone have info on him, as i can find none in my initial research. TIA, ScottR
posted by scottr at 1:53 PM PST - 2 comments

Whose side would you choose to be on in the American Revolution? Assume that you are a person of the times and not a time traveler carrying 21st century views on race and society in your baggage. Assume that your focus is on your immediate world and your information does not have the completion that you are familiar with from history. This question comes up from time to time in conversation and I am still on the fence as to which way I would fall. The Unknown American Revolution by Gary B. Nash is a good (and the only) history that I have found that discusses this question. Nash also shows that the Red State/Blue State thought divide has been with us from the beginning. Any other books/texts out there where this is discussed?
posted by Raybun at 1:37 PM PST - 32 comments

Any tips, books, exercises on learning how to paint with oils? [more inside]
posted by j at 1:35 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm 23 and I have more acne than I ever did in high school. This is a general problem, but I've also got a (first) date on Thursday--got any miracles? [more inside]
posted by CiaoMela at 1:34 PM PST - 53 comments

What are some recommendations for SF stories/books that deal with the end of the universe (or lack thereof)? [more inside]
posted by gilgamesh at 1:34 PM PST - 17 comments

GeekFilter: I want to strip all HTML tags from a page of text, leaving plain text. I have Text Wrangler and OS X.4. I thought it would be easy… [more inside]
posted by al_fresco at 1:31 PM PST - 17 comments

Windows XP Remote Desktop. I know there are many info on this, but I really need simple version for my brain to compute. [more inside]
posted by curiousleo at 10:55 AM PST - 14 comments

How do I initiate and sustain a conversation with people who are (almost) strangers? [more inside]
posted by porktrap at 10:55 AM PST - 11 comments

FloodOutTheLittleGuyFilter: This is on the behalf of a friend of mine. His parents own a small business in a small town in New York. A few weeks back there were heavy rainstorms and flooding in the area. The town decided to direct the floodwaters away from from the new Wal-Mart--and it ended up in the shopping center where the business is located. Now they're under over three feet of water, everything's ruined, and they didn't have flood insurance. Half of the stores in the center have dropped out of the lawsuit they were preparing against the town. What now? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:54 AM PST - 7 comments

The little triangles and squares used to identify control buttons on media players, both analog and digital; What are they called and on what product did they first appear? Would you call them tape-control glyphs? That's what I'd call 'em. But my google-fu is fruitless. You know - two right facing triangles means fast forward >>, a broken box means pause, etc.
posted by bendybendy at 10:39 AM PST - 10 comments

For those who've seen The Grudge (Ju-on) and The Ring (Ringu), do you know if there is any significance to the visual similarity between "The Evil" in both films? (SPOILERS inside) [more inside]
posted by xyzzy at 10:31 AM PST - 7 comments

Lately I've been fascinated by "smart" songs: songs with witty, intelligent lyrics, especially if the lyrics are literary. Can you recommend more music of this sort? [samples inside] [more inside]
posted by jdroth at 10:24 AM PST - 100 comments

Favourite scenes from B-movie monster flicks? I've been asked to make a game... [more inside]
posted by Yogurt at 10:20 AM PST - 16 comments

How do I get swish-e to index the contents of a specific HTML tag (not a meta tag)? [more inside]
posted by expialidocious at 10:19 AM PST - 1 comment

I really like novels written in a squirrely first person voice such as Vernon God Little, Jernigan, and even Poe's Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. Any recommendations?
posted by xmutex at 10:00 AM PST - 16 comments

Help me learn Chinese! [more inside]
posted by jplank at 9:58 AM PST - 11 comments

PropertyAbroadFilter: I'm from the UK, I live in the US, I want to buy in France. My idea is slightly crackpot... [more inside]
posted by forallmankind at 9:53 AM PST - 6 comments

New Yorkers: Did anyone figure out what that smell was?
posted by .kobayashi. at 9:26 AM PST - 22 comments

Any advice on how to mentally dissociate two conflicting concepts, in self? [more inside]
posted by vanoakenfold at 8:51 AM PST - 37 comments

I need a way to keep track of small bits of information. This pertains to BOTH my virtual world and “meatspace.” Here is a typical scenario that explains what I mean. I am an I.T. Manager and sit at a desk for many hours throughout a day. However, I also walk around a moderate sized manufacturing plant as well as a remote plant frequently. Many times in my travels people stop me and ask for things or give me information, “Hey, my printer’s not working…” I say I’ll get back to them but then end up forgetting by the time I get back to my desk. Little pieces of paper get bunched and mangled into my pocket so that hasn't worked well. Small notebooks get left behind, or I forget to take them with me when I go make my rounds. I have written notes on the side of my hand…and that works great, but I don’t want to have to write notes on the side of my hand! I have tried using an IPAQ thinking it would allow me to hand write my notes and then sync them with my pc but the perceived fragility of that thing made me not want to use it and risk breaking it ($$$). I ended up selling it. I liked that idea…just wasn’t cost practical. What has worked best has been a combination of many Post-its scattered about my desk looking like a big salad along with a notepad for those other occasions when I need more space than a Post-it. Then I email myself at home or back to work with information that will carry me between both places. This works but it is far from perfect and does not cover making rounds. Ideally, I would like to find a way to merge both worlds so that I can have the portability of the paper solution and the technology to merge the two …but obviously in a practical way. Thought of using a voice recorder but again, I am concerned about the cost/fragility ratio unless it was small and maybe wearable…plus, speaking into a small device would make me feel awkward with a bunch of manufacturing gorillaz looking at me. I am definitely willing to sacrifice technology to achieve my objective as the need to track this information is more important than my desire to play with toys. I would use a paper-based solution if I could keep track of all the confetti (which is basically what I am doing). Is there something out there that you guys use that works?
posted by SparkyPine at 8:48 AM PST - 23 comments

My friend got a letter from the cable company accusing her of violating the DMCA. The alleged offense is downloading some sort of fighting game. Thing is, my friend is a near retirement, middle-aged woman who lives alone and has no interest in games and doesn't download anything. What is the proper way to respond? Links please.
posted by KrustyKlingon at 8:25 AM PST - 16 comments

How should I arrange my living room? [more inside]
posted by jca at 8:16 AM PST - 18 comments

Can someone give me a quick dump on the various offerings for auto-play pianos -- including Disklavier, PianoDisc, Pianomation, Pianocorder. Are they worth the investment? Is this a cop out for "real" playing? How is the sound? [more inside]
posted by terrier319 at 8:09 AM PST - 2 comments

What are my options for installing a home security system? [more inside]
posted by DCTapeworm at 7:43 AM PST - 10 comments

Linux or Solaris? [more inside]
posted by IshmaelGraves at 7:35 AM PST - 16 comments

Are PSP games ever going to be fun? [more inside]
posted by ejoey at 7:29 AM PST - 17 comments

Please ID this SI-FI novel [more inside]
posted by jeffr062 at 6:48 AM PST - 7 comments

Where and how do we throw the mother of all New Year's Eve bashes ... in Baton Rouge ... on New Year's Eve? [more inside]
posted by kuperman at 6:10 AM PST - 9 comments

Is TIVO dying? I was about to buy a Tivo Box (I have DVR from Time Warner and it sucks) when a friend of mine mentioned that he heard that Direct TV was dropping Tivo and hinted that the company (tivo) was hemorrhaging money. I am a little concerned that I may buy a box and service that won't exist in 6 months... Has anyone else heard anything on this?
posted by keep it tight at 5:30 AM PST - 24 comments

How come every time i download or open an mpeg from a website it opens up in a small quicktime screen on another page? I want it to be downloaded and opened using windows media player? Only started happening since i bought a new computer!
posted by indio1919 at 5:06 AM PST - 2 comments

Is it possible to get Daily Del.icio.us posting to my Livejournal? [more inside]
posted by joshuaconner at 3:12 AM PST - 7 comments

Good (perhaps even great) recent horror-related novels? [more inside]
posted by jimmy at 3:09 AM PST - 19 comments

Suggestions for Birthday Dinner restaurant in SF? I'm planning on inviting a whole bunch of my friends to dinner for my birthday next weekend and I was hoping to get some suggestions of good places where I could host a gaggle of 20-odd (or 20 odd?) folks. [more inside]
posted by ooga_booga at 1:00 AM PST - 12 comments

AtronomyFilter involving the Sun, Shadows and a *SPOILER* from "National Treasure". [more inside]
posted by RavinDave at 12:28 AM PST - 14 comments

Is there a script or a screenplay for Election that isn't the Third Draft that is floating around? It could be free or for purchase -- anything that is correct. Something official would be best, but even a finalized version would be workable. [more inside]
posted by barnone at 5:40 PM PST - 5 comments

Yet another font identification question. Kinda. Please come inside if you know anything about Scotch Roman. [more inside]
posted by Leon at 5:19 PM PST - 5 comments

What kind of wireless network is this? [more inside]
posted by Finder at 5:16 PM PST - 5 comments

Recently I found out that my 10th grade flame is not only doing well, but has ditched a potential husband and come out. She looks great. I wouldn't think anything of it, except that my first true love and the first girl I ever kissed also decided they were gay after seeing me. What're the odds? Am I recruiting for the other team? [more inside]
posted by anthill at 5:09 PM PST - 28 comments

Where in my local government (U.S.) should I be applying pressure to enforce noise ordinance laws? [more inside]
posted by rolypolyman at 3:55 PM PST - 15 comments

What are some good ideas for inexpensive alternatives to candy for Halloween? [more inside]
posted by Eideteker at 3:06 PM PST - 44 comments

I'm looking for a show that was on the kid's channel nickelodeon in the mid to late 80's. [more inside]
posted by punch_the_mayor at 3:03 PM PST - 5 comments

Besides Japan and Iraq, what other countries have constitutions that were drafted either by or under the direction or assistance of the U.S. (or allied occupation made up of at least the U.S.)? [more inside]
posted by sublivious at 2:46 PM PST - 13 comments

Help me understand classical music, if that makes sense. [more inside]
posted by ontic at 2:37 PM PST - 38 comments

Where can I get a custom rubber stamp made cheaply (<$30US), within 2 weeks, from artwork I provide...over the Internet? [more inside]
posted by griffey at 2:36 PM PST - 7 comments

I am looking for an armband to use at the gym that will hold an Ipod Nano, a car key and my ID. [more inside]
posted by KenFox at 2:17 PM PST - 6 comments

Is non-harmful, restful sleep possible in only 4.5 hours a night? [more inside]
posted by esd at 1:47 PM PST - 28 comments

Is there a particularly good mail-in photo processing company that you can recommend? Or how about a good place in Philly? [more inside]
posted by The Michael The at 1:43 PM PST - 11 comments

I seem to remember a book from when I was a wee lad, called "The Dark Green Tunnel", or so I believe. Any help finding it? [more inside]
posted by deadmouse at 1:34 PM PST - 4 comments

Truth in (political) advertising... [more inside]
posted by Rothko at 1:23 PM PST - 5 comments

Will a 240 VAC panini grill work on 110 VAC? [more inside]
posted by randomstriker at 12:59 PM PST - 15 comments

Are there any groups in the UK campaigning to change the laws on self-defense and weapon ownership? [more inside]
posted by lunkfish at 12:12 PM PST - 25 comments

Someone tells me if this is real! [more inside]
posted by zouhair at 11:59 AM PST - 10 comments

question about the legality of ebay auctions.... [more inside]
posted by airnxtz at 9:00 AM PST - 18 comments

What are these ornamental curlicues called and where can I find more that are free? [more inside]
posted by GeneticFreek at 8:51 AM PST - 8 comments

I am a Windows administrator who is trying to learn how to configure a Linux server. What would be most helpful to me at this point is a reference that walks me through the process of configuring major server rolls, preferably comparing and contrasting the process to doing the same on a windows server. [more inside]
posted by worstkidever at 7:43 AM PST - 8 comments

Anybody have a place to get cool threads on the net? [more inside]
posted by GooseOnTheLoose at 6:32 AM PST - 14 comments

Should I buy a no frost freezer? [more inside]
posted by davar at 5:46 AM PST - 11 comments

Is conjunctivitis worth getting worked up over? [more inside]
posted by Danelope at 4:20 AM PST - 25 comments

Help! How do I replace a broken car key? I have no spare. My car is a 1991 Nissan Maxima. [more inside]
posted by geonags at 10:27 PM PST - 17 comments

Phantom e-mail: I keep getting e-mail messages that don't appear to be from anyone at all. No sender, no recipient, no subject. [more inside]
posted by emelenjr at 9:51 PM PST - 18 comments

Was Edison's original light bulb really designed to never run out? [more inside]
posted by sjvilla79 at 9:24 PM PST - 14 comments

Moving to the SF Bay area for work and I've been talking with an old college friend about potentially sharing a place (he's living there already). Wondering if anyone knows how to locate rental properties that would offer us a degree of privacy in our living arrangements, while still letting us share utilities and other costs? [more inside]
posted by idontlikewords at 9:07 PM PST - 7 comments

Ive had some problems with mould killing my house plants so Id like to sterilize the dirt from an old pot before i plant some thing new. Can I just bake the dirt or will that hurt the nutrients/good microbes? Other ways to sterilize dirt? [more inside]
posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 8:22 PM PST - 10 comments

Empirically speaking - Who are the most popular musical artists of the modern era (e.g., since 1955)? [more inside]
posted by crapples at 8:12 PM PST - 28 comments

A sudden increase in spam making it past my email client's filters. I'm on a Mac using "Mail" for my email program. Up until three days ago, my junk filter caught all but a couple of spam emails. Now, for some reason, about ten times more spam emails seem to be making it past my filters. Any ideas why this is or how I can get back to a better signal-to-noise ratio?
posted by sharksandwich at 7:37 PM PST - 15 comments

Mefi astronomers: From San Diego, CA, I can see a very bright object in the lower Southwestern sky. Is this a planet? It is the brightest object in the sky and almost imperceptibly moving west along a plane. Note the time 7:06 pm PDT. [more inside]
posted by snsranch at 7:10 PM PST - 23 comments

Anti-Viral Kleenex: am I putting pesticide in my nose? [more inside]
posted by fuzzy_wuzzy at 7:03 PM PST - 9 comments

What's meant by, and/or where to get 'em: Steel-Rimmed Glasses. I see them mentioned in older books -- a usual reference is, frames issued to GIs during WWII. [more inside]
posted by Rash at 6:50 PM PST - 5 comments

Spilled polyurethane wood stain on my brick walkway - is it doomed? [more inside]
posted by tristeza at 6:45 PM PST - 8 comments

I am curious about the meaning of an image listed as one of the Top 40 magazine covers of the past 40 years . Specifically, what was the meaning behind magazine cover #37, which is a Wired from June 1997 with an Apple Computer logo wrapped in what appears to be barbed wire, along with the word "Pray." What does the barbed wire signify? Why are we being told to "pray." ? [more inside]
posted by crazyray at 6:16 PM PST - 20 comments

Chicagoans/Chicagophiles I need your help: an Italian Beef Sandwich recipe! [more inside]
posted by MarvinTheCat at 5:28 PM PST - 4 comments

anyway to mute background audio in flash video? [more inside]
posted by grafholic at 4:32 PM PST - 1 comment

Does anyone know of any good articles or essays regarding 'making of' documentaries or non-fiction films about filmmaking? [more inside]
posted by feelinglistless at 4:06 PM PST - 14 comments

Help me jazz up poker night! I need a casino background sound loop for poker night. [more inside]
posted by cptnrandy at 3:52 PM PST - 7 comments

Need source for plotter paper with recycled content. The biggest cause of paper waste in my office are the 24"x36" (and larger) plots that we use for design work. I've checked with our usual suppliers and even wrote www.treecycle.com, but can't find anything. I would think with all the LEED work and general interest in sustainable design this would be easy to find. Anyone have sources? [more inside]
posted by donp17 at 3:39 PM PST - 1 comment

LostWalletFilter: I was at a bar last night and left my wallet on a table in a fit of brilliance. I went back to the bar this morning and got it back, but a few things are missing. Should I worry or take any preventative action? [more inside]
posted by adamk at 3:28 PM PST - 13 comments

Need spooky Halloween sound effects for party tonight. Help! [more inside]
posted by donovan at 2:32 PM PST - 6 comments

Something has been nibbling on the window sashes in my attic. Do you know what it is?
posted by alms at 2:25 PM PST - 16 comments

someone knows where to find this videoclip that was posted on mefi once? [more inside]
posted by bokononito at 2:04 PM PST - 3 comments

Does this device exist, and if not, how can I modify cheap consumer digicams to create it: A cheap portable digicam that will endlessly record video to some kind of small memory buffer, say enough memory for 1 minute of video, such that I could leave it running for days on the off-chance of it recording something interesting, and when something interesting happened, I just press a "Stop Recording" button, and the last 60 seconds of video are sitting in memory. [more inside]
posted by -harlequin- at 1:56 PM PST - 13 comments

What kind of potentiometer do I need? Electronics and electrical math confuse the hell out of me, so I'm just going to lay it all out. [more inside]
posted by cloeburner at 1:54 PM PST - 7 comments

Creepiest / most double - entendre laden Rock n' Roll era love songs? I've been listening to a lot of XM radio lately, and it's re-ignited my love for 50's and early 60's pop, especially the significant minority of songs that are hauntingly creepy or surprisingly explicit... [more inside]
posted by crabintheocean at 1:33 PM PST - 35 comments

What is the strongest glue I can buy that is safe for my nails? [more inside]
posted by skjønn at 1:13 PM PST - 7 comments

Where might I find a high resolution version of this photograph?
posted by basicchannel at 12:55 PM PST - 6 comments

Speaking of iTunes. Has anyone found a way to circumvent the '5 users/day" sharing policy of iTunes 6? [more inside]
posted by allen.spaulding at 12:50 PM PST - 5 comments

iPodFilter: Some songs on my iPod are not being played until the end. I did an extensive Google search and found lots of relevant solutions, but I already did half of them and some others seem strange. I'm now looking at the things I haven't tried yet, and have some specific questions. [more inside]
posted by easternblot at 11:53 AM PST - 13 comments

There is an old piece of music called "Little Ballerina Blue" that Art Bell (of all people) used to play on his show years ago. It was a simple piano piece - but really nice. I once had a copy that he had posted on his website in the late nineties, but lost it, and have not been able to find it anywhere since. [more inside]
posted by Independent Scholarship at 11:42 AM PST - 2 comments

Does anyone know of a way to be let back into AdSense after being banned? Thanks. [more inside]
posted by ac at 11:42 AM PST - 7 comments

Help me pick some plants to go in a window box. [more inside]
posted by greycap at 10:54 AM PST - 8 comments

MTV2's "Top 50 Student Union Anthems" -- where's the playlist? [more inside]
posted by Turtle at 10:24 AM PST - 3 comments

The large majority of hits to my food website come from Google and about three weeks ago I became unGoogleable. I was told that when Google was doing its indexing my server was down and it missed me---that it should right itself soon. But it's been three weeks and my traffic is rapidly dropping. What can I do?
posted by adrober at 10:23 AM PST - 9 comments

I have 2 weeks left to write a pre-production document. But I cant get motivated. I don't feel I know what I'm doing. I'm always tired. Always have more interesting things to do. Help me get motivated. [more inside]
posted by lemonfridge at 10:19 AM PST - 5 comments

Put on your movie sleuthing hats on, I'm being itched by a movie I saw some time ago and want to ID it and scratch that itch once and for all. [more inside]
posted by stavx at 10:04 AM PST - 5 comments

I've been happy with my IBM Thinkpad T21, but I want CD-RW, DVD and something shiny & new. I'm looking at an IBM TPad R40 model 2681 - Celeron 2.0GHz RAM256 HD40G CD-RW/DVD + 802.11B Wifi from a reliable online vendor. US 575. Will I regret the Celeron as opposed to PIII? [more inside]
posted by theora55 at 9:34 AM PST - 14 comments

I just lost a month's worth of journal entries in a locally saved plaintext file. Is there any way to get them back? [more inside]
posted by skoosh at 8:02 AM PST - 11 comments

Travel advice requested - Kerala, India [more inside]
posted by juniorbonner at 4:16 AM PST - 12 comments

Can I use a SodaStream to make my own sparkling mineral water, such as San Pellegrino? or would this be soda water instead? Here in Australia there is a difference. We prefer mineral to soda and would like to save money by making our own if it's possible.
posted by mule at 1:57 AM PST - 17 comments

I'm trying to track down information about an incident where a murder victim's body was disposed of in an industrial crucible. [more inside]
posted by Lazlo at 12:23 AM PST - 13 comments

I moved out of a shared house into an apartment, everything is great except for my cat. He was an indoor/outdoor cat (we had a doggie door), but now I live in the city, and he can't run free. I'm looking for some way to keep him in close proximity of my apartment should he jump down from the balcony like he did today. [more inside]
posted by hatsix at 11:10 PM PST - 8 comments

ChessFilter: is it possible to tell someone's ethnic background by the way they play chess? [more inside]
posted by Quietgal at 9:30 PM PST - 16 comments

Help make my DVD burner burn. [more inside]
posted by geekyguy at 8:57 PM PST - 9 comments

My close friends are about to finalize their adoption of a baby from Saratov, Russia. The baby has spent some time in an orphanage in Saratov, and I think a nice gift for him would be a CD of songs that might have been sung to him during his infancy. Can anyone recommend a good source for Russian children's music?
posted by nixxon at 8:53 PM PST - 6 comments

Experiences with acupuncture for your doggie, in particular an older companion with arthritis? [more inside]
posted by vito90 at 8:23 PM PST - 11 comments

A work friend is going nuts trying to finish a website and is stuck on a javascript popup menu problem. Characters look different when he uploads them to his server. Help? [more inside]
posted by ig at 8:09 PM PST - 12 comments

So, on Tuesday, the Red Cross is deploying me to the gulf coast for three weeks to assist in their ongoing hurricane relief efforts there. What should I bring with me? [more inside]
posted by dersins at 6:37 PM PST - 3 comments

Besides The Da Vinci code, are there any other fiction books that the Vatican has condemned?
posted by my sock puppet account at 5:44 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm considering what to do with myself next summer (I know it's a long way off), and have hit upon the rather vague idea of working as a counselor at an Arts/Music Camp of some type, in America. I like in the UK and there isn't quite the same tradition of Summer Camp. How do I go about finding somewhere I'd like to work and finding out if they'd like me? [more inside]
posted by Lotto at 5:33 PM PST - 10 comments

How do I make a fake bone? I want it to protrude from my pants leg for a costume and am trying to figure out what materials to use to quickly and easily make one. Advice?
posted by smartypanties at 5:11 PM PST - 16 comments

I was messing around with nlite and ended up making some sort of change to my computer that I just can't figure out. All is basically well except for one thing--- Every time I boot the computer the first menu says something like "Press 'R' for Standard System Recovery Options " and then Press 'F' for reformmting the drive and Q to quit if i hit R i go to the recovery utility HAVEN'T tried F for obvious reasons and Q seems to read the boot ini file. when i hit Q, my normal boot process works and All is OK. However all subsequent reboots give me that same R, F and Q menu and I'd like to get back to just booting in to Windows. Can anyone offer some advice as to how to tell the computer that all is well? i wouldn't want a family member to reboot the computer and select the wrong option. I'm running Windows XP MCE.
posted by swisscheez at 3:59 PM PST - 7 comments

Questions about pay-per-download music. Google generates much noise on the subject as I'm primarily interested in the technology of the delivery. [more inside]
posted by TiredStarling at 3:52 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm looking to add a very basic ASP 'support' forum for an industrial site. Natuarally, this is on a shoestring budget, and I'd prefer not to write it myself. I'm hoping that there is a basic forum implementation that I can adapt. The hosting of the site presents all sorts of 'fun' requirements. [more inside]
posted by adamkempa at 2:33 PM PST - 2 comments

This is for a writing project: in layman's terms, what are The Big Questions? Examples: Is there a God? Does free will exist? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee at 2:28 PM PST - 53 comments

What's the name / URL of the site where you could track the worldline of a book? I remember that you could put a sticker in a book with an identifying ID, and the next person to find/buy it would go online and read the book's past history and add a new entry. Ring any bells?
posted by signal at 2:26 PM PST - 8 comments

Can anyone find a larger version of this photo?
posted by gummo at 1:24 PM PST - 7 comments

Somewhat of a pointless question, how come Ashlee Simpson still gets media attention? She's not paticularly attractive, nor can she sing. To top it all off she was blatantly caught lipsyncing on SNL, yet she's scheduled (I believe to be on it again, or was on it a short while ago). Are differing media companies that well-connected? [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 1:20 PM PST - 46 comments

how do i deal with conversation topics i don't care about? [more inside]
posted by spiderwire at 1:19 PM PST - 33 comments

computer repair: I have an old Mac G4 Titanium laptop (first generation I think) with a broken mouse button that I would like to repair myself or have repaired cheaply. [more inside]
posted by slogger at 12:47 PM PST - 9 comments

There is a vintage game called "Cosmos Osmos" for the old Mac OS and would be loaded with several floppy disc's. I have searched all over the web (including mac garden and googleing) and have been unable to find ANYTHING regarding the game. It was surely at least 15 years ago from when I owned the game and was when Mac's owned the computer world. Help find information or even the game.
posted by supyo at 12:43 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm interested in learning more about GIS. I took a few one hour classes using ArcGIS at the university where I attend (Cornell), but the available GIS classes are mounds of work and don't fit into my schedule. Are there any good resources that i could find on the net to self-teach myself? And for that matter, any GIS programs that aren't as expensive?
posted by jare2003 at 12:13 PM PST - 10 comments

Help me be a better boss? [more inside]
posted by brautigan at 12:09 PM PST - 19 comments

Anybody know of a link to a good "Plamegate for beginners" article that I could send to someone who really wasn't paying attention until today?
posted by tizzie at 11:51 AM PST - 16 comments

I've just purchased 4 sticks of PNY 512MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz RAM (2GB). Where can I find a Dell server that will accept this RAM? I don't mind used computers and I'd like to keep it under $500. Finding which RAM to put in a given machine is easy. But I'm struggling with finding all the machines that will accept my RAM. I prefer Dell but some other server with nice case design (tool-less entry, etc) would be considered. Pentium or AMD please.
posted by phildog at 11:47 AM PST - 12 comments

I'm fed up with my Treo 650 crashing all the damn time. Please recommend for me a new RELIABLE phone/device I can sync with Mac OS X that will hold my contacts, email and let me take notes; and also work on Cingular, so I don't have to break my 2-year contract. Bluetooth is a major plus. Web browsing is nice, but not necessary. Please show your work.
posted by mboszko at 11:34 AM PST - 26 comments

I have been PWNZORED by Russian spammers! [more inside]
posted by thirteen at 11:32 AM PST - 7 comments

SaveMeMoneyFilter: What are your best ways of cutting costs/saving money but still maintaining the lifestyle you love? [more inside]
posted by roundrock at 10:47 AM PST - 48 comments

Why is the polling question framed "Headed in the right direction" versus "On the wrong track?" [more inside]
posted by Triode at 10:43 AM PST - 8 comments

Halloween wigs: tips on styling? [more inside]
posted by MrZero at 10:27 AM PST - 3 comments

How come iTunes downloads purchased songs in 128 kbps...? [more inside]
posted by docpops at 10:09 AM PST - 26 comments

Windows utility that fakes right-click when you left-click-and-hold? [more inside]
posted by kindall at 10:08 AM PST - 8 comments

Scooting in San Francisco: Looking for good dealers, sources for used scooters (other than craigslist), info on licensing/parking issues, and general advice on scooting in hilly SF. [more inside]
posted by nyterrant at 9:27 AM PST - 12 comments

How do I get people to purchase my chocolate bars? [more inside]
posted by viewofdelft at 9:20 AM PST - 12 comments

How can we clone 100 hard drives with a normal PC? [more inside]
posted by jlstitt at 8:54 AM PST - 11 comments

I bought a house recently and my first utilities bill was $230 (!). Most of the cost was water, and the folks at city hall wondered if it was a toilet leak, but I haven't heard or seen evidence of this. Any ideas? Anyone had to inspect a house for leaks? [more inside]
posted by hall of robots at 8:53 AM PST - 9 comments

I wish to have metal bars, rods and plates cut, bent, welded, ground, and painted for a Burning-Man-esque outdoor shedlike functional art piece slash Christmas present. I have rough schematics but no skills. In your personal direct experience in the Southern California area, who and/or what company is best at this sort of one-off work for semi-knowledgeable artistic individuals? [more inside]
posted by felix at 8:46 AM PST - 5 comments

Should navigation (and sub-navigation) on web sites be alphabetized or structured in order of importance? [more inside]
posted by AmericnJewl at 8:29 AM PST - 6 comments

New Relationship, Last minute Mediterranean cruise: Non-tourist ideas? [more inside]
posted by vaportrail at 8:27 AM PST - 16 comments

I have business in Toronto next week and I'd like to avoid staying in a big shiny Hya-Marri-Omni. A location within walking distance to 33 Villiers Street (M5A 1A9) is a definite plus but not necessary. Price range: ca. 200 USD per night.
posted by vetiver at 8:16 AM PST - 10 comments

Looking for recommendations for an Ethiopian/Eritrean/North African cookbook. [more inside]
posted by fuzzbean at 8:03 AM PST - 7 comments

P2PFilter: Is there a way, using Limewire for preference, to see my friends shared music folder? [more inside]
posted by dash_slot- at 7:56 AM PST - 7 comments

Clearing the drop-downish menu that appears when trying to set IE homepage? [more inside]
posted by Kwantsar at 7:23 AM PST - 11 comments

Why do many Asian restaurants and markets have a number in their names, for example, Pho 24 or Bankok 54? [more inside]
posted by Morrigan at 6:39 AM PST - 36 comments

I have a crush on my TA. Is it appropriate for me to ask her out? [more inside]
posted by patgas at 6:20 AM PST - 57 comments

Can giving up a younger (dominant) dog help to mellow out our older (skittish, clingy) dog? [more inside]
posted by AgentRocket at 5:56 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm looking for book titles that are phrased as questions. Ex: Are you my mother?
posted by moooshy at 5:41 AM PST - 45 comments

I have three 160 gig hard drives full of Apple Lossless music that I've ripped from my CDs. I want to keep these drives backed up, obviously. Is the most cost effective route to just buy a 500 gig (or ideally, one TB) drive for this purpose? Are there enclosures that hold multiple hard drives that would be appropriate (and cost effective) for this use? With the deals out there, it seems cheaper to buy more 160s than a 500 gig. I'm on a Mac G5.
posted by thewiseacre at 5:34 AM PST - 15 comments

When I play movie files in Firefox --qt, Windows Media, whatever--it will often play for a minute or so just fine, and then suddenly the screen goes green, thought the audio will still continue to play. I have to reboot to solve it but it always crops up again eventually. Anyone know why this is and what I can do about it?
posted by zardoz at 4:05 AM PST - 7 comments

My significant other is a radiographer and she is looking for an anatomy book which she can read just in case she gets a MRI-postition where she works. If she gets it the position she needs to take a MRI-course and is therefore looking for a anatomy book which suits MRI. [more inside]
posted by Grums at 2:38 AM PST - 5 comments

I need a (non-training) DVD of dogs... [more inside]
posted by PenDevil at 1:31 AM PST - 10 comments

COBRA/HIPAA: Help me understand how these health insurance laws might apply in several employer-leaving or life-changing events. [more inside]
posted by weston at 11:43 PM PST - 7 comments

Is there any disadvantage in terms of long-term retention of information when studying off of a computer display, as opposed to studying from notes on paper? [more inside]
posted by Brian James at 10:53 PM PST - 18 comments

How do you organise tax receipts, bills, credit card statements, bank statements and all your other paperwork at home? [more inside]
posted by madman at 10:47 PM PST - 23 comments

I plan to purchase a few domain names, and each domain would show a different web page when visited. How can I manage that without subscribing to a separate web hosting package for each domain? [more inside]
posted by arrowhead at 10:06 PM PST - 20 comments

Hi all, I am looking for an website that will let me enter in Latitude and Longitude coordinates from various countries and plot them on a map interactively. Failing that, I'd like a map that I can print out and plot coordinates on with rough accuracy. Thanks!
posted by pantufla at 9:56 PM PST - 4 comments

I irrationally hate the term "officemate". Is there any good alternative? We share offices at work, so I do need a word for this. I've tried "roommate", but people assume you're talking about living arrangements.
posted by smackfu at 9:45 PM PST - 29 comments

Which Dune novel or novels by Frank Herbert or his successors refers to mentats as cultivating "the naive mind"? The only place I can find it is in the Wikipedia article on mentats (endlessly cloned around the Web).
posted by rwhe at 9:39 PM PST - 8 comments

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): So my doctor thinks I have it, and I have several months until I get to see a specialist. What do I do now? [more inside]
posted by anonymoose at 9:07 PM PST - 33 comments

I'd like to back up my substantial DVD collection. What software or hardware would you recommend? [more inside]
posted by sequential at 9:00 PM PST - 12 comments

I love the music of the "freak folk" scene - Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective, Iron & Wine, Joanna Newsom, etc. What rap music would I like? [more inside]
posted by hifimofo at 7:59 PM PST - 36 comments

My apartment has had no heat (which is included) since the beginning of the month. Basically the landlord has had no furnace for about a year and has only this past month started installing everything. I'm not sure how to proceed with compensation. [more inside]
posted by Napierzaza at 7:39 PM PST - 21 comments

How to give away a limited number of items as fairly as possible? [more inside]
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:20 PM PST - 11 comments

Post-Xmas, pre-Jan13th, non-US 10-12 day vacation, *entire trip* <<$1k? [more inside]
posted by lalochezia at 4:15 PM PST - 5 comments

The dude who sits near me at work smells really, really, really bad. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:13 PM PST - 32 comments

I'm not having enough fun. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:12 PM PST - 29 comments

The girl I love is leaving our work team, and before she goes I want to buy her an engagement ring. I think she may be the one. The trouble is that (a) I don't know what kind of rings she likes, (b) I don't know what size ring she wears, (c) I don't think she'll say 'yes', and (d) I love her more than she loves me. Quite possibly my love for her is unrequited. We're both professionals in our 30s, we've had a couple dates, and she knows I care about her. She doesn't know how much though. What are your thoughts and suggestions?
posted by anonymous at 4:12 PM PST - 67 comments

What are the best tools to protect a MacOS computer from disaster? [more inside]
posted by xorowo at 4:06 PM PST - 7 comments

Should I follow my heart or my head? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:04 PM PST - 30 comments

Should I send my book proposal manuscript to a literary agent who is advertising for submissions on Craigslist? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:04 PM PST - 7 comments

How do you automate the insertion of a border for every fifth row in Microsoft Excel? [more inside]
posted by panoptican at 3:54 PM PST - 15 comments

Referring to the recent Linux question; does anyone know what Linux I should install on my new *old* Dell X200, 30gig hd, 933cpu, and 376 MB Ram? [more inside]
posted by strangelove at 3:50 PM PST - 12 comments

Help me synchronize bookmarks with firefox. [more inside]
posted by gergtreble at 3:43 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm looking for a third-party general scanning app for a document-feed-capable Epson Perfection 1640SU on an XP Pro machine. VueScan is a good example of what I'm talking about. What have you used that you like?
posted by everichon at 3:39 PM PST - 1 comment

Simple question - how is the name "Rui" pronounced? The origin is Spanish, I believe.
posted by davebush at 3:25 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm looking for a movie title. It is subtitled and set in Italy post WWII. The premise is about a young pre-pubescent boy (he narrates the movie) and the trials he faces with living in a small, over-crowded apt. He is becoming more and more of a man throughout the movie. He can't escape relatives crowding the apt to facilitate this change/behavior. The opening scene is an explanation of the bizarre way he was conceived. Something about a tomato cart, his mother falling into it, and her not wearing underwear that day? The young man's name starts with an L. His name is the title of the movie. There is a scene where his mother has asked him to pick up liver from the butcher. Before delivering it to her for dinner preparations, he slices into it with a knife and uses it to mimic a woman's vagina. I hope this is enough information. Thanks.
posted by wondergreen at 3:06 PM PST - 6 comments

Is Comp-U-plus.com legit? If so, why do other companies still exist? [more inside]
posted by reformedjerk at 2:21 PM PST - 12 comments

Where can Adrian buy contemporary gypsy Jazz CDs in New York City? He's looking for CDs by Biréli Lagrène, Angelo Debarre and other modern guitar players who play in the style of Django Reinhardt. [more inside]
posted by jacobian at 2:06 PM PST - 5 comments

I like Maximo Park and Franz Ferdinand. What other recent groups would I like? [more inside]
posted by luneray at 1:55 PM PST - 41 comments

Have online petitions ever worked? [more inside]
posted by TwelveTwo at 1:37 PM PST - 14 comments

How do I extend the life of my new laptop battery? I'm not talking about per-charge capacity, but long-term reusability - maximizing the amount of time before this battery becomes a useless brick like the last one. [more inside]
posted by Caviar at 1:00 PM PST - 18 comments

Help me tie my tie correctly. [more inside]
posted by shallowcenter at 12:18 PM PST - 15 comments

It looks like we're going to need a new PC for the family business. Here's the catch: It absolutely has to be a major brand bought off the shelf from a major chain type retailer. It cannot be something we order online or over the phone, nor something that I or anyone else builds for us. [more inside]
posted by Clay201 at 12:01 PM PST - 17 comments

Please help me plan a trip to Asia (Thailand, China, and points in between). [more inside]
posted by gottabefunky at 11:54 AM PST - 13 comments

In an effort to segregate the 802.11g devices from the 802.11b devices on my wireless network, I've added an additional wireless router to the mix, set to accept only connections from b clients. However it's not working as well as I had hoped - dropped connections, rebuffering of streaming media, etc. [more inside]
posted by DandyRandy at 11:50 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking for a digital camera that doesn't require a driver or software. Just USB.
posted by madmath at 10:59 AM PST - 20 comments

Philoso-Filter: Any books out there that act like a GEB of philosophy/sociology/economics/justice? [more inside]
posted by BeerGrin at 10:55 AM PST - 9 comments

How would you go about cleaning calcium build up off a metal bucket? [more inside]
posted by nickerbocker at 10:51 AM PST - 10 comments

Gifts for an uncle (in India) into urban planning? Software? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 10:30 AM PST - 5 comments

What's the easiest way to print "this old book" from 1901? I'd like a paperback copy for myself, and if the process is cheap enough, I'd offer a few for sale through Amazon. [more inside]
posted by stbalbach at 10:18 AM PST - 11 comments

Are there any good open source media sharing/rating tools? This would be for the sort of thing where someone uploads WackyMovie.mov and registered users rate it. Then, the best movies bubble up to the top of their category, etc. (Plugins for WordPress also accepted...)
posted by paul_smatatoes at 10:14 AM PST - 3 comments

OkCupid filter: What exactly is 'radcliffy'? [more inside]
posted by whatitis at 10:09 AM PST - 8 comments

Digital Music Format Filter: I ripped my cds using itunes (AAC encoding). Then I got a new Palm (Zire 31) and want to play my music on it. Now what? [more inside]
posted by betterton at 9:28 AM PST - 8 comments

My company is replacing all employees mice with the wireless variety. My question is whether it is worth spending the extra money to buy the rechargable mice with the docks rather than the standard battery operated ones. The mouse we are looking at for around $30/unit (Canadian) is here (company logo removed). I don't know what brand that is, but it features 256 unique ids so we don't get interference within the office, requires no software to run and has a nice surface for use to put our logo on. How long can I expect the batteries (2 AAA) to last an employee working an 8 hour day? I'm not crazy about having to change 70 batteries very often. Would rechargable batteries be an option here? A rechargable mouse runs between $70 and $80 and I'd have to buy them retail. Do these mice also offer many unique IDs to avoid interference? Do they require extra software to run? What other issues should I be aware of? The price difference is significant so I'm leary to recommend the rechargables.
posted by gfroese at 9:12 AM PST - 33 comments

Help me create a webpage that has data in a table that I can update via another webpage. [more inside]
posted by davey_darling at 8:49 AM PST - 10 comments

We are thinking of adopting a second dog. [more inside]
posted by ambrosia at 8:30 AM PST - 15 comments

MortgageFilter: I just purchased a unit in a 4-story, new construction, condo complex. My fiancee and I plan to be there between 3-5 years, so I'm interested in a 5/1, 7/1, or 10/1, just to be safe. 30-year fixed is okay too, but the chances of us staying there beyond 5 years is very unlikely. [MI] [more inside]
posted by seinfeld at 8:11 AM PST - 9 comments

Another music from advertisements question...possibly Bob Dylan. [more inside]
posted by spicynuts at 7:35 AM PST - 20 comments

Hi, I'm trying to identify a piece of classical music from the movie ' The Mirror Has Two Faces' http://imdb.com/title/tt0117057/ During the first half of the movie, Jeff Bridges and Barbara Streisand attend a musical concert. Can someone help me identify the musical piece (and its composer) that is played during the performance? Thanks!!
posted by sk381 at 7:02 AM PST - 4 comments

From a technical point of view, why use business objects during development? [more inside]
posted by taumeson at 6:06 AM PST - 27 comments

What should I do in the Keys that the guide books don't mention? [more inside]
posted by londonmark at 5:53 AM PST - 14 comments

My wife has an old laptop that can just barely handle running Windows XP. I've spent the last year acclimatizing her to Firefox and Open Office, so I believe she would be willing to give Linux a whirl, assuming I could find a distro that was usable, attractive, and faster than XP on her laptop. So what should I try? Specs inside. [more inside]
posted by Plutor at 4:43 AM PST - 27 comments

I have two weeks annual leave coming up next week. So far the only plan I have is a trip to the dentist. I'm looking for some suggestions of things I can do. [more inside]
posted by cornflake at 4:29 AM PST - 15 comments

I know how to copy a DVD to my PC. How do I add a timecode? [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 3:48 AM PST - 5 comments

LatencyFilter: I'm making a multiplayer flash game, where players communicate with each other via a socket connection to a server. How fast can information be sent like this? [more inside]
posted by cheerleaders_to_your_funeral at 1:59 AM PST - 5 comments

I bought an old Palm m125 from ebay to use as an electric book reader, and instead of the magical world of convenience and less support of tree killing, the friggin' thing won't hotsync at all, and I'm instead in a world of futile frustration. Teach me how to be less of a retard with this gadget. [more inside]
posted by saysthis at 1:47 AM PST - 4 comments

I want to create a MS Word master document with the subdocuments as different translations.... [more inside]
posted by BigBrownBear at 1:38 AM PST - 7 comments

I saw white Homeland Security cars during a walk through San Francisco tonight. They were marked, "Department of Protective Services," or something like that -- I'd never heard of the DPS. What is it, and why would they be cruising around a neighborhood?
posted by johngoren at 12:35 AM PST - 11 comments

What's the medical opinion on heroin and opiates and their damage to the body? [more inside]
posted by fishfucker at 12:17 AM PST - 38 comments

General advice for college students trying to find their first apartment? My girlfriend and I are moving in together next year. She'll have graduated, I'll be a senior, we're in beautiful Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Oh, complicating matters, she's studying and working an hour away from the city, and I'm in Washington, DC. So theres' that. [more inside]
posted by electric_counterpoint at 11:05 PM PST - 14 comments

What are some fun/practical uses for a PII-333 Linux machine? [more inside]
posted by ori at 10:58 PM PST - 11 comments

I am looking for a certain E.E. Cummings poem... [more inside]
posted by hototogisu at 10:55 PM PST - 10 comments

Can anyone identify the song being used in the TV trailer for "The Weatherman"? [more inside]
posted by Sara Anne at 10:24 PM PST - 8 comments

How do 'they' do this? Google the word "failure" and click "I'm feeling lucky.
posted by bobduckles at 9:37 PM PST - 19 comments

I have stitches on my nose. [more inside]
posted by Krrrlson at 8:41 PM PST - 14 comments

Can anyone help identify this song currently in heavy rotation on New Zealand radio stations (and possibly elsewhere)? [more inside]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 8:28 PM PST - 4 comments

Husband and I considering a move to Santa Barbara where he has a job offer in a high-tech company. Is this feasible from an economic standpoint? [more inside]
posted by TorontoSandy at 7:36 PM PST - 23 comments

My employer blocks access to webmail-based email like yahoo and gmail. Is it possible to get around this? [more inside]
posted by Haize at 6:53 PM PST - 25 comments

I need a decent portable, landline, telephone. I have two 900mhz phones. They're both terrible and full of static. We rarely go more than 100 feet or so from the base, don't need an answering machine or anything fancy. Needs to have caller ID. Do you love yours? Please tell me what it is.
posted by dpx.mfx at 6:33 PM PST - 20 comments

I'm having hit-or-miss connection trouble with a Russian topographic map website, which has ~ 4 MB JPEG maps online. It's been driving me nuts all summer. Here's the scoop... [more inside]
posted by zek at 6:26 PM PST - 5 comments

Is there anywhere a FAQ or tutorial to help newer people such as me with understanding short-hand terms such as "FARK", or what's the difference between "funny" and "teh funny"? [more inside]
posted by longsleeves at 5:58 PM PST - 19 comments

I just closed a fly into my freezer. If I find it and thaw it out, will it reanimate?
posted by StickyCarpet at 5:57 PM PST - 38 comments

Porn for couples? [more inside]
posted by ch1x0r at 5:36 PM PST - 10 comments

Does anyone know the website (Flash I'm pretty sure) that allows you to take characters from the alphabet as well as punctuation and drag them onto a pasteboard and then rearrange them into figures. There's also a gallery of completed figures.
posted by jeremias at 5:09 PM PST - 8 comments

How do I download videos that are available as streams in real video? What if the stream is live? (Quick!) [more inside]
posted by metaculpa at 4:55 PM PST - 6 comments

What is the easiest way to split up a large audio file into shorter segments on Windows? [more inside]
posted by matildaben at 4:40 PM PST - 4 comments

Insurancefilter What is the cheapest / most effective way to approach getting health / dental insurance on your own? [more inside]
posted by outsider at 4:38 PM PST - 13 comments

What happens when you throw your back out and how can these injuries be prevented? [more inside]
posted by GleepGlop at 3:58 PM PST - 16 comments

Where should I be looking to buy a lab coat for a costume? My girlfriend suggested looking in the yellow pages under "Uniforms" but those places seem to seem janitorial jumpsuits and such. Looking under "Medical Equipment" seems to be *actual* medical equipment, and there's no "Medical Apparrel" category. Costume shops either have nothing, or something that looks like it's made out of cardboard. So, where can I get a lab coat by Saturday?
posted by emptybowl at 3:39 PM PST - 17 comments

SexualFrustrationFilter: Please help me deal with my boyfriend's sexual frustration. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:22 PM PST - 79 comments

Anonymous web hosting: I left a cult which I was raised in about a year ago. I would like to set up a page with information as well as a forum for ex-members to locate each other and heal. I would like to do this anonymously because I have family, friends and coworkers who are still inside and I would like to keep my identity private. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:21 PM PST - 10 comments

Help me organize my finances. While reading another thread I was struck by the number of people who balance their checkbooks on a frequent and regular basis (like every day), and it made me wonder what's involved. I am one of those paycheque-to-paycheque people (rather student loan-to-student loan) and although my bills are never unpaid, I'm falling behind in other things. [more inside]
posted by arcticwoman at 3:16 PM PST - 17 comments

I need to write something (in perl) to shorten the text of a link if it's a URL, but only a URL. I've played with a variety of regexps and banged my head against HTML::Parser, but I've gotten no love. Help! [more inside]
posted by Captain_Tenille at 3:01 PM PST - 25 comments

Where the hell in Toronto can I get a wolf puppet? I thought it would be easy to find one, but no luck so far. I'd prefer that it cost $10 or less. I need it to complete my Little Red Riding Hood Halloween costume. (If I had a date, I'd make him dress up as the wolf, but as I'm going stag, I'll have to settle for a hand puppet. Yes, I get the symbolism.)
posted by orange swan at 2:41 PM PST - 7 comments

File transfer question: How do I access my static IP addressed Mac at work from home? I have a Mac OSX box at work that with a router attached to my DSL modem. I can port forward if necessary. Basically what I'm looking to do is to transfer files from the office to home without having to constantly upload them to my iPod. Any suggestions?
posted by CCK at 2:41 PM PST - 23 comments

ToothFilter: I just had 4 wisdom teeth removed today and I have few questtions. [more inside]
posted by AMWKE at 2:31 PM PST - 28 comments

HairFilter: After a year or more of growing my hair out for the nth time in my life, I have decided to shave/buzz cut it off, but I want to have some fun doing it! Specifically, I would like to integrate some crazy and/or interesting hair adventure into my Halloween costume. Suggestions, please, all you lovely Mefites! [more inside]
posted by DannyUKNYC at 2:22 PM PST - 22 comments

Please help me find a flight from Vancouver to Tokyo that's cheaper than Toronto to Tokyo... I will be in Vancouver in early January for work and was all excited becuase I could save money by flying to Japan from Vancouver. It turns out that it's $300 cheaper for me to fly back to Toronto and then turn around and board a flight for Tokyo. [more inside]
posted by dripdripdrop at 2:03 PM PST - 12 comments

What's the best value in flatbed scanners these days? [more inside]
posted by FlamingBore at 2:00 PM PST - 4 comments

Multiple Choice Surveys: I'd like to create a multiple choice test, give people the link, and get the results. Is there an online service that would allow me to design a multiple choice questionnaire, and store answers to it?
posted by sirion at 1:49 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm looking to attract new advertisers for my website but don't have the time to "pound the pavement" searching for them. Does anybody know of any websites that have businesses who are looking to advertise?
posted by bamassippi at 1:46 PM PST - 4 comments

Resources for teaching myself about relational databases? [more inside]
posted by Eothele at 1:06 PM PST - 18 comments

Are all P2P file sharting networks evil and infect your computer with wiruses and spyware? Also, does anyone know how to copy DVDs (that I have legally purchased and copy them to my video iPod?
posted by danielpcummings at 1:04 PM PST - 8 comments

will my girlfriend be able to scuba dive? She has ear problems. [more inside]
posted by alkupe at 12:57 PM PST - 11 comments

I have been diagnosed with Epididymitis [small illustrations, faintly NSFW] which is a swelling of the epididymis above the testicle. I have been given antibiotics and the pain has disappeared but the inflammation continues. I have made a follow up with my urologist but in the meantime I'm curious if anyone else has had experience with this. (I know, I know my MWV.) [more inside]
posted by captainscared at 12:55 PM PST - 12 comments

Driving tips for an uphill commute? [more inside]
posted by jgee at 12:05 PM PST - 25 comments

A reliable CD manufacturer with quick turnaround? [more inside]
posted by frankie_stubbs at 11:51 AM PST - 7 comments

Other competitions like the X-Prize? [more inside]
posted by Hobbacocka at 11:49 AM PST - 8 comments

Bank of America's Keep The Change offer looks awesome. I've read the small print, but I can't figure out the catch. Is there one?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:40 AM PST - 43 comments

I need to setup a conference call for one of my freelance projects. Can you help recommend a conference call service that's affordable and reliable, and has record/playback features?
posted by Dukebloo at 11:04 AM PST - 6 comments

What can you tell me about the return of Scrubs on NBC? [more inside]
posted by phredhead at 10:58 AM PST - 12 comments

California Special Election Prop. 80: Electric Service Initiative [more inside]
posted by small_ruminant at 10:40 AM PST - 14 comments

I'm trying to make a mask of a famous person's face for Halloween, and my artistic skills are sorely lacking. [more inside]
posted by elquien at 10:30 AM PST - 6 comments

Recirculating Sand Filter septic systems or other alternatives? Anybody here have one or know anything about them? [more inside]
posted by bondcliff at 10:17 AM PST - 1 comment

What's a good solution to wirelessly play MP3s on my stereo though my mix-and-match collection of technology? [more inside]
posted by jeff-o-matic at 10:07 AM PST - 21 comments

Recommendations for Canadian domain registration and hosting? [more inside]
posted by Mitheral at 10:06 AM PST - 9 comments

PHP comment script -- any recommendations? I want users to be able to add comments to the bottom of an existing static HTML, non-blog page. I'd also like something that won't let the comments get loaded with gambling and Viagra spam.
posted by shannymara at 9:58 AM PST - 8 comments

Flickr. Easy to upload to. Easy to publish. Easy to share. Finding it not so easy to download from. What tools if any exist so that I can do a batch download or otherwise automated capture of my photostream? [more inside]
posted by cavalier at 9:46 AM PST - 7 comments

Please help me find a foster home in the Twin Cities for my very nice lovable cat. [more inside]
posted by Juicylicious at 9:36 AM PST - 8 comments

CareerFilter: I'm a programmer, server side sort of stuff. Where do I go from here?[mi] [more inside]
posted by eurasian at 9:34 AM PST - 17 comments

Portions of my Dell laptop keyboard keep going in and out. Sometimes, one group of keys won't work (5, 6, -, del, and ins, among a couple others). Now, it's tab, tilde, 1, q, a, and Z. The problem only appears when restarting the laptop, never during use. Any suggestions?
posted by UKnowForKids at 9:08 AM PST - 9 comments

Feed me and my sister Thanksgiving Dinner in NYC. [more inside]
posted by onalark at 8:58 AM PST - 5 comments

Hi all. Does anyone know of a good place to buy furniture kits? What I mean is unassembled, unfinished furniture, preferably shipped to your door. In particular I am looking for a "breakfast bar" or "kitchen island." Is there a store like this?
posted by bradn at 8:56 AM PST - 10 comments

Aaauuuuuugh! Help me save year's worth of archiving work and my large music collection which I love too dearly to lose!--"The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error." [more inside]
posted by sourwookie at 8:45 AM PST - 11 comments

What's the best way to earn a MCSE certification? [more inside]
posted by Crossbar at 6:53 AM PST - 6 comments

TravelReadingFilter: My wife and I will be crossing the Atlantic next week. I need some reading material for the six hour (plus) flight, so I'm turning to the AskMeFi collective. Recommend away. [more inside]
posted by grabbingsand at 6:46 AM PST - 31 comments

Email labels in Thunderbird using IMAP. [more inside]
posted by ao4047 at 6:26 AM PST - 11 comments

My colleague hurt her foot surfing, when it didn't stop hurting after a few weeks she saw a doctor who told her to rest it for a few weeks. When it continued to swell and become more uncomfortable after a few weeks she went to the hospital and was told she had an avulsion fracture (near the ball of her left foot) but that it was now too late to do anything to treat it and that she would just have to take pain killers in future and wait till it eventually got better. It doesn't appear to be getting better. She is being reticent about seeking a further opinion. Anyway, the questions: 1) Are there any likely treatments that the hospital should be considering. 2) Bearing in mind THIS IS THE UK should she consider any legal action and what form might this take? Any other advice?
posted by biffa at 6:20 AM PST - 6 comments

My Dad got spanked by Wilma pretty hard. I rounded up some supplies and want to send them to him. Do any of the major shippers offer help/discounts for p2p hurricane aid? [more inside]
posted by neilkod at 6:04 AM PST - 3 comments

What are some rock albums/songs that introduced ground-breaking production/engineering techniques (along the lines of The Beatles' song Tomorrow Never Knows or Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon)?
posted by punkfloyd at 5:33 AM PST - 45 comments

Why do inkjet printer cartridges cost so much? What is the typical mark-up on them?
posted by TheManticore at 5:11 AM PST - 30 comments

I'm told that my weblog's atom feed is broken: according to feedvalidator.org this is because 'my feed appears to be encoded as "utf-8", but my server is reporting "US-ASCII". Is it advisable that I should persuade my server to report an 'utf-8', ecoding, and, if so, how? [more inside]
posted by misteraitch at 1:58 AM PST - 9 comments

I am looking for the origin of the lyrics to the lullaby generally known as "Hush Little Baby". [more inside]
posted by page404 at 1:37 AM PST - 11 comments

I have an exam coming up (in a matter of hours, in fact) in French. I'm in highschool and plan on continuing French well into university. Where can I find literate and well-spoken French-speakers that I can talk to? Failing that, where can I find interactive resources/web-quizzes to test my knowledge of French grammar?
posted by PuGZ at 1:13 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm a lawyer who can't understand why some lawyers insist on laying claim to having a doctorate. They don't, of course. Why this insecurity? [more inside]
posted by LGCNo6 at 1:01 AM PST - 41 comments

Help us with our cat problem, please! [more inside]
posted by starvingartist at 9:21 PM PST - 10 comments

Apparent proxy server problem with Internet Explorer on Win XP. I get "Cannot find server or DNS Error" messages on an irregular basis when accessing sites which require use of the proxy server. [more inside]
posted by shoos at 8:52 PM PST - 9 comments

I guess this is something of a follow-up to my last question: I haven't had a cigarette in about 7 days. Nor have I ingested nicotine from any other source. [more inside]
posted by Jon-o at 8:39 PM PST - 21 comments

I’m looking for help establishing a college fund for the children of a murder victim. [more inside]
posted by Doug at 8:35 PM PST - 4 comments

Home Studio Recording - My friend is looking into building a home studio and basing it around the ProTools LE Digi002 control surface. Should he go PC or Mac? [more inside]
posted by monsta coty scott at 8:22 PM PST - 13 comments

I want to take a camcorder that writes to an SD card on a trip where I won't have computer access. What small, light, and cheap portable-hard-drive type device will allow me to download images from the card so that I don't have to buy lots of expensive SD cards? The camcorder is a Sanyo xacti C5 and includes a docking station with USB port.
posted by pessoa at 7:32 PM PST - 5 comments

How do I set up VLC to become the default player in OS X Tiger? I've tried right clicking a file and selecting "VLC" then clicking "always use this program", but it seems to only make that association for the particular file, not for all of that type (.avi and .wmv, in this case). I know how to do this in Windows, but it seems to be trickier on a Mac. Or maybe I'm just stupid.
posted by rossination at 7:27 PM PST - 4 comments

I am interested in teaching personal financial literacy (insurance, savings, credit cards, FICO scores) through games. I heard about this from Well's Fargo, but I was hoping for something more compelling. Does anyone know of any good financial literacy games out there? Does anyone have any good ideas for one?
posted by blahblahblah at 7:15 PM PST - 6 comments

HalloweenCostumeFilter: Where can I find a shiny silver bathrobe, big fuzzy slippers and a toy raygun for cheap in LA or San Diego? Bonus points for finding all 3 in one place.
posted by speicus at 6:48 PM PST - 9 comments

California Driving Record: How the heck do I read it? [more inside]
posted by symphonik at 6:45 PM PST - 1 comment

Amtrak question: I'm going to be travelling from NYC to Richmond (and back) on the Palmetto line and need to know if there are any outlets in the coach class seats.
posted by parttimesaint at 6:30 PM PST - 12 comments

Say you want to create a site based around your family tree. Members may want to log in to upload pictures, view tree structure, etc. [more inside]
posted by parma at 5:52 PM PST - 7 comments

So there's a grand jury that the special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has empaneled. 23 members, residents of Wahington D.C. Some questions. [more inside]
posted by Gyan at 5:20 PM PST - 10 comments

Help my wife get a hold of her class room! [more inside]
posted by JPowers at 5:03 PM PST - 19 comments

I need a 6V positive-tip power adapter for a USB hub. I have a bag full of old adapters of varying voltages. I know the 6V means that it should not exceed the 6 volts, but can I use a lesser-volt adapter?
posted by Edward King at 4:52 PM PST - 8 comments

Sound card shuts down when I load Outlook Express. This is a recent problem, possibly brought on by installing the newest version of SpyBot S&D (with Tea Timer) [more inside]
posted by RMALCOLM at 4:52 PM PST - 3 comments

Suggestions for good vibraphone-based jazz? [more inside]
posted by schoolgirl report at 4:32 PM PST - 26 comments

Is there a way to enter Ctrl-Alt-Del on a Zaurus (SL-5500)? [more inside]
posted by russilwvong at 4:32 PM PST - 3 comments

Where should I go to college? (Electrical/Computer Engineering and Mathematics) [more inside]
posted by phrontist at 4:22 PM PST - 33 comments

What are your favorite recordings (pop, rock, country, folk, blues, jazz, other) with just voice and piano?
posted by Bearman at 3:04 PM PST - 63 comments

My sister-in-law loves Motown and my wife and I would like to get her an anthology of the big hits, hopefully not more than three disks (because we can't spend big bucks this Xmas). Motown reissues being a notoriously tricky subject, can anybody recommend one with good sound and good value?
posted by languagehat at 3:02 PM PST - 11 comments

Today, in my graduate linguistics class, we studied Gerard Manley Hopkins' "sprung rhythm." It seems an interesting experiment, but I'm now curious: do any metafilter literary types know if a poet (or poets) since Hopkins has used sprung rhythm in poetry?
posted by rockstar at 2:40 PM PST - 9 comments

What are those black strips that stretch across the road and into a small gray box on the side of the road (and generally chained to a pole)? [more inside]
posted by JPigford at 2:40 PM PST - 16 comments

What is the kind of jazz in Woody Allen movies ? I see Allen often plays with the Preservation Hall Band and I'd like to know what kind of jazz do they play in his movies, for instance in Sleeper. Are there bands specialized in that kind of jazz ?
posted by elpapacito at 2:38 PM PST - 17 comments

Many libraries offer access to resources that charge hefty fees (e.g., Nexis, Dialog, Oxford U. Press titles). [more inside]
posted by KRS at 2:34 PM PST - 13 comments

Plantfilter: Unknown (and potentially non-native) bloom found in southwest washington. Image inside. What is it? [more inside]
posted by SpecialK at 1:31 PM PST - 5 comments

You are imprisoned in a science lab. Can you create a healthy diet solely from elements? In other words, what is the smallest set of molecules a healthy human requires in food? Boredom is not a factor.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 1:06 PM PST - 25 comments

What is your preferred methodology for syncing your ipod between an imac and an ibook so that you don't get duplicate songs/podcasts on your ipod? [more inside]
posted by mecran01 at 12:51 PM PST - 11 comments

Keeping feet warm at night during the winter: any recommendations for comfy, super warm socks that don't restrict blood flow while you sleep? Bonus points if they have a separation between the toe and the rest of the little piggies
posted by buddha9090 at 12:46 PM PST - 19 comments

Help me upgrade my work computer to make it run better. [more inside]
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:35 PM PST - 31 comments

I need some help finding online images of newspapers written in German from the 1800 or early 1900s. [more inside]
posted by rokabiri at 12:15 PM PST - 2 comments

Without using any plug-ins or extensions, how can I always force a link to open in IE, regardless of the client browser? [more inside]
posted by RKB at 12:13 PM PST - 9 comments

FinancialFilter: Should I sell my DSC mutual funds now or later? [more inside]
posted by acoutu at 12:03 PM PST - 8 comments

Purely for the sake of argument: exactly why, in terms of legality, practicality, and health, should I not kill and eat animals I find in the city? [more inside]
posted by squidlarkin at 11:51 AM PST - 25 comments

IPfilter:Does anyone know of a good FREE program to manage your ip address with? As in which ones are marked available or used. Something like Enterprise IP -address manager http://www.enterpriseip.net/ but free and for Windows.
posted by flipmiester99 at 11:38 AM PST - 10 comments

Help me with my subwoofer power problem! [more inside]
posted by miss tea at 10:35 AM PST - 6 comments

Help me to deflect criticisms of my dishwasher usage. What sorts of dishes is it safe to wash in the dishwasher, and which ones are bad? [more inside]
posted by ChrisR at 10:32 AM PST - 24 comments

I need a way to transfer a ton of old email from an old IMAP account to a new one. Dragging and dropping in both Thunderbird and Apple Mail keeps messing up. Can anyone suggest a tool that's designed for this purpose, or a more efficient method? [more inside]
posted by cillit bang at 10:30 AM PST - 3 comments

Where did the video of an old lady kicking a baby originate? [more inside]
posted by the biscuit man at 10:02 AM PST - 5 comments

How do electricians (or anybody) wind up long extension cables? Is there an efficient method that unwinds without tangling? I currently wrap from thumb to elbow on my arm.
posted by gcumming at 9:20 AM PST - 25 comments

Did the movie NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (discussed here) originate the device of having HATE tattooed on one hand, with LOVE tattooed on the other? [more inside]
posted by eschatfische at 8:51 AM PST - 8 comments

What is this game and where can I get hold of it?? [more inside]
posted by trampesque at 8:36 AM PST - 9 comments

How can I get my roommates to clean up after themselves? [more inside]
posted by k8t at 8:28 AM PST - 48 comments

How do I use iPhoto effectively? [more inside]
posted by salmacis at 7:59 AM PST - 13 comments

My company is thinking about setting up a blog for IT analysts to contribute ideas and talk about our products. Does anyone know good places to find best practices for doing this? Anyone know of good example sites?
posted by xammerboy at 6:28 AM PST - 7 comments

What are these weird marks on my shoulders? I started a new weight training program yesterday, and now there are red streaks on my shoulders! [more inside]
posted by catfood at 6:18 AM PST - 22 comments

Perfect Keylogger - I have some reason to believe that this product, made by Blazing Tools, has been installed on one of my computers. [more inside]
posted by megatherium at 4:18 AM PST - 10 comments

I'd like to better understand/appreciate orchestras and orchestral music. What resources would you recommend? [more inside]
posted by d-no at 3:08 AM PST - 11 comments

I live in L.A. I'm terrified of, and suck at, driving; can I improve? [more inside]
posted by evil holiday magic at 3:06 AM PST - 20 comments

What is the origin (i.e. first instance and first proponents) of the 'Banana Skin' joke, the use of rubber chickens in Comedy and the act of throwing a custard pie in someone's face? I have been searching the web no no avail!
posted by sam and rufus at 2:27 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm looking for the best Windows flashcard program, particularly for vocabulary drilling. It needs to be Unicode compatible. I'm in Nepal at the dead end of the Internet, so I can't download a variety of programs and try them out.
posted by AArtaud at 2:09 AM PST - 2 comments

Setting up your own business, I need help? [more inside]
posted by spooksie at 2:08 AM PST - 11 comments

Launching programs from a web page without meeting a "save/run" box. [more inside]
posted by twine42 at 1:29 AM PST - 4 comments

Trying to find an old childrens' book involving a princess who finds a baby dragon. [more inside]
posted by Windigo at 12:44 AM PST - 3 comments

How compatible are Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express? [more inside]
posted by brundlefly at 12:28 AM PST - 3 comments

Tonsillitis - I'd like some advice from anyone who has had tonsillitis as an adult - how was it treated, antibiotics or the knife? [more inside]
posted by Catch at 12:17 AM PST - 20 comments

Why do some speakers omit the word 'the' from before many nouns? [more inside]
posted by tumble at 12:06 AM PST - 28 comments

I'm trying to locate a movie I saw when I was a wee lad. It involved an unborn child (I believe) coming to Earth (I believe) in a blue barrel (I'm positive) and being raised by human parents. I thought it was D.A.R.Y.L., but I was wrong. Any thoughts? [more inside]
posted by hoborg at 10:19 PM PST - 9 comments

Microsoft word help! Midterm paper due in the morning and I can't figure out the teacher's grammar check requirements! [more inside]
posted by sarahmelah at 8:57 PM PST - 14 comments

For British Eyes Only: How do you refer to the American Revolutionary War? [more inside]
posted by kyleg at 8:44 PM PST - 39 comments

What do you do with your collection of old letters from ex-significant others? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:22 PM PST - 35 comments

I'm looking for info on zero down physician home loans. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:22 PM PST - 9 comments

Ladies A number of years ago I saw an inventor on a daytime talk/variety show talking about this little thing she had invented to prevent ...umm... frontal wedgies. She said it would be marketed through gynecologists offices. I have looked and looked since then and found nothing, nor anyone who's heard of it. Help me find it and/or advice on preventing frontal wedgies. [more inside]
posted by duck at 7:44 PM PST - 16 comments

Can someone recommend a simple method or app for making monthly local archives of web-based blogs? In my case, the site is blogger, the save location is on a Mac.
posted by saketini99 at 7:09 PM PST - 10 comments

My old car didn't start up this morning - but is it likely to refuse to again? [more inside]
posted by ruddhist at 6:31 PM PST - 15 comments

There’s a long tradition of telling a story, say, around a campfire, or to a group of friends in a bar, and based on the feedback you get, changing the story to suit or entertain your audience. Today, the web gives everyone the ability to tell a story and receive feedback from a much wider audience than was previously possible. Two examples I can think of are the blogging phenomenon and Shelley Jackson’s hypertext writings. I’m looking for traditional/historical examples and sources as well as as well as online equivalents?
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 6:28 PM PST - 9 comments

Selfish penguin theory: I just saw March of the Penguins and observed the chick-stealing behavior. How is this at all adaptive? [more inside]
posted by nev at 5:54 PM PST - 13 comments

Is there an equivalent to SizzlingKeys that works with iTunes on a PC?
posted by teem at 5:39 PM PST - 2 comments

Do I owe $270 or $638 for an auto rental? [more inside]
posted by davidmsc at 5:21 PM PST - 7 comments

I need to register Outlook Express as the default MAPI client so that when I right click a file and select "Send To: Mail Recipient" Outlook Express (not Outlook) opens and automatically attaches the file. How do I do it? [more inside]
posted by slookdog at 5:20 PM PST - 6 comments

I went to a first meeting of a book club tonight, and it was an utter failure. We need, at the very least, a great book with broad appeal to discuss at our next meeting. [more inside]
posted by divka at 5:05 PM PST - 31 comments

Weird Situation: Strange spamming technique, a case of mistaken identity, or something else entirely? You tell me. [more inside]
posted by geeky at 4:40 PM PST - 9 comments

What do you call a person who makes chandeliers? A chandelierlier?
posted by ijoshua at 4:36 PM PST - 14 comments

I would like to start a Comic Book Encyclopedia (Which I am calling, for lack of a better name, "Heropedia"), using mediawiki as the engine. I've been a comics fan forever, and a contributor to wikipedia. It's a great project, and I dig it a lot. However, I think branching off into a seperate project would be good for a subject with as much ephemeral information as comic books. My question is, can I use the infromation in Wikipedia pertaining to comic books, as long as the text of my site is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License? [more inside]
posted by zerolives at 4:18 PM PST - 4 comments

How does a Washington, D.C. driver's license indicate that you're an organ donor? [more inside]
posted by ootsocsid at 3:20 PM PST - 3 comments

I need help finding a rare/out of print album. [more inside]
posted by Flamingo at 3:16 PM PST - 14 comments

How to argue with a man who calls himself a sociopath. [more inside]
posted by e^2 at 3:11 PM PST - 24 comments

Why do CD's burnt on my iMac skip in the car? [more inside]
posted by dual_action at 2:35 PM PST - 10 comments

EnglishIsAStupidLanguageFilter: Person 1: "Thanks for all your help." Person 2: "That's OK - it was the least I could do." [more inside]
posted by Chunder at 1:40 PM PST - 42 comments

Halloween: costume ideas? [more inside]
posted by masymas at 1:17 PM PST - 36 comments

Is it possible to run a (Dell) Windows laptop with the lid closed? I just need it to serve network connections (IIS, RDC).
posted by mkultra at 1:10 PM PST - 12 comments

MotherboardFilter: Looking for anecdotal experience on an inexpensive replacement for my motherboard that has a PCIx for a new video card. [more inside]
posted by thanotopsis at 12:43 PM PST - 7 comments

Why do American hospitals always have religious associations in their names, and does this distinction actually mean anything anymore? [more inside]
posted by afroblanca at 12:40 PM PST - 27 comments

Boundaries in conversation with an ESL student? [more inside]
posted by drezdn at 12:15 PM PST - 6 comments

Do those of us who started learning our second language after high school have any hope of becoming interpreters? [more inside]
posted by dead_ at 11:58 AM PST - 10 comments

Why are birds repeatedly hurling themselves against my office window? [more inside]
posted by MegoSteve at 11:55 AM PST - 18 comments

What happens to foreclosed homes? [more inside]
posted by Four Flavors at 11:53 AM PST - 8 comments

I have a silver coin. I would like to sell it. Where would I do so, and what should I be aware of?
posted by solistrato at 11:43 AM PST - 6 comments

How do I bring a widget to market? [more inside]
posted by MrMulan at 11:13 AM PST - 10 comments

Moving to Toronto-filter. I'm trying to decide between Midtown, Yonge and Eglinton, Yonge and St. Clair; or something more in the West end, like Queen and Dufferin, King and Dufferin, etc. If any Mefites live in the area, what are your experiences? How livable is the West end, really? [more inside]
posted by generichuman at 10:59 AM PST - 27 comments

Why is there more wind in Autumn? [more inside]
posted by poweredbybeard at 10:42 AM PST - 7 comments

I love the dashboard program available on macs. is there an equivalent for pc's? [more inside]
posted by dawdle at 10:33 AM PST - 8 comments

I am getting ready to fly out to be in my sister's wedding. How should I pack the bridesmaid dress so as to best prevent wrinkles and so on?
posted by jenfu at 10:15 AM PST - 9 comments

Has anyone had experience coming off of ADD/ADHD medications? How did you cope with the return of all the negative ADD/ADHD symptoms, and the nagging feeling that you were a better person on the meds? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:09 AM PST - 14 comments

I have reason to believe I may have a half-sibling from Frankfurt Germany or surrounds. How do I find out for sure? [more inside]
posted by onhazier at 9:58 AM PST - 2 comments

What can/will my newly-pregnant, incredibly-picky, wife eat? (there are complications to this question) [more inside]
posted by Kickstart70 at 9:31 AM PST - 37 comments

I'm asking this two-part question for a friend. He's overstayed his holiday visa. [more inside]
posted by veronica sawyer at 9:27 AM PST - 14 comments

Any good online references for finding an auto repair shop? Reports, reviews, horror stories? [more inside]
posted by intermod at 9:25 AM PST - 9 comments

So, say you have a lot, maybe 100, MS Word and Excel documents that are part of a manual which needs to be updated on a quasi-regular basis. [more inside]
posted by Medieval Maven at 9:24 AM PST - 12 comments

Windows XP has stopped recognizing the special nature of my Start Menu's Programs directory. As a result, when I hover over the "all programs" link in my Start Menu, nothing's there. [more inside]
posted by xyzzy at 9:17 AM PST - 14 comments

PartyFilter: My roommate has requested that for her birthday upcoming, this spring (Yes, we plan ahead), that we throw a Lost Party. As in "Purchase the first and/or second season of, and theme the party accordingly." - I need help! The rest, inside. [more inside]
posted by FritoKAL at 9:11 AM PST - 14 comments

Is UK postcode data freely available in the public domain? [more inside]
posted by ajp at 8:39 AM PST - 9 comments

I need help putting together what I need in a computer, could you help me? [more inside]
posted by FunkyHelix at 8:37 AM PST - 22 comments

TechFilter: Why can't Internet Explorer upload? [more inside]
posted by horseblind at 8:08 AM PST - 12 comments

I have decided to throw an apple tasting party (10 guests) this weekend using 10 – 12 different types of orchard apples sold at a local grocery store. What other foods should I have available for my guests? [more inside]
posted by KathyK at 7:51 AM PST - 27 comments

Things to do in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania... more after the jump. [more inside]
posted by fearless_yakov at 7:40 AM PST - 10 comments

Needed: New York City -to- New Jersey mover, plus someone who buys and removes whatever is left in an apartment. [more inside]
posted by beagle at 7:20 AM PST - 2 comments

Should I bill clients for scheduled appointments they missed? [more inside]
posted by Wild_Eep at 7:19 AM PST - 26 comments

HalloweenCostumeFilter: I know that people have come here looking for ideas before, but I have specific criteria for a costume. Help me enjoy a Halloween party, for once [more inside]
posted by TurkishGolds at 7:12 AM PST - 21 comments

Where to find (and listen to before purchasing) popular songs redone on violins? [more inside]
posted by saucy at 7:11 AM PST - 10 comments

Dear ID Checkers: How can you tell when someone borrows a license from a brother or friend who looks similar? What do you do when you suspect the person in the ID is not the person in front of you? This is just to satisfy my curiousity of course. [more inside]
posted by lpctstr; at 7:03 AM PST - 29 comments

How do I make a cheap, recognizable Harriet Miers costume for Halloween? [more inside]
posted by sohcahtoa at 6:43 AM PST - 19 comments

Roleplayer seeking a old school pen and paper Group with which to quest for adventure on a semi regular basis. I am looking for some resources to meet fellow roleplayers in my area. [more inside]
posted by JonnyRotten at 6:31 AM PST - 8 comments

Why does the formation of soap bubbles in my dishwater depend on turbulent flow in the water coming out of the tap? [more inside]
posted by paul! at 4:35 AM PST - 16 comments

I am asked to computerize a retail shoe store. What can I do? [more inside]
posted by curiousleo at 3:01 AM PST - 16 comments

Early nineties, blue lights on a traffic light below the standard green one. Am I crazy? What were they for? [more inside]
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 1:29 AM PST - 9 comments

Which is the best curry house in Vancouver? [more inside]
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:32 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm looking for examples of trap-building animals. Preferably invertebrates. [more inside]
posted by dhruva at 11:57 PM PST - 12 comments

NYC Football Filter - Can anyone explain the reason that TV stations block all other NFL games while the Giants and Jets play? More You Know Where [more inside]
posted by provocateur at 11:22 PM PST - 8 comments

After two years, I'm thinking of having a drink. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:33 PM PST - 30 comments

A condom question! [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:32 PM PST - 12 comments

OS X desktop icons: how can I shift the grid so that my hard drive icon doesn't sit half under my right-side-pinned dock? [more inside]
posted by Popular Ethics at 8:47 PM PST - 12 comments

This may show the limits of analog to digital music conversion completeness over the years ( all you ipod kids ). I have long had a need to re-hear Craig Ferguson as his old alter ego.... [more inside]
posted by stuartmm at 8:04 PM PST - 3 comments

I've been listening to an audiobook of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain, and the descriptions of being a riverboat pilot got me to wondering: has anybody ever released a riverboat/steamship simulator video game?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 6:41 PM PST - 15 comments

I walk 3/4 of a mile to and from work every day, and my Bostonian Strada dress shoes are not up to snuff. Can anyone recommend a classically-styled dress shoe that is comfortable to walk in?
posted by kaufmajm at 5:46 PM PST - 29 comments

Looking for Halloween-themed, pre-teen ghost mystery from the 80s. [more inside]
posted by bkdelong at 5:07 PM PST - 4 comments

ChicagoFilter: Chicagoans, do you have any recommendations for local carpet cleaning services? We live in a one bedroom apartment where the living room and bedroom have wall-to-wall carpeting and it could use a bit of refreshing. Thanks!
posted by cajo at 4:55 PM PST - 3 comments

Why does iTunes think that some of my single-artist CDs are compilations, and how do I tell it otherwise? [more inside]
posted by goatdog at 4:46 PM PST - 5 comments

Merkur Safety Razors (for Shaving): Pros and cons? For sensitive skin? Anything I should know? [more inside]
posted by sdis at 4:31 PM PST - 19 comments

I love using pencils. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a slim, durable case to store them in, without having their sharp points either poke through or break off completely. Can anyone help me a find a good quality pencil case? I've already gone through dozens of the cheap, zippered plastic kind, only to have my pencils puncture through them, and leave a mess of gray scribbles. I'm a student, and currently use a medium-sized leather tote bag to carry my stuff around, so something that's not too big and clunky is preferable. Thanks to everyone in advance!
posted by invisible ink at 4:07 PM PST - 16 comments

We have a small but persistent problem with flies in our house. Every other day we'll see one, maybe two. We can't figure it out! The house is kept very clean, there are no obscene smells such that would indicate a dead animal or something, there's no food left out. The flies are primarily in the kitchen. Any idea on a source or a solution?
posted by xmutex at 3:58 PM PST - 13 comments

What is the flag on the left in this photo?
posted by I Love Tacos at 3:53 PM PST - 18 comments

After sitting un-started for about two weeks, my car won't start. What should I do before fleeing to the AAA? [more inside]
posted by alana at 3:00 PM PST - 44 comments

What is the ideal word in the English language that means torn between two equally wonderful/terrible things? A friend of mine suggested yesterday this word was ambivalence, but I am not satisfied with that. [more inside]
posted by Happydaz at 2:50 PM PST - 58 comments

One day left in Lexington, Kentucky, and I am looking for something to do. [more inside]
posted by oflinkey at 2:07 PM PST - 5 comments

Name that plant: I bought a tropical houseplant at a local hardware superstore and would like to know what it is. [more inside]
posted by cardboard at 2:02 PM PST - 7 comments

What is the origin of the cliché "X rule(s) ok"? [more inside]
posted by Kattullus at 1:31 PM PST - 9 comments

Taming an uneven refrigerator? You know how one can increase the performance of an oven by leaving a pizza stone in it? I'm wondering if the same can be done with a fridge. [more inside]
posted by stet at 1:23 PM PST - 19 comments

I have a badly fragmented drive that, even after repeated defrag runs with Diskeeper, remains heavily fragmented. I think as a consequence some of my directories have become inaccessible because when I try to access them i get an "I/O device error." Does this mean I have bad sectors (and if so, what do I do)? Is the data in those directories lost for good? Should I try and copy what I can and dump the drive? [more inside]
posted by JohannStrauss at 12:32 PM PST - 11 comments

Who makes comfortable, cushiony, resoleable men's dress shoes? I'm okay with Rockport for comfort, but their shoes apparently are no longer resoleable, and I wear out soles long before the uppers. Surely someone makes a comfortable shoe you can resole?
posted by Jackson at 12:08 PM PST - 5 comments

DVD Player dying? My Panasonic DVD-RV60 player ("chipped" or region-free) has lately developed an intermittent problem playing DVDs. Often, when I insert a disc, I get either a "No Disc" or "No Play" message. Ejecting and slightly turning the disc (sometimes many times,) will eventually result in the disc playing. CDs, on the either hand are read flawlessly. Once a disc starts playing, no problem. Is my player dying? I've tried cleaning the lens using a cleaning disc, but that hasn't helped. [more inside]
posted by Expat at 12:06 PM PST - 9 comments

If I liked Dune and The Left Hand of Darkness what other books would I like reading?
posted by lunkfish at 11:40 AM PST - 35 comments

I hate Quicktime. Any time I turn on my laptop, my desktop, my computer at work - it pops up down on my system tray. How do I stop it from doing that? [more inside]
posted by Ber at 11:35 AM PST - 20 comments

AmmoFilter: My wife found a box of old remington .38 ammunition while going through some boxes. They are at least 25 years old, given to her by a boyfriend when she moved out west a quarter of a century ago. She and I do not have any guns. How should we properly dispose of this ammunition?
posted by barrista at 10:45 AM PST - 9 comments

What's that ancient Greek quote that goes something like, Give me a city/village and I can turn it into a great nation?
posted by stopgap at 10:35 AM PST - 7 comments

What is "Overclocking" in programmers term? [more inside]
posted by semmi at 10:34 AM PST - 16 comments

What is the evolutionary advantage of shyness, particularly in early girls' adolescence? [more inside]
posted by ykjay at 8:53 AM PST - 32 comments

Is there a recording of Harry Connick, Jr. singing "Fly Me to the Moon"? [more inside]
posted by i love cheese at 8:50 AM PST - 7 comments

Cluetrain-Manifesto-like books ? [more inside]
posted by vincentm at 8:48 AM PST - 5 comments

Recommendations for a weekend in Hamburg please... [more inside]
posted by ClanvidHorse at 8:42 AM PST - 3 comments

Please provide feedback on my new business idea: online college paper and essay editing service [more inside]
posted by tippiedog at 8:08 AM PST - 29 comments

So I'm looking for a new printer, the old one is going to a good home. I'm not sure where to start looking for a new one but I have a few criteria: Laser, two-sided printing, and I'd like color. It's been so long since I got a printer (or any hardware) that I'm not sure where to go looking for reviews and suggestions. Anyone out there able to suggest a good printer that matches the above requirements, or have an idea where to start looking? I've had a lot of good experience with HP's, but I'm willing to look at other brands, I'm mostly interested in quality. My last printer lasted me 7-8 years, and I'd like something that could do that again. Oh, and if its an addon to get the two-sided printing, that's OK.
posted by Ikazuchi at 7:40 AM PST - 15 comments

LawFilter: Why is the U.S. Code so strange? [more inside]
posted by dsword at 6:05 AM PST - 21 comments

I own a IBM Thinkpad 600X. Would anyone know whether a D-Link 32 bit Ethernet Bus Card would be compatible with this laptop? Thanks.
posted by Mckoan1 at 4:44 AM PST - 7 comments

What would it take to start (in terms of licensing and registering) a "competitor" (in a very vague and loose sense of the word) to E*Trade? [more inside]
posted by Alt F4 at 4:37 AM PST - 8 comments

There a stupid bug in Win XP, which means that it forgets how you have a folder formatted to look. Apparently it can only remember 50 or so folders, so if you change 51 folders, the first folder you changed gets reset. And so on. Anyone know a way around this, as it's driving me mad..
posted by ascullion at 3:46 AM PST - 9 comments

How would the register_global security upgrade screw up a header re-direct? [more inside]
posted by RobotHero at 3:31 AM PST - 7 comments

ok heres a toughie, im 24, when i was really younger say around 10 i had this childrens book, i vaguely remember anything about it ... [more inside]
posted by airnxtz at 12:11 AM PST - 5 comments

Is regular flu vaccine effective against the avian flu?
posted by blue_beetle at 11:09 PM PST - 12 comments

A friend gave me a Target gift card. I don't want anything from Target. How can I get cash for the card?
posted by anonymous at 11:04 PM PST - 32 comments

I want to learn about Zen. How do I choose a Zen variety? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:04 PM PST - 10 comments

DietFilter: Weight Watchers - cult or miracle solution? Has anyone used Weight Watchers? Successfully? Unsuccessfully? Online or with meetings? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:04 PM PST - 32 comments

What do people really do with the CDs they steal? [more inside]
posted by FortyT-wo at 10:50 PM PST - 23 comments

When the weather starts to get cold, I get cold sores on my lips. Have since I was little. Obviously, I don't like this much. I have some ointment/gel that gets rid of them fairly quickly (much quicker than if I let them run their course normally, I mean), but I was wondering if there is anything I can do that might prevent them in the future.
posted by synecdoche at 10:44 PM PST - 19 comments

I want to burn a CD of MP3s that maintains an order other than alphabetized. How can I do that without prepending 01, 02, 03, ... to the filenames? I only have Windows XP. Any freeware apps?
posted by mischief at 10:13 PM PST - 11 comments

IBM Thinkpad Brick: I've recently come into posession of an IBM 600E Thinkpad. As a Mac user, I don't plan for this to be my main machine. But it'd be great if I could use it to test web design work, and perhaps to tinker with Linux. The problem is, it won't turn on. What's the best way to have it looked at and perhaps repaired? I don't particularly want to go to the local CompUSA and would like a solid estimate before sinking any money into it. [more inside]
posted by aladfar at 6:37 PM PST - 10 comments

Who is the retailer who sells the costume in this ebay auction?
posted by event at 5:55 PM PST - 3 comments

Who's the guy who played guitar upside down... [more inside]
posted by dr. fresh at 5:37 PM PST - 7 comments

I've just been asked to deploy to New Orleans as a Red Cross volunteer (mi). [more inside]
posted by efalk at 4:59 PM PST - 9 comments

OK - I just bought an iMac to replace our dying Windows machine at home. I've successfully moved over almost everything - email (thanks to emailchemy), bookmarks, contacts, calendar items, documents. But I'm stuck on one thing - how can I reproduce the groups of contacts from our old windows outlook express address in the OS X address book? I would rather not have to recreate them one address at a time if I can avoid it. Thanks!
posted by sfz at 4:22 PM PST - 12 comments

Anybody drink Lapsang Souchong tea? It's smoky and tasty. What brand should I buy if I want it to come in handy one-cup bags?
posted by selfnoise at 4:03 PM PST - 15 comments

Is there a word like widow or widower to describe a surviving twin? [more inside]
posted by Frank Grimes at 2:37 PM PST - 12 comments

Does advertising work? [more inside]
posted by Citizen Premier at 2:23 PM PST - 42 comments

I am looking for an equine dentist (a DVM) in upstate New York (near Binghamton) for some specialized dental work on my horse. The usual websearches haven't been successful in finding anyone. Any suggestions from mefi?
posted by bluesky43 at 2:22 PM PST - 4 comments

How do bic lighters maintain the same sized flame regardless of the amount of fluid left inside? [more inside]
posted by cyphill at 2:10 PM PST - 13 comments

Any cooks out there help me with shellfish cooking? [more inside]
posted by Cosine at 2:07 PM PST - 9 comments

Has anyone ever heard of an old sandwhich spread named Coogle? Circa 1970's and came in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, I believe.
posted by nocode at 2:04 PM PST - 12 comments

Best ideas for small business bookkeepingI run a home business where I usually have one part time employee, and sometimes a second. I need to do something better than I’m doing on bookkeeping. Quickbooks Pro seems a bit of overkill, in that I don’t do invoices, or many of the other things it purports to do. And I’ve never even used plain Quickbooks. I need some advice on the best, simplest bookkeeping system that would really do only a few things – (1) allow me to put in the rates, hours, etc. of my employees and translate this into my I.R.S. quarterly reports, etc., (2) Work with my business charge card account on line to categorize charges for Schedule C purposes, (3) Do the same with my business checking account. I have Mac OS X. I’d appreciate any thoughts on what program or online service I should use to get this done. Thanks
posted by rabbus at 1:48 PM PST - 5 comments

Is there a good store for used/arcane computer equipment on the east coast? [more inside]
posted by Orb2069 at 12:21 PM PST - 4 comments

Would it skew the results of an eye exam to show up drunk?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:10 PM PST - 20 comments

Low-density cheesecake recipes. [more inside]
posted by mr_roboto at 11:30 AM PST - 8 comments

Given an integer like this: 2916352 I'm told this is a 32 bit integer, where the "upper word" represents the whole number part of a value, and the "lower word" represents the decimal part. What is the mathematical formula to extract these words?
posted by 31d1 at 10:55 AM PST - 26 comments

my mom is looking for a new cell phone, need some suggestions and deal advice... details follow. [more inside]
posted by hummercash at 10:48 AM PST - 7 comments

CAPSLOCKFILTER: OK - I have to ask: what's up with the International Caps Lock Day post over on blue, and the >350 comments? Someone please explain!
posted by russmail at 10:37 AM PST - 26 comments

Is there a product that will not mark clothing or upholstery but will repel domestic rabbits? How effective is it? We want a new sofa, but we want it because our pet rabbit has trashed our old one. [more inside]
posted by Mayor Curley at 9:59 AM PST - 6 comments

What is appropriate for a same sex first anniversary gift? [more inside]
posted by benjh at 9:34 AM PST - 12 comments

When did the European explorers of the Americas figure out that they were not in the Orient but reather in two "new" continents? And, at this point, why did they not stop referring to the indigenous peoples of these continents as Indians?
posted by soiled cowboy at 9:15 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm having cable installed today... should I tip the cable guy? If so, how much?
posted by mandlebrotz at 8:43 AM PST - 25 comments

How long does the process of kidney donation take? [more inside]
posted by justonegirl at 8:41 AM PST - 4 comments

What are the little things I should do to deepen relationships from the good acquaintance level to true friend level? Why did your best friends become your best friends? [more inside]
posted by Sharcho at 8:33 AM PST - 12 comments

Does anyone else dream in musicals? [more inside]
posted by Orange Goblin at 3:25 AM PST - 23 comments

After a somewhat destructive relationship I've been single for over three years and despite a few flirtations have not had a date, girlfriend or anything else for quite some time. I've ben chatting to a girl online on and off for a while, and she keeps making very clear suggestions that we should 'go out' or 'do something'. Sounds great. The problem is I'm not attracted to her at all. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:14 AM PST - 19 comments

How much should I tip the guys who are coming to clean out my house? [more inside]
posted by krisptoria at 10:45 PM PST - 7 comments

Pizza. What is it that distinguishes pizza sauce from any other pasta sauce? I notice that a good pizza sauce seems to have an extra zing, an extra bite to it, and I've never been able to pin down what ingredient it is. I've used spaghetti sauce and homemade tomato-oregano concoctions on homemade pizzas and it never tastes right.
posted by rolypolyman at 9:32 PM PST - 35 comments

Chinese travel visa for an American living in Japan... [more inside]
posted by MostHolyPorcine at 9:13 PM PST - 5 comments

My SO is getting a salivary gland removed...Feeding and care? [more inside]
posted by verytres at 9:07 PM PST - 7 comments

Is there a way to tell a Powerbook with airport to connect only to Access Points like Windows XP? [more inside]
posted by phyrewerx at 8:53 PM PST - 3 comments

I have a pesky server at the office that will restart every 12 hours or so. Even after my best efforts, I cannot figure out why this thing keeps restarting. I have a couple ideas and need to know if they will work. [more inside]
posted by meta87 at 8:12 PM PST - 17 comments

Are any of these old vinyl LPs/records worth anything? [more inside]
posted by autojack at 7:20 PM PST - 18 comments

Animated short from the early 80s: A pet hippopotamus! [more inside]
posted by skryche at 7:10 PM PST - 0 comments

What does it mean to detonate a suspicious package "as a precaution?" If for some reason the bomb threat is not a hoax, wouldn't the detonation set off the real bomb that's inside? Shouldn't they do this sort of thing, y'know, far away from the Capitol building?
posted by Saucy Intruder at 6:57 PM PST - 7 comments

So I downloaded Flock and became instantly indifferent, until I noticed it's near Opera-like rendering speed via the back-button. Sluggish back button (again, compared to Opera) action is my least favorite thing about Firefox. Given that Flock is based on Firefox, can I mimic Flock's speedy rendering on already visited pages in Firefox sans digging into code? [more inside]
posted by jikel_morten at 6:57 PM PST - 13 comments

Should I pay for an apartment listing service? [more inside]
posted by jclovebrew at 6:43 PM PST - 5 comments

What do I do with all these beans? [more inside]
posted by jackofsaxons at 6:24 PM PST - 36 comments

What's best in humidifiers? [more inside]
posted by five fresh fish at 6:23 PM PST - 5 comments

Has anything changed for Palestinians after the Israeli withrawal from Gaza?
posted by Manouk at 5:59 PM PST - 5 comments

what are the facts on heat, fire, and old brownstone radiators? [more inside]
posted by yonation at 5:43 PM PST - 7 comments

Tell me about hemorrhoids! Read more inside if you don't mind some details! [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:35 PM PST - 19 comments

How have your experiences been with Natural Family Planning? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:34 PM PST - 37 comments

I start new projects as a way of avoiding finishing things I have already begun. Why do I sabotage myself so? How do I stop? If I have seven projects partially started, which one should a bite the bullet on and just get done? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:34 PM PST - 13 comments

My sister is going to celebrate 1 year of (drug) sobriety next month. I have my father's 1 year (alcohol) sobriety coin from many years ago. Should I give it to her on her anniversary date? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:34 PM PST - 16 comments

My mother uses Print Shop Deluxe 1.13 on her Umax SuperMac running System 8.5.1. When she gets her new 20" iMac, will the Print Shop Deluxe software work? Is there an emulator needed/available?
posted by Argyle at 2:02 PM PST - 6 comments

Can anyone indentify this toy (or toy parts)? I found it in a box of matchbox style cars that I bought at a yardsale. [more inside]
posted by 445supermag at 1:41 PM PST - 2 comments

Is there a service that can make digital prints from processed APS film?
posted by plexi at 1:23 PM PST - 4 comments

We're looking for ways to beat the high cost of natural gas this year. Anybody have any experience with the Sun Twin space heater? Additional advertising page here . I've heard about this electric heater from a couple of sources, but can't find any independent verification that it lives up to the claims made in the advertising. Anybody know of this thing?
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:14 PM PST - 10 comments

Suddenly, "Sign out of Microsoft Passport network" has appeared in the file menu of all my Microsoft Office 2003 applications. At least, I don't remember it from before. When did it appear, and what put it there? [more inside]
posted by blue_wardrobe at 1:00 PM PST - 1 comment

I'm trying to find a good online fax broadcast system. [more inside]
posted by trbrts at 12:51 PM PST - 1 comment

Today I left my wallet at home when I headed into the city by train. The train conductor recognized me as a monthly pass holder and let me stay on the train. So then I was in the city with no money, cards, ID or subway pass. I had a cell phone, an iPod, a book, a notebook and pen, two magazines, makeup, a bottle of tea and gum. From the train station, I walked to school, where there is free internet. Apart from borrowing/begging, how could I have gotten money to get home? [more inside]
posted by xo at 12:51 PM PST - 37 comments

BirthdayFilter. Not mine, my dad's. He's going to be 80 next year and I'd like to do something special. He's always liked comics and has told me a lot about the comics he read growing up. What I'd like to do is get a collection of prints of comics that were printed on or around his birthday, October 16th 1926. I don't know how to do this though. There are also some serials such as Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers that I'd love to be able to find from the era when he was a kid. How do I go about this?
posted by substrate at 12:17 PM PST - 9 comments

Why do you like U2? [more inside]
posted by BorgLove at 11:47 AM PST - 112 comments

Questions about making the switch to Mac: We have 200GB of files, mostly music and photos, on the harddrive of my PC (running windows XP SP2). I want to give my SO an iMac G5. (Shh! It's a secret.) Tell me what the easiest way is to move the pictures and music from one platform to the other. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:34 AM PST - 20 comments

Why do digital SLRs have no shutter lag and digital P&Ss (even expensive ones) have a bad case of it? What's the technical reason I mean (I am not an engineer)? In fact, most people who still don't like digital mention shutter lag as a major problem of digital photography. Thanks.
posted by PenguinBukkake at 11:21 AM PST - 9 comments

I keep losing my application icons in OS X. [more inside]
posted by ssmith at 10:52 AM PST - 6 comments

Can anyone recommend a good open source or freeware auction listing tool for ebay (Windows)? [more inside]
posted by Otis at 10:29 AM PST - 5 comments

How can I access my OS X Tiger hard drive remotely? [more inside]
posted by cahlers at 9:41 AM PST - 16 comments

Some dear friends of mine have an 11 year old son with Asperger's Syndrome, and I'm concerned because they are doing little if anything to aid in his socialization, allowing him to spend practically all of his time watching tv and/or playing video games. [more inside]
posted by gallois at 9:39 AM PST - 23 comments

A few questions about printing digital photos in NYC, and tangentially, the legality thereof. [more inside]
posted by Vidiot at 9:03 AM PST - 19 comments

A couple of questions on snow tires for BMWs... [more inside]
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 9:00 AM PST - 8 comments

What is the best use you've seen made of a .Mac account? [more inside]
posted by airguitar at 8:47 AM PST - 19 comments

How can I quickly sublet my apartment? [more inside]
posted by medpt at 8:42 AM PST - 7 comments

Can anyone recommend a good software package for a small IT/support department that handles project scheduling AND support requests? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:30 AM PST - 8 comments

RoadRageFilter: Does anyone know of an effective cure or countermeasure for someone with road rage? [more inside]
posted by Hanover Phist at 8:28 AM PST - 41 comments

I have about a hundred MusicMatch downloads and now want to switch to an iPod. Is there any way I can play these with iTunes? My initial forays leave me pessimistic. [more inside]
posted by docpops at 8:28 AM PST - 8 comments

Does a company like 37Signals / Basecamp have to charge its users for sales tax? Looking at Basecamp, they charge different monthly rates for associated tiers of service. I would imagine they have customers from all over the States, as well as different countries. Are they required to apply sales tax to these monthly rates based on the customers geographic location. Or, because they are an e-commerce entity, and aren't really selling anything tangible, do they simply charge the flat rate and ignore sales tax?

More pointedly, I am wondering how complex tax collection / reporting is for a U.S. based e-commerce business of this sort.
posted by jasondigitized at 7:39 AM PST - 6 comments

What is the best way to develop a photographic memory?(pardon the pun)
posted by wisdom-seeker at 7:33 AM PST - 5 comments

I would love to get suggestions on how to replicate The Question's facemask for a Halloween costume. Rorschach suggestions are equally welcome. The cheaper, the better.
posted by COBRA! at 7:25 AM PST - 18 comments

Duct sealing to save on heating bills this winter? Has anyone done this, and did it help? [more inside]
posted by Joleta at 6:40 AM PST - 14 comments

If you know how to decode UPS tracking information, please look inside. [more inside]
posted by Kwantsar at 6:39 AM PST - 11 comments

Where should me and my quasi-grandparents go for lunch in Cardiff? [more inside]
posted by Lotto at 4:41 AM PST - 6 comments

Looking for the band/composer that created the songs on an old cassette tape I have from the early 90's. Song titles include "We can Rearrange the World" and "Goddamn the Empty Sky", "The Lament of the Corporate President's Wife" among others. The tape had only a hand-written label on it calling it "Maestro Mix", and probably was copied 1991-92. [more inside]
posted by hincandenza at 4:16 AM PST - 8 comments

S and I (mid/early 30s, XX/XY) thinking of TRYING TO HAVE A BABY soon. What are your favorite books/resources for the "We think we're ready to start trying in 2 months" stage? [more inside]
posted by prettyboyfloyd at 10:35 PM PST - 29 comments

Wi-Fi help? Failing that, Firefox help? Why is my wireless internet card having trouble connecting to the router? [more inside]
posted by dial-tone at 10:24 PM PST - 5 comments

How much, ballpark, does a new garage door cost? [more inside]
posted by zogbie at 9:13 PM PST - 7 comments

How do I stop a fax machine from calling my cell phone? [more inside]
posted by bertrandom at 8:31 PM PST - 4 comments

What's the best and easiest way (besides classes) to learn sign language? [more inside]
posted by spiderskull at 8:30 PM PST - 3 comments

Automation filter: I need a piece of software that will scan a folder of office documents and email them. [more inside]
posted by bigmusic at 8:25 PM PST - 11 comments

Why is it bad to use both topical and oral diphenhydramine? [more inside]
posted by Kosh at 8:04 PM PST - 3 comments

Can a moth-eaten camelhair coat be repaired? [more inside]
posted by bingo at 8:00 PM PST - 2 comments

Does anyone have any recommendation for good looking headset storage options? [more inside]
posted by krisjohn at 7:22 PM PST - 5 comments

Help us make an interactive calendar to put in our digital yearbook. [more inside]
posted by divabat at 7:07 PM PST - 2 comments

For the next 18 months I will be regularly traveling in the UK, Ireland and US (pleasure and business). What is the best strategy to optimize international compatibility and consolidate telephony, email and internet access into one (or the fewest) devices. [more inside]
posted by rmhsinc at 6:36 PM PST - 3 comments

Does anyone know whether chronopay.com is legit? (Bonus question: how could I have checked up on them myself?)
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:02 PM PST - 4 comments

GmailFilter: I switched to Gmail over a year ago, and I think it's great. But one feature that Yahoo and Hotmail have I haven't been able to find on Gmail: when I write an email and want to send to multiple people, what's the best way to do this? With Hotmail, for example, the "To" is a hyperlink and brings up a small popup list of all your contacts--very simple and convenient. Does Gmail have a similar feature? I canna find it!
posted by zardoz at 5:56 PM PST - 6 comments

Who makes up jokes? [more inside]
posted by ORthey at 5:48 PM PST - 41 comments

does anyone know of a good audio editing program for the mac? [more inside]
posted by benkolb at 5:47 PM PST - 10 comments

Killav-L: This virus has infected a not-so-web-savvy friend's computer (at least I'm pretty sure that's the one). It's knocked out his antivirus (Norton) as it's designed to and I just can't find much out there as far as a fix. Anyone have a good suggestion? [more inside]
posted by moonbird at 5:35 PM PST - 4 comments

Does anyone remember a childrens book about a place where its dark all the time except for one day a year when the sun comes out? In the story the little gets locked in a closet by other kids on the one day of sun? thanks!
posted by butterball at 5:30 PM PST - 21 comments

Why does my iTunes keep opening (unprovoked)? [more inside]
posted by jmgorman at 4:27 PM PST - 9 comments

Covers with a Twist I'm looking for a good list of genre-defying cover takes of popular songs for a mix CD. What I have in mind is along the lines of: Faith No More's cover of Easy (Like Sunday Morning), Aztec Camera's cover of Van Halen's Jump and Nina Gordon's covers of Straight Outta Compton and 18 & Life [more inside]
posted by DeeJayK at 3:57 PM PST - 132 comments

Looking for an inexpensive, chic (used?) sofa in Philadelphia... [more inside]
posted by Rothko at 3:54 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm a consultant working for a company that has the option of hiring me soon. This would be a dream job were it not for one person... [more inside]
posted by furtive at 3:47 PM PST - 10 comments

I have two well-trained, photogenic dogs. A photographer recently suggested to me that other professional photographers might like to use them as models. How do I go about finding people who are interested in hiring my dogs?
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 3:35 PM PST - 7 comments

What arcade machine is this? [more inside]
posted by Marky at 3:34 PM PST - 5 comments

When did the population of the US (or its preceding colonies) surpass that of the UK? Any links to this sort of historo-demographic information for the layman (ie, in easy to digest form)?
posted by dash_slot- at 3:04 PM PST - 7 comments

AskChicagoFilter: I want to buy a condo in Chicago. I want to be near a couple of specific things - what neighborhoods should I look at? Oh yeah, I'm not rich. [more inside]
posted by twiggy at 2:59 PM PST - 9 comments

How do I turn off new mail notification in Thunderbird? [more inside]
posted by Wet Spot at 2:12 PM PST - 5 comments

I've decided that I would like to learn German from my best friend, who is Austrian. We have no idea how to go about doing this. We're thinking that I need to learn basic grammar and syntax first, but I'm not terribly concerned with reading or writing German. I'd like to get some textbook and curriculum recommendations and hear from anyone who has taught their native language to a friend.
posted by lunalaguna at 1:26 PM PST - 10 comments

SeeAnMDFilter: I have the nagging dull ache in the lower right hand side of my back that tells me I'm possibly going to have another bout of Kidney Stones coming soon. Other than drinking lots of water (which I do) and staying off the soda (which I do), is there anything I can do/eat to help prevent/postpone the inevitable agony? Or am I just doomed?
posted by anastasiav at 1:14 PM PST - 6 comments

How can I find out what bands are booked/playing on each of the specific late night shows (letterman, o'brian, etc.)? [more inside]
posted by hubs at 10:48 AM PST - 4 comments

What are the best blogs to read that cover the *business* of Silicon Valley? [more inside]
posted by nyterrant at 10:43 AM PST - 4 comments

AskBostonFilter: I want to get a new suit, a shirt or two, and some ties. I want to spend anywhere between $500 and $1000 on this, and would much rather end up on the lower end of the spectrum. That said, I understand that this is an investment worth spending a little money on. If I were a rich man, I'd be getting measured for my bespoke, but as I'm not, where should I go? [more inside]
posted by bobot at 10:43 AM PST - 27 comments

How does anyone afford growing up? [more inside]
posted by hamster at 10:09 AM PST - 53 comments

MusicFilter: I enjoy Figurine. What else would I like? [more inside]
posted by defenestration at 10:08 AM PST - 12 comments

I am hoping to get out of Brooklyn at the end of this month and do nothing nearby in the Hudson River Valley. Does anyone have recommendation for a good place to stay that is close by the Hudson, not so far north that it is past peak, and that may have reservations. [more inside]
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 9:12 AM PST - 7 comments

Help me identify this switch [1 page pdf]. [more inside]
posted by nickerbocker at 9:04 AM PST - 5 comments

I have two light fixtures in the entryway of my house, near the dining room. There are three light switches in the immediate vicinity that will turn both fixtures on or off. I would like to split the switches somehow so that I can turn on a fixture by itself. The problem is two-fold: impress my wife with household prowess and not to shock myself. [more inside]
posted by jmevius at 8:58 AM PST - 6 comments

CalendarProgramFilter: I need a calendar program for PC in which one can enter a bunch of calendars (say 50, for 50 people), and easily view various combinations of calendars, to see how various people's schedules interfere. (This could be done in iCal, though something that could show all of the overlaps more clearly would be better) [more inside]
posted by anonymoose at 8:52 AM PST - 7 comments

Help me determine how these cities would be to live in. [more inside]
posted by smcniven at 8:49 AM PST - 38 comments

The car rental company wants money and I don't want to pay. Does it get any simpler? Well, it gets more complicated - I've been told the country in question reimburses for pothole damage and I like the idea of them paying much more than me paying. But is it true? [more inside]
posted by phearlez at 8:48 AM PST - 7 comments

Should I become a NY resident? This is mainly a tax question. [more inside]
posted by kensanway at 8:38 AM PST - 16 comments

Any other recommendations for desktop blogging/web content management software? So far I have Blogjet, Qumana, CityDesk, and Anconia.
posted by Voyageman at 8:31 AM PST - 8 comments

I have a very basic requirement that Apple Mail doesn't seem to easily fulfill. I need to immediately delete messages that are identified as junk from the server. [more inside]
posted by mikel at 7:24 AM PST - 15 comments

Snowblower advice needed! I am looking to purchase a snowblower for the upcoming winter and know very little of the brands out there. I am looking at a Murray brand, 8hp machine for $997 (Canadian). Is that a good brand & price? I'm looking to spend up to $1200 before taxes so is there a better deal out there? [more inside]
posted by Shfishp at 7:01 AM PST - 3 comments

What are your impressions of the various course management systems you've used? My college is having a look beyond Blackboard, especially after the merger news. [more inside]
posted by jwells at 5:42 AM PST - 23 comments

I want to purchase a quality stereo system. I have learned that just purchasing expensive stuff and setting it down in a room where the wife thinks it looks good does not work. How do I match a stereo system to the acoustics of a room and its furnishings? My wifes sense of style also gets in the way here. I do not care what it looks like as long as I get good sound. Are there any self compensating speaker systems out there? Can a system be retuned if the room furnishings are changed or if the room is remodeled? I am positive that my elderly ears have frequency recognition limitations. Any way of determining how much of a problem this can be? Are there ways of dealing/compensating for this?
posted by Raybun at 5:25 AM PST - 27 comments

Outlook 2002 VBA help needed. I want to right click a mail message in my Inbox, select Categories, and when I click ok to save the category, code will run to display 2 separate input boxes. The values entered in the input boxes will be added to the Billing Information and Mileage Fields. [more inside]
posted by frogmoses at 5:15 AM PST - 0 comments

How important is job satisfaction toward overall fulfillment? [more inside]
posted by cdadog at 4:45 AM PST - 25 comments

Do you know about any good looking computer cables? [more inside]
posted by ouke at 12:51 AM PST - 7 comments

LaundryFilter: Help me get rid of a mystery green stain! [more inside]
posted by sanitycheck at 11:54 PM PST - 6 comments

How do I deal with my boyfriend's obnoxious and embarrassing friends? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:37 PM PST - 45 comments

Dyeing my white cat festive colors for special occasions: sick and/or dangerous? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:36 PM PST - 58 comments

My 15-person department is getting its photo taken for a company newsletter (the company is an enormous multinational one with 120,000+ employees). We were told to wear "appropriate" clothing, and one co-worker was told specifically not to wear his white shirt that says ATHEIST across the front. He is, in fact, an atheist. Could he complain to HR? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:36 PM PST - 16 comments

My wife and I just purchased two boxes of Crest Whitestrips Classics. I want to know before we get too far into the two week process, if there's any potentially negative "side effects" to using teeth whitening strips. The box label says our teeth will be nice and white for 12 months! These strips aren't cheap either! Not to mention, I just discovered there are different strengths of the Whitestrips e.g."Premium, Professional, & Supreme!" Would a professional whitening treatment at our dentist's office be better as far as cost/safety,etc?
posted by thebarron at 10:57 PM PST - 24 comments

iPodFilter: When I try to update my iPod I get an an error message: "Can not read from or write on disk." [more inside]
posted by Sara Anne at 10:01 PM PST - 14 comments

After months of looking I have finally found a 5 string banjo that sounded good enough I wouldn't mind learning on it but was still within my means. Now I just need help learning how to play. [more inside]
posted by herting at 9:48 PM PST - 10 comments

I am considering purchasing an older 5-spd Honda Civic on order to save gas on my bi-weekly long commute. [more inside]
posted by fshgrl at 8:42 PM PST - 19 comments

A new yoga center has opened up in my neighborhood called Dahn Yoga. I went in yesterday to check out the schedule and see what they had to offer. I left with a little bit of a Scientology, kind of creepy new-agey feeling. I've done yoga for years, love me some good Buddhism, etc, but if someone starts to talk to me about altering my brain and altering my chakras in more than a metaphorical way, I'm not thinking it's for me. Anyone had any experience with Dahn Yoga or "brain respiration"? Here are the links I found: * Brain Respiration * Dahn Yoga I'm hoping it's not creepy, because it's a nice space, and the location and schedule are convenient.
posted by abbyladybug at 7:45 PM PST - 10 comments

Verb tense in fiction [more inside]
posted by larry_darrell at 7:04 PM PST - 23 comments

Does everyone who gets arrested have a mugshot taken of them, and must all mugshots be released to the public? Are there any restrictions on their use? [more inside]
posted by thewittyname at 6:46 PM PST - 21 comments

What happened to Coca-Cola C2? [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:19 PM PST - 24 comments

One of my favorite movies of all time is It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, at least when I'm in a certain mood. I'm also inordinately fond of The Party. Given those, what other movies from that era might I enjoy? [more inside]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:49 PM PST - 32 comments

wedding filter: Music. We have the key elements nailed, music for the ceremony and first dance, however... [more inside]
posted by snsranch at 5:20 PM PST - 7 comments

It's promotion & raise time. Do I play hardball? And if so, how? [more inside]
posted by Gucky at 5:02 PM PST - 13 comments

Advice for a depressed teenager with completely unsympathetic and uncooperative parents? [more inside]
posted by granted at 4:41 PM PST - 21 comments

It's my one year wedding anniversary and I’m struggling with what to get my wife. I know the traditional one year anniversary gift is paper, what are some creative interpretations of that?
posted by tichance at 4:33 PM PST - 21 comments

How do I reset the password on an Inova LightLink LED Display (CFM24.2005)? [more inside]
posted by thedward at 4:28 PM PST - 6 comments

Suppose I were able to write a publishable novel. How much money would I get, as a first-time author as soon as it was picked up? How much would I make over all? Assume This an action sci-fi/cyberpunk type book (think William Gibson). [more inside]
posted by delmoi at 4:06 PM PST - 25 comments

Too many pens, not enough pen caps. I gradually acquire disposable pens that are missing their caps. Is there something that can commonly be used as a cap for these de-crowned writing sticks? I've tried small balloons--too awkward. Corks? Does someone sell universal pen caps? Just one of life's small annoyances and I'm wondering if there is an elegant, material solution, short of tossing them.
posted by craniac at 3:49 PM PST - 14 comments

What's the best and most flexible type of savings/college fund account for a minor? [more inside]
posted by lychee at 3:45 PM PST - 3 comments

I was curious about the 1997 Dutch film 'All Stars,' directed by Jean Van de Velde. Is there a way to tell if it's out on DVD, and anyway to get a version with English subtitles?
posted by jgballard at 3:34 PM PST - 3 comments

My boyfriend and I stayed with his friends near Aspen, Colo. What should we send them as a thank you gift? What interesting and useful thank you gifts have you received? [more inside]
posted by Airhen at 3:04 PM PST - 11 comments

What's a good (and free!) way to remove commercials from mpeg2 files? [more inside]
posted by kc0dxh at 2:08 PM PST - 10 comments

I have a problem that asks what is the smallest time interval that you can accurately measure with a shoelace that burns at a non-constant rate, matches and a pair of scissors. I think this is just one of a whole family of problems like this. Where can I find other problems like this? Help me find the solution to this problem. [more inside]
posted by noether at 1:55 PM PST - 43 comments

I will be in San Juan Friday through Monday with a friend who is going there on business. What sorts of cool things are there to do and see while we're there? Any and all suggestions welcome.
posted by fabesfaves at 1:48 PM PST - 4 comments

I have been noticing more and more websites using Google to index their restricted content. For example, this search (top item) brings up what is supposedly a full 30 KB paper, but visiting the link we get a different page that goes to a login. Even the cache carries the false page. Are these websites abusing Google, or is Google permitting it and why? Why doesn't this stuff belong under the ads?
posted by zek at 12:41 PM PST - 10 comments

My mother's husband is a big folk music fan, and his birthday is coming up. I'd like to get them 2 tickets to a good folk music show that takes place somewhere in the NYC area before the end of 2005. [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu at 12:34 PM PST - 13 comments

Young married couple, mid-20's, good income: ready to take our finances more seriously. Who do we talk to? [more inside]
posted by junkbox at 12:19 PM PST - 25 comments

I've experienced a lot of new spam and back-end pop-ups in the last 5 days or so in my G-mail account. Is anyone else experiencing the same? What can I do to get rid of it?
posted by NorthCoastCafe at 12:11 PM PST - 13 comments

My wife and I are traveling to Washington DC for a work-week vacation. We love musuems and I have many visits planned (Smithsonian, LOC, Air-Space, etc.). What are not-to-miss museums/historical monuments? And most of all - when I'm all "museumed-out" - what are the best night out and local fun stops we should not miss?
posted by mctsonic at 11:39 AM PST - 37 comments

I just bought a new PSP (Sony Playstation Portable). It has 5 dead pixels at the bottom. Through reading on the internet I discovered that having a few pixels like this is 'acceptable'. Other PSP owners, is this normal or should I trade it for another one with better display quality?
posted by sebas at 11:32 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm using Entourage (yes I know) and somehow my Database has become corrupted. My last backup is over a week old. I tried rebuilding the database, advance rebuild, and none worked (read/write error -40). Help?
posted by ig at 10:47 AM PST - 7 comments

Is there a website where you can sign up for a RSS feed, put in your cell phone number and have the new feed info come to your phone as a text message?
posted by sandra194 at 10:46 AM PST - 8 comments

Tell me how to sell things on the internet. [more inside]
posted by Optimus Chyme at 10:18 AM PST - 20 comments

What is the website that one can upload a photograph and convert that image into what looks like a famous painting (Modigliani , van Gogh etc). I recall it used some type of face recognition software algorithms.
posted by turbanhead at 10:17 AM PST - 3 comments

I would like to spend an academic year studying Russian in Russia. [more inside]
posted by speranza at 9:47 AM PST - 5 comments

Questions about French maids... [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:43 AM PST - 12 comments

Is there a way to use Yahoo! Messenger with its webcam viewing component enabled without installing the actual Messenger software? [more inside]
posted by Jaie at 9:06 AM PST - 1 comment

Name our kittens! We have just brought home two entirely black boy kittens from the shelter and they need names. [more inside]
posted by nelleish at 8:59 AM PST - 100 comments

HomeownerFilter: Do cesspool bacterial treatments do anything? [more inside]
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:52 AM PST - 7 comments

Sudafed (the real and the cheap generics both) are gone; I've been taking the stuff for 30 years, and I'm having trouble finding an alternative that works well. Can anyone share any experiences with good alternatives? [more inside]
posted by nonliteral at 8:49 AM PST - 21 comments

Where can I find a 3D scale model of Manhattan? [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:10 AM PST - 9 comments

What's the next logical career choice for a senior analyst? [more inside]
posted by DCTapeworm at 8:03 AM PST - 9 comments

OpenSourceFilter: What open source software rocks your world? [more inside]
posted by mikewas at 7:55 AM PST - 37 comments

Opera 103: Digging through the AskMe archives, I found two good threads on opera. How about another? I have several questions about opera. Especially: what are some beautiful, tuneful arias I can use to introduce myself to opera? [more inside]
posted by jdroth at 7:39 AM PST - 15 comments

I'm looking for slideshow software for an art installation... [more inside]
posted by fake at 7:12 AM PST - 4 comments

I have been noticing a problem with my work laptop which is running XP SP2. If left up and running all night, then on most mornings i find out it is running very sluggishly with 100% CPU utilization (from the graph). First I thought may be it is firefox with its large number of open tabs. But I am not so sure anymore. killing firefox does not help. Also when I look at the CPU column in task manager i cant quite figure out what is causing that 100% utilization. None of high numbers on the CPU column look suspect. Obviously I am missing something here. One thing I am not 100% sure, and there may be something to it, is that I may have seen this problem more often when I am using wifi instead of wired LAN at home. But I need to verify this. After this happens I usually have to reboot the machine after bringing it back to work. I am able to suspend the machine and bring it to work and plug it into the work LAN. But unless I reboot it it really runs slow. Just logging out does not help. [more inside]
posted by flyby22 at 6:50 AM PST - 18 comments

Hello all, My doctor prescribed Paxil for me last night due to my heavy case of anxiety and seasonal depression. I took it about 2 hours ago (one pill, 20mg) after my breakfast and I am experiencing some nausea and shakiness in my hands. From what I understand, Paxil can take up to two weeks to 'kick in' but considering my past with other chemicals, things always affected me differently than most people. For example, whenever I took any cough syrup that had Dextromethorphan chemical inside of it (cough supressant), it would make me feel like I was completely out of it for at least a week, even if I only took two recommended doses per day. I suppose it's just my body and the way it reacts to certain things. I am just wondering if there are any Paxil users on this site who could tell me a thing or two about what it was like for them the first time they took it, or maybe anything else that I need to know. Thank you kindly.
posted by smoothie at 6:48 AM PST - 25 comments

Know any good college pranks? [more inside]
posted by Acey at 5:24 AM PST - 57 comments

Do any MeFi Americans have experience of (part)-owning companies overseas? [more inside]
posted by sagwalla at 1:57 AM PST - 3 comments

Question about mounting large(ish) photographs professionally. [more inside]
posted by garethspor at 12:19 AM PST - 8 comments

RototillerFilter: My back yard has some issues right now and I'm wondering if a rototiller might solve them all. [more inside]
posted by fenriq at 11:58 PM PST - 8 comments

Three 19 year old girls from Vancouver, $2000 each, a week off school in February, and an urge to travel, and do a little more than get drunk on a beach. Where to?
posted by stray at 10:11 PM PST - 22 comments

I have a 20 month old son who has cerebral palsy. And among the myriad problems this causes him (limited control of his limbs, poor vision, increased tone), his inability to sleep is causing a lot of grief. I'm hoping someone will have had a similar situation and has found a sleep solution that I haven't tried yet. [more inside]
posted by danwalker at 8:44 PM PST - 8 comments

Can I minimize the gap between my two front teeth without braces? [more inside]
posted by BradNelson at 8:42 PM PST - 35 comments

why did the sonnet develop as a 14 line form? is the number "14" an arbitrary choice that "caught on" or does it have some sort of specific symbolism? [more inside]
posted by ronv at 8:14 PM PST - 8 comments

ClassicalMusicFilter: I know very little about classical music, and I was just thinking how nice it would be to have some playing whilst I'm sitting here reading. What'd be some nice chilled evening classical music? [more inside]
posted by forallmankind at 7:31 PM PST - 29 comments

I'm looking for a few good rss newsfeeds to put on my google frontpage. And I'm asking for your advice. [more inside]
posted by thecjm at 7:14 PM PST - 12 comments

PC building 101 [more inside]
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:08 PM PST - 27 comments

In the movies, you can take a guy out by hitting him on the on the neck, from behind, either with the back of a gun or - if you are James Bond-ish - with the hand of karate. Does this work? If not, why is it so common in the movies?
posted by mr.marx at 6:18 PM PST - 30 comments

So - what *is* Conversion Disorder? And have people actually been healed of it? [more inside]
posted by spinifex23 at 5:58 PM PST - 6 comments

I want to turn movies into flash files. [more inside]
posted by boo_radley at 4:54 PM PST - 13 comments

Is there a quick and easy way to get screenshots of an Xbox game? [more inside]
posted by arha at 4:29 PM PST - 7 comments

What is a pacing horse, and why is it considered a bad thing? [more inside]
posted by footnote at 4:18 PM PST - 9 comments

Methods of Documentation: Getty My Work Onto Slide Film Next weekend I am participating in an art show, my first in which work will be for sale, and because for one thing, I hung a piece in the silent auction, I have reason to believe I will sell at least one thing. (I have sold work before on commission, but this is still pretty exciting.) I would like to have, in the future, in my portfolio, slides of any sold work. I do not have a tremendous budget but I'd rather spend a bit of cash than not have documentation of early sold work. What method should I use to get my paintings and soforth onto slides? (See extended explanation). Thanks much. I've got until the weekend to figure this out. /tarin [more inside]
posted by tarintowers at 3:57 PM PST - 16 comments

What CD are you currently in love with? [more inside]
posted by captainscared at 2:38 PM PST - 146 comments

Having a lot of trouble sleeping lately... [more inside]
posted by unccivil at 2:15 PM PST - 20 comments

How can I identify the model number of a mysteriously unidentifiable Levi's jeans? [more inside]
posted by UlfMagnet at 2:10 PM PST - 9 comments

We want to set up an organization to promote medical exchange between American and foreign physicians. Which would be the more appropriate vehicle, a foundation or a not-for profit corporation? [more inside]
posted by mert at 1:58 PM PST - 7 comments

Every computer in our house will not grant us access to a select few web sites... CNN.com, and Google to name a couple. The really weird part is that anything relating to Google... any logos, Google ads... nothing containing 'Google' will run on my, or anybody else's computer in our house. Can anybody shed any light onto our problem?
posted by bamassippi at 1:44 PM PST - 22 comments

How can I keep some unsavory people away from my kids' school? [more inside]
posted by tetsuo at 1:31 PM PST - 78 comments

Looking for British (I think) track suit. Help..... [more inside]
posted by TheFeatheredMullet at 1:28 PM PST - 4 comments

What is the mechanism that triggers the breakdown of lean muscle mass for energy? [more inside]
posted by Manjusri at 1:18 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm looking for a slang word/phrase used to describe a false bar in a prison cell. The idea is that when a prison was built/expanded by inmate labor, workers would loosen one bar before it'd set too solidly in cement to make a potential escape hatch. What would inmates call this? [more inside]
posted by soviet sleepover at 12:55 PM PST - 6 comments

Help me reduce my anxiety about labor & delivery of my first child (due date = less than a week).... I'm having recurrent nightmares: Repeat airplane crash scenarios. Nightmares of my husband getting killed on the way home from work. Of having a stranger assault me at home, BTK style. And it doesn't help that we had to put our wonderful dog to sleep last week. [more inside]
posted by mdiskin at 12:17 PM PST - 18 comments

How do I talk to my parents about planning for when my father’s gone? [more inside]
posted by lalochezia at 12:08 PM PST - 9 comments

Choral music reccommendations? [more inside]
posted by scazza at 11:08 AM PST - 23 comments

How do I stop Outlook from embedding images into my newsletters? [more inside]
posted by Blue Buddha at 11:08 AM PST - 14 comments

Male and female couple attending a Ramadan dinner this Thursday, wife actually was the invitee (spouse was included.) What protocols, behaviors, manners are appropriate for us? (We are not muslim.)
posted by leafwoman at 11:07 AM PST - 22 comments

Where should I go for winter break? [more inside]
posted by null terminated at 10:48 AM PST - 19 comments

I just bought a new cast iron wood stove and have only had three fires in it so far. Everytime there has been a horrible chemical smoke that burns off of the body which I assume is the blackening ont he cast iron? It has been significantly less each time but will it eventually stop? Is there anything I can do to prevent this? Help!
posted by cdcello at 10:34 AM PST - 12 comments

Ok, so this is potentially off-color, but I don't mean it to be. The premise: I am a late 20's male considering a week-long trip to someplace warm this winter, and would love to travel with someone...someone female ;-) Is there any way to do this without sounding like a perv? (I hope to preserve my non-perv MeFi cred via "more inside".) [more inside]
posted by cgs at 10:33 AM PST - 39 comments

I would like to make custom ties, and maybe even short-sleeve button downs (think hawaiian shirts) with my own designs on them. How can I go about doing this? There are companies that do this (e.g., these guys, but they're in the UK), but I'm sure that I'll pay a big premium to do it this way. Is there a way that I can have custom fabrics printed / woven in some garment producing country (Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh,) and then turned into shirts based on some reference design? Are there other ways to do it? [more inside]
posted by zpousman at 10:16 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm due to give birth anytime and we are still stuck with a name. We already have two other boys: Hewitt Gareth Miller and Rupert Johannes Postma. It's a boy and we like old names obviously. Got any cool ideas?We are dead locked. We like names that translate into adult names nicely.
posted by gina at 10:13 AM PST - 97 comments

A couple in a celebratory mood has 55 hours in Manhattan. Where do they go to experience the best of the best cuisine? [more inside]
posted by plexiwatt at 10:11 AM PST - 37 comments

So, kreteks/clove cigarettes: will they kill me? [more inside]
posted by hototogisu at 10:05 AM PST - 26 comments

When I was a kid I really liked a particular illustrator who painted? drew? these pastel-colored, rather depressing, and often romantic pictures, many of which were illustrations of the Anderson sorts of fairy tales, e.g. The Snow Queen, or Hansel & Gretel. [more inside]
posted by small_ruminant at 9:54 AM PST - 16 comments

Information about Microsoft and their plans for Office 12 [more inside]
posted by hokie409 at 9:49 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm looking for a kitchen timer that will let me set multiple alarms at once. [more inside]
posted by jon_kill at 9:46 AM PST - 7 comments

Can anyone supply information about the events leading to this series of photographs? Where did it happen, what was the occasion for the ride, was anyone seriously hurt, etc?
posted by mojohand at 9:35 AM PST - 6 comments

What is the fuel efficiency of an airplane? How does this compare to other vehicles, both in terms of quantity of fuel consumed and quantity of pollution created (since some fuels, I assume, create different amounts of pollution per unit volume)? I've looked around and can't find any more than some vague generalizations (mostly from airplane manufacturers). [more inside]
posted by abingham at 9:24 AM PST - 17 comments

Can anyone tell me of some regular quiz/trivia nights being held in Seattle (especially toward the U-District). Alcohol and trivia go together so well... [more inside]
posted by Slimemonster at 9:21 AM PST - 11 comments

synthetic vs. natural pine straw/mulch? [more inside]
posted by ransom at 9:10 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm interested in the neuroscience behind decision making: specifically, do people have "random number generators" in their brains for breaking decision stalemates? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee at 8:55 AM PST - 38 comments

GuyFilter: How do you handle peeing with morning wood? No, seriously... [more inside]
posted by If I Had An Anus at 8:52 AM PST - 48 comments

Is more Spam getting through Thunderbird's Junk Filter lately? [more inside]
posted by Cookiebastard at 8:17 AM PST - 12 comments

Pelmenyi in Buckeye country? [more inside]
posted by alumshubby at 8:11 AM PST - 3 comments

Any tips on finding a good doctor? I'm new to Miami, and it's high time I find a doctor, GYN, and dentist, at the very least. [more inside]
posted by Amizu at 7:42 AM PST - 7 comments

How can I get my hands on a Vienna phonebook from circa 1938? I will be spending a weekend in Vienna next month, and I would love to see the apartment where my late grandfather lived before fleeing the Nazis. Unfortunately, nobody in the family knows the address, and there aren't any letters or other documents to provide it. Things are also complicated by the fact that I won't be visiting on a weekday, so any archives that might have this information will presumably be closed. Plus, I don't speak German. Am I out of luck, or is there any way to track this information down in the next few weeks?
posted by yankeefog at 7:22 AM PST - 39 comments

Should I sign a natural gas contract? [more inside]
posted by GuyZero at 7:17 AM PST - 5 comments

Help me entertain my father in San Francisco next week. [more inside]
posted by cior at 7:10 AM PST - 16 comments

How do you authenticate and connect to a Windows-based network using Mac OS X (10.4)? [more inside]
posted by theNonsuch at 6:06 AM PST - 5 comments

My 2 yr old daughter chews on her nails/cuticles. How can i get her to stop? she somes times chews it all the way down and complains because it hurts. [more inside]
posted by ShawnString at 4:48 AM PST - 21 comments

Indian food experts (whether of Indian descent or not), please help me with some questions I have about some sauces I just bought. [more inside]
posted by falconred at 4:18 AM PST - 15 comments

Is there ever any chance of a generic anti-viral drug being developed? [more inside]
posted by Jimbob at 1:08 AM PST - 7 comments

Do you die when you go through a transporter? [more inside]
posted by interrobang at 10:47 PM PST - 72 comments

I found a bunch of women's clothing in my boyfriend's closet and a bunch of underwear in his drawer. I'm ok with that, I think. How do I tell him? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:24 PM PST - 40 comments

Say you come into $50k out of the blue. What's the best thing you can do with it, financially speaking, when you have a couple mortgages, some minor debt, small savings, and even smaller retirement? Which to attack first? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:24 PM PST - 19 comments

Got a problem here....how can I make the users get the same profile data/settings when logging onto to new domain? [more inside]
posted by stevyb at 10:09 PM PST - 5 comments

Why can't I burn a music CD? [more inside]
posted by Miko at 8:50 PM PST - 9 comments

How do you handle it when the job you always wanted turns out to not be what you want? [more inside]
posted by stoneegg21 at 8:15 PM PST - 18 comments

Why are countries and most people against secession? [more inside]
posted by Hobgoblin at 8:13 PM PST - 30 comments

What is a good/the best online bill paying service? I am currently using the version of Checkfree that my bank provides but it is absurdly clunky ( but free). I need to be able to set up recurring payments and I would like to be able to make last minute one time payments too, right now the fastest I can make a electronic payment is five business days. I need to manage a wide range of vendors and be able to pay vendors that that are not set up for electronic payment. Right now I still want to get paper bills but in the future may start to switch to electronic billing. Of course the lower the price the better seeing as I have a free service now.
posted by flummox at 7:13 PM PST - 13 comments

Can something be funny without being ironic? [more inside]
posted by rschroed at 7:09 PM PST - 46 comments

Does anyone have any recommendations of guided/escorted tour companies that run tours geared towards women? I'm looking to go on vacation, and I'll be by myself. I'd prefer to travel in a group so I have people to talk to, and I don't want to be on a bus with 19 year old college students or 55 year old couples. The tours geared for singles look a little dodgy. [more inside]
posted by Salmonberry at 7:04 PM PST - 6 comments

Why is the audio on my computer oscillating at some weird and vagrant frequency? [more inside]
posted by trinarian at 6:42 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm writing some personal wiki software that I want to make as secure as possible. Think wiki software in the footsteps of Tinfoil Hat Linux. The software is intended to run as a CGI Perl script though Apache on the local machine, with data stored in encrypted XML files that will be decrypted for display by the Crypt::GPG module. So the question is, where could plaintext data escape to? More inside... [more inside]
posted by phrontist at 6:34 PM PST - 27 comments

I need suggestions for inexpensive weatherproofing on our home. [more inside]
posted by Kimberly at 6:25 PM PST - 11 comments

I need help importing mySQL data from one server to another. [more inside]
posted by o2b at 6:14 PM PST - 7 comments

You know how in "Peanuts," Lucy and Snoopy (disguised, of course, as the Masked Marvel) had an endless wrist-wrestling match that ended only when the MM, desperate, kissed Lucy on the nose? (Uh, did I need a spoiler alert there?) I need an image from that epic match, somewhere online. Ideally of them wrestling, locked in eternal combat, before the kiss. It's just for a personal joke on a friend who loves "Peanuts" and I won't be republishing it anywhere or anything like that. Endless Google Images and other searches turn up discussion of the strip, but no images. I'm thrilled that everyone is respecting Charles Schulz's copyright, but man, would I love to find one image of it for just five minutes. A book cover, anything...
posted by GaelFC at 6:08 PM PST - 9 comments

What are some of the most overtly religious modern pop/rock/mainstream songs that sound great, and more importantly believable, in their devotion rather than jusy cringeworthy or preachy? Preachy titles also welcomed for comparison.
posted by fire&wings at 6:08 PM PST - 70 comments

I need to replace the tubes on my bicycle, how should I go about doing that? [more inside]
posted by still at 5:58 PM PST - 25 comments

what does "shading lines" mean in terms of sportsbooks and sports betting?
posted by specialk420 at 5:57 PM PST - 4 comments

I maintain a complex website that I update by hand. (Unfortunately, this is unavoidable.) I want my local directory to be an exact mirror of the site, so that when I alter and modify thirty HTML files and I can simply run a script to copy them instead of FTPing them all by hand, in addition to removing deleted files and downloading any server-side changes made by scripts or other users. What's the best means to do this on OS X? [more inside]
posted by tweebiscuit at 5:41 PM PST - 17 comments

"Your apartment was subject to a management inspection on October 4th. The housekeeping of your apartment was found to be in a very unsatisfactory condition and a fire hazard"... Can our landlord come in to see if we've tidied up unannounced? [more inside]
posted by crabintheocean at 5:39 PM PST - 26 comments

New Year's in Reykjavik. A group of friends are heading to Iceland in December/January. I've read this previous post and found some ideas for things to do. Any suggestions on hotels (price is not a concern) from those who have been there?
posted by ericb at 5:17 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm concerned about my oldest nephew's language development. [more inside]
posted by scody at 5:02 PM PST - 18 comments

Building a stone wall: crushed stone foundation necessary? [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:50 PM PST - 12 comments

Los Angeles to Humboldt Redwoods State Park round trip driving vacation ideas? [more inside]
posted by snowjoe at 4:42 PM PST - 7 comments

MatchFilter: Those of you (and I've seen several mentions, so please don't be shy) who have used match.com in the past, how long did it take you to find someone worthwhile? [more inside]
posted by softlord at 4:31 PM PST - 20 comments

I have a single share of AT&T from 1982. How much is it worth? [more inside]
posted by symphonik at 4:14 PM PST - 6 comments

I need help organizing my thoughts and notes - Trying to use Word, but can't quite get it to work. [more inside]
posted by JPD at 3:57 PM PST - 12 comments

I’m looking for a big scary cleaver like they use in Chinatown restaurants to chop up ducks. [more inside]
posted by KRS at 3:42 PM PST - 7 comments

How do I export an Excel Macro? [more inside]
posted by devilshgrin at 3:26 PM PST - 3 comments

We have a king-sized mattress that wouldn't fit up the stairs in our new "old house". We've come to terms with the fact that we'll have to donate it and follow another plan. Which not-for-profit should we offer this to? [more inside]
posted by jeanmari at 3:09 PM PST - 13 comments

Adobe Gamma makes my laptop screen really dark. Um, should it do that? Is there something I should be using instead?
posted by Pretty_Generic at 3:03 PM PST - 8 comments

A former colleague of mine has a consultancy business and wants to subcontract some work to me. I would be introduced to the client as the person who will be handling all aspects of the project and will also be the main point of contact for that client. I know how much this client will be billed on a monthly basis and my question is what percentage of that amount should I realistically expect to receive for doing all the work? Is there a standard subcontractor percentage that I can quote?
posted by gfrobe at 2:55 PM PST - 4 comments

OSXfilter: I want to fool applications on my Powerbook into thinking that I'm running a different version of the Mac OS than I really am. Can I? How? [more inside]
posted by sergeant sandwich at 2:52 PM PST - 6 comments

How do I get .AVI movies and .SRT subtitles to work together? [more inside]
posted by chuckforthought.com at 2:38 PM PST - 5 comments

AT thru-hike on $5 a day. Possible? [more inside]
posted by @homer at 1:27 PM PST - 19 comments

My birthday is coming up and what I really want is a portable media center. I want a device that plays all the major formats of video (without a lengthy conversion process -- this is key) and plays mp3s. I want for it to have an easy to use and good looking interface, small enough dimensions to fit into most pockets and at least 20 GB of storage space. My price range is $500 or less. And forget the iPod Video, as I understand it it will accept only .mov files (but please correct me if I'm wrong -- which I hope I am). Suggest away!
posted by JPowers at 1:04 PM PST - 16 comments

Has anyone ever done a study on the neurological effects of the first week or two of a love relationship? There's got to be some sort of brain chemical released during that period... but what is it? Or, in broader terms: What's responsible for that heady, crazy, giggly feeling that both guys and girls get?
posted by SpecialK at 1:03 PM PST - 12 comments

Help me plan a halloween party with an undersea theme... [more inside]
posted by BleachBypass at 12:24 PM PST - 11 comments

Do you have any advice on delivering a eulogy? [more inside]
posted by ChasFile at 12:22 PM PST - 14 comments

Office emergency! Help me get this monitor out of portrait mode and back into its usual landscape display! [more inside]
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:09 PM PST - 8 comments

What is that Chinese big-sleeves/baggy-pants costume/outfit/character archetype called? [more inside]
posted by wanderingmind at 12:07 PM PST - 11 comments

Bedbug problem-- at the end of my rope. Help! DDT? Other solutions? [more inside]
posted by koeselitz at 12:00 PM PST - 16 comments

I just picked up a pair of rats and have some general rat-based questions as well as rat&cat co-habitation questions. [more inside]
posted by Imperfect at 11:56 AM PST - 8 comments

Men's Shoes - a few questions: 1. Good Online retailers? 2. Links to websites of brands you like or recommend? 3. I like Cydwoq brand. Know anyone else who makes handmade shoes? 4. Anyone in Toronto know a retailer besides C-Squared that carries Cydwoqs? [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 11:53 AM PST - 11 comments

I'd like to travel the entire length of the Nile River, from headwaters to Cairo. This would involve crossing from Uganda into southern Sudan. Is this possible or just a pipe dream? How would I find out, and go about planning?
posted by gottabefunky at 11:47 AM PST - 9 comments

What has California's Great Central Valley done to deserve that moniker? Why is it so great? I know agricultural central of the world, yada, yada, whatever. but I need convincing of it being a defined place rather than a loose set of ideas. [more inside]
posted by FearAndLoathingInLJ at 11:43 AM PST - 10 comments

Does anyone have firsthand (or second-hand, I suppose) experience with City CarShare? [more inside]
posted by occhiblu at 11:34 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm trying to figure out how to do some vertical centering in two different scenarios. I'm looking for CSS solutions, but plain HTML fixes are welcomed as well -- for either/or. [more inside]
posted by jruckman at 11:07 AM PST - 2 comments

For no particular reason, I am looking to compile a list of what people consider to be the best history books available. I'm looking for non-fiction, but I'll take anything. I am particularly interested in the opinion of people who've studied history at a graduate level, but if you're just an armchair historian, like myself, I still want to hear what you have to say. [more inside]
posted by feloniousmonk at 10:51 AM PST - 28 comments

Anyone use Broadvoice? What do you think of it? [more inside]
posted by exhilaration at 10:34 AM PST - 3 comments

I'd like your recommendations for intuitive sound studio software for mixing .wav files into original music. I have very little experience mixing music, so simple is good, but not at the expense of power and versatility. [more inside]
posted by Osel at 10:31 AM PST - 15 comments

Advice needed for executing accurate vocal impersonations. Work with a tape recorder? A mirror? Anybody have a knack for this they can break down?
posted by rainbaby at 10:13 AM PST - 7 comments

I just bought a Liz Claiborne sweater at Goodwill for five bucks. I forgot to check-and sure enough the tag says "Dry Clean Only." Since I am cheap, this is not really an option. And since the garment was cheap I am not afraid to take a risk. So-any suggestions from you folks about how to launder this thing at home?
posted by konolia at 10:03 AM PST - 21 comments

Tips for tightening up my live vocal performance? [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van at 9:36 AM PST - 9 comments

Is there an excel version of writely.com? In other words, I need to find a free, collaborative, spreadsheet app hosted online. Does it (or something close to it) exist?
posted by limitedpie at 9:35 AM PST - 3 comments

I plan on running for a city council seat in a college town of 81,000 people. The election isn't until Spring, 2007. What can I do now to increase my chances of getting elected? [more inside]
posted by viewofdelft at 9:29 AM PST - 17 comments

Help me find this music from Spike Lee's 25th Hour. It's from the nightclub scene, specifically when Naturelle (Rosario Dawson) and Mary (Anna Paquin) are hitting the dance floor. [more inside]
posted by falameufilho at 9:23 AM PST - 8 comments

Do squirrels deliberately tease, bait, and/or annoy dogs? [more inside]
posted by By The Grace of God at 9:09 AM PST - 23 comments

What should I do if there is a riot/looting near me? This may be happening much sooner than I ever thought it would. [more inside]
posted by borkencode at 9:02 AM PST - 20 comments

I love love love the Independent Room mashup by Party Ben. Are there any other artists, albums, or even just mashups that have a similar vibe?
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:54 AM PST - 9 comments

I want to apply for unemployment benefits, but my website uses AdSense! What should I do? [more inside]
posted by May Kasahara at 8:50 AM PST - 14 comments

Anyone know how to get around Osaka? [more inside]
posted by priorpark17 at 8:44 AM PST - 4 comments

Which comedian would you go see? [more inside]
posted by xorowo at 8:42 AM PST - 22 comments

Challenging a traffic ticket (Ontario) [mi] [more inside]
posted by rocket88 at 7:40 AM PST - 8 comments

Is phone system cabling the same as straight-thru ethernet? [more inside]
posted by jeb at 7:29 AM PST - 10 comments

Self-indulgence! Here's the low-down, I drove a Porsche Boxster and found my calling in life. I'll be either out of this country or Manhattan in 1.5 years so if I get a car now I'll definitely be selling it in under two years. Help figure out the best way to pay for this... [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 7:24 AM PST - 12 comments

What do you feel are the worst (charting) songs ever? [more inside]
posted by sourwookie at 7:10 AM PST - 143 comments

I'm looking for places (papers/websites) where people advertise flats to let direct to tenants, in London. [more inside]
posted by handee at 7:01 AM PST - 12 comments

I have been asked to act as a photographer for a formal event, how do I do this? [more inside]
posted by mutantdisco! at 6:47 AM PST - 10 comments

The factory-installed stereo in my car has stopped playing CDs, and my commute is fairly long, so this is essentially unacceptable. I've looked into getting it repaired, but the whole stereo'll have to be sent away for weeks, and it'll end up costing a bunch. But I've yet to find an add-on in-dash stereo for $200 or less that isn't terribly ugly. [more inside]
posted by Plutor at 6:36 AM PST - 15 comments

How am I ever going to get a job? [more inside]
posted by cillit bang at 6:13 AM PST - 28 comments

The joys of casual sex! I have recently entered into my first casual relationship, and I want to make it as fun and fantastic as possible. I have lots of questions, and I hope you'll share some of your favourite stories so I can steal the ideas of your greatest lovers. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:26 AM PST - 19 comments

Can you recommend a dermatologist, specializing in treating acne, in the Boston area? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 4:26 AM PST - 3 comments

Is there life after iPod? [more inside]
posted by londonmark at 4:07 AM PST - 21 comments

What do I feed my new kitten? [more inside]
posted by asnowballschance at 1:37 AM PST - 9 comments

Topic for a computer science thesis? [more inside]
posted by bloggboy at 11:44 PM PST - 21 comments

Why would a race-horse be buried standing up, other than the symbolic reasons ?
posted by oliyoung at 11:28 PM PST - 8 comments

ARGH. Help me with my contact lenses please. [more inside]
posted by Skyanth at 11:20 PM PST - 11 comments

Anyone know how to replicate an Orange Freeze? I grew up in St. Louis, and I became addicted to the Orange Freeze from the Steak 'n Shake chain at young age. I live in Denver now, and the nearest Steak 'n Shake is in the middle of Kansas. [more inside]
posted by jzb at 10:03 PM PST - 12 comments

My wife LOVES these "soft lemonade" treats, but we can't find them anywhere. The lemonade treat is like a cross between a frozen lemonade bar and a lemonade icee/frosty. It seems like they're only available at special events, maybe sports venues, county fairs, and such. Does anyone know of any other places to buy these? (I'm in Southern California if that helps).
posted by edjusted at 9:33 PM PST - 14 comments

I just got a PSP (firmware v. 1.52) and want to run SNES emulation software on it, but am TERRIFIED of bricking it. [more inside]
posted by LGCNo6 at 8:53 PM PST - 3 comments

Are there any films, suitable for "cool" teenagers (14-17 years) which carry an anti-drug message but at the same time aren't absolute crap? [more inside]
posted by bunglin jones at 8:43 PM PST - 61 comments

My cat is hiding from me. I think. [more inside]
posted by bac at 6:18 PM PST - 15 comments

A friend is making a mix cd for a friend named Eileen. She'd like all the songs to somehow be themed around the names Eileen, Lola (her daughter) and Gilbert (her husband). What songs should she include? [more inside]
posted by sa3z at 6:02 PM PST - 25 comments

Where do I get thin and comfy velcro strips for a sleep/eye mask? [more inside]
posted by sirion at 5:54 PM PST - 1 comment

Is there a good resource (online or not) to find out if a given theatrical production is running, anytime in the near future, anywhere in the country (USA/Canada)? [more inside]
posted by mto at 5:39 PM PST - 7 comments

How do I successfully attach a "bamboo" screen to a chain link fence without the wind tearing it down? [more inside]
posted by mulkey at 5:35 PM PST - 10 comments

So what's coming up next on the West Coast? [more inside]
posted by sveskemus at 5:13 PM PST - 11 comments

I am trying to find an account of an actual historical battle between male and female "armies". [more inside]
posted by ontic at 3:36 PM PST - 17 comments

Has anyone here ever been hypnotized in order to quit smoking? [more inside]
posted by Jon-o at 3:21 PM PST - 27 comments

Fact or fiction : All (or most) NYC restaurants get their fish deliveries on the same day every week. [more inside]
posted by afroblanca at 3:20 PM PST - 26 comments

Windows XP: What does the "Speaker setup" option do, if you choose one of the various stereo options (desktop, laptop, monitor stand, monitor side, keyboard, headphones)? How does it change the waveform? It seems to me that things sound better if I pretend my headphones are desktop speakers... [more inside]
posted by thirteenkiller at 2:34 PM PST - 3 comments

i have a Saab convertible and Washington DC requires a hands-free when using the mobile telephone. Any recommendations on a headset that will maximally cut out the wind noise artifact so that I can ride "top down"? Many of the commercial sets that I have tried still have a lot of noise due to wind.
posted by dstrouse91 at 2:31 PM PST - 2 comments

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) formula? [more inside]
posted by strangelove at 2:26 PM PST - 9 comments

Ideas for unique gifts for a baby coming in less than a month, and/or gifts for the first-time parents of said kid? [more inside]
posted by gramcracker at 2:06 PM PST - 13 comments

How do I get the most out of my manumatic transmission? [more inside]
posted by bobbeene at 2:05 PM PST - 6 comments

No, really, it was the dog! Dog-lovers of Metafilter, tell me: do you know any tricks to stop your dog from farting? [more inside]
posted by ambrosia at 1:12 PM PST - 24 comments

I'm working on a powerpoint presentation and none of the existing templates or those I have found on the web suits my needs. I've created my own template using the "master slide" feature. However, when I leave the "master view" the colours/fonts etc. stay the same as I set them, but the placement of the boxes (headlines and text boxes) return to the defaults. How do I create a template that holds the headlines and text where I put them? [more inside]
posted by duck at 12:04 PM PST - 6 comments

Funny native accents? [more inside]
posted by IndigoJones at 11:23 AM PST - 52 comments

Is Cafepress the best option for easy on-demand manufacturing of various pieces of junk or is there a better place? Constraint: must be able to open an account from Canada, no US-only sites.
posted by Krrrlson at 9:55 AM PST - 7 comments

Tell us your personal stories of a too-common-name or too-uncommon-name? [more inside]
posted by Kickstart70 at 9:36 AM PST - 100 comments

Catpissfilter: Help! My (slightly neurotic) cat is pissing where he ought not to piss! [more inside]
posted by asavage at 9:11 AM PST - 11 comments