My first car was a VW Rabbit with a diesel engine and a manual transmission. Totally uncool, shifted like a truck and sounded like one too. But it was simple enough that I learned how to drive well before moving on to something better (forcibly, after my lack of anti-lock brakes left me wrapping the Rabbit around a tree).

My second car was a Honda Accord, which had a touchy clutch that taught me subtlety. Hard to kill, that car (although my brother managed once he inherited it.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 1:17 PM on September 4, 2008

On Southport, there's Julius Meinl (at Addison) and Cafe Avanti (just north of Waveland, across from the Music Box), both excellent coffee shops in which to unwind.

"West Lakeview" is applied to such a wide swath of area, I'm not sure where to suggest near you. I'm positive there's more than just Starbuck and Borders.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 1:38 PM on August 1, 2008

I love driving Rte. 14 -- lots of beautiful rolling farmland.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:50 AM on August 1, 2008

Romantic near downtown: Vermilion, Aigre Doux.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:36 PM on July 16, 2008

No games at all? Not even, say, minigolf?

What about boardgames? The Blue Frog in River North has a bunch of boardgames, tiki drinks and karaoke after 10pm. Might be fun.

There are a number of Korean karaoke places that offer private rooms where you and your friends could goof off in privacy. Many serve food (and liquor, of course).
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:35 AM on July 16, 2008

The photo dersins linked to was taken in Chicago, by a friend of mine. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:00 PM on June 16, 2008

I'd go in on a shipment too. Chi-town cooperates!~
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 3:47 PM on June 8, 2008

I'm a professional blogger.

Them: "Oh cool! What do you blog about?"
Me: "[Rundown of my current projects.]"

-or-

Them: "People get paid to blog?" / "You can make a living that way?"
Me: I do.

-or-

Them: "What's a blog?"
Me: *sigh* "It's a website where people write..."
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 3:31 PM on May 13, 2008

Here's a good list of mysteries based in Chicago.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:47 AM on March 21, 2008

You could contact Shawnimals; they're local, although I don't know if they produce their plush toys locally anymore.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 2:54 PM on March 17, 2008

Well, technically, they just need to change the tense: "That needs fixing."

There are a lot of Eastern Pennsylvanians in Columbus thanks to OSU, so maybe you're hearing a bunch of them. When I was there, I had fun trying to figure out where people were from based on their regional accents and idioms. (Have you heard any Cincinnatans say "Please?" when they want you to repeat what you just said? I love that one.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:23 AM on February 21, 2008

A co-worker is from there, and says "Please repeat?" when she misses something. I didn't know it was a Cincinnati thing...huh.
Yep. And the "repeat" is for your benefit, so you don't stare at her blankly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:31 AM on February 21, 2008

It is, indeed, a Latin plural. But good suggestion, I've considered a .es as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 4:27 PM on February 12, 2008

I've considered a .es as well.

Er, I mean for another domain name. It's not a solution for the question at hand.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 4:49 PM on February 12, 2008

I've emailed the registrar to see if it's possible to host the site outside the UAE; hopefully I'll hear back on that, because I think it would be a dealbreaker if I can't. I pay enough for hosting as it is, I don't need to pay into a monopoly.

The suggestion to back up the domain with a similar .com is a great idea. I'll definitely do that if I go this route.

Thanks for the feedback, everybody. Keep it coming.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:45 PM on February 12, 2008

I nth restless_nomad's advice.

I think coffee may be a bad idea since it may actually make my date more jittery.
This is a ridiculous statement. It sounds like you're looking for excuses to rule out anything but a bar.

Can you drink tea? If so, there are plenty of options thataways -- and it's different and quirky enough to be refreshing. Just because going out for drinks is a standard unit of social interaction... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 11:24 AM on January 7, 2008

how is it skeevy for a guy not to drink when the girl is drinking?

It might seem like you're trying to get her drunk, to take advantage of her.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 11:30 AM on January 7, 2008

Well, one step to take is to re-send an email to Yahoo Abuse, leaving out the copyright claim.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 11:28 AM on January 7, 2008

What's keeping you from asking? Yes, it's possible that he doesn't want to get married, but wouldn't you rather get that out in the open? Seems to me that it's a better, healthier thing to do than stew over it privately. Talk it over, make your case, and work it out. Either you'll come to an agreement (or start to), you'll table it for another time, or you'll know it's time to move on.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:54 PM on January 4, 2008

Worse than the 2" rule is that cars are frequently towed in Chicago when there's any snow at all, or when it looks like there *could* be two inches eventually. (I guess the idea of 2" is largely subjective!) Don't risk it.

The snow parking ban does not require snow. It's enforced from Dec. 1 through April 1 on major roads, regardless of the weather.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 1:27 PM on December 27, 2007

The CG Jung Institute of Chicago offers sliding scale therapy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 1:22 PM on December 27, 2007

Here area couple vegan cupcake recipes. I've had them, and they were excellent.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 10:23 AM on December 13, 2007

I'm pretty sure these are the ones I've got. They come with a several pairs of rubber bits to fit different sized ear canals, which is nice. Good quality sound.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:14 PM on November 20, 2007

We skipped the engagement ring (my partner isn't a fan of rings, so that was at least partly her decision) and got silver wedding bands custom designed for us. The cost for both was about $500. Although some people are surprised by the metal choice, nobody has turned up their noses at them (at least not to our faces) and they're far more precious to us because of the meaning behind the design.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:07 PM on November 20, 2007

As far as networking goes, I am definitely a noob. Both of our computers are laptops, and it's not feasible to have a printer and external HD connected to them at all times -- that's why we wanted to connect them to the router instead. We don't have a third computer to act as a peer-to-peer pseudo-server.

One thing my partner had heard was that if the external HD was plugged into the router, it might run constantly. Is that true?
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 1:04 PM on October 30, 2007

Perhaps something on Mies van der Rohe?
Or, in a different direction, The Woodbook?
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 1:19 PM on October 29, 2007

The above is a great start. (I run Gapers Block; thanks for the recommendations, everybody! We've got a hang-out thing tonight if you'd like to join us.)

You'll notice that most of the events and locations listed here are north of the Loop (even the stuff to the west). It's not that nothing's going on down south, there's just less going on down there. But check out Hyde Park, Bridgeport, Chinatown and Pilsen/East Pilsen for some action closer to home.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 7:55 AM on October 26, 2007 marked best answer

Yeah, you're probably looking at a cab ride for dinner. There's very little really close to the UC.

On the plus side, Greektown, Taylor Street (the remnants of Little Italy) and the aforementioned Randolph Street are nearby. Lots of good seafood to be had in Greektown, along Halsted -- try Santorini to start. If sushi is acceptable under "seafood," there's Starfish and Sushi Wabi.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 5:19 PM on October 17, 2007

You say you've mail-ordered Malnatti's, so you're obviously not in Chicago. Are you looking for recommendations to try when you visit the city? Or pizzas available where you live/by mail? I'll assume the former for my answer.

Probably the best deep dish in Chicago (within city limits, that is) is Pequod's -- it's a little different from the traditional Uno's/Malnatti's style, in that it's got a caramelized cheese-coated crust. But it's very tasty.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:20 PM on October 16, 2007

BTW, do any of these pizza places have a crust that is soft, doughy, and slightly sweet?

That's not really the deep dish style. You might find it slightly sweet, but in order to stand up to all that sauce and cheese, the crusts tend to be more crisp and stiff.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 8:36 AM on October 17, 2007

I think you need to look at this pragmatically. Whether he's fiercely straight and homophobic or he's gay and in denial, he is not likely to react well to you coming out. On the off-chance that he's gay, he might come around eventually, but in the meantime, you've thrown your entire life into chaos as he pushes you away. Think about it: your friendship will be strained, he'll likely want you out of his home, and your shared business could be in tattered.

Even if he is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:04 PM on October 16, 2007

The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog, by Rebecca Blood.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 8:28 PM on October 16, 2007

Gapers Block (self-link)
Duke City Fix

posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:41 PM on October 1, 2007

Agreed on Common Grackle.

skwillz -- They're not as common further north, especially not in those numbers.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:59 PM on August 6, 2007

Lots of art down in East Pilsen, which is a little closer to UIC than Pilsen proper (although further from the train; there's always the Halsted bus, though).
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:03 PM on August 3, 2007

Seconding UIC dental school -- they're fixing a close (insuranceless) friend's teeth (also broken in a bike accident) and doing a great job. The one caviat: it's not a quick solution. My friend waited a few months to even get started on the repairs.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 2:38 PM on July 23, 2007

(Thanks for the shoutout, bibbit!)

The Newberry Library is a good place to visit; as for book/writerly events, I'd recommend Golden Rule Jones and Literago for event info (besides Gapers Block, of course).

The aforementioned Myopic Books has a monthly poetry reading series that's well worth checking out, too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 1:49 PM on June 18, 2007

As kyleg says, you're likely to be able to get tickets day-of at the stadium direct from the box office, and barring that, from a scalper.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 8:44 PM on May 29, 2007

You say that the period right around when you smoked this joint was pretty stressful. Did you ever consider that it was this stressful situation that altered you, and not the one-time experience of smoking weed? It sounds to me like you're focusing on this one transgressive act and attributing all sorts of things to it, when a look at the bigger picture might actually be more revelatory for you.

As others have said, you smoked weed at a tumultuous time in most people's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 4:00 PM on May 15, 2007

Also: Bear in mind that your belief that you had a clear mind as a child is just as subjective as your belief that you were foggier after the pot. Without an objective outside assessment (such as by a psychologist) there's no way to prove your feeling that you were sharper than your peers.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 4:06 PM on May 15, 2007

I've got a couple friends who're into TV fandom, etc. Email me privately and I'll put you in touch.

There's a dating group called Nerds at Heart that meets at Guthrie's in Wrigleyville; it's a low-pressure thing where groups of people play the bar's many boardgames, and it seems many of the folks who go are after friends more than dates. A cursory search also turned up the Chicago Sci-Fi Meetup.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:32 PM on May 15, 2007

From Andersonville, I recommend taking Berwyn over to the lakeshore path. Why? Because there's a small portion of Lincoln Park on the west side of Lake Shore Drive, with a tunnel under the highway that'll save you having to fight through traffic at the Foster entrance ramp.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 10:30 PM on May 14, 2007

How about this: toss the water -- not the eggs. Fill the pot with water again and put the eggs back in it. Put the pot on the stove, turn on the heat and let the water come back up to a boil for about a minute, then take the eggs out, let them cool, and eat.

That'll kill the negligible amount of bacteria of any sort (apparently everyone thinks you have a really unclean home, deborah, 'cuz it's not like salmonella is just crawling everywhere) and the only downside is they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 8:27 PM on May 12, 2007

At the Barrington Park District Ball Park Concession Stand, it was called either a Suicide or a Grand Slam, depending on... actually, I don't know what it depended on. Some people just called it a Grand Slam.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 7:28 PM on April 26, 2007

Well, if your roommate's commute is more important (and if you've got a car, you can pretty much live anywhere) I suggest somewhere close to the Red Line, as Loyola's campuses are off the Loyola and Chicago stops on that line. For that money, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a place anywhere along the line (well, maybe not in the Gold Coast...) And other than Uptown, pretty much all the neighborhoods along there are "safe" (which is a pretty vague term, really -- what do you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:45 PM on April 19, 2007

davidmsc, just because you can't fathom how it could be enjoyable and don't think it's normal, doesn't mean it's not enjoyable and normal for other people.

While I certainly don't agree that sex is about objectification (though it's mainly a quibble with such a course term), I'd point out that yours is literally the only "other opinion" saying "No! Don't do it!" So maybe it's not so unusual as you think?
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 9:29 PM on April 4, 2007

Well, add Coudal and Waxy to your list if they're not there already. Things magazine is quite good, too, and its blogroll is enormous and high quality, so you could just content yourself to visit one or two each day for awhile.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 7:50 PM on April 2, 2007

Take a look here (disclosure: I'm the editor), here and/or here for some non-touristy ideas.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 12:33 PM on March 30, 2007

Mr. anonymous, the one mitigating factor your didn't address in your follow-up is what part of town you live in. Yes, Chicago is self-segregated to a large degree. But there are some neighborhoods where that matters less than others -- Wicker Park/Bucktown, Logan Square, Wrigleyville to a certain degree. If you're expecting the Lincoln Park Trixies to fall for you, you might be barking up the wrong tree.

Rather than psychoanalyze you further, I'll actually answer your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 10:18 PM on March 29, 2007

Hmm. I'd call a couple suit stores for recommendations. Something that specific would likely be hard without some professional guidance.

Otherwise, you might go thrifting for a grey blazer and a black blazer, then take it to a tailor to have the black lapel grafted onto the grey blazer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by me3dia at 2:33 PM on February 26, 2007