There are two ways that heat escapes: radiation and ventilation.

Radiation is all about the nice warm air in your apartment heating the glass on contact. The glass then heats the outdoors. You solve this with either nice double-panes, which are out of the question, or nice shrink-plastic, which has been suggested. But don't forget the low-tech solutions too, like nice thick curtains. Those will help.

Ventilation solutions depend a lot on what... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:34 PM on July 7, 2008

Um... shit. Ignore me. Or wait 6 months and then read my answer!!!
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:35 PM on July 7, 2008

What do you mean by ethical, really? I have to ask, working in the industry. I have lots to suggest I just need to know where you draw the line.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:07 PM on July 7, 2008

I mean, that is, if you're interested in stuff that WORKS. I can talk to you about stuff that is merely ethical all the livelong day...
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:09 PM on July 7, 2008

>>My parents abused me when I was younger, so it's not unreasonable (I think) that part of me wishes them dead. But I still have a shaky relationship with them that will not be disappearing any time soon.

Why is is not disappearing any time soon? Are you still close with them? Are they providing you material support? Either of these could explain why they're still on your mind, and why it's important for you to resolve any outstanding issues you have with them.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:03 PM on July 7, 2008

Wow - nothing like this has ever happened to me, while stretching my back or otherwise.

Okay, so how many of us tried doing this after we read the question? Fess up.

I have done several much less dignified things today to achieve orgasm. I don't think we need to bother with a general call for confessions to the same. We all know who we are. I would like to know, however, what the OP did with the fantastic erection this all... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 12:00 AM on July 3, 2008

The company you work for may be going downhill but you HAVE to look at it through the lens of an entry-level resume builder. This is just a first line-item on your resume. That's all. It's not your ultimate dream job.

Perhaps your older co-workers are all leaving because their stock options are worth nothing. But if it's a company with a good reputation, it will look good on your resume. And do you even have stock to worry about?

Don't just run... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:51 PM on July 2, 2008

When you go check the Whole Foods, go the the TEA ISLE and you will find a cornucopia of stuff to make delicious ICED TEA from. Don't feel like iced tea can only be Lipton orange pekoe with sugar and lemon. You can make iced tea from virtually anything! Herbals, black teas, green teas, fruity teas (the "Zingers" from celestial seasonings) and also white teas all taste great, have few calories, and are easy to make in large quantities. Personally, some of my favorites are Yogi Teas... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:44 PM on July 2, 2008

we're not Zoo people

I'm sorry if this is barking up the wrong tree, but just in case you haven't hear much about it the San Diego Zoo is not just a really good zoo. The wild animal preserve is unlike anything else in the world that is called a zoo. Really, it's like a small-scale African safari.

I am guessing you mentioned "not zoo people" because everyone is telling you to go to the zoo. Just be sure you know that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:31 PM on July 2, 2008

Speaking as a man who at various times has "had feelings for years" for various women, all I can say is don't make too too much of them. To some extent a man "has feelings" for every sexually attractive woman around him that he's never had. Seriously, you have to consider how much more closely tied sexual attraction and emotion are for men. Perhaps his feelings are these incredibly deep, rich, intricate things that you need to handle like glass, but odds are he's simply... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:23 PM on July 2, 2008

Never tried a group. It hasn't ever occurred to me, because talking about smoking while you're trying to quit just makes it harder for me. Reminder, trigger, etc you know the story.

I have had very good luck with the patch. I've quit using the patch - MANY TIMES! Haha yeah. But I don't fault the patch for my relapse a year after it helped me kick the habit. That's just stupidity. The patch breaks quitting into two stages: 1) you wear the patch and let the smoking fall... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 11:03 PM on July 2, 2008

I'm seconding Zion, even if all the tourists DO go there.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 7:17 AM on May 4, 2008

The big risk for your employer is that they'll leave the position open and then you'll decide not to come back. You need to do what it takes to assure them that your long term career choice is to work for them. They won't just wait around for 6 months to see what you decide, nor would you in their shoes.

If you do assure them of your return, a 6 month absence can be worked around in lots of ways. In business time, 6 months flies by. They might even take advantage of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 5:53 PM on April 27, 2008

On what grounds do you intend to ask her to leave? It sounds like you want her out because she's unpleasant, which I can certainly understand. But all you have to go on is a verbal 30 day notice from her to you, which is not required or binding by any standard under the sun. I would not suggest using that as any kind of rationale because it won't stand up.

If you all want her out, you need to all stand together and bring unanimous social pressure to bear upon her. But... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 5:38 PM on April 27, 2008

Cooking is a great hobby. It's creative, it enlivens the senses and nourishes the body, it can be meditative or social, it's something you've gotta do anyway... I like the mediterranean approach of filling your fridge with a variety of finger foods that can be grazed upon of combined into meals at any time. It gives cooking a more even pace than the 1-big-meal-per-day extravaganza. Tonight maybe you make hummous. Tomorrow, maybe all you do is bring home some delicious apples. Next day you bake... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 8:16 AM on April 14, 2008

I don't know that you have to be cold to him and stiffarm him out of your life - I think that will pluck at your heartstrings if you try because you clearly had/have deep feelings aroused by him. A big dramatic kiss-off would probably just inject drama and you don't need that.

But yeah, you probably should taper this one off and let it exit your life. You wanted a relationship with him from the start and it sounds like you were consistent about that. He was very... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 9:37 AM on April 13, 2008

It's been rare for me that anyone specifically asks for references from certain employers. More commonly, they ask for 3 references (no relations). I never give them people from my current employer because, obviously, I can't have someone calling up my present boss and asking for a reference. I think this bind is so common that folks don't always expect a reference from your most recent employer. Don't offer them that one. Find others. And contact the folks you want to use beforehand and ask... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 7:17 AM on April 3, 2008

Oh, and I'm terribly, terribly sorry. This sounds like an incredibly aggravating situation for you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 7:18 AM on April 3, 2008

DVD Shrink does this but you're stuck with the MPEG2 compression of the DVD standard. It's dead simple to use and has made the most of MPEGE2, such as it is. But you're not going to get anything near divx storage efficiency out of it. Not without seriously damaging the quality of your video.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 10:16 AM on March 26, 2008

A friend thinks

In your whole question there is speculation but not a shred of evidence that this friend is right.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 9:42 PM on March 19, 2008

Sure, tell him, BUT be aware of your own responsibilities in that situation.

My first piece of advice is to wait a day or two and give your initial gut reaction time to pass before you do anything. Even if you still decide to bring it up after that, at least you won't be rushing in all hurt and indignant. That would lead to a fight or worse, and that's not going to help.

Second, keep in mind that as soon as you act on these feelings, you become... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 9:38 PM on March 19, 2008

1. Get off the internet
2. Make what progress you can against the backlog
3. Talk to your employer and admit your mistakes
4. Show that you're on track to fix them (#2).

That last step will help you immensely in the conversation. Things happen. If you can rectify this, it will simply be a mulligan. If you procrastinate further and avoid facing the music, it's wrong on top of wrong.

Get out of here and get to work. Seriously. Now.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 9:45 AM on March 18, 2008

Just don't enable.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 8:01 AM on March 17, 2008

Going to the Museum of Man will put your ideas about immigrants into perspective. It's an amazing monument to the many eras of indigenous residents of Mexico. Makes pretty much anyone living there in the last 500 years seem like an immigrant. Highly recommended for anyone.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 8:00 AM on March 17, 2008

Yup. Especially with full disclosure, self-links in comments are fine. This one seems quite relevant.

But you can't just snap up an eBay listing the very instant it's posted. Can you? I guess if it's a fixed-price or buy-it-now listing you can... but with standard auctions a little more notice isn't going to help.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 9:34 AM on March 14, 2008

I think you should wait until they're interested before you even mention any time limitations. Their first consideration is their needs. If you lead your cover letter with some special need of yours... The garbage can is only inches away. Most companies are closed-minded about this and many hiring managers don't have the ability to hire part-timers even if they want to (company won't allow the precedent to be set, rules forbid it, budget rules make it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 1:30 PM on March 4, 2008

I keep mine on the wall. It's near the center of the house where temperature fluctuations are least extreme, and sunlight never comes near it. You could make arguments against most ways to store your axe. I used to keep it in a stand, but that had a rubber liner where it touched the neck too, and I'm sure its position, nestled into a base but leaning on the neck, put all kinds of ghastly, ghastly warping into it... meh.

Walk into a guitar shop sometime and look at the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 10:36 PM on March 2, 2008

I lived in the Mission for a while and I liked it. It was colorful as hell and enlivening. Nowadays I think if I were to live in SF again I'd want to be down around the ballpark, as you say, around the Embarcadero. I am feeling pretty done with older-styled Victorian railroad-config dwellings. Call me tasteless but the thought of being in a modern flat up high with a view, closer to the water and the foot of the bridge where you get some sense of openness... and a parking spot! That sounds good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 10:24 PM on March 2, 2008 marked best answer

They're "very different places" if you plan to stay on the block where you live 24/7. In reality, they are not that far from each other. You could easily live in one and do stuff in the other as often as you liked. If you must be around the happenings of the Mission and you must walk everywhere, then by all means go live down there.

But before you shop for a place, be sure you know which way the wind blows. You want to be on Valencia or west of it if you can... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 10:28 PM on March 2, 2008

NoteTab Light is free and better than the Notepad app that comes with Windows. Same search and replace.

Just enter a regular comma for the comma and ^T to represent a tab in the search and replace box.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 5:43 PM on February 28, 2008

We should page DaShiv. He has made some hilarious commentary to the effect that being Asian helps, because people assume you're just another photography-crazed tourist.

I think this is very much like talking to people in public. You have to be comfortable yourself first. If you are approachable and safe-looking in your manner and appearance, you simply make eye contact and body language work in your favor. That can mean greater discretion, it can mean being friendly, it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 2:49 PM on February 27, 2008

Taking photos of people with a telephoto lens is creepy.

They also won't look as good, often, because the space compression at long focal lengths can steal a lot of depth from the photo. And you won't get that effect that people love where the main subject is in focus but other parts of the photo are soft. Which could also be described as a certain "depth."

Taking someone's photo without his or her... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 8:27 PM on February 27, 2008

I also work in your industry and have been on all sides of this issue. It's not easy, but you have to weigh the good with the bad.

It sounds like you are well positioned and well compensated generally, which is a great place to start. But you have some menial work on your plate which seems beneath you. I've so been there. I've had to take on work like this myself and ask others to do it and it's never fun.

My first perspective on that is that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 9:56 PM on February 25, 2008

It's great that you doubt the issue enough to ask the question. I think you oughtta let her be or even encourage some silly behavior at times. She needs to be responsive to some boundaries of course. She can't jump around on the backs of the seats ribbiting loudly if she wants to be taken to a movie ever again, for example. But it doesn't seem that little situational iconveniences like this are at the heart of the worry. This closer was interesting for me:

Or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 7:55 AM on February 20, 2008

Seems like the iPhone should be in the running for you. Any thoughts on it?

for my basic needs I don't think I super-awesome is required

I've advised a lot of computer purchases in my time and everyone always says "I don't need, like, the bestest-best in the world..." presumably because no one walks into such a decision begging to pay the high end of the scale. What would be advanced needs by contrast to your basic... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 8:12 AM on February 19, 2008

I don't think email is so bad. I've hooked up dates with acquaintances that way, and worse (messaged them on social networking sites). Maybe it's just because I work with the Internet and hang out on it a lot, but I don't think it's an impersonal thing at all, especially if you're too shy to do something in person and might miss the opportunity entirely.

A short email that says "Hey - how about a date, just you and me? There's a show going on next Thursday - want... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 5:28 PM on February 16, 2008 marked best answer

"soo... when are you going to ask me out?"

True, might work. But this kind of thing irritates me. It feeds into the stereotype that men are supposed to take all the initiative, which is just dumb in my book. It also starts things off on a "you've been screwing up all this time" kind of tone, which may put him off. And it makes you sound pushy - yet you've never taken the step yourself. To be avoided, IMHO, but it does depend on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 5:30 PM on February 16, 2008

I had an Alphasmart Dana for a while and it was sweet at first but ultimately I gave up on using it to write. Why? Well... it's speedy and snappy as long as you're adding text to the end of a document. But use that touch-pen to insert your cursor into page 15 of a 30-page document and it crawls, crawls, crawls... something about having to move all the subsequent text forward and redraw most of the screen with every keystroke just dragged. Too bad great machine. It even survived me dropping it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 2:49 PM on February 12, 2008

Watching for his car at work then going to rob his house seems pretty elaborate for car stereo thieves. Is it that hard to tell when no one's home at his (or your) house? How do they know he's the only resident there?

It took them all of 3 more seconds to snatch it so they may or may not have had a sensible purpose in mind for it. Speaking personally, I don't want to lose that document because it's a pain in the ass to replace. So in that sense it has "value"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 9:33 AM on January 29, 2008

This happens on my Mac a lot - I've found that certain applications kick the processor into high usage and high heat follows, thence the fan. Sometimes it's weird what will set it off. Sometimes an app in the background has a dialog box open and that's all it takes. If I let a YouTube video play on mute (to allow it to load fully) while watching Miro, the double video-rendering seems to do it every time. Keep an eye on performance. I guess the Task Manager is an okay place to start. You may... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 12:24 PM on January 26, 2008

I also disagree. Such a talk would only rouse suspicion.

Let's remember one critical fact here, that overshadows anything you might do to manage appearances: NOTHING IS GOING ON.

If that is truly the case, you are cool. All that's happening is that you secretly WANT something to go down and you're afraid that this is showing. Likely no one else is giving it a second thought.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 8:10 PM on January 25, 2008

The "i" stands for "I," that's right, the pronoun. You know the one. I rock. I suck. I swim. I drink. I laugh I cry.

It's marketing speak for "this product is all about you."
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 8:08 PM on January 25, 2008 marked best answer

You seem to be getting all the right points. She can't remember your conversations about this so talking to her about it isn't much help. She can't be trusted to manage her medication. She can remember long-term memories with ease. She can reason well. She just can't remember yesterday or even a few minutes ago. Those are facts. Adjust your behavior around them. They are probably going to get worse, not better.

What I have found, via my elderly grandfather, is that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 7:14 PM on January 11, 2008

A friend of mine who did this talks about it openly and with humor... describing what she knows of the quintuplets born from her eggs and what she guessed of the parents from meeting them.

She did say that during the egg extraction she was heard to scream bloody murder from several rooms away. She has no personal memory of it, because they used one of those anesthetics that affects memory. But technicians in the room and nearby related to her that she was in extreme... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 7:03 PM on January 11, 2008

Watch this TED Talk (video) by Vilayanur Ramachandran. He talks about a number of subjects, including synaesthesia, commenting and proving at one point that we all experience it in at least some ways.

Many strictly association the term with the number/color thing and there's this buzz about synaesthesia's correlation with artistic genius that makes some people want to consider it a rare and binary gift that some special snowflakes have and others don't. Of course we... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 3:38 PM on January 9, 2008

"Many strictly associate"
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 3:38 PM on January 9, 2008

I have one of these. It confuses people at first, but if you think about it, your toilet tank and bowl are refilled with clean water after every flush. Doesn't it make sense to use that clean water for something first?

What this does is route the clean water heading for the toilet bowl through a little sink first.

You use the toilet, flush, wash your hands in the clean water, which then goes down into the bowl (not the tank) to be used for the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 12:49 PM on January 9, 2008 marked best answer

Just on the off chance it will make you feel better, or less persecuted, I think it's hard in heterosexual culture for ANYONE to reach the top of their game and be universally liked and respected without getting married. Men too, to a large extent. Men can get away with it, for sure, especially if they're womanizing sex symbols (ironic), and it's admittedly much easier for men than women. But for example we'd never elect a male president who wasn't married. There's just something...... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 12:38 PM on January 9, 2008

The most important thing a Marketing Director is supposed to do is keep in touch with what your customers want out of your service, and help you figure out if you're really providing that or if you're close, or completely off. Understanding the market is job 1. Sales is just selling whatever you've got. You will get some customer feedback from Sales, but often salesfolks are too focused on making numbers to be truly thoughtful about what the company does and if anyone wants that. Or if it needs... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 1:30 PM on January 8, 2008

To be clear - was Consumer Reports just wrong? Or did you get a defective unit?
posted to Ask Metafilter by scarabic at 10:16 AM on January 7, 2008