Pretty much anything in downtown or the museum district / medical center areas will be in walking distance from the metro rail line.

As for safety, I'd recommend staying in the museum district or medical center, first. Downtown, second. Reliant Stadium area, third.

I don't know what you consider cheap, but the Holiday Inn Medical Center has standard rooms starting at $149 per night, for two people. It's one block away from the Metro Rail.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 5:48 AM on September 3, 2008

Jimbob: I'm pretty sure msconduct means that there are no official, manned shelters at this time. As I understand it, the priority was to get people to evacuate, no to lull them into a false sense of security by manning local shelters and giving them an extra excuse to stick around.
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 5:32 AM on September 1, 2008

sdodd: I've never been more impressed with Mythbusters than when they demonstrated how easy it is to defeat fingerprint scanners and motion detectors.

That reminds me of a story. I signed up for a safety deposit box at the local Bank of America branch. The bank officer boasted proudly about the high technology security the bank used to protect the boxes. A major part of that security was a hand scanner that was used to control access to the safe room... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 3:12 AM on September 1, 2008

Thanks already, but now I have another question. I'm trying to implement Perplexity's solution, but I'm having the following problem:

I type the formula into the first cell, works great. Now I copy it to the second cell...

Problem: The formula changes to: =COUNTIF(ParentSheet!$A$2:$A$51,A2)

So, the ParentSheet cell range is advancing (which I don't want), as is the ChildSheet criteria cell (which I do want).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 11:34 AM on August 28, 2008

Sorry - I left the dollar signs out of my first formula. Adding them in did the trick...

Worked like a charm, thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 11:37 AM on August 28, 2008

You'll be fine.

I've taken several overnight trains in Austria and Italy this summer and didn't see/smell anyone breaking the no smoking rules. The rules are definitely enforced. The worst you may have to deal with is a slightly smoky bathroom, but they're usually well ventilated and the smell clears out quickly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 3:07 PM on August 19, 2008

paisley:

Here's how it worked for me. Originally, Avast (my antivirus tool) popped up a warning for me. Then cortex "munged" the offensive URL, changing it from http... to hxxp...

Firefox then complained that it didn't know how to handle that protocol (hxxp). Then Cortex changed the URL again / removed the offending code completely, and neither Avast nor Firefox made any complaints after that.

So, if you're... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by syzygy at 4:36 AM on August 8, 2008

My only comment would be that you can find some nice scenery and beaches 20-30 miles southeast of Genova. Genova's not so nice, and I didn't find the Italian coast between Genova and Ventimiglia to be all that great, either.

I suggest that you take a short detour and spend a day or two around Sestri Levante or Levanto.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 3:27 AM on August 8, 2008

I apologize for being an argumentative dick in lots of politicsfilter threads between 4 and 8 years ago. I have since turned over a new leak and am trying really hard not to be a jerk :-)
posted to MetaTalk by syzygy at 11:46 AM on August 7, 2008

Turned over a new LEAF... Touch typing in the dark :-(
posted to MetaTalk by syzygy at 11:47 AM on August 7, 2008

Now Firefox complains that it doesn't know how to open the protocol - but at least Avast isn't complaining about any trojans any more.

Thanks cortex...
posted to MetaTalk by syzygy at 7:49 AM on August 7, 2008

Lookin' good - no warnings of any kind when I visit the post now.
posted to MetaTalk by syzygy at 8:08 AM on August 7, 2008

JimBob: I would say car number 2 goes first, because it's going straight but car number 1 has to cross traffic.

In some jurisdictions, you are correct. Car #2 would have the right of way in Austria, for instance. I wouldn't be surprised if the rules in Australia were the same.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 11:19 PM on August 6, 2008

47 in four minutes (was interrupted for a minute by work stuff).
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 1:57 AM on August 6, 2008

Evernote is another good option.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 12:23 PM on August 5, 2008

Three days is pretty short, but you could fly to Split, in Croatia. You should be able to get cheap, round trip tickets from SkyEurope.com from Vienna / Bratislava to Split.

Split is on the mainland coast of Croatia. The town itself is pretty nice. It has several hostels and some beaches, as well as shopping and mid-sized city amenities.

You could also stay on either Brac or Hvar, two islands close to Split (I estimate 30-45 minutes by ferry).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 8:09 AM on August 5, 2008

More content, less editorializing, please
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 12:49 AM on August 5, 2008

PontifexPrimus: Just claim that you were in Austria during the run-up to the war...

Why Austria?
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 7:56 AM on August 5, 2008

A little off-topic. I'm going to drop a couple of questions in here because I'd like to have them answered, but I don't want to make a dedicated MeTa post about it.

How is this post anything more than spam? Two links - one to a corporate PR site, and one to a youtube video advertising the corporate PR site. I flagged it and MeMailed vacapinta yesterday (because it was after midnight in the US when I saw it).

In my MeMail to vacapinta, I made... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by syzygy at 6:55 AM on August 1, 2008

jessamyn: Thanks for the answer. It's sometimes hard to figure out which questions deserve their own posts, which should be emailed to a specific mod, and which should simply remain unasked.
posted to MetaTalk by syzygy at 7:42 AM on August 1, 2008

Don't be a drone for honey blue.
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 10:47 PM on July 30, 2008

Outdoor / sports gear, clothes, electronics.

Sales tax differs from state-to-state (and locality-to-locality). You SHOULD do it like this: save your receipts and ask for a sales tax refund at the airport before you leave the US. Then, declare the goods and pay VAT on them at the airport when you arrive in Germany.

If you're a little daring, and your new purchases aren't too ostentatious / obvious, you can skip getting the tax refund in the US,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 8:29 AM on July 24, 2008

Careful on the Levi's. Last time I was in the US, I didn't have much luck with Levi's sold at normal department stores. The styles and cuts were different than what I find in European jeans shops, so try them on first to make sure you like them before you buy them. (Although, it looks like Levi's is planning to switch to a single cut for all markets soon, in a bid to save money).

Thanks for the correction, oaf. I'm really surprised to learn that you can't get a refund on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 10:01 AM on July 25, 2008

I used to do this a lot, but I hardly do it any more. I'm not a neurologist, but I'll share my theory and how I "overcame" this annoying habit.

First, the theory. I think this reaction is like a short circuit that allows you to quickly change the subject of your inner dialog when your inner dialog becomes unpleasant, uncomfortable or mildly painful. I think this reaction is a similar but much milder version of something that a person suffering from PTSD does... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 12:09 AM on July 23, 2008

Take a look at Geox Respira (warning: crappy site with flash and popup). Geox is an Italian brand of shoes with a patented breathing mechanism. They are mostly mesh on the top / front, and they have small holes in the soles that allow the shoe to "breathe", but don't let water in. They're pretty popular here in Austria.

I bought a pair earlier this summer, and they're very airy. My feet are much cooler (I do a lot of walking) and hardly sweat at all when I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 11:42 PM on July 22, 2008

rocket88: it [morbid obesity] is a self-inflicted phenomenon, even if inflicted passively rather than actively, and taking personal responsibility where due is never a bad thing.

Is it? My theory is that behind every pathological, self-destructive behavior, there lies some kind of illness or physical disfunction. Whether it's mental / psychological, hormonal, digestive, my guess is that reaching 530 pounds is actually a symptom... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 4:15 AM on July 15, 2008

Not exactly relevant, but it's also legal to turn left on red if you're in the far left lane of a one way street, and are turning left onto another one way street (at least it was in Texas when I took driver's ed 20 years ago).
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 12:24 PM on July 13, 2008

ND¢ said: Why do we make fun of people with mental illnesses? We wouldn't post the website of someone with a physical disability and say "Ha! Look at the pictures of her in her wheelchair! Lol!" but we do this regularly with people with mental illnesses. It is probably hard on this person to have these delusions and this paranoia. It is probably hard on his or her family. I know a lot of people enjoy the batshitinsane posts, but it just seems wrong to me.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 4:33 AM on July 9, 2008

rob paxon: Deciding that it's "not right" to laugh or make fun of someone such as this is just fine, if you don't mind being an uptight drag. Acting like you don't see what is funny about it is completely disingenuous. Someone who recognizes that it is funny and is then comfortable laughing at that which he finds funny is in a far superior moral position than that which you're subscribing to.

I don't see anything funny about about her... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 11:34 AM on July 10, 2008

Thanks lungtaworld - I searched askmefi, but didn't see that thread. I read through the thread, but, unfortunately, the asker there has Vista, and his problem was different than mine.

That's one reason I asked. I haven't been able to find anything about my exact problem online.

I'll probably simply disable hibernation when the PC is plugged in. I'm guessing it's not worth the time to check every known potential cause of the problem.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 7:30 AM on July 10, 2008

advicepig said: That left me with a concrete amount of money left. I divided that by four to get a weekly amount that I would withdraw from an atm on Fridays.

This is key. In the past two years, I have become debt-free and am now saving a healthy amount every month.

My plan is close to advicepig's, with a couple of differences.

I make a withdrawal every Sunday (not Friday). That means I'm less likely... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 5:34 AM on July 9, 2008

It's a good idea to do some pull-ups and other back exercises along with your push-ups. I went from 25 push-ups a day to 300 a day between 2005 and 2007. Now I'm dealing with some minor back problems that my doctor says are partly due to having an overdeveloped chest and shoulders, countered by a less-developed back.

I go to weekly meetings with a physiotherapist now, and I'll be visiting a good gymn next week for an appointment with their in-house doctor. I hope that he... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 12:47 PM on July 8, 2008

The Spice piece was fascinating reading. She (and Musil) are next on my list of things to read in German.

We all heard, in the wake of the Kampusch scandal, voices asking questions like, "what cultural conditions [special to Austria] could foster such a monstrosity?". The intensity has only increased in the wake of the more recent Fritzl scandal.

The first reply to these questions that came to my mind was similar to jouke's or... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 9:44 AM on June 9, 2008

Tell your friend to check out couchsurfing.com. Cheapest way to find a place to stay and meet locals who will show him around... Great for budget travel in Europe.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 10:31 AM on June 2, 2008

*shits in thread*

*leaves*

--stevegy
posted to MetaTalk by syzygy at 11:10 AM on May 29, 2008

I'll second GardenGal's advice. If you can afford it, pack light and plan to buy a few articles when you get there.

There are TONS of shops in Rome, for instance. Prices are generally reasonable (unless you're in an upscale designer store, or smack in the middle of the old city), and if you look a little (down side streets, for instance), you can find stores with excellent prices and helpful personnel.

I was in Rome a couple of weeks ago and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 9:50 AM on May 28, 2008

Texas data point: We almost always kept our shoes on in the house.

Austria data point: We almost always take off our shoes upon entering the house.

It took awhile, but I've gotten used to the "shoes off" mode. We have a couple of pairs of house slippers. I had some foot odor problems when I first got here, and felt very uncomfortable about taking my shoes off in the presence of other people. Over time, however, the odor problem cleared... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 8:19 AM on May 27, 2008

First time sex is not universally bad.

You need to relax. It sounds to me like you're overthinking it. Simply roll with the flow. Don't schedule it, plan it, run through it in your head over and over. Just hang out with her, and after spending a nice enjoyable evening together, allow the natural transition to sex to occur. Don't think of it as a make-or-break performance. It's sex - loosen up and have fun.

If you focus on it for days or weeks in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 1:37 AM on May 26, 2008

I usually prepare and eat a tuna fish and lentil curry every day.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup lentils
1 Can tuna fish
1/2 Cup vegetable juice
1/2 Cup water
3 Tbsp low fat plain yogurt
1 Tbsp Patak's mixed pickles
1 Tbsp Patak's curry paste
1 Tsp Dijon mustard

Optional healthy additions:
flaxseed, oats, curry powder, olive oil, your favorite hot... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 12:51 AM on May 26, 2008

There are some good stretches you can do for this. My back started hurting after a couple of years of regular workouts. I'm taking a break from the weights and seeing a physiotherapist right now. If you're insured, you should talk to your doctor about your back pain and see if you can get an appointment with a pt.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 4:02 AM on May 21, 2008

I stayed at the Beijing Yongdingmen hotel back in 2003. It fits your price range.

At the time, the manager was named Rennie. I guess he still runs it. He's a really nice guy who speaks English and will pick you up at the airport in his car.

It's not a luxury place - plain and somewhat worn down. Breakfast came with our stay and there was a true-blue Chinese internet cafe in the hotel (stinky, dirty, and full of guys playing all kinds of online... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 10:37 AM on May 16, 2008

Checking the site, it looks like Renny's still in charge... You can contact him via email and even make a reservation that way (at least that's how we did it in '03).

If Renny's in charge, and he has rooms free when you want to travel, I'd recommend staying there - super guy who will help you get sorted out.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 10:43 AM on May 16, 2008

It would be relatively easy to get a train or bus from Berlin to Vienna or Bratislava. If you can make it to Vienna or Bratislava, SkyEurope usually has cheap flights to Croatian destinations, including direct flights to Split and Dubrovnik.

From Vienna, you may have to take the SkyEurope shuttle bus to Bratislava. It's a nice bus, the ride usually takes less than an hour, and it is included in the price of your flight.

From Bratislava, my first... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 5:17 AM on May 16, 2008

stupidSexyFlanders:

Anyway, monsterfilter is the worst kind of newsfilter, especially when it comes wrapped in the pseudo-social-science that it uses to get in the door (something has "fundamentally gone wrong? You think?) I just wish there were some kind of community norm here that consided this the nonstory that it unfortunately is.

Amen...
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 6:41 AM on April 29, 2008

Vienna, Austria datapoints:

It takes me between 30 and 45 minutes to reach work on public transportation. That number will drop on May 10 when the U2 subway line is extended near my office.

I pay €458 per year for a Jahreskarte, which lets me ride every form of public transportation in the greater Vienna area for a full year.

I don't own a car. I pay €100 per year for an ÖBB (Austrian Railways)... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by syzygy at 6:14 AM on April 29, 2008

I'm pretty sure you can stay for 3 months, leave the EU (quick trip to Russia, Croatia, etc.), then return to stay for another 3 months. At least in Austria there were 2 rules for Americans staying on a tourist visa when I first came here:
1. can't stay more than 90 days in a row
2. can't stay more than 180 days in a 365 day period

As for looking for a job, it may be much easier than you think, if you're actually in the Netherlands while you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 9:58 AM on April 14, 2008

For austria, check out http://www.jobwohnen.at/ .
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 9:09 AM on April 14, 2008

For shops, Wein & Co. will help you out. You should be able to taste the wines at their bar before buying the bottles. They have numerous shops around Vienna, most if not all of which have wine bars attached.

If you want to have a little more fun and can get outside of Vienna, you could visit the Wachau region, the village of Gumpoldskirchen or the Marchfeld region (all in Niederösterriech, not too far outside Wien). Wachau is particularly picturesque - I believe you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 3:39 AM on April 10, 2008 marked best answer

For an excellent bag (carry on, backpack, nice wheels, padded handles, detachable daypack), check out the Victorinox Trek Pack Plus line. I picked one up pretty cheap at REI in December and have been very pleased with is, so far.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 9:03 AM on April 4, 2008

Fruit juice + carbonated water = delicious & healthy. Works with still water, as well, if you don't have to have the carbonation.
posted to Ask Metafilter by syzygy at 4:28 AM on April 2, 2008