I am moving from the US to Israel for a year.

Me too! We should hang out. :)

I just wanted to drop in and thank everyone for the advice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 9:49 PM on July 17, 2008

I think you're going to have a hard time finding a recording like that, because the Canon, as written by Pachelbel starts out slowly (with a bunch of half notes) and gradually builds speed (ending up on a bunch of sixteenth notes). Performing the beginning part as quickly as the end, or skipping it altogether is not a question of arrangement - to do so would be to completely rewrite the piece. (Arrangement has more to do with what instruments perform the piece, not with fundamentally altering... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 10:55 AM on July 12, 2008

We'll see what he'll be like. But, the good news is that Medvedev proudly continues the hair/no hair pattern of Russian post-revolution leaders.

Lenin (bald)
Stalin (hairy)
Khrushchev (bald)
Brezhnev (hairy)
Andropov (bald)
Chernenko (hairy)
Gorbachev (bald)
Yeltsin (hairy)
Putin (bald)
Medvedev (hairy)
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 11:23 AM on May 7, 2008

I don't think that this joke is a clearcut example of racism. You are right that it relies on racial stereotypes to get its point across. But, the point of the joke is not that black (or white) people are inferior, but rather that we all tend to possess biases. In the joke, the black guys assumes that the white guy will be interested in the size of his private parts, and the white guy assumes that the black guy is out to harm him. The point is that both people are quick to jump to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 3:09 AM on April 29, 2008

ME: "I'm a mathematician."
THEM: (Any combination of the following)
"You must be really smart!"
"I'm really bad at math."
"Haven't all math problems been solved already???"
"So, um... what do you DO?"
"OK, then you should figure out the tip."

When I hear the second, I always want to reply: "And you're not ashamed to admit that?"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 9:19 PM on April 28, 2008

So why are Li-ion batteries safe and reliable enough to be used in the Tesla car but not in the Chevy Volt? Is it just a matter of cost, or is one of those two car companies lying? (I really wish that the hosts had spent more time asking critical questions and less time fooling around.)
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 5:21 PM on April 24, 2008

Thanks for the explanation about the batteries, The Joven. Now I'm wondering why the Volt needs a higher-power battery. Is it because the Volt is heavier and also has less space for the battery pack than the Tesla?
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 11:13 PM on April 24, 2008

I've been looking for a good excuse to go to that Jurassic museum for a while now. So if a MeFi-style invasion of the place is being planned, I'm in. Drinks on Sunday evening would be good too.
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 3:13 PM on April 12, 2008

I'd vote for 3:00. There's a nonzero probability that I wouldn't wake up in time for 2:00. :) Besides, it's not a very big museum.
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 12:41 AM on April 15, 2008

So... Is the plan to meet at the museum at 3 pm and go from there?
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 10:57 PM on April 18, 2008

I was once in pretty much exactly the same situation. I confessed my love to her. She cut off all contact with me. (Apparently, her fiance was not interested in socializing with me, and she felt guilty doing so behind his back.) Pretty bad, eh? Well, two years later, she got back in touch with me and told me that the engagement had fallen through. We started dating pretty soon after that. But, by that point, we'd drifted apart quite a bit in our ways of thinking, so it didn't last very... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 7:46 PM on April 17, 2008

I have no first-hand experience with either department, but here's a data point. The American Mathematical Society classifies all PhD-granting mathematics departments into groups (or tiers). You can read about that here. Well, according to the AMS, Penn State is a Group I school, and UC Davis is a Group II school. Now, I should add that both departments have excellent reputations, so going to Davis wouldn't doom you, or anything. But, if you have no specific reason to choose one department... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 10:50 PM on April 15, 2008

You might like the Andy Summers/Sting version. It's on the Andy Summers album called (appropriately enough) "Green Chimneys."
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 1:23 AM on April 15, 2008 marked best answer

I have a Nokia 5300. Press OK twice, after plugging in the cable, and the desired magic should happen.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 11:56 PM on April 12, 2008

I mean, press the middle "select" button twice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 11:58 PM on April 12, 2008 marked best answer

This doesn't directly answer your question, but you may find this observation helpful. You said that you work in an unpopular subfield. I suspect that this is precisely the reason why you've been rejected by all those schools. Those schools may not have people in your field, or the people in your field may have too may students already, or these people simply may not end up on admissions committees very often, or the people in more popular fields may have more clout, etc. So, if I'm right,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 11:45 PM on April 12, 2008

"But in this ever changing world in which we live in / Makes you give in and cry" (Live And Let Die - Paul McCartney)
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 10:20 PM on March 4, 2008

Any chance it could be the 14th instead? I've been hoping for an LA meetup for a while, but I'll be out of town on the 21st.
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 9:25 PM on March 3, 2008

This is really sad... I was hoping for better things for Armenia.

I think this quote from the NYT article says it all: "The Soviet Union is dead, the Soviet man is not." (What's going on in Armenia now is typical of how things were done in the Soviet Union.) I guess it's simply unrealistic to expect Armenia to form a government that is not thoroughly corrupt so quickly after breaking free from the Soviet Union.

I hope things work out... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 12:51 AM on March 2, 2008

Welcome to the life of a research mathematician. :) I got a Ph.D. in math a couple of years ago, and I can understand where you're coming from. There is nothing more frustrating in my life than beating my head against some problem for months and not getting anywhere. In fact, several times every year I seriously ask myself why I've decided to become a research mathematician, and I've come close to walking away. But, then I'll actually get somewhere with my research, and during those eureka... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 2:19 PM on February 19, 2008

Sarcasm is a tool, and like a sledgehammer, sometimes it can be used for good sometimes it can be quite hurtful. Consider the following two exchanges.

Conversation 1:
"Do I look good in these pants?"
"Oh yeah, as good as any whale I've seen."

Conversation 2 (between two people who are not particularly rich):
"How much money do you make?"
"I do pretty well. Just... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 2:16 PM on February 16, 2008

It's Russian for "alterations" or "changes."
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 12:38 AM on February 11, 2008

Problems with the data and the methodology have already been mentioned above, but I think there is a fundamental problem that I haven't seen mentioned yet. If you notice, the vast majority of the books on the chart are sandwiched between 1000 and 1150, which just happens to contain a disproportionately large share of SAT scores (bell curve and all). Further, they got the chart just by averaging. So, the fact that "1984" appears around 1100 is probably because it is popular across... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 2:51 PM on January 25, 2008

No need to choose, just drink pomegranate wine.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 1:51 AM on January 10, 2008

Wow, the first meetup in Tampa is at a time when I'm actually going to be in Tampa! (I only spend a few weeks out of the year there.) I will almost certainly come.
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 3:49 PM on December 18, 2007

I lived in Armenia at the time of this earthquake. Even though I was in Yerevan, some 100 miles from the epicenter, the shaking was pretty scary. Being 9 at the time and having never experienced an earthquake I was quite confused by what was happening. I was in my room, getting ready for school, when things went crazy. For some reason what made the biggest impression on me was the sound of the kitchen table banging against the wall. I ran into the kitchen and said "mom, what are you... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 12:10 AM on December 7, 2007

I've seen both, and liked "Letters" better. But, they are both great films and both worth watching. In fact, each film benefits from the other - that was the whole point of making two of them and what sets this meditation on war apart from all the others. I don't want to give anything away, but the events depicted in the second movie really take on a different shade once you've seen them in the first movie. Anyway, I recommend watching both and in the order they were made:... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 9:26 PM on December 6, 2007 marked best answer

What SpecialK said, plus two more reasons. By having your hands on the brake and clutch levers, you are likely to be constantly engaging those levers (ever so slightly). This puts undue stress on all kinds of parts, which will result in premature wear. Finally, you will have better control over steering if you have your hands fully on the handles. As SpecialK has mentioned, turning a motorcycle is a very different game from turning a bicycle, because of the added weight.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 11:06 PM on December 3, 2007

I've always wondered how these disclaimers come about. If it were an odd company or law firm here and there that used them, one could just laugh at them. But, it seems that this is really widespread, despite the questionable usefulness (let alone, legal weight) of such disclaimers. So here's a piggyback question for any CEO's and law firm partners out there, does someone pull you to the side at some point and say: "Thou shalt attach ridiculous mumbo jumbo to all emails, or be convicted... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 12:57 PM on November 27, 2007

The thing that bothers me with moral dilemma scenarios as commonly presented is that we are given yes/no options without room for variations or alternative possibilities.

You are right that usually we have more than two options in any given situation. However, a situation where your options are limited to either allowing a bunch of people to die or doing something that causes another group of people to die are theoretically possible. It is an... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 3:26 AM on November 25, 2007

So, wait. How could this happen? Does DaShiv have an apprentice?

Ah, that's just more of DaShiv's magic. He has this extra robotic arm (kind of like Dr. Octopus) that he uses to move his flashes around and even take pictures, when women are involved.

Actually, I took that picture (hence the crappy framing of the shot). I wish I were his apprentice...
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 2:16 PM on November 21, 2007

The moral implications of the situation have been covered pretty well above. I'll just add a practical observation. If you proposition your professor or even start flirting with him now, he is likely to think that you're just doing that to make sure you keep your A. (You wouldn't believe how common it is for students to flirt with their professors.) So, even if your professor is completely reckless with his career and finds you attractive, he might very well reject you out of pure cynicism.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 9:45 PM on November 19, 2007

Heh, that wasn't intentional... The "effect" you hear is just a product of cheap keyboard and low-tech recording methods. I'll brush up on my recording skills before I try uploading anything else. (Since recording this thing, I've acquired a much better keyboard.)
posted to MeFi Music by epimorph at 2:22 PM on November 18, 2007

I would say it is silly (or, rather, completely out of line) for the boss to ask you to change the way you speak. However, I think there is nothing wrong with deciding on your own to alter the way you speak to your Southern acquaintances, in order to make yourself more understandable to them. In a way, you can think of Yankee English and Southern English as two different languages. (The difference between a language and a dialect is notoriously fuzzy, so this isn't quite are ridiculous as it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 10:09 PM on November 14, 2007

So is this thing still on? If so, then perhaps someone should make a decision about the place and time, and post the details in a new thread. If not, that's a shame - I was looking forward to this meetup, since we haven't had one in a while.
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 7:22 PM on November 13, 2007

I know that matthowie seems to be down on the idea, but I also vote in favor of combining the question and title fields into one thing (called, say, "brief description of your question") that has a character limit. (The character limit could be generous enough to allow for most questions, say 150 characters. The page header could be a truncated version of that, say, the first 75 characters.) This would make the form more intuitive, and it would make the front page of AskMe more... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 5:11 PM on November 12, 2007

I would put my money on cars that look great, have very distinctive styling, are sporty, and are relatively rare. The Honda S2000 and the Audi TT fit the bill, as does the Mazda RX-8. The latter has the added advantage of having a rotary engine, which gives it even more "uniqueness" brownie points. The Porsche Cayman and Chevrolet Corvette are good bets too, though they are a little more pricey. Finally, of the cars that you can buy new now, I think you'd get the most bang for the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 3:09 AM on November 11, 2007

So Bush wants immunity for AT&T for participating in his spying agenda? Fine, but then he should take responsibility for trampling all over the constitution and resign immediately. Somebody has got to pay for this, right? (Yeah, yeah, when pigs fly, and all that...)
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 12:41 PM on November 8, 2007

The advice above is good, but I would not get a keyboard that has fewer than 88 keys. Much of the classical piano repertoire requires the full range of the piano, so trying to play that stuff on a 61-key keyboard would be frustrating. Also, if you get used to a 61-key keyboard, trying to play a real piano might be a little disorienting at first.

As for particular keyboards, I've been looking for a new one myself, and in recent weeks I've spent hours at music stores,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 1:29 AM on November 6, 2007

It may be true that Adam is not completely over Sarah (only he would know that), but even if he isn't, that doesn't mean that his relationship with Eve is doomed. Also, it's completely unreasonable for Eve to ask Adam to break off communication with Sarah or to read his emails. On the other hand, it looks suspicious that Adam wants to communicate with Sarah this often.

How about a compromise? Adam emails Sarah and explicitly tells her about Eve. (He could mention... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 10:52 PM on October 30, 2007

1. Don't leave your stuff lying around. (E.g., don't leave your jacket on the couch in the living room, don't leave your dirty dishes in the sink.)

2. If you make a mess, clean it up right away.

3. Don't cook things that stink.

4. Don't be loud, unless the other roommates are also participating in the loud activity. (No loud music, no loud sex, etc.)

5. Give your roommates "space" when... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 11:39 PM on October 29, 2007 marked best answer

The suggestions above are good, but there are other possibilities. One thing you could do is create an "Additional Information" section at the end of your resume and throw that in there, along with anything else you think they might find interesting. For instance, "I won a violin competition in college," or "I am a member of XYZ professional organization". (Stuff like that makes you seem like a more interesting individual and might actually help your chances.)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 11:09 PM on October 28, 2007

I'm kind of amazed to learn that they spend so much effort coming up with those sounds. I've always found them incredibly annoying, and the first thing I always do upon firing up a computer for the first time (or after a fresh install of an operating system) is to turn those damned sounds off. I think pretty much everyone I know does the same. I wonder how many people out there get filled with warm and fuzzy feelings when their computers vociferously announce their reawakening. Still, that... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 10:25 PM on October 21, 2007

I have been in the same situation, and I second what LarryC suggests. Go and talk to one of these colleagues candidly. Tell them that you would really like get a permanent position in the department, and ask them it they would be willing to endorse you. (Or, you can do that more humbly be asking them what they think your chances would be if you applied.) Once that's out of the way broach the subject of letters. Would they be willing to write one? Would it be better if someone else did?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 6:38 PM on October 18, 2007

How about the subtly humorous approach?

You could go for a geographical joke, like "Dresden Saxon" or "Dresden Dutch".

Any of the last names that double as nouns (e.g., Smith, Miller, Sumner, King, Oldman, Silver, Bloom, Summers, Mayor, etc.) would work well, because then "Dresden" would look like an adjective in that context. You could also try German noun-last names (e.g., Schmidt, Schneider, Fischer, Mayer, Weber,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 12:43 AM on October 18, 2007

Metallica - The Outlaw Torn (9:52), from Load (There's also a version of it that's around 10:40, if you can find it.)

Metallica - To Live is to Die (9:48), from ...And Justice For All

Also, their live album (Binge & Purge) has three of four really long tracks.

Of course, if you step away from rock, such tracks are really easy to find. Just about every Miles Davis Album made after about 1965 has several.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 2:57 PM on October 17, 2007

Wow, I thought I was a pretty bad rock lyricist, but I must actually be pretty good, because according to Blender, Sting, Jim Morrison, Robert Plant, and Paul McCartney are all much worse. Thank you Blender! It makes you wonder who'd make their list of best lyricists. Devo, or something?
posted to MetaFilter by epimorph at 2:24 AM on October 11, 2007

Is there any way to improve your situation at work in the mean time? Perhaps you should talk to your boss about her managerial style and about the second-guessing. It might just make the situation more bearable. Besides, what's the worst that can happen? You'll get fired?

This has been suggested above, but one way to make the days better is to give yourself something to look forward to at the end of the day. Don't just go home and think about work. Start a hobby,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 12:57 PM on October 9, 2007

Oops... Sorry, Delmoi!

lalex, I even reloaded the page before hitting "post," and your thread wasn't there. It's a conspiracy, I tell ya!
posted to MetaTalk by epimorph at 10:42 PM on September 28, 2007

I was told that the high price was 100% reciprocal

Ah, but who started the price war? The quote blacklite posted perhaps suggests it was Turkey.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epimorph at 6:04 PM on September 23, 2007