Ahh, found it. Jaredia

Nice, but one problem it looks like they didn't sort out is what to do with topographic features that were caused by glaciation. This would include the great lakes, and all those lakes in Canda. Likely gone, Scandinavia, at least the Baltic sea would likely be gone. Norway would be less "Fjord-y".

And of course Africa would be more fjord-y.

But still pretty interesting.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 11:22 AM on July 14, 2008

The "good news" is that prostate cancer is a very, very slow growing cancer. This means that you don't have to rush the treatment, you can take your time doing research, exploring options, getting second opinions, making decisions about freezing sperm, and the like.

Luckily I don't have direct experience, but I am told that while prostate cancer is very rare in younger men (esp. 38) when it occurs it grows more quckly than the typical old... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 11:29 AM on July 11, 2008

Here's my theory about why nearly 80% of people in the survey vacapinta linked to also used the word "sub:" Subway. Marketing is everything, and Subway, a huge international brand of sandwich shops, has "sub" right in the name.

True, I am old enough to remember when New York actually had local joints and people actually spoke with New York accents. Everybody called them heroes. When subway first came to New York they had... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 8:02 AM on July 8, 2008

Someone asked if the New York term hero was related to gyro, I remember someone telling me that Gyro is a transliteration of the greek, but in greek it is actually pronounced something like hero or gheero. I know that long before Greek immigrants ran the classic Greek diners, they used to run lunchcarts in construction sites around New York, where many Italian laborers used to get their lunch. Well a gheero (or gyro) on Italian bread, and lo and behold... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 2:07 PM on July 8, 2008

FULL DISCLOSURE
I might not be the best person to answer this. Have much sibling baggage. But as a youngest sibling, I can tell you what would NOT work with me should you be an older sibling reaching out.

I am the youngest (male) of four boys, and my three older brothers made my life a living hell growing up. I am in my mid 40s and I still play the tapes in my head about what a worthless piece of crap I am. The day I was old enough to beat the crap out of one... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 4:51 AM on June 30, 2008

I realize my previous post was a bit angry. Apologies to any and all whom I offended. Perhaps I should ask a question about how to get rid of anger.

let me just say in a nutshell, that in addition to apologizing, you really need to build a peer-to-peer relationship between co-equal adults, so that the sibling baggage, especially the older to younger sibling baggage doesn't get in the way.

Then she might realize that you have changed and will be... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 5:09 AM on June 30, 2008

You say you are 'proud of her." Unless she discovered the cure for cancer or mediated peace between Israel and the Arabs, please leave that for your parents.

You and she are no longer kids. Your age difference is now meaningless, you are peers. Are you treating her like one? Would you say to a buddy, "I'm proud of you?"

i don't understand this. why wouldn't you tell your sibling, any... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 5:17 AM on July 1, 2008

Well San Pedro de Macoris produces an amazing number of baseball players, as does all of the Dominican Republic, but San Pedro seems to be beisbol ground zero.

Not sure if that really counts, but technically it is a small city with a disproportionate number of successful people in a field.

For the most part, especially London, LA, DC, NY, I think you already have to be successful nowadays and the vibe is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 5:34 AM on May 29, 2008

missmagenta, I guess I use that little offglide. Sort of like how people pronounce mute. I don't think anyone says Mee-yute with two syllables. to me mee-yan for Myanmar is like pronouncing mute as mee-yute. But apparently I am pronouncing it wrong so I'll just say Burma.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 12:59 PM on May 23, 2008

Frankly, Manhattan is so crowded with people and cars, I'd just ditch the bike and walk, a bit slower but there is absolutely nothing better. Plus Manhattan isn't that large. Plus lots of places won't allow you to bring your bike inside and then you're stuck with it.

But if you want to do the outer boroughs,

Biking down Ocean parkway to Coney Island and then the Russian part of Brighton Beach is fun.

Staten Island, while... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 11:17 AM on May 12, 2008

Considering that they're killing themselves at a rate of 24.3 per 100,000 people, , they can't be that happy

But using that statistic, they are happier than the French, which is surprising.

I tend to ask the question, if you are in your mid 40s like me, why my parents, and especially my grandparents were happier. I think it has to do with "That they have realistic expectations, and are contented with the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 4:16 PM on May 5, 2008

The problem is that as ROU_Xenophobe pointed out, the US is a large country with many regional and ethnic differences, not to mention differences by industry - hard-core programmers have a different criticism world view than, say marketers at a consumer products company. So which Americans are you inquiring about, a bunch of Jewish garment district execs in Manhattan?, hell, you'll probably be considered the overly sensitive one. Scientists? Scientists everywhere usually have to develop a pretty... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 2:43 PM on May 3, 2008

As other's have said, Amtrak, but I'd take it up to Albany, and perhaps stay in Albany over night.

Lot's of people will ridicule the suggestion, but as an utter downstate snob, I was surprised that Albany has some interesting quirks - definitely worth a peak. parts of it *are* walkable, but I'd really hesitate to walk around at night unless given the OK by a local. Empire State Plaza, the boondoggle by Rockefeller is a must-see, more for what it says about large... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 9:56 AM on May 3, 2008

Wow.

I am sorry that I haven't seen this until now.
On the chance that you either haven't found someone or are dissatisfied with that person,

Dr. Deborah Weichenberg is both my wife's (cats - despite being a crazy cat lady) and my (hayfever so intense my nickname at work is Sneezy) allergist.

Good manner too, none of the the "I am a DOCTOR,and you are lowly patient" attitude.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 9:47 AM on May 3, 2008

The first step has to be a meeting with your boss, it is the most professional thing to do, and it may well be the only step you need to rectify a situation that the boss may not have even been aware of.

Absolutely true.

I know your question is more "how do I bow out gracefully" than "how do I make my last month of a temp assignment good," but since you said you might be looking for full time work at this... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 7:07 AM on May 3, 2008

Two candidates are Ailanthus Altissima and also Elderberry, both have ammonia-like scented flowers redolent of semen.


Ailanthus has five petals and a whitish (but not pure white) color. Five petals on the flower are hard to see in the Wikipedia article's photo, but perhaps this one is better.
The Wikipedia article has a good close-up of Elderberry's flowers. Both to me have a distinctly semen smell, funny how both trees' flowers are described as... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 3:16 PM on May 1, 2008

besides what happened we are really each others best friends. I'm not without guilt here as I had checked out for a while focusing on other things besides us. Also, for more background she used to be obese thru her whole life and recently got skinny and is considered one of the pretty people.

You and she are not best friends, not even friends. You, sir, are her utility infielder. While she is having fun she has you in reserve until she decides she... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 1:45 PM on April 22, 2008

If you look into any descriptions of emotional abuse, you will find that emotional distance and neglect are given more ink than infidelity.

True and I don't want to gloss over emotional abuse or chronic neglect...

But

...OP says that they both pretty much were cruising in a passionless marriage. They both were more focused on education, professions, and friends. And while the OP... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 2:21 PM on April 22, 2008

The obvious answer would be to get therapy, but that is so general that it becomes a throw-away.

How about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or Schema Therapy. I like that and have been doing it myself and it helps.

You say that you act like a loser because you think you are a loser, you can't accept yourself (At least that is what I am hearing in the short encapsulated version). This becomes a feedback loop.

I firmly... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 9:03 AM on April 20, 2008

Calling the cops was appropriate. What else do you know about these people. You said you only see the one person, that in itself is strange. What is the other person a live-in slave? Perhaps it is a teen-age daughter.

PS WHy is everyone getting on New York and New York cops? Native New Yorker here and I have called the cops twice for domestic violence, and once because I saw an armored truck on the side of the LIE on New Years day (which I thought was pretty effin'... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 9:58 PM on April 16, 2008

At the least, you may wish to let the government know that you have suspicions that this contractor you worked for is willing to "cook the books."

But in this instance, it was the poster who essentially cooked the books, at least that is what the shocked shocked superiors will attest to the government.

I am afraid, smackwich, you are screwed, chalk it up to experience, and hope the gummint doesn't go after you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 9:26 AM on April 12, 2008

It's the "R" thing that's really distinctive, the other features are more subtle.

But that is distinctive (and irritating) to Americans who speak a non-rhotic accent (like me - Noo Yawk accent). Sometimes I can understand a Brit easier than I can understand a twenty-something from California or the Midwest. Seriously. We had a consultant at work who said she was from what sounded to me like Floor-duh, I asked "Where is Floor-duh?"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 9:49 AM on April 10, 2008

I highly doubt this job is for real. If the person who supposedly offered it offered it to your dad because of personal relationships, well that will be the first thing out the door if dad gets into trouble. Unless either this man is looking to your father to run guns to Chad, hence the reason for the Bring Your Own Firearms policy, or he needs to be able to charge some govt more if he has more people on the payroll, this sounds crooked.

And a dangerous situation even... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 7:58 PM on March 30, 2008

Well I've been to Lima for work a while back, and it is an interesting place for a short trip, but sort of non-descript. Miraflores, and Barranco is where the rich Peruvians go to stay away from downtown. If I were well-to-do and lived in the greater Lima metro area, I'd live in Barranco, but there really isn't much to do there. My office was in San Ysidro, another wealthy section.

You'd likely have to drive, and Miraflores is IIRC not within walking distance of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 3:07 PM on March 28, 2008

Wow this is interesting, and I would have to say, I wish I would have known about almost all of them in high school.

I'd really emphasize how to lie with statistics as an exercise in critical thinking as others have mentioned.

The Monty Hall Problem would've flipped me out then, still does.

I think fractals, and chaos theory as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 9:56 AM on March 27, 2008

Open Office.org is the gold standard here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 2:43 PM on March 16, 2008

I must third flabdablet and Mitheral, Open Office's lethargy when opening is almost inconsequential, and is much more stable for longer documents. This will be particularly important for you because you mentioned new laptop.

Although I don't know it is a PC I am assuming so because you said you had Works. Because it is new, I am assuming you have Vista. Vista and the new Office 2007 make for some very, very slow and very, very unstable but unpredictable events.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 5:44 PM on March 16, 2008

If you're skating the edge of financial ruin, you have little time or energy for exercise or cooking right. Schools in more deprived areas are likely to have fewer sporting facilities, and they may have even sold off their playing fields. Poor areas have fewer parks and gyms.

let's not forget that in some poor areas, it might be so dangerous out that parents don't like their kids out at all.

I also think that now that cities... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 9:24 AM on March 12, 2008

IN addition to CBT, there is something called schema therapy. Sort of CBT + .

Not one to pile on and recommend self-help books, but this book has been invaluable to me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 7:17 AM on March 11, 2008

Completely safe, but the A is loooong. I'd definitely take Airtrain to Jamaica station, LIRR to Penn, and then walk one block to 6th Ave and take the D. If this is too much then yeah, take the 'A' to 59th and then transfer to the 'D'.

Caveats

You don't mention what days, but on week-ends both A & D run local often on the West side, so you might want to factor that in to travel time.

According to www.hopstop.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 1:43 PM on February 26, 2008

Wow
I had thought i was weird, unique, special until this thread. Usually a hayfever element. most annoying too. I found that gently rubbing the left nostril right above the muscle that you flare when you want to flare your nostrils calms it down, often taking away the feeling. I also found that hitting or pinching it (gently!) will induce a sneeze, providing almost sexual relief.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 8:36 AM on February 20, 2008

What I find interesting is that it is inconsistent. We say "I am going to the hospital" but never "I am going to the school" or "I am going to the church" in the same context. I am betting that people said going to "the" hospital so infrequently that when they did, using "the" was appropriate in the same way I would say "I am going to the church on the corner tomorrow." So "the" became so joined to hospital in the US that it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 7:38 AM on February 19, 2008

I think it would have had to have been Baltimore. Outside guess is Wilmington Del. While people don't generally think of MD and DE as the South, as These Premises Are Alarmed notes, they were slave states, south of the Mason-Dixon line, and parts of both states (although not necessarily all) had Jim Crow laws up until the fifties. ( I recall reading the ambassador for a newly independent African nation being refused service in Delaware when he was driving to New York because he wasn't in the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 10:25 AM on February 16, 2008

I am surprised only one person mentioned New York (and then only Brooklyn)

Manhattan
No more bad neighborhoods, nothing to see but Starbucks. They don't even talk like New Yorkers anymore. Even uptown is gentrified. Parts of Harlem and Washington Heights might be a but scruffy around the edges, but that's about it.

Brooklyn
East New York - very bad, could be the worst 'hood in New York. To some extent Bushwick except... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 10:39 AM on February 15, 2008

Re: Acne.

They might not hvae gotten it.

While the urban legends about chocolate and acne and greasy foods and acne is bullshit, there is some evidence that over time a diet very high in refined carbohydrates can cause an insulin spike, which can cause elevated levels of dihydrotestosterone in some individuals. DHT, besides being a culprit in male pattern bladness supposedly has a role in sebaceous glands going wild first... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 10:09 AM on February 5, 2008

I was constantly told that hunting was in the deers best interest. The rationale being that if the hunters didn't kill some of them off, there wouldn't be enough food to support the entire population, causing many of them to die off over the winter.

Browsing through other posts I think most people hit this on the head. The deer have exploded because of two reasons.
1) no more predators
2) edge habitat that deer... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 8:22 AM on February 3, 2008

mental health: dogs are pack animals, and crave the presence of others. The aforementioned mini-dachs gets very lonely at night, and there's really no need for a dog to be lonely at night

This is the primary reason. My dog used to sleep on the bed with me, when I got married my wife said absolutely not. We compromised. Now my dog has a very nice comfy orthopedic bed next to my side of the bed. She loves it. Shutting her in another part of the house... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 11:03 AM on January 31, 2008

Because joint contact areas are much lower in arthropods than vertebrates, the difference in stresses must be much greater. Now we come to the heart of the matter. As you scale up an ant, body mass must increase faster than joint surface area--indeed, the stress on the joint should increase in direct proportion to size.


But crabs, being crustaceans, are arthropods too, so what goes for the ant would go for that huge land crab.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 2:23 PM on January 30, 2008

Or maybe too many Californians moved here and went bonkers.

I am going to venture to say that this might not be so far off as one might think. In general, a place where a troubled person who has a few screws loose can make a new start, a place that doesn't have long settled ties of shared culture is a place where, in addition to getting the best and brightest, you get the strangest and scariest, the ones who *had* to leave the old country. They came... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 6:46 PM on January 28, 2008

Wow this is timely and great info. I have been getting harrassing annoying calls for the last two weeks that are automated. I was chary of answering because i thought given the sleazy nature of collection agencies, they'd refuse to discuss the debt until I gave my name addy and perhaps social security # which would somehow "accidentally" become part of their debt record. So I guess I am a bit less fearful of that option.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 5:51 PM on January 23, 2008

And legally, producers are treated like witnesses: they bear no responsibility to intervene.

“The law in the United States doesn’t require you to step in and save people,” said David Sternbach, counsel for litigation and intellectual property matters for A&E Television Networks. “And it doesn’t require you to stop a crime that’s in the works.”

That isn't always true. I know with child abuse, emergency room physicians, or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 8:06 PM on January 22, 2008

If you feel up to it, you could always get a window seat and look out the window. I am also a nervous flyer and surprisingly found that it actually *helped* me. Gave me visual reference as in when we were going through bumps I can see a cloud layer and once we were above the weather the flights smoothed out. Not recommended for everyone but might work for you An added bonus is that looking out the window at landscapes is freakin' cool! I love visiting mom in del boca vista and when I land home... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 5:42 PM on January 22, 2008

So, does the "February has two r's" logic carry over into "Wednesday has two d's?"

Probably not, English isn't a logical language. No language is. Wed-nuhz day sounds bizarre.

BTW I always pronounced it feb-roo-ery (ery rhyming with berry) In New York, whether or not it is feb-you or feb roo I've never heard it pronounced with "airy." That's sounds like you're from the movie Fargo to me. You betcha.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 1:14 PM on January 8, 2008

For an interesting and possibly, but not likely cheaper New York experience you could stay at the Sheraton in Flushing. I still think you'll go over $150.00 but not as much as Manhattan. True it is the end of the 7 line and it is long to Manhattan, but....

1) 7 train is a trip in itself because Queens has every culture under the sun.
2) Flushing is interesting in its own right. Good Asian cuisine. Best Korean on the East coast, and probably the west too.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 3:25 PM on January 6, 2008

Long time visitor, never lived there though. I'm from New York, so there is that East Coast/West coast rivalry that so often ends up in gunplay.

Used to hate hate hate LA, but now kind of like it as long as I take it on its own terms. It's very American, where New York is wannabe European - therefore I think nowadays New York is more insecure. Both sides are incredible snobs (and I say this as a proud New Yorker)

I still think LA is ugly since... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 7:50 PM on January 2, 2008

Someone mentioned Providence, actually a good choice, still cheap, a regional culture after California where they speak regional accents might be fascinating. After Buddy Cianci, Providence is making a huge comeback and housing isn't as expensive as Boston. But you're an hour away from Boston, and three from NY, all accessible via Amtrak.

As someone mentioned *any* place outside of CA will be a shock, either winter or summer shock, but I can tell you Providence is not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 7:05 PM on January 2, 2008

One thing to add, and I am surprised nobody's said it yet is that her coming to Jesus might mean that she wants you and everyone else to come to Jesus and will not rest until you all do. Should you ignore everyone's advice, you might want to prepare yourself for that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 10:00 PM on January 1, 2008

Well we New Yorkers think that New Englanders have a huge inferiority complex because they are next to New York, especially Boston. We New Yorkers (used to think) that Boston sports teams sucked and sucked as a matter of natural law. Now it is New York's turn to eat crow and wander the wilderness. I tell myself it builds character.

Talk funny? not so much to us.

Abrupt and unfriendly? not so much to us either. I have to say in defense of my New... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 7:55 PM on January 1, 2008

Before I work where I work now (a place that does a lot of reproductive health research) I used to pronounce epididymus as epi-did- EYE-mus.

Frankly I kind of like it like that. Sounds like a number from "The Music Man." One researcher promised to start a meme to promote it he thought it was so funny.

FYI It is supposed to be pronouned Epi-DID-uh-mus
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 2:55 PM on December 30, 2007

emelenjr. Watt-er or waut-er depends on where you're from. I bet she is from the west or midwest and you are from the Northeast. Both are absolutely correct. If you were British you'd probaly say something close to Waw-tuh. But I had a girlfriend from Missouri and used to drive her crazy saying "Mary, Merry Marry, can't you hear the &$^#$% difference?" Chances are you're old girlfriend couldn't.
posted to Ask Metafilter by xetere at 6:25 PM on December 30, 2007