what you've forgotten is this one big bubble is really made up of lots of little bubbles: the housing, the CDSs, etc. Sooo... you wrap yourself in bubble wrap, and tie on some thumbtacks, needles, what-have-you, so everyone can pop the bubble. People who have been burned recently may still prefer the manual method, but that's a risk you have to be wililng to take here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:10 AM on October 10, 2008

25/26 or 1 seem ok from here, but some crap or another has kept me away from tokyo mefi so far. hope this time works better cause i really want the fish. i will pay attention to your final dates.
posted to MetaTalk by whatzit at 6:40 AM on October 6, 2008

Re: Japan. One of the things I really like here is how much is still done in small, old-school farms using techniques developed generations ago. A consequence of this is that all these little places are run by grandfatherly/motherly Japanese, many of whom have had their kids/grandkids hightail it to the cities. A consequence of that is that many of the aforementioned grandfather/motherly types have no one to help them in their work, and no one to share their passion with.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 5:45 AM on October 2, 2008

Building, making, and designing is only half the picture of understanding how things work. You need to get these kids disassembling, breaking, and limits-testing. This is the best way to really learn how things work: dismantling something that it is okay to destroy. The flashlight idea above is a great start, but seriously, go find some old, highly mechanical cruft that no one wants to have working and won't cost you a ton to dispose of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 5:36 AM on October 2, 2008

For the Etch-a-Sketch, the X-Y mechanism is really quite straightforward, as you can see here. The plastic screen is not a big deal, either.

What is a big deal, big pain in the ass, and big risk is working with such amounts of aluminum powder, which is what is used inside the Etch-a-Sketch. It's not fun to work with, it's incredibly messy, and can irritate your respiratory system and with long-term exposure is tied to all kinds of dain bramage and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:52 AM on September 28, 2008

then apply to grad school...
the stinkers about grad school. don't do the grad school route (and this isn't just your case, these are the general rules) unless...
1) you are incredibly incredibly passionate about your one narrow topic. I don't just mean "country," but rather "models of country's economic meltdown over 19xx-20xx in comparison to van Hoozawatzits theory of ..." blargh.
2) you have an... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:51 PM on September 27, 2008

This is my favorite kind of party because everyone has to get involved. My favorite of these favorites, which emphasizes the food-fun instead of the work aspect, is to have a crepe party. Steps:
1) Invest (one time) in a real honest-to-god crepière. ($150-200)
2) Make crepe batter before guests come. Be sure to have some sweet, some savory batter. This is not very exciting to make and should have 20+ minutes to let the gluten relax and the lumps de-lump.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:39 PM on September 26, 2008

As someone who is in your boat:

What about co-workers?
As much as it's good to be friendly with them, it's really hard to be friends with them. Someone much older, wiser, and more office-politically-savvy than I am told me that it's much easier to make enemies in the workplace than friends, and he's right, and it's sad. Besides, it's so easy to let the friendship interfere with work, or the work-talk interfere with friendship. Unless you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 5:28 AM on September 26, 2008

While we're talking about Stephen King movies, don't forget the AC/DC soundtrack to Maximum Overdrive.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 5:18 AM on September 26, 2008 marked best answer

Do something you can do while doing other things. If (and only if!) they are within your skill-set, you might consider free-lance editing/proof-reading and translation. (I'm also aware that people with number-skills do bookkeeping in the same free-lance way, but I've no experience with it.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 5:08 AM on September 19, 2008

The disease thing shouldnt be an issue if its pasteurized.
Ya'd think, but wasn't that part of the problem with the prion diseases that have been turning up? That they aren't heat-preventable?

Plus, you really don't want to catch some common monkey viruses.
You know what's worse than the Monkey B Virus? Monkey C Virus. As in, Monkey C, Monkey Do. It's terrifying because it's chronic.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 6:23 AM on September 18, 2008

Also, any ideas on how we can make a beach party interactive?
Kiddie. Pool.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:37 AM on September 17, 2008

I don't remember the B&W part, but maybe these are two conflated stories? You might also consider "Land Without Feelings" (which is also on youtube). The story is somewhat different, but it has the loss-of-feeling and depression aspect. And some great music.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 6:59 AM on September 16, 2008

"international travel, making good money (goal of six figures) and/or working overseas".

Actually, these can work out pretty well together if
a) your company has plumb expat contracts that cover your housing, utilities, etc. so your major non-tax expenses are covered
b) you can move into an international policy thingie like World Bank, UN, etc., so your salary is tax-free
c) you are willing to work anywhere (Dubai?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:57 AM on September 16, 2008

Before you empty it, check the litterbox. (My cat dragged in my mom's favorite glasses 5+ years ago, and she still won't stop bugging me about it.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:37 AM on September 16, 2008

One of my favorite-ever writing exercises involved a professor handing out a picture cut from a magazine and telling us to write something about the pictures that were handed out at random.
Seconded!
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:39 AM on September 11, 2008

Are you still reading? You have to have to HAVE TO HAVE TO go to the Museum of Islamic Art. It is one of THE BEST museums I have ever been to (and I'm not generally all-over art, museums, or Islamica in general). Why is it so amazing? It covers architecture, art, costumes, and history of not just the Middle East but worldwide Islam. The most fascinating sections (to me) where about mosque architecture worldwide and anything about Central Asia (Tajikstan, etc.). It had the perfect mix of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:02 AM on September 10, 2008

(Background: have lived and worked in rural Brazil with indigenous people. Not the romantic Amazon itself, but further into the pantanal. So, I'm focusing on what life is really like there, because I think it's not as romantic, dire, or primitive as you are hoping for.)

Manaus, okay. It's a city, it thrives on tourism. You'll have a great time and learn Portuguese and visit the natives and can live in a slum (every major Brazilian city has them). (I warn you though:... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 1:40 AM on September 7, 2008

Oh, I forgot these two factors:
1) high incidence of alcoholism. Like, drink from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep
2) lots of sexual assault.
I don't like being "!!" but the former is very visible, and the latter is confirmed by local contacts as well as reports from government (e.g. FUNAI) and NGO sources. Obviously, it'll be a little different everywhere, but it's a recurring theme.

(Also, seconding the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 1:45 AM on September 7, 2008

Yeah, um, I wasn't assuming this was a fetish either. I just really want you to know what's going on on the ground now straight from someone who has been there, and has no personal vested interest in your going on my tour, reading my book, etc.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 5:49 AM on September 8, 2008

I notice you're in Japan now, so I just want to say:
1) this is the way lots and lots of apartments are in Japan: anonymous, dreary, and tempting for suicidal thoughts.
2) make absolutely sure that you're not going to create an international incident if you try to paint anything.

More on topic, I have to second the comments above about dividing the room up and using bright colors. Even if you decide to do just one wall. A... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:15 AM on September 3, 2008

Sa Pa, Viet Nam, Hmong.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:05 AM on September 2, 2008

And what arabelladragon said about staying with people - I used to work with the Javaé in Brazil, and got to try on the "prettiest girl in the village" costume. I most definitely was not the prettiest girl in the village, which is a democratically elected title, so it was pretty generous of them. The guys with me got to try out the chief's headdress.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:07 AM on September 2, 2008

I second phaedrus441- I've seen them in Tokyu Hands, though I prefer the store in Shibuya to the one in Shinjuku. Ikebukuro is a close second, if only because of the Nekobukuro on the top floor.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:15 AM on August 31, 2008

Thailand.

Japan is definitely "blah" in January, though no, it's not that cold, and it really won't snow in Tokyo. Maybe once.

Thailand is nice even in rainy season.
Thailand is a lot cheaper.

English is not a problem in either of them, from my experience.

I live in Japan, and have spent quite a bit of time in Thailand.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 5:47 AM on August 29, 2008

At least one very large consumer products company gives these to every applicant, including "career" type positions in engineering and management. (I'll give you a hint, the first name starts with P and the second one with G). I've been told about this company in specific that they take the tests quite seriously, and use them to determine if you are an appropriate fit to the type of people they want on their Team. It's of the Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree type, that naju and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 5:33 AM on August 29, 2008

Another American in Japan, I do this off-and-on at around 2000 yen/page (which is a lot less than an hour). I could certainly charge more (most of the papers are technical, I'm technical; we're kind of in the countryside), but I'm doing this for the heck of it, not as a full-time job, and for individuals, not publications.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:20 AM on August 25, 2008

by MS page, yes. I probably should be fussier about the layout of that page, but I'm not. As I said above, this is a leisure activity for me, not an occupation. FWIW, when I translate stuff, that's based on a 250-ish word "page."
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 6:11 AM on August 25, 2008

Are you still looking? I love love love staying at the Hotel Levesque. It's in a good location, it's across from LeNotre (awesomest patisserie!) and right above a fromagerie, so you will be woken each morning by the fresh scent of chessemongers. Or cheese. Each morning starts off with pastries and cheese on a cobblestone street, no kidding.

The buildling is classic Pa-ree with a narrow elevator, tight staircase, and somewhat small rooms, but everything is in great... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:12 AM on August 25, 2008

what jamaro said: "BACON!"
I mean, you'd lick your lips too, wouldn't you?
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 10:22 PM on August 23, 2008

Definitely trying for the pitted dates or the chocolate chili. I want the goat cheese balls for myself, but can't do it for this because I'll go straight from work. As far as the chocolate chili, besides truffles, if you haven't had candied hot peppers (made like a candied orange peel) dipped in chocolate, you're missing out, and this suggestion makes me want to try it again!

I am in Japan; it means no sour apples (there are none), and no fruit out of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:14 PM on August 23, 2008

Recipe?

Not sure if this would be the one the commenter uses, but I had bookmarked this recipe for the exact same dish a few months ago.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 7:22 PM on August 23, 2008

Narita: there is a main tourist drag with more cute little shops than you could shake a stick at. I don't know the name, but you can't miss it. Also, make sure to go to the temples and walk around the temple grounds. Beautiful beautiful place, and maybe the leaves will be turning by then. The pond is gorgeous, the koi and turtles are HUGE. Night life is strange because of the throngs of flight crew, who have their own bars and roam the streets at odd hours of the day. The city... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 7:13 AM on August 23, 2008

Kobe II: Oh yeah, in the nighttime especially, hang out along the pedestrian walkways and the random mounds at the intersections (you'll understand when you see them) near Sannomiya and the department stores. Lots of people come to play music there and can be pretty good (there's a frequent jazz group, for example...).
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 7:20 AM on August 23, 2008

cooking tools and ingredients: The thing is a lot are available outside Japan, but will usually come at a price. The things you can't get outside Japan are fresh things, so... not much to do about that.
My recommendations in this line would be:
-If you fall in love with some dish that requires a sauce (tonkatsu, okonomiyaki...), buy some sauce to bring home with you.
-Buy dashi, because it is fundamental, cheap, and small to carry.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:30 PM on August 23, 2008

If you aren't fussy about your file format, google it, and click on the "view as html." I found it on google with the search "site:style.com steingarten beijing" but I'm sure there are many other equally successful permutations.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 7:25 AM on August 22, 2008 marked best answer

In case you are picky, I just made a PDF of it and am about to mail it to you. Anyone else who wants one can request one...
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 7:27 AM on August 22, 2008 marked best answer

Heh. When did you start coming to MIT, deanc? Back in my day, Vassar Street was a lot uglier than it is now. That new shiny paving on the North side of the street? The cool building that straddles the train tracks? Even more grim than the pictures on the blog you link. And this was only the late '90s.

And good GOD you should've seen the building that Stata replaced. Stata sucks in its own modern right, but building 20 was one of those lovable,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by whatzit at 6:09 AM on August 21, 2008

...under no obligation to talk to or provide ID to a private university cop...
Private universities can have "real" police, too. MIT, for one. They make arrests, etc. Can't speak to your wall issue.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 6:06 AM on August 18, 2008

Seconding or whatever Rick Steve's, Especially for France. He rights for *budget* travelers, though, not specifically for *young, budget* travelers, so you might supplement him with a Lonely Planet ersumthin. (I'm not a big fan of Let's Go for some reason. The only not-so-good Rick Steve's book I've had was the Portugal one.)

Seconding what everyone else said about not pushing yourself to go to too many places, and not doing too much planning in advance.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:50 AM on August 18, 2008

I was a serious horse-loving girl when I was young, but I've pretty much gotten over it. Since someone brought this up though, the one thing I've ever wished for is that instead of the forwarded-to-mail signature having

"This message was sent via MeFi Mail. Read all your messages: http://www..."

it would have a direct link to reply to the particular message I'm readng e.g.

"RESPONSE LINK: http://www...... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by whatzit at 9:59 PM on August 16, 2008

Does 'forwarding' our MeFi Mail to an e-mail address replace sending it to our inboxes, or supplement it?

Supplement. Sends the whole thing from (approximately) dontreply@metafilter as subject "[Mefimail]whatever the sender put" and at the bottom as a link to the sender's profile and your MeFi Mail inbox. I don't get *that* much either, but if it weren't in my regular mailbox, I would never get it. I am also blind to the little icon on the regular MeFi pages.
posted to MetaTalk by whatzit at 3:19 AM on August 18, 2008

don't give proper balance to good vs. bad and new vs. old
Immediately when I read this part, I came out thinking that what you need is almost a way to vote on tags, or do some kind of ranking on different aspects of the confessions. This way, results on a topic could look like "See the 10 kinkiest confessions, and the newest contenders!" Or, "Read about the 10 most cuckolded husbands!" (whatever). Tags could be check-boxes... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 10:34 PM on August 16, 2008 marked best answer

Would grad school admissions committees consider something like that a plus?
I can't speak for the admissions committee, but it would, to me, demonstrate a) that you were looking to learn as much as you could, and/or were already knowledgable on the subject and b) have a passion for the topic. If you really want to study Sierra Leone though, by all means, you should do this anyway. It's a great excuse to learn everything and be accountable for it in some way... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 4:59 PM on August 15, 2008

ROU_Xenophobe: the comment about community organizations, in particular, was meant in a "you should be doing this anyway" bent. I should've been more clear. I did a Master's in Technology Policy, and having the theoretical crap down pat was only half the game. If you want to do anything real-world/effective, you had to understand the human and organizational side, and had to have the network in place to implement it. Sorry if that wasn't clear. I'm not advocating the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 7:07 PM on August 15, 2008

Fair enough. I guess my exposure to political scientists, poli-sci courses and journals has been biased to a more practical side then. Learn something new every day.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 8:17 PM on August 15, 2008

oh my goodness the activity happened fast and furious when i wasn't looking. it was so quiet here for so long that i got volunteered into something else for tonight. bah. will have to catch the next one...
posted to MetaTalk by whatzit at 3:10 PM on August 15, 2008

Seconding the philately stores. Not that I know anything about where to find one in LA.
Apparently, the stamp-collecting store you called was for collectors of rubber stamps (I keeeed).
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 3:01 PM on August 15, 2008

There is a bundled-with-windows (until Vista) program called NetMeeting which works fine. In Vista, it has apparently been replaced by something called Windows Meeting Space (*shrug*).

Also, you can do this with messaging programs now too, at least Yahoo! and MSN Messenger. I've never done it with them.

What should I write back without looking stupid?
Find something that works, test it out yourself between two... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 11:58 PM on August 14, 2008

I had plans to order a few more things for her big bag of fun online but now there's no time!

Does this mean you had great stuff picked out, or already did some shopping online? What you need is not more stuff, it's just more time and some adventure:

Turn the present into a puzzle. Get a classified ad in the local newspaper this week. Give her some clues to the ad (day, section, which paper, etc.), which clues her to where... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by whatzit at 11:06 PM on August 14, 2008