It's unlikely to be a problem with the disc, as others have said, some early PS2 games were on blue bottom discs which are CD's (google "blue bottom discs"for a heap of questions like yours)

Earl(ish) model PS2's have problems playing blue bottom discs. Usually they are ok out of the box, but a year or two later stop reading them.

I have a launch model PS2 and it stopped reading blue bottom discs after a year. However, five + years... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 3:46 AM on September 10, 2007

I would take the piano, and save a little money each week so your kids can have piano lessons.

It's a very cool gift.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 8:26 AM on July 7, 2007

It couldn't have been Ghee could it? I've never cooked with it, but the wiki info states that it's a sweet clarified butter. There are lots of different brands from various parts of the world.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 8:05 AM on March 24, 2007

Sorry pullayup, have a bad habit of skimming threads and missed your post earlier!
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 12:59 PM on March 27, 2007

You may have seen this but if not check out Ultraviolet.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 11:13 PM on March 22, 2007

Here's another idea for dividers at Ikea Hacker. Good blog well worth browsing for ideas.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 3:53 AM on March 17, 2007

You could try Kerouac's Desolation Angels
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 2:40 AM on March 17, 2007

The following forum links from NeoGAF and GameSpot forums are image intensive and obviously partially inexact/incomplete but help give an overview of upcoming games.

2007 Xbox 360 games.

2007 PS3 games.

2007 Wii games.

2007 PC games.

Might as well throw in the handhelds and PS2 as well -

2007 DS games.

2007 PSP games.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 7:08 AM on January 22, 2007

They warned us but we didn't listen.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 11:25 AM on November 24, 2006

Griffin and Phoenix.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 11:15 AM on August 27, 2006

Bob Dylan's "Black Diamond Bay" and "A Hard Rain's A-gonna Fall."
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 3:02 PM on August 11, 2006

Has Loco Roco released where you live yet? That's a game that seems to put a smile on everyone's face.

Or what about Daxter?

Maybe you could ask his brother what games they own.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 4:47 PM on July 6, 2006

Wait for Conroe, it will be worth it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 6:57 PM on June 8, 2006

Play-asia seems to have some in stock, still expensive, but I believe they are going for even more new on ebay.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 2:39 PM on June 6, 2006

David Stratton. fullysic already provided a link.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 2:19 PM on March 5, 2006

Fantastic link krisjohn, thanks. It should save me a lot on postage.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 4:45 PM on July 18, 2005

The only reason some people CONSIDER not vaccinating their child is that most parents do the responsible thing and vaccinate, so we aren't faced with the daily horrors or reading about measles epidemics, or knowing somebody's who's child is very ill with diseases that are easily preventable. This is one of those areas where you have to look at the big picture.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 7:29 AM on July 13, 2005

Unfortunately the Achilles usually tears without warning and without an unusual physical stress. You may benefit from a full podiatric bio mechanical assessment and the use of orthotics to lessen the fore-foot instability and lack of shock absorption associated with having flat feet.

It's hard to give examples because relatively few people successfully go back to the same sport at the same level and intensity and tear the other Achilles because they find it hard to trust... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 1:30 PM on July 11, 2005 marked best answer

I found a couple of questions similar to yours here and here

Test your walls for lead if there is any doubt that they may have been painted with a lead based paint many years ago or if there is a lead based paint underneath which was painted over. The US banned lead paint in 1978.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 10:14 AM on July 11, 2005

Katamari Damacy, Ico, any of the Ratchet and Clank games, God Of War, Onimusha, Shinobi, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid 3.

There are a lot of niche games on the PS2 as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 9:53 PM on June 24, 2005

I don't know if your son will be straight, gay, transgender, or maybe trans and straight (I think I covered all the possibilities there!) I have known people who would identify with your description of your son and they generally turned out straight, some were gay or transgender, some were just very creative and artistic people who for whatever reason were sometimes read as gay, because our society oftentimes has really out-moded and prescriptive notions about the range and types of behavior... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 11:06 AM on June 24, 2005

Minoxidil can be really harsh (it's usually diluted in alcohol) and once started, has to be continued or you can lose your gains. it's expensive, kind of messy to apply, and you get an initial shedding which is meant to resolve but apparently can be pretty worrying to those who aren't expecting it. This is why a lot start it but don't see it through. I don't think I've ever read a clear explanation as to why it works.

Start with Nizoral shampoo, it's the easiest. The... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 1:54 PM on June 16, 2005

Wall Guy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 3:09 AM on June 15, 2005

It may not be the cheaper option to give him an SP or a DS, he may simply not play it. Sounds as if the kinds of games he enjoys are on the PSP.

The DS is more robust, has more games due to backward compatibility with the GBA, and better battery life, but can you get him to name even a handful of games on the DS he would be interested in? If you can't, then maybe it's a lost cause.

The XBox was the most powerful console graphically and had the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 1:37 AM on June 13, 2005

Grim Fandango, Longest Journey, Deus Ex, Half Life/Half Life 2, Diablo 2, System Shock/System Shock 2, Unreal/Unreal Tournament, Nocturne, Max Payne/Max Payne 2, Myst.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 10:01 AM on May 24, 2005

Have you read the "Tomorrow, When The War Began" series by John Marsden? About seven books in the series, originally published as children's books but reprinted for adults as well.

http://www.rsimpson.id.au/books/tomorrow/
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 10:39 PM on May 18, 2005

Yes, and I found the best new conditioner I never would have tried otherwise. Green apple scented!
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 10:05 AM on May 9, 2005

Cranberry has many health giving properties, in addition to being a refreshing and delicious beverage.

The checkout fairy has been kind. You must be reaping some well earned good karma.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 10:54 AM on May 9, 2005

Can I seek companionship outside my marriage and still respect myself in the morning?

How you might respond and cope varies so much from person to person that I couldn't tell you how you will feel, I don't think anyone here can.

Having an affair outside of a relationship, it's not to me...even the measure of a good person, since I have known very good people who have had affairs, and there are people I don't respect at all... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 11:16 PM on May 6, 2005

Geeze that was helpful randomstriker.

Treatment for PFS seems to consist of "Selective strengthening of the inner portion of the quadriceps muscle" . Does anyone know if this actually works? What about over the long term?

Yes it works. The best treatment is specific quadriceps muscle exercises to improve the stability of the kneecap. Also glucosamine 1000mg's per day combined with any of the over the counter... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 1:49 AM on May 5, 2005

I was going to post this last night but the server went down.

This kind of headache is very common.

You might be interested in reading the articles at this headache clinic site site.

You should then be able to find a physical therapist who has studied the Maitland Method (which is an Australian Physiotherapy technique) or similar mobilising techniques. My friend works for a headache clinic in Australia. He suggests you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 3:55 AM on April 29, 2005

Let's say a high school athlete, in his senior year does one cycle.

Shouldn't do steroids that young, would stop your growth. Not just height, but in other noticeable ways as well, athletes who take steroids too young don't develop fully between the shoulder blades, for example. Should be at your peak before you take steroids, ideally.

Assume he worked out before, during and after the cycle (attempting to keep up... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 1:22 AM on April 7, 2005 marked best answer

By "newly-expanded" do you mean you have just started running after a break or something? Because I used to get terrible stitches when I started running and eventually they just went away. Make sure you are adequately hydrated as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 7:48 PM on April 5, 2005

Silent Hill.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 5:26 PM on March 22, 2005

PortForward.com is a site I've found really helpful.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 10:18 AM on February 17, 2005

I remember when I was a kid I was staying at a farm and a kitten managed to strangle itself with some twine it was playing with. You have to pick up anything a cat might get wrapped around it's neck, and tie up curtain cords.

Also pick up any cockroach baits or anything like that you might have lying around.

You could get his nails trimmed at the vets, kind of an expensive hassle I know, but you only have it for a week and if the cat scratches,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 2:08 AM on February 14, 2005

1 - Time-splitters 2 is the best, although it's not for everyone, my friend and I had OK fun playing through it but probably should have rented. Also consider Serious Sam on the GC, it's fun, although not up to the standard of TP2, and graphically not the best.

2. 1, I would say, although the second has more mini-games. GC has kind of gotten shafted by Sega on the Monkey Ball games as they are coming out on PS2 and I believe Xbox soon as both games in one with extra... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 2:03 PM on January 12, 2005

Sorry, got Wario Ware mixed up with Wario World. Wario Ware is a fun multiplayer game and well worth picking up.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 2:25 PM on January 12, 2005

Nicotine is a mild stimulant. The reason it can seem calming is smoking a cigarette stops the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal for a short while.

The calmness is relative, essentially, the better of two bad feelings, the one being the increasing agitation associated with nicotine levels dropping in your blood, as opposed to the restoration of your nicotine high.

There's also the psychological angle, smokers often smoke when they have a drink,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 3:18 AM on January 6, 2005

Yeah just fit a Anti Static Strap (which is what they call them where I live) as SpecialK said.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 3:10 AM on December 18, 2004

The GameCube is fine however I would recommend one of the new compact PS2's. I think there are some difficulties sourcing these at the moment in some areas because of pre-christmas demand however.

First of all the PS2 DVD has a parental lock. I have used my PS2 as my primary DVD player with no problems.

The PS2 has an incredible range of "greatest hits." Their backlog of games is easily available and cheap. There is a lot of innovation... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 12:10 AM on December 7, 2004

I'm estimating it was made in around the late 60's - 70's. The father breaks into a zoo to steal two wolves to fulfil the child's wish. The only other other details I recall is that the wolves escape from their cage in a large country house at one stage, and the end of the movie occurs around Christmas.

Many thanks for any help.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 7:58 PM on December 5, 2004

I was hoping to pick up a boxed set probably from the US, region unimportant so long as it has the original Japanese with English subtitles. But the only boxed sets I've seen on Ebay seem like they might be bootlegs.

So if a boxed set isn't available I'll pick them up individually from the same website. So any suggestions as to reliable US based DVD sites would be great as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 7:14 PM on November 21, 2004

That was a great help everyone, thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 9:46 PM on November 22, 2004

Try "The Search For Joseph Tully" by William H. Hallahan.

If you can find a second hand copy that is, I think it might be out of print.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 1:11 AM on October 31, 2004

dobbs' advice seems spot on however, although I have never tried it, the 90 day trick from what I have read on the community boards is a myth. There is at least one way to leave feedback in over 90 days, experienced ebayers know this.

Check feedback and just as importantly, the way somebody responds to and handles negative feedback before you bid.

You can leave a neg or neutral if you want however you will almost certainly receive a neg in return.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 6:32 PM on October 2, 2004

Sounds like a wise idea Richat. You don't want to get a knock as a bleed can be very dangerous.

Apart from that just rest up for 2-3 days and don't cough or sneeze without "holding on."
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 2:11 AM on August 28, 2004

Tea lights burn cleanly and don't need trimming, but make sure they are quality. One brand I tried got so hot the actual metal base would catch on fire. Actually, now that I think about it, they were longer lasting tea lights, supposed to last for hours more than the regular ones and were slightly bigger. Just get the normal ones which are four hours or something.

Oh yeah, and what y2karl said, make sure you have really safe tea light holders.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 9:26 AM on June 8, 2004

The solution? Whenever PayPal shoes you a buyer's address, it'll have Verified or Unverified next to it. Only ever ship to verified addresses.

If you live internationally (anyplace other than the US) Paypal won't verify your address. Actually, I'm not sure about my facts regarding other countries, but have tried to get my Australian address verified by them and can't.

Instead, look at their ebay feedback.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 11:43 PM on May 7, 2004

Also do a check for diabetes if you haven't already. One of the first signs of feline diabetes is neurological weakness in the back leg muscles. It's manageable with an ongoing treatment plan.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lucien at 12:33 AM on April 11, 2004