I recently grilled some butterflied chicken breasts that were vacuum packed and frozen for at least two years. I have pretty high standards for chicken quality, and these were from a free range local bird. Properly marinated and then cooked through, they were actually pretty indistinguishable from any other decent frozen chicken breast.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:15 AM on May 21, 2009

I don't like the memory foams that Tempurpedics are made of, but I can't imagine sleeping on anything other than a solid core latex mattress. The synthetic ones are pretty affordable, and you might look into that as an alternative. They break down, but only after about 15-20 years.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:09 AM on May 21, 2009

Asimov has several large short story collections. I also really like Larry Niven and Spider Robinson for entertaining shorts.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:16 AM on May 18, 2009

Back in front of a computer now, here's Asimov's Complete Stories Volume 1 and Volume 2; Niven's The Draco Tavern, Limits, and Flatlander; and Robinson's Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (the first of many), Antinomy, and Melancholy Elephants.

There are other good ones, but that's a decent start.

For fantasy shorts, I really like this: 100 Great Fantasy Short Short Stories. They're all under 2000 words.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 12:00 PM on May 18, 2009

So is there any advantage to seeing it in IMAX?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 4:41 PM on May 6, 2009

I saw the IMAX version. It was very big, and I didn't notice any significant image degradation. I'd say it was worth it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 9:49 PM on May 11, 2009

And yes, this was real IMAX, not the inferior IMAX Digital.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:51 PM on May 13, 2009

Malor, there is no way the formula for Cherry Robitussin is the same now as it was when you were a kid.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 1:48 PM on May 10, 2009

I thought about a dry rub, but when you season potato chips, the standard practice seems to be that you do so after they're cooked by tossing them with the seasoning. Most dry rubs are intended to be cooked, so at the very least that would affect the flavor mixture. To the extent that I've tasted them, dry rubs usually don't taste very good right out of the jar.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 7:54 PM on April 29, 2009

Unfortunately, I seem to be allergic to nutmeg, which is a prominent component of Old Bay (and also some of the other spice rubs).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 7:59 AM on April 30, 2009

I ordered roasted garlic powder, toasted onion powder, mesquite powder, and tomato powder from the Spice House, and I'm cooking up a batch today.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 12:13 PM on May 9, 2009

Okay, the first batch was good. Not great, but this is definitely on the right track. Tomato powder, mesquite powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, caster sugar, and salt is a tasty mix. It's okay plain, but much better on the chips themselves. This blend would probably also be good on chicken.

Now I need to get the proportions right...
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 1:25 PM on May 9, 2009

Is it plain cast-iron or enameled?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 11:33 AM on May 9, 2009

Whip it with a 1/2 cup of heavy cream, pour it into a frozen pie crust on top of cooked vegetables/meats of your choice, sprinkle with cheese, bake at 350F for 40 minutes or so, and you've got yourself a nice quiche.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:44 PM on May 7, 2009

By the way, if your Dock is lagging, you can turn off the glass effect. This makes a pretty big difference to Dock performance even on really fast machines.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:30 PM on May 7, 2009

The essential accessory for Mr. Hypnotica is clearly Mrs. Hypnotica, complete with black tie and tails, fishnets, thigh-high patent stiletto boots, and action hypnotic feminine wiles.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 4:23 PM on May 3, 2009

(I like how Google Reader automatically marks stuff read as you scroll past it.)

For me, this is a pretty killer reason NOT to use Google Reader (or the "new" Bloglines beta, which is just downright godawful, presumably why they've never actually released the thing for the months it's been available as a preview).

I don't care too much about someone tracking what feeds I'm subscribed to, but I balk at having which posts I've read tracked.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 1:21 PM on May 2, 2009

If it's not obvious, the first answer of "Mirror's Edge, Bioshock, Killzone 2, Force Unleashed" is wrong - none of those games are available on PSN.

Everyday Shooter is great, as is Super Stardust HD (the PSP versions of those games are also fun), if you like shooters. The Rocketmen game is also a goofy and fun top-down arcade/leveling shooter if you like that sort of thing. There seem to be a lot of two-stick shooters (one stick moves you in the direction you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 11:23 AM on April 29, 2009

BTW - I downloaded Burnout Paradise based on the recommendations in this thread. I've only begun to explore it, but seems like a LOT of fun. It says the download included the motorcycle pack, but I haven't figured out how to access them yet.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 12:15 PM on May 2, 2009

Cast iron does _not_ heat evenly unless the heat source is also even (i.e.: in the oven). When heated over a gas stove, you'll get a big fat hot spot in the middle that may be more than 100 degrees hotter than the edges. Plain steel is even worse. Does your steel pan have an aluminum core or disc?

I've tried a LOT of different pan types for pancakes - well-seasoned thin cast iron, well-seasoned thick cast iron, enameled cast iron, teflon, excalibur, silverstone, all-clad... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 11:54 AM on April 29, 2009

Gotta go with Thermapen. It puts other probe thermometers to shame.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:18 PM on April 27, 2009

For photo geeks, a Lensbaby would make a fun gift that they probably wouldn't get themselves, and you'll get some interesting pictures of your wedding in the bargain.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:56 AM on April 22, 2009

That way, if they do something fishy with my CC number I am only out the amount assigned to that number, rather than compromise my whole credit line.

To be clear, your liability is limited to $50 by Federal law anyway. This is so your credit card company is only out the amount assigned to that number. Still, that doesn't mean it's a bad idea to use those.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:10 PM on April 20, 2009

(HaveThe)TimeOfYourLine.com
ThisTrainIsTooSlow.com
(Stop-)TrammerTime.com
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:27 PM on April 18, 2009

Ruhlman's new Ratio book is an outstanding and different look at cooking approaches. I highly recommend it.

I also like Colicchio's Think Like a Chef.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 2:10 PM on April 16, 2009

Scan them all and arrange them into a giant collage. Put them up on a website covered, and every time someone sends you a dollar, uncover one, and send me 20 cents.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 4:57 PM on April 15, 2009

Only at the current price point.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 10:24 AM on April 15, 2009

By the way, I bought an Axiom laptop pannier for my commute. It makes carrying the laptop on my bike MUCH more pleasant, and it converts to a normal shoulderbag for normal use. I use a camelbak backpack for water which is more comfortable on the bike than my laptop backpack (and easier to drink from).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:28 PM on April 14, 2009

I cannot say enough good things about Merrell Jungle Mocs. I've worn them pretty much every day (except the days it was warm enough to wear my Keens) for the past 8 years or so. I walk a lot.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:17 PM on April 14, 2009

Oh - the major advantage the Merrells have over most of the other shoes listed here is that they're significantly lighter, but are still durable. The lack of weight makes a huge difference.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:19 PM on April 14, 2009

I'm told that oregano works as a natural ACE inhibitor.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 7:00 PM on April 6, 2009

I'm prone to wrist discomfort. I sometimes find it helpful to put a rolled up towel or blanket under my palms for down dog.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:54 PM on April 6, 2009

Two terminology notes on this:

1) Left/right flipping is part of 'chirality'. Searching on that term might get you more.

2) In English, a double negative for emphasis is known as 'litotes'. It's one of my favorite grammatical constructions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 7:24 AM on April 5, 2009

I'll offer a different suggestion for people who like meat. Get them a Thermapen. It's expensive but in your price range, they're unlikely to get it for themselves, and the second most important thing about cooking a piece of meat is getting the temperature precisely right.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:43 PM on April 3, 2009 marked best answer

Obviously, the Mayo Clinic wouldn't think that anything you do at home is a good idea; they have a somewhat vested interest.

They're not making the big bucks off of your routine blood work.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 3:05 PM on April 1, 2009

It is a lifestyle change that can only be accomplished by cutting down (all the time) on high cholesterol foods.

This is really not the right advice, by the way. I dropped my LDL and Triglycerides by around 30 points each by getting more exercise, dropping 20 pounds, cutting out HFCS as much as possible, and eating a salad for lunch 5 days a week (which, incidentally, almost always includes a hard cooked egg).

But that's not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 5:59 PM on April 1, 2009

A lot of people sell their original CDs extremely cheaply after they upgrade.

You cannot legally sell your older version if you buy an upgrade license at the discounted price. When you upgrade the license, it replaces your old license for the previous version. Plus, you have no way of knowing how many activations the previous owner left installed somewhere. Since all versions of CS use activation, they'll probably nail you on this, and Adobe is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 10:15 AM on April 1, 2009

The one I found on Craig claims he switched from Windows to Mac and doesn't need his Windows version anymore. I'm hoping that's true.

Adobe actually allows you to do a platform switch for no charge other than a nominal shipping cost, which I think is $5-10. They do make you sign a piece of paper that says you've destroyed your old discs when you do this. (I did it.)

I'd be moderately skeptical of anyone who claims to have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 11:55 AM on April 1, 2009

By the way, CS4 is really good, and if you're going to upgrade, you likely want to do it before 4/30, when the upgrade discounts run out.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 3:10 PM on April 1, 2009

Second chance offers are for when you have more than one thing to sell, not for when the buyer backs out.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:54 PM on March 30, 2009

I have an Intel Xserve, and I've put off the shelf drives in it. It is less than 1 year old.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 6:49 PM on March 30, 2009

I've always had problems with consistent temperatures in the slow cookers I've used, so if the All-Clad actually fixes that, it's worth what they're charging for it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 10:56 AM on March 30, 2009

There was a place down by Wall street (a bit north, maybe on 12th?) that my sister brought us to that I found to be delightful- coal fired, charred in spots, floppy in spots, fresh mozarella, etc. I can't remember the name. Started with a D I think.

Oh,yeah - good luck finding that place. That's kind of like running into someone from New York and saying 'Oh, do you know Danny? He's got brown hair and glasses, and he's also from New York.'
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:46 AM on March 29, 2009

Some cheaper players won't properly play dual layer discs.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 4:32 AM on March 28, 2009

The Macheist deal is pretty much always a no-brainer given how cheap it is. Aperture is, however, a very good raw workflow manager and you should use it. It's very good for reviewing photos and making raw-level edits such as white balance and expsorue correction. Lightroom is like Aperture. Most Adobe products have free trials you can play with.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 5:28 AM on March 26, 2009

I've found these new Cuisinart ceramic Green Gourmet pans to be better than teflon in every way. They're very non-stick, durable enough for metal utensils, and can tolerate high heat. Plus they're not too expensive. I still only use them for eggs, fish, and pancakes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 11:21 AM on March 25, 2009

As recent events should have made painfully clear, you can buy insurance for _anything_. I'm self-employed. I have disability insurance. I pay x premium a year for y coverage per month if I'm out of work long-term due to disability. It is not terribly expensive if you're in good health.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 9:13 PM on March 24, 2009

The direct approach.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 5:38 AM on March 21, 2009

The Core i7 series will accept matched triplets, and you're supposed to use 1.6V max:

http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/cpu/article.php/3782516
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 8:13 PM on March 14, 2009

Every single time I've had a machine that did something like this, it's been due to a bad PSU.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Caviar at 5:30 PM on March 14, 2009