Would you consider driving to CO through NM instead of OK? I think it would probably add only an hour or two to the trip, and the part north of Santa Fe is a lovely drive. Here in New Mexico, one's car is considered an extension of one's home, which means that you can carry a concealed and loaded gun in the car without a permit or CCW license.

"Question: I will be traveling through New Mexico in a private automobile, are there any laws that address the issue of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 1:46 PM on June 20, 2008

One of my favorites, from the Havamal:

"The coward believes he will live forever
If he holds back in the battle,
But in old age he shall have no peace
Though spears have spared his limbs.
[...]
Cattle die, kindred die,
Every man is mortal:
But the good name never dies
Of one who has done well.

Cattle die, kindred die,
Every man is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:58 AM on June 10, 2008

I like to cook up some finely-chopped mushrooms or crumbled tofu, add a rich sauce (worchestershire, tomato, or BBQ sauce works well), cut a baguette in half width-wise and hollow the ends out a bit, and then pour the goodness inside. There's something about this squishy/crunchy/sandwichy combination that's really, really good.

Also, most savory soups or stews can be improved by the inclusion of a slice of baguette in the bottom of the bowl.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 2:30 PM on June 3, 2008

Sumac goes great with rice. Try making sumac-sprinkled onigiri, pilaf, or briyani. Also, I once made some pretty great sumac cabbage rolls (the mushroom-variant "Russian" rolls that recipe describes are great for vegetarian purposes). Cabbage rolls are traditionally served with a lingonberry or cranberry sauce for tartness; I got much the same effect by sprinkling them liberally with sumac before cooking.

Here's a recipe for Stuffed Onions with Barley-Lentil... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 2:17 PM on June 3, 2008

I posted my dumbbell exercise program a while back... I think this would work well for you. I linked to videos of each exercise. This routine usually takes me an hour or two, and I try to do it twice a week. If you want to spread it out, you could probably do an arms+shoulders/back+chest/legs split, exercising alternate areas for half an hour each day. As others have mentioned, it's important to rest, so you should try not to work out the same body part two days in a row.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:34 AM on June 2, 2008

One more thing: if you get a set of used dumbbells and you don't like them, you'll be able to sell them again for just about what you paid for them, so don't worry too much about the "silly fad" thing. This is a perfectly safe investment, because pretty much nothing holds its value as well as free weights.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:37 AM on June 2, 2008

OP here: yes, I can eat most regular vegetables -- starchy things like potatoes are out, but I can eat cauliflower, carrots, and the like. Roasted cauliflower is a pretty good rice substitute, but I usually just serve the curry by itself. I either add in some veg during the cooking process (mushrooms and carrots go well with many curries) and/or serve it with a vegetable side dish.

At any rate, thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll get 1,000 Indian... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 11:06 AM on May 31, 2008

Thanks, evilbeck. I will try to get 660 Curries as well. Maybe if I print out another six curries and stick them in there, I can unlock the Satay Seal or something!
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:31 PM on May 31, 2008

IMHO, free weights are much better than the machines. They have a wider range of motion, which means that they tend to involve more of the small muscles in your body. This will improve your core strength for everyday activities. Free weights also help build balance and stability. Plus, you can very easily get everything you need for a home free weight gym for less than $200 -- try that with the machines!

Here's the free weight program I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 12:34 PM on May 28, 2008 marked best answer

Instead of getting a pair of 10kg dumbbells, I think you should get an adjustable set. These are a metal bar that you can load weight plates onto. They look like this, and are not too expensive, especially used. Garage sales, used sporting goods stores, and pawn shops are a good place to look. Get two of the bars, plus four 5kg plates and four 10s (or four more 5s if you are strapped for cash). If they have smaller plates (2.5 or 3 kg? I lift in pounds, so I'm not sure how it goes with kg), get... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:13 PM on May 19, 2008 marked best answer

I didn't want the OP to get discouraged if he'd gone and bought single-weight dumbbells.

Very true... I have 3 different sets of them, myself, and I do tend to use them more often than the adjustable ones, when I need those particular weights. The shape of the hex dumbbells is a lot nicer than the plates, especially for doing things like triceps extensions. The only problem is, the set I started out with hardly ever gets touched anymore! Also, my arms,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:54 AM on May 20, 2008

Everybody wants you to give up your standards. I say start off by excluding these jokers from your search.

It's not about "giving up your standards", it's about trying to make friends with people before applying the standards. Friendships are not like resumes; you can say "I don't like X" all you like, but there's no reason to completely rule out all people who do X, because not all people who do X are the same.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:33 AM on May 16, 2008

If you make chile powder, you should make some toasted powder as well. Toasting chiles usually gives them a different flavor. Just take the tops off (if present) and arrange them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 250 degrees, turning every once in a while, until they turn a darker color and smell toasted. Then let them cool and grind into powder.

Also, you could make mole. This is a wonderful and very impressive meal, and includes both kinds of chiles.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:25 AM on May 13, 2008

You could also keep them as-is -- dried chiles last a long time. If you do this, make absolutely sure to keep them dry. I didn't, once, and later opened my jar of chiles to find them writhing with WORMS EW EW GROSS WORMS. Don't let it happen to you and your family chiles!

Another thing you could try is making ristras. This is a traditional New Mexican way to store chiles (it keeps them dry, see above), plus it's fun and decorative.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:33 AM on May 13, 2008

There's a recipe for it here. I'm not sure how well it will approximate the flavor of the boxed ones, though... just from glancing at the ingredients, I suspect it must be missing something. And it's tough to find recipes, mainly because hardly anyone makes curry from scratch in Japan, even in restaurants. It really does come almost entirely from boxed roux.

That said, I feel your pain -- I can't eat starch anymore, and I miss katsu-kare terribly. Please let me know if... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 11:36 AM on May 12, 2008

If you build a screenprinting setup of your own, you should consider printing shirts and such for others as well. Youth groups and the like are into screenprinting, as both a hands-on activity and a source of fun shirts, and you can probably get paid extra for letting the kids use your setup. Try contacting Girl Scouts, 4H, church groups, school clubs, etc. You might also ask the VFW, Elks, Shriners, and similar community groups -- those guys usually love logo shirts, and they also like... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:11 AM on May 9, 2008

Quantum Leap was saved by a large letter campaign in its third season, to the point where NBC brought it back with an ad that said something to the effect of "You Win, Quantum Leap is back". Fortunately, it went on to have a rather good fourth season.

Unfortunately, it also went on to have a rather bad fifth season.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:50 AM on May 6, 2008

Springfield also makes a pistol version. It's about the ultimate steampunk/post-apocalypse gun. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:07 AM on May 5, 2008

I don't think anyone mentioned heating costs. I have a gas furnace at home, and the price of gas has gone up ten cents per therm every month for the last five months. It is now almost double what it was at the beginning of last winter. That's OK, because it's May now and no one is using the heater, but I think many people will be in trouble if the price stays this high through next winter. A lot of people around here (northern New Mexico) are already on an assistance program for people who can't... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:28 AM on May 5, 2008

I've tried a couple different kinds of splints & wrist braces. I like Wellgate best. It says "for women", but men could probably use it, too, as it's not painfully girly or anything. I find this one to be much more comfortable than the ones Ace sells.

As for generic carpal tunnel relief, the exercises in this book really helped me. The book has stretching exercises for every part of the body, not just wrists, and there are some charts that show which... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 12:25 PM on April 28, 2008

What's the best way to ship books and CDs, given that Amazon gives you around $3 to do so?

$3 is enough to ship a standard CD in a bubble mailer (postage is usually $1.81, first class. 1st class is cheaper than media mail for single CDs) or a book (it's usually $2.13 for paperbacks and $3 something for hardbacks, media mail). I recommend getting self-seal bubble mailers in 250-count boxes from Ebay -- you can get the price down to 12 or 14 cents per #0... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 2:50 PM on April 11, 2008

Extra info: I'm particularly considering Unit 34, Unit 32, and Unit 2B, but I'd like to hear about any unit. Also, I'm more than willing to scout, camp, and hike, but my primary transport will probably be a big & heavy old van, so places that don't require a lot of heavy 4WD-style off-roading to get within hiking distance would be good. Thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:22 AM on April 3, 2008

Thanks for the advice, whiskey point. I hadn't thought of asking at the bar, that's a great idea! There's a ton of BLM land in NM, so hopefully it should be possible to hunt without a landowner's permission, but it would be nice to have a local's ear just the same. I'll check out your links as well.

Also thanks to sugarfish -- the Guadalupes are in unit 30, so I will switch unit 34 for that one. There's some public land that should be permissible for hunting near Dark... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:40 PM on April 3, 2008

I'm not sure about a rifle yet. I have an old Soviet bolt action carbine in 7.62x54R, but I don't shoot well enough with it for hunting... I can't seem to get it to play well with the scope I got for it. I think an all-around rifle would be best, because there's elk hunting in NM as well, and I was actually considering a 30/06, so I will probably look for one of those. There's a pretty good gun store in Santa Fe, so I'll ask them what they recommend. I will look at binocs, too. Is 8x32 good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:42 PM on April 4, 2008

Or do I attempt to show her subtitled movies, possibly saving them for when she's a little older? I once watched Panda! Go Panda! with a 5-year old, and we both enjoyed the storytelling-like experience of it, with me pausing every now and then to explain what's going on.

In my experience, kids do fine with subs. They can usually work out what's going on without dialogue (well, maybe not if you're watching Akira... :) If they get confused, they will... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:13 PM on April 4, 2008

I'm in the US, and I make a lot of Ebay sales to Europeans (on average, 5 per week). They nearly always pay with Paypal. Neither of us are "protected" (it may, or may not, give you comfort to know how flimsy Paypal's "protection" really is), but things have always worked out. Most sellers on Ebay are either honest or obvious scammers; if this guy has hundreds of ratings and his negatives look OK, I think he is very unlikely to steal your money. A money order or Paypal should... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:28 AM on April 1, 2008 marked best answer

Anybody ever successfully made an insurance claim against the post office or a courier?

I have tried once or twice (both with UPS), and I got the "improperly packed" excuse, even when the outside of the package was heavily damaged, and the item had been packed according to the verbal instructions of the company I was sending it to. If the package completely disappears into the system, you may have a chance at getting reimbursed, but if they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 12:21 PM on April 2, 2008

Dixon, NM might fit the bill. It's a small, arty community within driving distance of Taos and Santa Fe. Espanola is half an hour's drive away, and there's a Lowe's there, as well as groceries and a hospital. Dixon is short on rainfall, at about 9", but there's snow, mountains, and lots of sun. Many people do off-grid living and organic gardening around there. IMHO, if you are willing to substitute a well for some of the rainwater, you could certainly make this work near Dixon. Land there... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 2:02 PM on March 27, 2008

You could try Gridlock -- I think they fit your description, though I'm not sure they'll be what you're looking for.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 1:46 PM on March 27, 2008

I've got to wonder if his vegetarianism has something to do with it. Vegetarian diets can be practically 100% carbohydrate if you aren't careful.

I was a vegetarian for 5 or 6 years, and my diet was pretty close to the 100% carb stereotype -- I also ate some dairy, eggs, and tofu, but mostly it was beans/rice/pasta, wash/rinse/repeat. 2 years ago, I switched over to a meat-and-veg-rich, low-starch diet due to Ankylosing Spondylitis. The diet has worked... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:11 AM on March 12, 2008

Soya and cheese aside, even the foods quoted by vegetarians as being high in protein actually contain more carbohydrate than protein in percentage terms.

I agree -- this is why I had to quit vegetarianism when I discovered I needed a low-starch diet, even though I loved my veg meals and would have been quite happy to eat that way forever. There just aren't enough non-meat sources of protein that don't contain loads of starchy carbs. The canonical... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 11:07 AM on March 13, 2008

But that's exactly my point! Most people who become vegetarian do not change their diet very much, they just cut out the meat (or replace it with nutritionally almost useless fake meat). That will lead to an unbalanced diet. They will feel better when they add in the meat again. A healthy vegetarian diet (a'la Fuhrman, Esselstyn or even McDougall or Ornish) is very different from a standard American diet.

Yes, I agree. However, I don't see how there is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:38 AM on March 14, 2008

A cheap and easy dorm-room recipe I used to like:

1/2 lb. ground meat
1 small can tomato sauce, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, or similar
Your favorite kind of cheese, to taste
1 French loaf

Add salt and pepper to taste and cook the meat. You can probably do this in the microwave, otherwise a hot plate works. While the meat is still very hot, mix in the sauce and the cheese, and then stir until the meat is thoroughly... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:08 AM on March 13, 2008

cerebus,
How fast is "immediately"? The current Motorola I have takes something like 5 seconds to turn on and reconnect, counting the 2 seconds you have to hold down the stupid, stupid button. If the H700 can do it in more like 1 second, maybe that would work.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:39 AM on March 10, 2008

I was going to suggest baklava and sweetened tea, but somebody beat me to it.

Around here, local wildflower honey is affordable and plentiful in season. I really enjoy making honey ice cream with it. The honey flavor in ice cream is wonderfully subtle, and helps to bring out all of the other flavors. I used that recipe, and it came out great, though I will admit that I cheated a bit and used vanilla extract (the real stuff, not the artificial) rather than the vanilla... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 12:43 PM on March 6, 2008 marked best answer

You might like some of Harry Harrison's stuff. I recommend "Bill, The Galactic Hero" and "The Hammer and the Cross" (the former is about a space-marine type future-soldier who just can't seem to get out of the service, the latter is about the runt of the litter in Viking times, who ends up changing history through cleverness rather than strength). I found that both were reasonably smart and plenty funny, but "Bill" is probably the more amusing one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:54 AM on March 6, 2008

Thanks, everyone. I will try to check out the Sig P239 -- hopefully one of the ranges has it for rent around here. I'll probably choose between this and the Kahr, depending on how it feels. I do like the Kahr a lot... it feels perfect, other than the trigger, and I think I could get used to that. I'll see how the Sig compares.

As for 1911s, I'd love to have one, but they tend to be way outside my price range. I'll keep an eye out for an affordable one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:43 AM on February 23, 2008

To followup: I tried the Sig P229, and hated the trigger -- the first double-action pull felt kind of rough and hesitant, rather than one smooth motion as with the Kahr. It was also a bit larger & heavier than the Kahr, and more expensive.

I ended up going with the Kahr CW9 (the local gun store didn't have the .40 in stock, and I find I shoot a bit more accurately with 9mm, anyway). After putting 200 rounds through it, I think I made a good choice, DA only or not. :)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 1:30 PM on March 3, 2008

(also, special thanks to popechunk for the link to the cheap gun safe!)
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 1:45 PM on March 3, 2008

I'm not sure if you'll consider these "wow" material, but I've wowed people with them before.

Finnish Cabbage Rolls -- these are really good, fun to eat, and fun to cook. You can easily do the assembly (the hard part) ahead of time, and just put them in the oven when it's time to cook them. If you get a small cabbage, the rolls make great appetizers, or you can get a larger cabbage and serve a couple of them for dinner (think of elegantly cabbagey... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:45 AM on February 29, 2008

Should I be talking to a financial planner, lawyer, or accountant on how to accomplish this

If you want to do it legally and with a minimum of trouble from the IRS, I think so. That's a lot of money, and any CPA or financial planner should be able to help you figure out how to move it legally, with the least amount of loss. The price for their services will probably be only a few hundred dollars at most; a tiny fraction of the total windfall.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:20 AM on February 26, 2008 marked best answer

Yes, Fruits Basket has a TG character or two.

Another anime that might be worth checking out is Tokyo Godfathers (as in "people who take care of children", not "people who are in the mafia"). It's somewhat dark, with some violence & adult themes, but
it's also PG-13, so it should be fine for older/more mature kids. I thought that Hana (the male-to-female TG character) was great, a very complex and empathetic character. Also a very... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:01 AM on February 5, 2008

I second the suggestion of keeping them busy. My cats have been way into this cat tree lately. They love the sisal rope and the little puffball toys. Effective and incredibly cheap.

The Feliway diffusers have also been helpful in reducing their nervous behaviors.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:29 AM on February 4, 2008

I think you should get a spotter if you're going to go for that kind of weight. It may be relatively safe to lift if you increase the weight very slowly and carefully, but it's going to take you a long time to meet your goals, because you won't be able to push yourself as much as you could with a spotter. Plus, you could still be hurt if something happens. I'll bet if you leave a note in the weight room, there's someone else in your apartments who's in the same boat and would be glad to trade... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:45 AM on February 1, 2008

Anyway, my plan was to just stop drinking at home, alone EVER.

I think this is a good plan. Get rid of the beer in the fridge, find something fun to do at home (a new hands-on hobby would be good -- build models? paint? write short stories? fold origami?), and the rest will probably follow.

As for suddenly stopping drinking, I'm no doctor, but I think that 6-7 cans of beer a day is not so much that you need to worry about... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:24 AM on February 1, 2008

Go for it. About the only thing that's likely to happen is copper tarnish on the bottom that appears over time -- if this happens, you can clean it with some Barkeeper's Friend.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 9:57 PM on January 30, 2008

Thanks, everyone! I will give some of these a try next time I have a weekend free. Cheers!
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 7:47 AM on January 18, 2008

Kind of surprised that nobody mentioned the KA-BAR fighting knife -- more than a few of the ones that went to WWII came back and then went along with their owner's sons to Vietnam! At ~$50 for one of the new ones or a used classic, they are very versatile and tough knives.

Gurka Kukhri knives are indestructible (made of spring steel!) and verycheap. You can get one for less than $10. These make wonderful camp knives.

Also, more... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:02 AM on January 15, 2008

Macayo's is a great idea, especially if you like margaritas -- they have fun & ridiculous ceramic margarita glasses you can get.

Next to Macayo's on Tropicana is Metro Pizza, another long-time Vegas favorite. They have the best stuffed crust smothered pizza I've ever had.

Both of these are off the strip, but not far, so it'll be easy to get there.

Johnny Mac's is in Henderson, so it's a bit of a drive, but they have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 8:47 AM on January 15, 2008

I cannot believe no one's said Samuel L Jackson.

Guess it must be because we all saw Unbreakable.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vorfeed at 10:08 AM on January 11, 2008