"I am Barack Obama and I did not approve this coat."
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 8:22 PM on January 6, 2010

What, no "Cathy" stamp? [ducks]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:23 PM on January 6, 2010

And so fucked up. That was one seriously co-dependent relationship.

Huh? David and Keith seemed to have a pretty ordinary relationship to me. Not perfect, and under some strain given to outside issues such as David's being in the closet and his PTSD, but workable and functional enough. They did have a phase where they were being all talk-therapy with each other ("I feel diminished when you tell me how to cut the tomatoes for the stew,") which... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 3:09 PM on January 1, 2010

David is so fucking TERRIFIED of the outside world that he runs to Kieth to create this simulacra of his home life. David is unable to function outside the home and is so awkward it invites comment, he's got negative social skills. Keith is passively controlling and amazingly patronizing, and he always takes him back cause he so loves being Right. They're actually *perfect* for each other - two against the world but without a world to fight against-, in a fucked up co-dependent way. I... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:52 PM on January 2, 2010

I really enjoy watching the way my mother lives it up now. She had a very poor childhood (no plumbing, waking up a nights because she was too cold to sleep, lost all her teeth in her thirties because of malnutrition in childhood) and was financially strapped most of her adulthood (many kids, disabled husband, real estate deal gone south, poorly paid jobs, constantly stressed out about money). Now, at 71, she and my dad are modestly well off and have enough to travel and buy the things they... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:43 AM on December 30, 2009

You know you're an adult when a trip to Disneyland sounds like torture and going to bed early sounds like a treat, and when you find yourself spending money on dirt.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:11 AM on December 24, 2009

Here's an example of the difference between realizing you're an adult and realizing you're old:

Adulthood: when you find yourself hiring a teenaged babysitter to look after your kids.

Old Fogeyhood: when your said former babysitter calls your house wanting to hire one of your kids to look after hers.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:54 PM on December 29, 2009

And Schneider National gives them rides home. Which doesn't surprise me a bit. I met Don Schneider in 2001, he was a client. I have never met a nicer, smarter, more down-to-earth business executive. Ever. That man is awesome and the people who work for him are top notch. Every time you see that orange semi-trailer, just know that there are some great folks behind that brand.

Dad Swan drove for Schneider International for the last dozen or so years... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 3:31 PM on December 28, 2009

Don't forget former Canadian prime minister Lester Pearson in your consideration of bow ties. Though his was a different era. I doubt wearing a bow tie nowadays gets you a Nobel Peace Prize, or even a namesake airport.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 2:17 PM on December 27, 2009

That shawl is really quite a piece of work.

Crafting and handiwork has undergone a big resurgence and general explosion in terms of innovation in the past fifteen years or so, and it's largely due to the internet. The information sharing and the community building has done wonders for the field. And it's wonderful that arts that were almost in danger of being lost, such as tatting, are coming back.

Though I'm not at all likely to make a wedding... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 8:19 AM on December 22, 2009

Flagged for unnecessary sexualization of FPP.

Not really

Yeah, not really. The man who feeds me eggnog can have me.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:06 PM on December 21, 2009

And it would seem you're not the first person to do so.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 2:39 PM on December 19, 2009

French Maid outfits are passé anyway.

Yup. I once offered to show up at a ex's hotel room door wearing a French maid outfit. He said he found French maid outfits cheesy and not a turn on. I then offered to show up dressed as a *real* maid, complete with cart, cleansers, polyester overall, and rubber gloves. He groaned (with impatience, not with desire), and told me to "just show up". I was a little huffy at the time that he rejected my... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 7:11 PM on December 18, 2009

I fantasize about "staying home". Of course, my fantasy doesn't involve depending on a man or even being married at all. I imagine I've come into a million dollars or so and think about all the things I'd do: adopt a child, finish the renovations on my house, finish the novel I'm writing, hit the gym every morning and getting into terrific shape, do all kinds of great volunteer work, etc. Not having to work a nine-to-five job would be wonderfully freeing and I don't suppose there are... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 10:21 AM on December 19, 2009

I for one welcome our new turquoise overlords. I love turquoise. It's peaceful and energizing at the same time, and it looks good on me. I recently painted my living room in Behr's "Sea Life", which you can see here, and I'm planning on doing my guest room in a paler turquoise and old rose. I nearly named my cat Turquoise. I would have been "Turquoise Swan" when I joined MeFi but it doesn't sound as well as "Orange Swan". Ah, turquoise, turquoise, turquoise...... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:50 AM on December 9, 2009

I can never find any good ideas in these "money saving tips" articles that I'm not already using.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 7:26 PM on December 3, 2009

"Many grocery stores are offering great deals during the holidays, some are even giving away food, or cash!"

Really? Where might these cash-offering stores be?

I have a credit card that is just for groceries. I'd use my general purpose card, but my grocery store doesn't accept it. By accumulating points, I get $20 of free groceries once or twice a year, and this year I received vouchers for free frozen ribs, cheese... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:26 AM on December 4, 2009

(and I should have noted: my family still calls the raffle/steal "Chinese Gift Exchange" which hey, racist! So if any Mefites know a better name, post it. I would really like to change that tradition.)

In my previous comment I referred to trying to get my family to do a "Snitch and Grab", which is carried out exactly as you described, with a few different rules: the same gift can be stolen more than twice, but you can't have any one... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:37 PM on December 4, 2009

I should probably get into the coupon thing more. Up until now, coupons practically had to fall into my lap for me to use them. It's easy to dimiss these small, incremental savings, but that's a mistake, because they do add up.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 8:47 AM on December 5, 2009

I once went for one of those hard-sell extended warranties at a big-box store when I bought a DVD player (this was many years ago, and good ones were not so easy to come by.) You know what? Smartest (well, luckiest) thing I ever did.


What I'm taking away from your story is reinforcement for my previously existing stance that it's a bad idea to be an early adopter. Those first models of anything really suck.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 10:10 PM on December 5, 2009

Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of how therapy works knows that a therapist is obligated to report serious crimes her patients tell her about.

If a patient tells a therapist about intentions to commit a crime, or if he or she poses a danger to himself or herself or others, the therapist is obligated to report that. But if the patient tells the therapist about past crimes, no, the right to confidentiality applies. One movie... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:53 PM on December 4, 2009

Online social networks such as Facebook are being used to express and communicate real personality

And real feelings towards others. There's no social signal quite as blunt as having someone remove you from his or her friends list, or decline to be your friend in the first place.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:40 PM on December 3, 2009

Not joining the group, but don't understand all the John Mellencamp scorn here either. I love the song Key West Intermezzo fervently and without apology — and the video for it is beautiful too.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 8:52 AM on December 2, 2009

He thinks that maybe if he gets a shit-ton of people to sign up to a group to encourage his dad to quit smoking, that might do the trick.

I can see John Mellancamp promising his son he'll stop smoking if the group hits the threshold, meanwhile thinking he's pretty safe because not enough people will join.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:07 AM on December 2, 2009

I heard this story about Burt Reynolds: He appeared at an AIDS benefit in the early eighties, back when the band still played on, and at one point when being asked some questions by a reporter, snapped, "If this were a benefit for cancer no one would ask me stupid questions like 'Why am I here?'".

Burt Reynolds never appealed to me before I heard that story. He always seemed kind of skeevy. But as long as I remember that anecdote I won't be able to help respecting him.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:35 AM on December 1, 2009

My mother, a retired teacher, never saw the point of making kids write lines. She made them copy out pages of the dictionary. Now that was a time-consuming punishment with no possible hacks.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:29 AM on December 1, 2009

Ponorovsky: All of these people who are spouting their venom have no clue as to the nature of the relationship of my staff.

The relationships of your staff, no, but the relationship between you and your staff, yes, because we got a really revealing snapshot.

I look forward to hearing that this man has gone out of business.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:50 AM on November 29, 2009

Clearly, the staff would entice customers to give their e-mail addresses in return for finding out about specials and getting coupons.

That's what a smart restaurant manager would do, but I'll need to see proof that Paradou does that before I criticize its staff for not collecting emails.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:09 AM on November 29, 2009

The Daily Show had a pretty funny clip the other night about the reaction to Palin's book in a New York bookstore — or rather the lack of a reaction.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:25 AM on November 25, 2009

Hydrophonic, I totally agree with billyfleetwood's excellent comment, which I had never seen before, so thanks for linking to that.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 11:05 AM on November 22, 2009

We'd only been going out for a month or so, and I didn't want to say or do anything to rock the boat, but when she modeled the sweater for me I had to inform her that it made her look like The Incredible Hulk.

The Card Cheat, if a man compared me to the Incredible Hulk in any context, I don't know how likely I'd be to marry him (i.e., he'd have to be really, really awesome in bed or something), so I'm impressed by the success of your courtship.;-)
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:39 PM on November 22, 2009

Then we'll be laughing out of the other side of our vagina tea cozies!

For some reason I thought you were already doing that, stav. At least, that's how I've always pictured you.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 8:31 PM on November 22, 2009

I'm in the camp that believes the people making fun of these folks have probably never got off their asses to try and do something creative...

Uh, I don't know about that. I enjoy laughing at the bad crafts and I do plenty of handiwork myself — I've made something like 25 items so far in 2009 and have quite a few Christmas presents in progress. You can see some examples of my work here if you're interested. It seems to me it's almost the other... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 6:33 AM on November 23, 2009

Hmm. I didn't get that Katamari reference, delmoi, having never heard of Katamari, but I do feel like I should have realized the hat was intended to reference or imitate something because that hat is too well made and well-proportioned to be just a case of bad or weird design.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:54 AM on November 24, 2009

Dreadful, dreadful story. I would have gone insane, or just given up and died.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 7:34 AM on November 23, 2009

I'm curious as to whether this man will sell more or fewer cars, post-billboard. I know I'd never want to buy a car from someone that ignorant and out of touch with reality.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:18 PM on November 22, 2009

I haven't heard one of the radio ads for this service for quite awhile. I used to angrily change channels when I heard one because I was so revolted. I could have a lot more compassion for someone who is lonely and unhappy in their relationship and just stumbles upon something compelling with a friend, a neighbour, a co-worker. Deliberately seeking it out is another matter, and as for the people who are actually making money facilitating it...!
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:18 PM on November 21, 2009

Whenever contemplating taking out insurance, don’t — but deposit the amount of the premium in an earmarked savings account. You’ll almost certainly end up miles ahead.

Oh fuck off. Try telling me that again when your house burns burns down and you have three grand in a savings account with which to rebuild it.

Yes. And even assuming only small things are going to go wrong, when a pipe burst and my basement flooded three months... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 11:37 AM on November 20, 2009

You know, sometimes you read something that makes you so outraged on so many levels that you feel like your brain is chasing its own tail. I hate The Gap/Old Navy, but this whole "boycott" almost makes me reconsider.

Oh yeah. Stuff like this makes me want to go buy all my Christmas presents at these stores, instead of making them from stuff I've got lying around as I usually do.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 9:10 AM on November 17, 2009

Why is there so much hating on poor Levi Johnston? I greatly admire his candor about the Palin family milieu

I would too if it weren't for the fact that he's trashing his son's mother's family in the press.

And I have zero interest in seeing him naked.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:42 PM on November 11, 2009

I would too if it weren't for the fact that he's trashing his son's mother's family in the press.

But... his son's mother's family is a pack of flaming assholes. I mean, I respect loyalty, but there are limits.

Well, yes, Sarah is at least. And I wouldn't blame him for hating her guts and saying some unminced words about her to a few of his own trusted friends and family members. But it's a big step from that to this. Indulging... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 10:50 AM on November 12, 2009

Bristol seems like she'd be a pretty decent person if she could only get away from her mother. I don't see how she could do that, though, when she needs financial help from her family. Poor kid.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 12:28 PM on November 12, 2009

try Chinese new Year in China. Literally (and I mean literally, not figuratively) millions and millions of crackers going off across a couple of hundred square kilometers - cities drowned in deafening noise and blanketed in smoke, for several consecutive days. World War 3 could have come and gone and no-one would have noticed.

Dear God, that's my idea of hell. I am very sensitive to noise, especially sudden, loud noise. I can't even go to a fireworks... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 7:54 AM on October 29, 2009

Are there 52 religions? Seems to me it's more like there's at most a dozen or so, and the rest are subsets of those.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 4:30 PM on October 18, 2009

Visiting fifty two places of worship in a year will inevitable result in a very shallow "perspective" on each. Boring.

Quite. It kind of reminds me of Margaret's find-a-religion project in Are You There God, It's Me Margaret.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:42 PM on October 18, 2009

If you were born in 1987 and you and I joined hands and jumped into a time machine and went back to 1960, you would feel totally comfortable there. The cars were different. They only had seven channels on the TV as opposed to 500. The movie theaters usually only had one screen instead of 21. But the world was pretty much as it is today. People had the same hopes and desires, the same fears.

Ahhhh. That sounds so restful.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 4:35 PM on October 18, 2009

Ditto Trek props - really crude close up

Star trek props were crude even on screen.

Not being able to see things too closely really makes a huge difference in perception. I remember being in several plays in which, if we wanted to age an actor, we put baby powder in his or her hair. It wasn't convincing from a foot away, but on stage it looked amazingly and convincingly like gray hair to the audience and it was simple and cheap to do.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:38 PM on October 18, 2009

"I was never underprivileged, but I have human feelings. If you see someone in distress, well, you want to help them if you can. I hope people remember me for someone trying to do justice. That's what I've tried to do."

Compassion seems to be a capacity that is independent of personal experience of hard times.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:50 AM on October 16, 2009

This was part of my reaction to some nasty comments by Karl Lagerfeld a while ago when he tore into a rather attractive model for not being anorexic and thus "sexy". Karl, you're a wealth-addled middle-aged gay man: how the fuck do you know what makes a woman sexually attractive?

Some years ago there was some commercial in which a female voiceover wondered what it would be like if designers actually had to wear their own clothes, and they had... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 7:57 PM on October 15, 2009

Oops, I meant to strike through the "middle aged" and replace it with "old", not strike through the "gay".
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 8:05 PM on October 15, 2009