Thank you all for your excellent ideas! Everyone had something extra or totally original to bring to the table so everyone has the "best answer".

Of course, more recipes with different ideas are also greatly appreciated!

Thank you all once again!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 11:32 PM on September 3, 2008

Another ICE-related topic -- Postville in a study of Homeland Security/Immigration issues -- Backgrounder and NYT Editorial.

Modern issues in "Taxation without representation" - implications of the "Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008," passed June 17th 2008. Comment from the Financial Advisors Forum.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 9:10 PM on August 29, 2008 marked best answer

- What do you do?
- I'm an economist.
- Oh, that's great. I always try to work for economical companies.
- ?!?

In all fairness, she was German and a bit drunk by this point.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 11:41 AM on July 10, 2008

What you termed "hillbilly" are the American "dirt-poor", and they're not just confined to remote mountain ranges.

East California (leaving Lake Isabella on the road to Manzanar) has plenty of such enclaves, a mix of rundown trailer cars and shacks, feral dogs and humans, all haggard and suspicious. Places without placenames, running water, cellphone coverage. Far from romantic, it's nowhere you'd want your car to run out of gas. Their communities... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 7:37 AM on July 10, 2008

I smoke cigars and that doesn't sound kosher.
First off, if you "slice through a cigar lengthwise" then what's left to roll into "a thin joint"? Surely both the wrapper and the filling are destroyed - am I missing something?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 9:20 AM on June 24, 2008

1. "Blanche" the broccoli. In a boiling pot of salted water, throw in the chopped florets and stems. Take the broccoli out once the water is boiling again (about 2 minutes). Reserve. Rinse pot.

2. Melt butter, add and cover the pot ("sweat"):
- 1 cup minced onions,
- 1 cup minced carrots,
- 1 cup minced celery.
Stir-in 2 T flour to coat veggies, cook for one minute.
Slowly add 4 cups broth... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 12:08 AM on June 2, 2008

My favourite: steamed asparagus with home made hollandaise sauce.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 8:40 AM on May 25, 2008

Wipe down with full fat milk or heavy cream.
Use soft dish sponge, do not scrub.

If you really want to re-tint the leather (I wouldn't - leather naturally changes colour and messing with the tint will just make the leather more frail) then please do not try to tint the leather yourself. You should take the furniture to an upholster, get the leather unupholstered, send the cloth to place where they die leather, and have the entire cloth retinted.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 3:47 AM on May 5, 2008

If you really want to stop smoking, just do it.
Stop.

I didn't really want to stop smoking but smoking /ciggarettes/ was getting to me. I didn't want to pop into a shop to buy ciggarettes anymore. I didn't like the darkened fingers. I didn't like the smell the next day. I loathed "needing" a ciggarette. I hated the cough. I found non-smokers more and more cool. Cigarettes started looking ugly to my mind.
But I liked sitting down with a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 3:53 AM on April 23, 2008

Water aerobics+protein shakes
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 5:22 AM on April 15, 2008

A combination of the annual shareholders report of Berkshire Hathaway Inc and whatever echos I hear from the Carlyle Group. It gives me a good idea of where private and public equity is flowing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 3:47 PM on December 20, 2007

Berkshire Hathawy Inc is more like $134 000/share.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 3:50 PM on December 20, 2007

The Purpose-driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 3:55 AM on March 5, 2007

Can't give you any specific links but the exact name of the discipline you are interested in is called Security Studies. Your local library is sure to have at least a shelf of security literature you can happily delve in. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 6:08 AM on February 13, 2007

I wouldn't touch Jules Verne because that's 19th century vocabulary and it's just not very interesting..

To be entirely honest, to improve your french I wouldn't read books, but BDs, those french cartoon-books that have a cult following. You can probably find a series to suit your tastes - my favourite is Thorgal, but that doesn't seem like your cup of tea.

As for science fiction/fantasy books, there's all the stuff by Jean-Christophe Rufin... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 12:13 PM on February 7, 2007

If you're in Haight + Ashbury, stop at the mouth-watering Cha-cha-cha tapas mecca. (Hint: come around 7, sit at the bar, order your tapas, try their sangrias and please don't drive home).

Also, for San Francisco's "surrounding areas", this tag might help. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 1:26 PM on February 5, 2007

Mutant: I'm afraid I don't have access to Athens...
RandlePatrickMcMurphy: It sure is a smart approach because it tests exactly what they want you to be good at: research and drafting within a strict deadline. But like all interviews, it's not perfect. For instance, a student with access to Athens would probably do better than one without. And sorry, no hints.
gemmy: THANK YOU! That's exactly what I had in mind.
CAnneDC: also THANK YOU! Same reason!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 5:44 AM on January 25, 2007

Guys, thank you all for your help.

I just finished this gruelling test a few hours ago and I'm still mentally exhausted.
Five hours is a damn tight timeframe to research and write up a paper from scratch!
I handed mine in exactly three minutes before the deadline.
All in all, I'm pretty proud of my output.
Of course, rereading the paper, I now cringe at some obvious errors: a mal-cited author here, a typo... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 10:23 AM on February 1, 2007

Sorry matthewr, but I think I will not post it - I hope you don't mind much. Mainly because I don't really need feedback (except from the job) and I don't see what posting my essay could possibly bring to me (except cringes some time down the line).

Otherwise, if you are keen to read up on the relations between the WTO and developing countries, I would recommend the latest Bridge report.
I like these reports so much that I'm reading all the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 3:07 PM on February 2, 2007

Late to the party, but what a nice thread!
Like many of the posters, I tend to recite poetry for "an occasion" even if the occasion is a toast...

So, first a toast!
"Drink today and drown your sorrow,
you may not be here tomorrow.
While you have it, use your breath,
There's no drinking after death!"
(found it right here on askme, actually)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 2:17 PM on January 24, 2007

I'll recommend Brussels because it's got that liberal atmosphere that really likes people of yoru profile.

http://www.eurobrussels.com/
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 1:11 PM on December 4, 2006 marked best answer

Hearten up!

What does it take to be a father?

How to be not just a father, but a great dad.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 9:24 AM on December 4, 2006

Just 2 minor issues I have with anon's post..

1. She's not "your" kid, she's your kid.

2. "I could tell her that she can't live here unless she goes to counseling, or that I'll take away one of her privileges (e.g. her cell phone) if she won't go to counseling."

No.
I would tell her that I want her to live with me for ever, no strings attached, no buts, no maybes, no... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 9:18 AM on December 4, 2006

wow, thanks for pointing out this LA ghost town. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 5:09 AM on November 7, 2006

i_cola, patricio - this really is fascinating stuff.

Few questions:
- re: local financial regulations.
Isn't financial regulation converging? (Basel II?) So, is the American position tenable for the long term?

- re: US rules about marketing to US clients.
Are you guys saying that Banks will not propose some financial products if you happen to hold an American citizenship? Or if you chose to invest in these... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 11:00 AM on October 31, 2006

OK, THANK YOU everyone from i_cola down to Mutant (nice pics!). This thread has given me a lot to read and enjoy... including perhaps a change of career direction.

Of course, if anyone has anything to add, please do so.
Thanks once again.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 11:18 AM on November 1, 2006

god, I hope there's a name for this.
Flitcraft - you're not suffering alone.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 4:32 PM on October 26, 2006

- Den Gouden Karpel at the Fish market. A classy seafood restaurant that also has a shop at the rear. Medium priced. I recommend everything on the menu.

- A brilliant place for their immense selection of beers and awesome lasagna is L'estaminet at the Astrid Park. (no website, adresse=Astrid Park 5). This is a beer garden/jazz cafe with good decor and cool bartenders. Highly recommended.

- There's a great place for lunch in Bruges: 10 euros for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 6:06 PM on October 21, 2006

dear wordswinker,
You're doing a great parenting job.

I know someone that has finished head of her class at an Ivy League, is currently an up and coming investment banker and she still doesn't know her multiplication tables and she barely learned how to tell time from a mechanical watch a few years back.

The most important aspect is having great parents who will love you, support you and prove to you time and time again that you're... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 11:50 PM on July 22, 2006

I fixed this problem by doing social stuff. Take dance lessons, take a backpacking vacation olo, find a group that does a hobby you like, stay far far away from the internet, heck, get together on a regular basis with a group of friends to kick back a beer or 12.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 11:24 PM on July 22, 2006

For consistency, she needs a composed name of
(1) a celestial body or phenomenon &
(2) a synonym of "ray", "streak" or "guiding force".

(1) | (2)
Star | line
Sun | ray
Moon | beacon
Dust | bow
Dusk | beam
Night | streak
Day | glint
Dawn | shine
Cloud | glow
Wind | flare
Rain | light

Match and Mix
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 8:21 AM on June 19, 2006

Apparently the formula for success is "Look Irish, Dress British and Think Yiddish".

This comment was brought to you by a lazy Sunday afternoon reading of the Financial Times.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 10:41 AM on June 18, 2006

Really weird, that quote does ring a faint bell, but my google-fu failed me too. (I remember it something like: "I don't trust anyone who goes to sleep before midnight")
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 2:11 PM on June 16, 2006

Some thoughts while reading your post:

You have fairly similar parental backgrounds. Kudos on all the languages you speak. If I understood well, you can communicate to each other in at least 3 different languages (!)

Soviet women as "stubborn and controlling".. Bah! Ugly generalizations.
So she wants you to be "there" during the evenings with her. Perhaps schedule an activity? Go to the movies? But juggling... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 3:30 PM on June 11, 2006

There is no "best country": everything is a trade-off.

Take Switzerland or Finland for example, because many put them on the top of their lists..
In Switzerland, every male is still obliged to military service. If you don't qualify, you must pay an extra tax all the rest of your life. If you qualify, you get issued a gun and have to continue your military education in (yearly? monthy? I forgot) camps. Switzerland is an expensive place to live in.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 8:40 AM on June 11, 2006

Samsonite Black Label:: X'Lite collection
You'll never go back.
Weightless, super durable, stylish and the best guarantee.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 6:24 AM on May 19, 2006

Something I saw in action last night:

If you spill someone's beer, apologise and immediately offer him another one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 4:06 AM on May 19, 2006

I have a different proposal. They sounds like nouveau-rich to me, and probably need constant affirmation about their lifestyle, money, etc.. Just don't.

I'd go cold-British on them. First, explain to your husband that this is the way you'll treat the members of the family that go over your boundaries. You love him, and want to us to last forever, but some things I can no longer tolerate. It may cause an embarrassment to you, but these members of your family are an... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 6:57 AM on May 11, 2006

Sounds like the book the mother was reading to her daughter in Ursula, Under (which is an awesome novel, btw)..
Do you remember if it starts with, "Annie, Annie, all about." and "Betsy, beneath the bridge"? If so, I can't help further, I'm sorry the author of Ursula Under didn't mention the title of the alphabet book. Email the author?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 3:44 PM on May 9, 2006

I think Medieval Maven's post should also be highlighted. It's the sanest financial solution yet.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 1:49 AM on May 3, 2006

if the rigorous-academic version would be a lot less fun than the Internet-dilletente version

Totally "lot less fun". But if this is for you, you'll learn to enjoy the rigour in economics. In the beginning, I didn't get the connection between economics and the real world. I struggled in the maths for two years until the true *aha!* experience came when ruelle met econometrics, the bane of many undergraduates, my personal little bliss. Then... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 1:01 PM on April 28, 2006

excellent post cebailey
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 6:30 AM on April 28, 2006

I have many small cysts on both ovaries, but the doc said surgery is (a) unnecessary trauma and (b) cysts often dissolve during the first pregnancy. No biggie. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 7:13 AM on April 23, 2006

have you seen "Lucia y el sexo". It's both realistic and porny... (can you say that? porny?)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 2:46 PM on April 10, 2006

A bit tongue in cheek, ascullion, but if you want a rundown of specific scenes, I remember..
* the scene where that girl pops in her mother's porn tape, masterbates with a dildo and gets fucked by her stepfather.
*the scenes with the mother, the daughter and the stepfather
*most scenes with Lucia and Lorenzo
* the scene on the island where Antonio/Carlos puts mud on Lucia and there's a shot of his cock getting erect while covered in mud.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 4:02 AM on April 11, 2006

What an insightful thread, thanks guys!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 4:40 PM on March 31, 2006

I find that people are impressed with two things re the piano:
1. known melodies they can sing/hum along to
2. fast melodies
If I were you I'd construct a crowd-pleasing repertoire from some classical and some pop music.

I'd vouch for:
- Chopin.
The top score here goes to a flawless execution of his Fantasy Impromptu (in C# major) but that's the type of thing you only begin to learn after 4 years on a top-notch... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 6:32 AM on March 26, 2006

hincandenza: "I don't know about that- it's something I was playing a year into piano lessons."

If so, I am duly impressed. After a year into piano lessons, most people can't finish the first stanza
Although, you do agree that to impress people, you would whip out a (perhaps poorly-played?) Chopin.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 2:23 AM on March 27, 2006

orthogonality: I think Anon's question is neatly resumed in the title.

Anon,
I think that sometimes we all wish we had different families. In mine too, we have an individual who is incapable of holding down a job, of getting any degree, of interacting in a normal way with people. And often it pisses us off, because the rest of us went to work in high-school, we forged a life, a family, we're fiercely independent; and this individual can be a 40 y.o.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 12:19 PM on March 4, 2006

Dutch: Ward de Deryckere (Ward is short for Edward)
French: Nicholas La Gardière

(just off the top of my head)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ruelle at 4:22 PM on March 3, 2006