Restart your computer with a Darik's Boot and Nuke CD in the CD drive. Get it going on the default settings. Remove CD. Head home.

The IT department can easily reinstall XP, and this is pretty critical data you're talking about.

....So simply deleting all cookies wouldn't do it? (This is a sincere question from someone who had always been told that "deleting all cookies" would do that kind of thing, and so I nodded and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 10:23 AM on August 8, 2008

I'm fond of A Word A Day from Wordsmith.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 8:00 AM on August 7, 2008

Sliced bread. Why did we have to put up with tearing chunks off for so long?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 12:09 PM on August 6, 2008

3 days in Slovakia is a good option. Bratislava is conveniently a short train ride away from Vienna (and a bit of a longer ride from Prague, but it's still in the neighbourhood), and you can easily spend three days there if you don't feel like exploring the rest of the country.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 9:52 AM on August 5, 2008

The Skeptics Annotated Bible has a Good Stuff section which lists things like that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 8:02 AM on August 3, 2008

Talk to Citibank Sweden. If they let you open a pair of accounts (US and Swedish), you can mail your US check for deposit to Citibank in Chicago, and then transfer the cash into your Swedish account fee-free.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 3:41 AM on July 21, 2008

I can't remember where else I've stayed, but on my last trip to Amsterdam I stayed at the Hotel Linda. It was cheap and shabby, and the stairs are a nightmare, but there's free wireless and I didn't worry about my laptop getting stolen when I left it in the room.

Personally, I think two days in Amsterdam is enough, and the "not to be missed" stuff is in other parts of the Netherlands.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 11:45 PM on July 17, 2008

I don't know if any'll fit your needs, but Vegetarian Shoes has several models that MooShoes carry if you don't want to order from the UK.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 3:01 AM on July 16, 2008

When I look at intern or job candidates, these are the qualities that make someone stand out beyond the base requirements:

* An ability to clearly and concisely describe what they've worked on
* An ability to clearly and concisely describe what they would like to work on
* They have an obvious interest in new technology
* They write software because they enjoy it, not just to pay the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 12:22 AM on July 16, 2008

I can be logged in to facebook on my desktop in the bedroom and my laptop in the living room at the same time (much to my delight), so don't count on that being true.

Facebook will see both of your machines as coming from one IP address, so you aren't really using it from two locations simultaneously.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 3:31 AM on July 11, 2008

You should tweak your stock question and make it clear that you aren't asking someone "What do you do (to make money)" but rather "what do you do (when you are not engaged in working to pay the rent)". That's much more engaging than talking about work.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 2:13 PM on July 3, 2008

(That's right, the Germans really do know how to keep the trains running on time.)

I really don't think we've experienced the same Germany. But Berlin public transit is generally quite good, for sure (when ver.di isn't on strike, of course).

disillusioned: The Berlin Medical Historical Museum is fun in a hey-thats-a-weird-fetus-in-a-jar kind of way. It's open on Sundays. The Stasi Museum is worth a visit,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 1:17 PM on June 6, 2008

I don't know how patents relate to academic research, but "patent pending" can mean "we filed a provisional patent" which costs all of $250, lasts 12 months, doesn't require prior art, doesn't turn into a real patent until you submit a real application, and doesn't require any verification of claims. It isn't necessarily an enforcable patent in the works.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 2:35 PM on June 3, 2008

83%. A further 32% of those will cause your housemates, the ones who live two floors above you and listen to music on their headphones while they sleep, to pointedly talk to you about how little they slept last night because "someone" was "being rather loud last night", and a further 16% will actually cause structural damage to the dwelling the activity takes place within during the course of the activity. I will be publishing these figures in a noted research journal... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 12:25 PM on June 3, 2008 marked best answer

Dr. Beck at Mount Tabor Dental would be a good choice for a second opinion.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 11:57 AM on May 31, 2008

I'm a vegan and I don't find it rude if friends have leather couches. Leather couches are really uncomfortable and uninviting, kinda like sitting on a couch that's been wrapped in plastic, but it isn't rude to get one.

I doubt your friends will think twice about it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 2:27 PM on May 27, 2008

Looks like you have at least two options in DFW. Personally, I just bring bread with me (or buy it at the airport if possible) since airport food is usually pretty gross, even if it's totally vegan.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 1:53 AM on May 25, 2008 marked best answer

Even if they weren't Docs the only place you should go is Dorians. But since they are Docs, I'm pretty sure that Dorian's is the only place that can handle them (that's what I've been told by other cobblers around town).
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 11:39 PM on May 6, 2008 marked best answer

I use a TRENDnet TK-207K and I haven't noticed any USB flakiness at all with it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 2:23 PM on May 6, 2008

No, German banks won't open an account for someone who is on a tourist visa - they'll want to see your residence registration when you sign up.

If you just need to get cash out of an American account without fees, with a Citibank US account you can withdraw money from a Citibank Germany ATM fee-free (and they'll helpfully even display just how much you're pulling out in USD after currency conversion), but Citibank ATMs are few and far between here. If you're a Bank of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 11:50 AM on April 28, 2008

Oh, shit, no - if you have a BofA card, you can only get fee-free withdrawls from Deutsche Bank, not the other Cash Group participants in Germany. Sorry.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 12:00 PM on April 28, 2008

That's a great tip on the Cash Group- is there a way of finding out if there are American affiliates or banks that have agreements with the group? Wikipedia was no help on this one...

No, I confused the Cash Group with the Global ATM Alliance, which is what BofA is part of, so if you have a BofA card, go nuts with pulling out of Deutsche Bank ATMs, but other Cash Group ATMs won't help you avoid the fees.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 12:27 PM on April 28, 2008

If Inside the Machine had been around when I was in grades 4-7, I would have loved it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 11:41 AM on April 20, 2008 marked best answer

Generally, if you have a hole in your face that you didn't willingly put there, you should go to the fucking ER. Give them a fake name & fake SSN if you can't afford it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 11:44 AM on April 14, 2008

Porn is always an option.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 8:38 AM on April 6, 2008

Another tipping difference: don't leave the tip on the table. When the waiter tells you the total, add any tip or do any rounding up and tell him the amount when you hand over the cash. Otherwise you'll get your exact change back.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 10:26 PM on April 3, 2008

Wormwood
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 6:07 AM on April 1, 2008

1) Will it be possible to keep our current numbers (this is not a super high priority, we're just curious)?

Yes. I moved my number across three providers without too much misery, although it means that people can't reach you for a few days.

2) Will it be possible to keep our current phones (which we like) without resorting to some sketchy unlocking technique?

If you stay with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 8:04 AM on March 30, 2008

The DNS & bind O'Reilly book is good reading for understanding DNS (and a handy reference if you intend to use bind). I also found the relevent RFCs to be quite readable if you're curious about protocol level details.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 6:51 AM on March 27, 2008

Eastern Europe from Amsterdam isn't really a day trip - it's probably a 6 hour drive to Poland, and longer to the Czech Republic. If you decide to stay overnight, the Krkonoše mountains along the Czech/Polish border are a beautiful area. You can rent a room in a ski resort up there (I've stayed in one in Harrachov) and then just go nuts. It's pretty cheap, too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 2:12 AM on March 26, 2008

Can you put tape over the front door latch and tell Comcast to knock on your apartment door?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 7:07 AM on March 25, 2008

I don't mind paying something but calling another mobile from mine costs 0.13 EUR, so I know that Skype charges much more than just the connection tariff, thus the desire to find cheaper options.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 7:38 AM on March 21, 2008

Flights longer than an hour are boring. You can only make so much small talk with the person in the next seat over, so bring books and maybe a portable DVD player if that's more your bag.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 12:17 PM on March 15, 2008

I took the multinational route to moving abroad as well, and even with the corporate backing and a dedicated immigration law firm working on my permit, it was still a time consuming hassle and in the end I think I'll end up spending a good 6,000 euros on the move out of my own pocket. I think it was worth it, but don't go into this thinking that you'll just hop on a plane and everything will fall into place from there. I don't know the first thing about Civil Engineering jobs (I'd imagine that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 2:20 AM on March 11, 2008

Oh, and if you're under the age of 28 and you're not adamant about using your degree abroad, look into getting a "working holiday" visa somewhere. That's likely the easiest route.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 2:25 AM on March 11, 2008

I have twelve desktops spread across two monitors (well, 6 desktops according to KDE, but with two monitors, you get the idea), and I use it for organizing my work flow. One set of desktops has IRC and IM windows across from a desktop with a maximized terminal window for general use when talking with coworkers. The next set of desktops has Opera in one and Firefox in the other, the next set has kdevelop open to the C headers for the project I'm working on across from kdevelop open to the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 1:00 AM on March 6, 2008

The TSA has definitely improved over the last few years, but it still really depends on the airport. I've found TSA people at JFK to be downright miserable bastards.

Will I have any problems with this if we take a domestic flight? I routinely take this to Amsterdam, flying on a very small, Fokker 50 and it fits into the overhead just fine.

No, you won't have any troubles with that bag. I've frequently flown in the US with a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 4:32 AM on March 4, 2008

SkyScanner might be useful.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 5:37 AM on February 29, 2008

I dated a woman for years who had hep C, and even though we had reckless unprotected sex the entire time, the doctor at the clinic I went to for testing after we broke up gave me a weird look when I told him that was my only contact with the virus. He told me that the chances of getting it through sex are so low they don't even think it's possible unless you have oozing sores on your genitals. Just don't share razors or toothbrushes and be careful of open wounds.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 9:04 PM on February 26, 2008

I've never been a customer, but I've probably walked through half of the red light districts in western Europe and yes, you can skip Amsterdam's unless you really like crowds of drunk guys hooting and hollering. Prostitution is legal all over the Netherlands, Germany, and I think Belgium as well, so you don't need to feel like you can only go to Amsterdam. Pick any city with a reasonably large population and you'll find there's a red light district there... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 6:55 AM on February 15, 2008

Since joining frequent flier programs is free, you might as well sign up for one from each codeshare alliance (e.g, Lufthansa for Star Alliance, NWA for Skyteam, American for Oneworld or whatever).
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 10:05 AM on February 14, 2008

And make sure you look and see when or if the miles expire. Delta expires after two years, so if you can't accumulate enough for a free flight, you're out of luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 10:07 AM on February 14, 2008

You can do that with glib in C.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 4:45 PM on February 8, 2008

I recently completed the German immigration process as a software engineer with a company sponsoring me, and I didn't get the impression that it would be very easy, or even possible, if you don't already have a job offer and many years of experience. While Germany is desperate for software engineers, at least according to Computerwoche, I'm not sure they're desperate for fresh college grads from foreign countries.

The biggest part of the process as a non-EU citizen is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 8:55 AM on February 4, 2008

If you could just give us some of the reasons you might want to come to germany some of us might give you some constructive feedback

This is a good point - make sure you spend lots of time in the area you intend to move to. I can see certain regions in Germany not being for everyone.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 9:06 AM on February 4, 2008

Can you build on the fault injection code that's in the -mm branch?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 12:55 PM on February 1, 2008

Mark yourself "GODLIKE" and fake it from there. Chances are the only thing those little boxes are used for are to filter out candidates in a database anyway. Your resume should be creatively exaggerated if this is your first job, but don't outright lie on it unless you're prepared to spend the night before an interview learning the languages you claimed to, but don't actually, know.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 2:51 AM on January 28, 2008

Crafty types can eavesdrop on the contents of computer monitors.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 10:46 PM on January 20, 2008

I speak from a great deal of experience when I say that unmedicated bi-polar addicts are the best sex you will ever have so go for it. But get out once plates start being thrown.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 12:03 AM on January 17, 2008

Can your friend offer proof that more than one school has used, or is planning this far in advance to use, "Fall Feast Day"? Because it sounds like the kind of thing that right wing AM radio talk show hosts pull out of their ass to get all angry at the "PC brigade" about.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cmonkey at 11:10 AM on January 16, 2008