Another former resident who hasn't stayed in any Halifax hotels except one unremarkable one across from the Citadel (Cambridge Suites, perfectly fine except utterly boring). However I can with a certain amount of confidence say that there's no lighthouses, barges, etc. to stay in in the area. If you moved outside the Halifax area there are plenty of nice-looking B&Bs scattered around, but nothing special enough to take you out of being in the city (and may not have wi-fi).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 12:14 AM on August 7, 2007

McDonald's for me, and exactly the same - food left out too long got served, etc. Of particular note I thought was that say you made two ice creams and then it turned out only one was needed, we were supposed to scrape the ice cream off the cone back into the big vat it came from in the machine to be re-processed/re-used. That...was kinda gross. Same with orange juice, if I remember correctly.

So no malice, just management cutting corners, and occasional laziness on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 8:12 AM on June 28, 2007

We flew our kitty from Halifax to Ottawa, and from Toronto to California (we were moving each time, so there was little other choice). It really, really depends on the cat's temperament. Our girl was a pretty relaxed kitty and was very good during the whole procedure, though there were hairy moments going through the security checkpoint (she had a definite intent to bolt, as she didn't like being picked up anyway. This was extremely stressful for me and I think is a fairly important factor).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 4:37 PM on October 29, 2006

Bad, bad idea. Just don't do it. It's illegal, you could remain liable for support, it clogs up the system.

That said, the 'legendary interview' is not always all that. I just got a green card, we were married for 3 1/2 years and my husband is a U.S. citizen. My 'interview' was going down to Montreal, paying $250 or so, handing over some originals, and then talking to a guy who was standing behind a glass. I never sat down, he asked me where we would be living, if I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 12:16 PM on June 26, 2006

We were just through Carmel and Monterey yesterday; Carmel is lovely to look around at, with a pretty beach and a beautiful old Spanish Mission.

Monterey has Cannery Row, which is really just touristy, but it's fun to walk down by the water. There's a lot of Steinbeck-cashing-in stuff, if that interests you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 5:04 PM on June 18, 2006

Veggie, veggie, veggie. Beans and legumes taste delicious when slow cooked, and are easy, cheap, and low-fat. Here's one easy one:

Gingery Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
(2 tbsp minced gingerroot - powdered ginger is fine)
(2 tsp. ground coriander - I skip this)
(1 tsp. cumin - I use more)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 11:40 PM on June 13, 2006

I tried JAxe but it didn't want to run; the GUI version launched, at least. I've misplaced the files so am getting them again, will let you know if that works, thanks! If not, I'll try the second option, thank you for that as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 12:12 PM on June 13, 2006

JAxe still doesn't work, but the GUI Java application performed quite adequately. E Pluribus Unum didn't seem to want to split, sorry. I'll check out Split&Concat too to see how it works. Thanks for all the help - will be passing this info along.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 1:27 PM on June 13, 2006

Thanks for all the additional advice; I checked out MacHacha too and it's another good solution, thank you.

I appreciate all the other advice too, but to be honest I'd far prefer having a program rather than doing it by prompt; I know it's not complicated, but I'd rather not mess around with terminals. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 10:14 PM on June 13, 2006

Elbow to wrist is just about exactly the length of my foot. Huh. Neat!
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 1:04 PM on June 3, 2006

As bratcat said, since they sent you home, I think it's a good idea to try to not get too too worked up about it. Cysts can be a fairly normal and benign thing - I used to get them regularly as a teenager, my period would end up three to four weeks late but then it would burst, and everything would go back to normal. Terribly painful, but no long-lasting repercussions. If it is big then surgery is required, but maybe try to think about the less worst-case scenarios? It's good to know what... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 8:06 PM on April 22, 2006

I'm not convinced it's IC; it doesn't sound particularly like it. Elmiron has a roughly 30% success rate only, so I'd be wary of starting that before trying other options (it can have fairly severe side effects).

Do you experience bladder pain? Reduced bladder capacity? Merely pain in the penis seems unlikely to be the only symptom of IC, though sex can cause flareups for many IC patients, and so that does correlate, at least. Still, even if it's not IC, it might not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 9:08 PM on April 17, 2006

Thanks to all for the comments; I think I will sign up for the course, then - I know I will get too nervous without a good structure, and it sounds like they'll show me what I need to know. I do really, really, really want to pass the first time, so the money will be worth it in the end. Thanks for the advice!
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 2:06 PM on April 9, 2006

I see 'Moslem' a lot when looking at things from the UK; some research turns up that the Daily Express and the Mail use 'Moslem' I think exclusively; both are of course more conservative/right-wing papers, and so I think that's an interesting indication of the use of 'Moslem' vs. 'Muslim', and suggests use of 'Moslem' can be somewhat deliberate, with an intent to provoke.

As an aside, beth notes the use of "mussulman" - in French, the word used is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 8:22 PM on April 8, 2006

The Island sort of does that - the first half was very stereotypical sci-fi stuff, and in the second half or so, things blew up real good. I found it extremely amusing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 7:41 PM on April 7, 2006

Lots of places we looked at in the Bay Area wanted $25/month pet rent, plus $700 deposit. We managed to find no pet rent, $300 deposit. I had never heard of 'pet rent' before looking in that area.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 2:56 PM on March 19, 2006

Thanks for the answers; in particular Site59.com is very useful.

If anyone's still reading the next day, I should have clarified that we are looking last-minute (we'd like to go within the next two weeks) and it will only be for one week. Also, cruises would make it easier but I can't leave from a U.S. port of call.

Thanks again!
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 8:14 AM on February 3, 2006

Not totally related to the question, but just re: some of the replies - if you're on Elmiron I'm sure you're already aware of the effects of diet on IC, but do take it easy on the "lemon, lime, and bitters" and the cranberry juice (oh god no!) and even the Coke! The constraints of what I can drink with my IC can turn this into a difficult problem - water really does look like water but anything else runs the same risk of flares as alcohol can. I do find gingerale usually tolerable in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 3:36 PM on January 30, 2006

Thanks to melinika for pointing me here...right-o...

I have IC, and it's very different from having a bladder infection (cystitis). It will not clear up with antibiotics (in fact, throwing antibiotics at IC is of the bad as you don't need them and thus you're just taking unnecessary meds and it may make your flares worse) and cranberry juice is the BIGGEST no-no out there. There's variation among IC patients but almost every patient I know is caused huge pain by... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 10:44 AM on July 12, 2005 marked best answer

Overactive bladder is my biggest problem with IC as well - when it's bad, I'll get up so many times at night that I'm exhausted in the morning, or I worry about going out because I need to be able to find a place to go pee.

You should consider trying one of the OB-specific drugs, like Oxybutynin (sorry, spelled it wrong in the last post) - which they've now released as a patch in the US (if it comes out like that here in Canada, I might try it again). I'm not sure why... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 6:41 AM on July 13, 2005

Make sure you all hear the k.d. lang version. It's...wondrous. Her voice is perfectly suited to the song, and she just sings the hell out of it. Did it live at the Juno Awards and it was amazing.

I'm listening to it right now, and there's no way if I can tell whether it's "secret" or "sacred" chord. Both work really, really well though, so I'm inclined to believe it's, well, both, or could be either. Fits with Cohen's work.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 2:33 PM on April 22, 2005

Don't stress it. Seriously. That's my advice I give everyone and I'm sticking to it. It's a very dumb test and it has nothing to do with actual law school. Advice above is good - try a full practice test, if you're weak, then you might consider a course. Know where you want to apply and what scores you need. Don't burn yourself out before you even get to law school (and btw, don't let that kill you either. Not worth it).

Um. Helpful? I'll let you decide. But it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 1:19 PM on April 7, 2005

They're also called "glories". My husband put together a nice little page on them here: glories.

Damnit, scooped by eideteker on "glory", but I'll let my link stand anyway. I've never heard the term "pilot's halo" before, btw. Interesting.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 6:29 PM on April 4, 2005

While I can see wanting an international list, local wines are cheaper, no import taxes, etc. I'd take a good look at Ontario wines to fill up the list. As dirtynumbangelboy suggested, the Niagara region is bursting with wineries, and many of them making intriguing, unique wines that will spice up that wine menu. As to specifics, I'd recommend pretty much any white from Pelee Island winery (I don't drink red, sorry, or chardonnay really).

If you're looking for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 1:31 PM on April 3, 2005

All I can say is (1) congratulations, and (2) you're getting fantastic, fantastic advice here. Everything I've done along that route has been recommended. I'll just third the Baseball Hall of Fame, and second Ausable Chasm and the Corning Glass Museum which was actually really cool. The whole US/Cda Falls thing is great too, but I will second Goat Island on the U.S. side, which is beautiful for a picnic and freaking each other out by standing close to the "point of no return" sign.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 7:21 PM on March 29, 2005

We were in Cancun in January with my family and we took a boat over to Isla Mujueres for an afternoon. It was quite lovely, with a nice beach, nice town, and easy to roam. Small, though - we drove around nearly the whole thing in an hour and a half on a golf cart.

I wouldn't say it's really off the beaten track though, the ferries go over many times a day, and there were a ton of people there and it wasn't high tourist season. Still, it was nice, and it felt so much... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 4:14 PM on March 24, 2005

Not to be all self-linky, but I have a few photos of Isla Mujueres on flickr. Though I fucked up because it was my first time using it and some of the photos are really small.

Anyway, this is the main street in the town, on Isla Mujueres, this is the "end" of the island, although the garden seen in the photo requires payment, and this is a cenote, which like Tuwa says is an absolute must if you're in the area. There are lots around Tulum; we went in this one... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 4:21 PM on March 24, 2005

Anything you can bring from his home/wherever he was living prior is good. Any art, special books, etc. would help make the transition better, plus is obviously a cheap way to furnish the room. A nice idea might be to get some new books for him, used is fine, but just some new things for him in the room that aren't illness-related things.

Nothing else I can think of to add to the good information above, just want to send good wishes and thoughts to you and your dad.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 11:25 AM on March 4, 2005

Don't do law school just because it sounds interesting. If you do law school, don't let it kill you. You can have a life and raise a family while you're in law school, you just have to be organized. My friend had a disabled husband, a nine year old boy, and a two year old boy, and still was in our Women and the Law group and worked part-time. It's cool. Be cool.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 8:25 PM on February 22, 2005

I almost did this job for Greenpeace (in Waterloo, Ontario), but backed out at the end because I was uncomfortable with it (and knew I'd never hack it anyway). A housemate took the job though. They were mostly university kids, looking for work. The pay was not great, and they were outside all day, worrying about getting fired.

If it's a legit charity, they shouldn't be pushing their street people to do hard sell like that though. I saw some of the training stuff for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 7:37 PM on February 14, 2005

The Neverending Story - at age 5, the idea of a "Nothing" freaked my little brain right the fuck out. Today, as an atheist I'm cool with the idea of just being nothing, but I still hate the thought of just being swallowed up by nothing...it's still a genuine creep-out for me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 3:58 PM on February 10, 2005 marked best answer

My favourite is when my cat pukes on the carpet, but right next to the easy-to-clean kitchen tiles. We guess that she likes to be nice and comfy, with a warm carpet under her, when she's ill. Sigh.

My cat pukes about once a week, but shows absolutely no ill effects (and is totally disassociated from the puke). She eats and drinks well otherwise, so I don't worry too much. If your cat seems healthy, I wouldn't worry.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 11:27 AM on February 10, 2005

Donkey Konga is pretty cool, although it's just one player at a time. Still, there are a lot of easy levels and the learning curve isn't too steep (unless you're me, who sucks at these sorts of things).

Alternatively, there's Karaoke Revolution for the PS2, which was pretty fun. I don't know which version we were playing, but apparently you could sing Weird Al's versions of the songs instead and it scored the same; my little brother-in-law (12ish) found this... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 7:34 AM on February 2, 2005

On preview: jessamyn said what I was saying, and much less snarkily too.

The main thrust of my comment was to tell cribcage to not be a total jerk. Don't leave the books on the doorstep. Would you insist on sending inappropriate supplies to a disaster area, when told not to? So why would you insist the library has to take your books, even though they told you they don't want them/can't use them/etc.? C'mon.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 8:48 AM on January 3, 2005

Well, it was the first analogy that popped to mind, so sue me. Your attitude was so hard-headed I wasn't sure anything else would get through to you but some sort of example of how shitty it is to push unwanted charity on others. At that point, it's no longer charity. (Thanks to maudlin for explaining it better than me).

I'm glad you'll be going another route. (Though try not to swamp your area with too many at a time, because then it sort of feels like littering.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 5:49 AM on January 4, 2005

I have no idea what you mean by that. Since it seems really irrelevant to the topic at hand, I'm going to quit this thread to save it from going off the rails.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 3:33 PM on January 4, 2005

My friend got her car broken into twice in two days in Lyon. Definitely be careful. It's just stuff, but it sucks to have to replace it and deal with the trouble.

Just putting it in the out-of-sight trunk or under a tarp might not be enough; it might be assumed your stuff is in there. I'd keep it with you or in a locker. At the same time, don't let paranoia ruin your trip! (Have a great time - I'm so jealous.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 8:23 PM on December 19, 2004

I can't really picture a very young kid snowboarding, but then I'm a grump who doesn't like snowboarders and wishes they wouldn't carve up the hill and make it all icy. Regardless, I think the key is that the child should be a fully confident walker, with good co-ordination and muscle control. I don't think I've ever seen a child younger than 3 on skis.

I've always heard snowboarding was tricky to pick up; I'd think little skis would be a lot easier to learn first for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 3:06 PM on December 16, 2004

You're a very good friend. Helping to make the wedding nicer and more elegant is a very good idea, and I don't think it's gauche at all. As suggested, some simple invites, maybe hosting a nice, small meal are terrific ideas. Everyone deserves to have their wedding day be nice, at the very least - doesn't have to be fancy, but just pleasant and enjoyable.

As an aside, contrary to what humuhumu wrote above, alcohol really should go - at least in the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 1:12 PM on December 13, 2004

Gmail loader only seems to work on Windows and linux, and I'm using a Mac right now. I also want to transfer email (sorry to jump in) to gmail, from several accounts, including a yahoo one and a hotmail one, as well as a university-based webmail account. Any chance? I'd been meaning to ask here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 12:02 PM on December 11, 2004

Since you don't know her colouring, some very nice moisturizers, lotions, etc. might be nice too. Be careful about scent, a lot of people are allergic or sensitive. The Body Shop is a good place for this, they have cool things like body butter, foot scrubs, etc. Maybe you could maybe go for a total nail set - sparkly nail polish, buffer, little toe separator thingies, foot scrub, hand lotion - in a cute makeup bag, as suggested above.

On preview: the brush set is a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 6:45 PM on December 3, 2004

On Amazon, it suggests Winged Migration as something someone who liked Whale Rider might enjoy. I haven't seen it, but it looks like what you're looking for - although the review says there is a brief hunting scene, which may be upsetting for the gunshot noise.

These might seem too childish, but they are or seem like quality and I think a good family movie is good for all ages: Anne of Green Gables (the excellent Canadian tv version), Little Women (whichever version you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 6:11 PM on November 26, 2004

I apologize, then, funkbrain, but it really seemed horribly inappropriate, at least from what I remember about that show.

And Waking Ned Devine and Billy Eliot - those were the types of movies I was trying to pull out of my head, but couldn't. I think they're right up the same alley as Whale Rider.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 7:17 AM on November 27, 2004

It can get very cold in Ottawa - and very hot. That was my main complaint about moving here - sometimes it's -40C with the windchill in the winter, and +35-40C with the humidity in the summer. Moody is the right term.

You probably don't need a heavy down jacket unless you'll be outside lots. Layers, a nice wool coat or ski jacket, and you should be good. Make sure you have a good hat and gloves. For your feet, just hiking boots will be very chilly some days, but you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 7:45 AM on November 22, 2004

For a few resources, we had a MoFi thread on this recently: small thread on Ottawa.

I don't know any online forums, sorry. But I think it would be fine if you kept asking questions in here until the 30 day archive limit hits - I know I don't mind bookmarking this question and coming back to it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 10:06 AM on November 22, 2004

Nothing constructive to add, I just wanted to wish both your friend and th3ph17 condolences on the losses.

I've never dealt with the loss of someone so young, and so my usual strategy of remembering the good times and all that Irish wake sort of thing doesn't really hold water. Sorry.
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 9:08 PM on November 16, 2004

There have been lots of good points brought up. I want to add a few others from the perspective of another "low sex drive" woman who doesn't know the meaning of TMI.

For starters, you say you've tried "wine, candles, self-help books, marital aids" - to me, this suggests that you haven't really tried anything at all that's about her, but just generic soppy female things. Candles don't get me "in the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 8:23 AM on November 15, 2004

I forget how we found ours (probably a recommendation) but she was a Unitarian minster to marry my non-practicing Catholic husband and my atheist Jewish-identifying self. We were definitely not Unitarians but she fielded our query perfectly fine, and was not the least bit concerned that we weren't in her church. As sad_otter said, it's no big deal to an officiant, and the Unitarian-types pretty much expect that sort of out-of-the-blue call, as a matter of course - there are... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 3:06 PM on November 11, 2004

Firstly, congrats, Keswick!

Secondly, laptops are becoming ubiquitous in my experience mainly because everyone else is using one. Does that make sense? That said, I just got one myself. As jmd82 said, the key thing is what you want it for. Mine is now my primary computer, and as a grad student I have a work room (er, three days a week) which has wireless access, and so having the laptop makes doing work much easier. I brought it to class last night though, and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 6:54 AM on November 11, 2004

If you are going to go Mac, the iBooks and PowerBooks are both really nice, though the PB has a better keyboard, which is why I went with it over the iBook. Get the 12" model, in any case; you'll want something you can carry easily on the days you decide to bring it.

The PB does have a nicer keyboard - it's practically silent and the touch pad button is much quieter than on the iBook.

I will sort of disagree about the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by livii at 12:31 PM on November 11, 2004