Since it's high grilling season, you can buy grilling planks made from various delicious woods and make some home-grilled smoked salmon. This stuff is just incredible. Just buy a pack of the planks, soak them in water (or wine) for about an hour, and grill the fish on top of it with the lid closed. It's especially delicious if you can let it sit overnight before serving, but this isn't strictly necessary. The planks are usually good for more than one use, too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:40 AM on July 25, 2008 marked best answer

Also, I LOVE the following grill recipe:
All you need are jalapenos, olive oil, and feta cheese. Cut the stalk off the jalapenos and remove the flesh from the inside. Stuff them full of feta cheese, then oil and salt the skin. Grill them until you get a nice char on all sides and either cut into slices and serve on crackers or just eat 'em like an apple. The spiciest part of the jalapeno is the flesh/seeds from the inside, so if you rinse them out well after de-fleshing they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:43 AM on July 25, 2008 marked best answer

I sign my name to paper receipts, but if it's electronic I just sign as CAPTAIN AWESOME!

So far it hasn't caused any problems and more than a few laughs.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 12:11 PM on July 22, 2008

When we were in Japan in April we only ran into a situation like this once- we got to the station and tried to get a Shinkansen ticket to Osaka from Kyoto, only to discover the next train was standing room only. We decided to take the train 45 minutes later and got three comfy seats next to one another. Worst case scenario, you end up waiting at the train station for an hour or two longer than you were expecting. In Japan this is not a big deal as train stations are highly entertaining- tons... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:39 AM on July 8, 2008

I just read up on O-bon, which I was unfamiliar with, so I guess that throws my advice through the loop a bit. Still, if you can't find a way to make your reservations online, going to the train station early and booking a ticket for later might be your best bet.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:44 AM on July 8, 2008

For reference I recommend printing out KokuRyu's directions above for traveling to Koya-san on the train. As I recall that was one of the more difficult trips to navigate, and KokuRyu's directions are spot on.

He's also spot on about Nara and Kyoto. Nara is a must see. Don't let the sacred deer eat your shopping bags though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 2:14 PM on July 10, 2008

2nding A Canticle for Liebowitz.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 11:48 AM on June 27, 2008

Oh my goodness.

Firstly, you have to check out Buckethead. His style is just completely unique- I've never seen a guitarist who incorporates so many techniques. Best of all, he maintains an open taping policy, and as such you can download entire free live sets at the internet archive. Check out some of the sets from 2008- I like this one a lot. The first few links are songs from his 2007 album Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot, which is great.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:12 AM on June 27, 2008

Also on the jazz/swing guitar side, Joscho Stephan is incomparable.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:19 AM on June 27, 2008

battlecj: Robert Randolph is a blast. There are over 200 RR & The Family Band live sets on archive.org.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:41 AM on June 27, 2008

Great question. My advice: Don't buy the first buds you see. Shop around a bit. You will see tons of amazing greenery in Amsterdam and the first, second, or third samples that catch your eye will not be the best- this I promise. Keep in mind that most cafes sell it based on a certain quantity for a standard price- that is, 20 euro will get you 2 grams of strain X but only 1 gram of strain Y. I'd steer clear of the joints they sell in the cafes- you can get decent bud that way but most of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 9:16 AM on June 25, 2008

Check out the entire catalog of Agalloch.

The recommendation of Damnation by Opeth is solid. "Closure" is a total knockout, although if you can get a hold of the audio from their Lamentations live DVD I'd recommend that version as I love the extended jam in the middle (they always jam the middle of the song live). I would also recommend checking out some tracks from other Opeth albums such as "Face of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:53 AM on June 25, 2008 marked best answer

ROLL. A. JOINT.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:33 PM on June 24, 2008

The conventional wisdom is that the timing belt absolutely must be replaced at 50K, which is a fairly expensive repair as it's hard to get to. The part is inexpensive but the labor involved is costly. For this reason, most mechanics will recommend changing the water pump at the same time, because getting to the timing belt exposes the water pump. The water pump by itself gets costly for the same reason- cheap part, expensive labor- so the idea is that if you do them both at the same time... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 9:53 AM on June 24, 2008

My roommate got a sweet camping flashlight recently- it's an all-weather LED flashlight with a large primary and smaller secondary light (which can be set to blink in an emergency pattern), it charges cell phones, has a built-in weather radio, and can be powered by a crank. I highly recommend grabbing one- as long as you have it along you'll never run out of light or power for your phone, and the weather radio provides critical information if you get stuck in a tricky spot.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:06 AM on June 24, 2008

Also, on the phone thing, you may not want to bring your everyday use phone (esp if you have a Blackberry or iPhone or something) but keep in mind that any cell phone can dial 911 regardless of whether or not a provider is currently servicing the phone. In conjunction with the flashlight I mentioned above, picking up a used phone for $10 just for camping emergencies isn't a bad idea- make sure the phone can be charged by the flashlight. You may never have to use it (and I hope you never do),... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:10 AM on June 24, 2008

My iguana freaking loves bok choi. Perhaps a friend or local could use help feeding theirs.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 6:17 PM on June 23, 2008

My guess: heart-of-palm and jalapeno jelly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:53 PM on June 21, 2008 marked best answer

Call me crazy, but the classic SNES controller does it best.

There are plenty of sites out there that provide detailed instructions on how to convert a SNES controller to a USB device. Here's a video. This site sells parts. Here's a SNES controller USB converter box.

If you'd rather buy than DIY, you can do that too. This is a USB RetroPort. Buying a SNES controller to use with these will be no problem.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 1:47 PM on June 21, 2008 marked best answer

Some attribute ghost encounter stories to hypnagogic hallucinations which can frequently occur during sleep paralysis. I can certainly say that I've visited with some truly creepy beings while in such a state, but ultimately it's just a hallucination.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 12:54 PM on June 18, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions in this thread. My first festival experience was completely, ridiculously amazing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 3:05 PM on June 17, 2008

Thanks all, Lego Star Wars was exactly what we were looking for!
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 10:16 AM on May 6, 2008

Boomblox is another sweet game for future MeFites visiting this topic.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 3:04 PM on June 17, 2008

Thanks for the rundown bluefly, that's exactly what I was looking for. Regarding your last paragraph, I'm kind of split- on the one hand I feel like taking a prep course would be helpful in terms of developing a solid foundation, but on the other I want to finish my degree as quickly and cheaply as possible (I'm coming up fast on 25). I was familiar with the material at one time, but completely lost it due to lack of practice- I think that a good review will bring me up to speed, but if not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 11:24 AM on June 17, 2008

The Musical Instruments Museum is simply not to be missed if you're a fan of music. Obviously you'll want to check out Grand Place for a while, it's quite stunning. When you're ready to start exploring the city, just head straight for Grand Place- the entire area around it is a hotbed of activity, and as such there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, etc. in the area. Of course it's all somewhat tourist oriented but the areas of Brussels we visited that weren't touristy or historic were... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 4:02 PM on June 12, 2008

Van Gogh Museum was the highlight for me. That and the great buds.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 6:32 AM on June 12, 2008

She'll be fine. Both of the times I went to Warped Tour all those years ago we had a blast and didn't run into any jerks or difficulties whatsoever. Actually the people there were pretty awesome as a whole- at one of them, on a 100+ degree day, one of my companions had a water-related emergency and needed some rapid hydration...I was expecting it to be a pain in the ass to get to the front of the water line in a hurry (it was a large line) but everybody took one look at her and we were right... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 11:07 AM on June 11, 2008

Also keep in mind that Warped Tour usually focuses on punk/nu-punk/hardcore bands...it sounds like you're familiar with the music, but you don't specify what she listens to. I've been to hundreds of punk/hardcore shows back in the day, and I can say from experience that you're more likely to run into jerks at the hardcore sets. I just looked at the Warped Tour lineup and while I don't recognize the majority of bands on there, I'd say that these bands are probably going to have more... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 11:25 AM on June 11, 2008

Wow, this question could easily have been written by my wife as I'm going back to school this fall after a 4 year lapse.

The things that have meant the most to me in this time were how just completely supportive my wife has been in this. She's even put off her plans to go back to school so that I can catch up with her (she has her BA already). I'm just completely amazed by the fact that during the whole time we've been going through the process of getting me... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 2:18 PM on June 6, 2008

The cardboard tube (coke bottle, etc) + dry softener is cute, but the answer is Ozium. This product is a bacterial air sanitizer that actually eats smoke, rather than just covering it up like Lysol and other such products do. You only need to spray it in arc for about one or two seconds and it will clean out an entire room within a minute or so. The stuff is cheap, too- about $7 for a good sized canister that will last for weeks or months depending on usage. If sprayed in a room shortly... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:57 AM on June 6, 2008

(agreeing with the chorus that RAM incompatibility is probably the issue, but just a friendly reminder to make sure that you're checking the correct manufacturer's beep codes- some manufacturers use different beep codes than others)
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:39 AM on June 6, 2008

.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 6:20 PM on June 3, 2008

www.rentometer.com is a good resource for this kind of stuff.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 1:14 PM on June 2, 2008

Absolutely nothing friend, the problem is that there are people on AskMe who can't imagine indulging in any chemical substance, legal or otherwise, without that behavior being construed as harmful, addictive, and destructive. You can and should enjoy your revelries, as long as you do so safely, and yes you should probably break it off if your lady expects you to give up something you enjoy for her. That path only leads to resentment. If you really want to stay with her, why not determine what... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 1:06 PM on June 2, 2008

rather:
what the source of her displeasure with your partying proclivities is?
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 1:07 PM on June 2, 2008

When I was 16 I started taking Adderall, and by my 17th birthday I'd dropped about 75 pounds. I stopped when I was about 20, and I've gained probably 15 pounds in the 5 years since then- nothing even remotely approaching the amount I lost. I'd have to say this is because by the time I stopped taking it I'd radically changed my previously extremely unhealthy eating habits/lifestyle to something healthy and manageable.

crunch buttsteak pretty much has it- Yes, your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 11:16 AM on June 2, 2008

There's much to be said for simply having a good attitude on stage. At a show, fun is infectious- if you and your bandmates are obviously having fun, the crowd will have a much easier time having fun with you. Smile, mess around on stage a little bit (I think it's hilarious when somebody good-naturedly tries to make one of their bandmates screw up on purpose, maybe that's just me), joke with your bandmates during those silences without necessarily speaking into the mic. Drinking between... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 9:17 AM on June 2, 2008

The past is in the past. Your future together is what matters.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 4:53 PM on June 1, 2008

If you're reading this and not sawing away, what are you waiting for?
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:49 AM on June 1, 2008

You really shouldn't stress about this. Irrational, abusive people extract power from threatening or intimidating other people. The guy probably forgot any details about you or your companions as soon as the buzz subsided, and the incident just merged into the larger body of road rage incidents he's used to leverage his impotence into self-importance.

If you let this guy get to you, the psychic terrorists are winning.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 4:35 PM on May 31, 2008

Set yourself a weekly limit for how much time you can spend gaming, and then stop video gaming. Play board games instead. The great thing about board gaming is that they can be every bit as challenging and fun as video gaming, but they're inherently more social. You'll have to get a group of friends together to play, so that right there will inherently limit the amount of time you'll spend gaming. And when you do get your gaming time in, you'll be able to hang out with your friends, network,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 4:25 PM on May 31, 2008

All Things Considered from NPR, March 31 2008- Hybrid SUVs are Missing in Action
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 9:58 AM on May 31, 2008 marked best answer

The check was cashed the day after I presented it.

loiseau, I appreciate your concern and agree that that part of the e-mail may have been a bit hasty, but please understand that when you've got $500 hanging in the air I feel like you've got to be assertive and make yourself completely and entirely clear, which is exactly what I did. I told the landlord what we considered to be acceptable solutions, a reasonable deadline for the situation, and what course of action we... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 1:51 PM on May 20, 2008

As mentioned in previous threads on this subject, if your vehicle is equipped with cruise control, using it as much as possible can give you a (supposedly) 15% boost in efficiency. From what I hear the most efficient speed to drive from a gas consumption perspective is 55. I'm open to correction on that one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 12:34 PM on May 11, 2008

Definitely Widespread Panic.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 12:07 PM on May 11, 2008

I'd like to 3rd the suggestion that you try a Thai Iced Coffee some time, I've had the Java Monsters and that's really the closest thing I can think of. Find a great thai place nearby for lunch and order one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:24 AM on May 11, 2008

Get a Roomba. Get. A. Roomba. We bought a refurbished scheduler on Amazon for $150. This thing is totally amazing. Set the schedule with the remote and it takes care of the rest. You can set it to run when you're out of the house and the most you'll have to do for floor maintenance is empty the bin every so often (with pets it's usually once a day). Pick up a hand vacuum for spot cleaning and you're set.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 3:34 PM on May 7, 2008

This question is really best referred to your buyer's agent. They'll have the best familiarity with your market and your particular needs.
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 7:30 AM on May 7, 2008

Your buyer's agent wants to broker a deal with a minimum amount of work. What you are proposing sounds like more work for him or her.

If you feel like this is your buyer's agent's attitude, and therefore need to turn to the advice of strangers on the internet for home buying strategies (rather than the Realtor representing you) then you need to find a new agent.

Believe it or not, there are hard working individuals in the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 8:32 AM on May 7, 2008

Try slowing down your thought-->speech process somewhat. For example, when you're about to say something nit-picky or otherwise condescending, allow the thought to form completely in your head, review it, and ask yourself, "Does saying this improve our relationship? Is this going to help me? Does saying this convey my respect and love for my partner?" Note that it is possible to criticize or debate with somebody you care about and love with respect- this is an essential part of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by baphomet at 10:35 AM on May 1, 2008