You can order them online if you can't find them near you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:34 AM on March 13, 2008

If you travel internationally I'd highly recommend T-Mobile. They're GSM and possibly the only national carrier that will unlock your phone on request so you can use other SIM cards in it.

Coverage is great in Chicago, not sure about other cities - but as sharkfu mentioned, they also have an @Home service now that essentially acts as a mini cell tower for your home, and all calls made while on it are free.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 7:41 AM on March 12, 2008

They WILL interview the two of you, and they WILL expect to see wedding pictures. And this may happen more than once if my wife's green card process is any indication. This is a very bad idea.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 7:50 AM on March 10, 2008

I'd noticed this in Chicago as well - no confirmation bias either, I had never heard of the stereotype before getting a dog. And besides observed reactions on the street, our friends are also about 70% white / 30% black and quite a few of the blacks are scared of the dog (who I should mention is super friendly to everyone), but almost none of the whites.

This came up in discussion with them on a few occasions, and the best we've come up with is this. As others have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 11:46 PM on February 27, 2008

Rsync is best for bandwidth efficiency. It's a snap to setup on linux. That's just the transport program though, you'd have to setup cron jobs / etc to get things to the right place.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:18 PM on February 3, 2008

Wait, they sent you a severance check before you signed the termination documents? It's very strange they would be so lax in their layoff policies, but jerks about the phone number. Obviously the laptop is theirs, so send it back. Then cash the check and offer to sign the docs (which is very important to HR) if they give you your number back.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 10:03 AM on January 29, 2008

"That's not a good idea" is not an answer to the question. Depending on her build, losing 5 pounds isn't necessarily unhealthy (it isn't necessarily healthy either - we just don't know). And given the short time frame, I think it's pretty obvious this is probably for a specific event (wedding?). Just answer the question, folks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 3:24 PM on January 28, 2008

I live in Chicago and had this exact problem two years ago. justkevin is absolutely right - she owed you an itemized list, in writing, of all repair deductions within 30 days of your lease ending. And regardless, the deposit should have been returned within 45 days.

Because she didn't, your landlord is in breach of section 5-12-080 of the Chicago Landlord Tenant Ordinance, and you are entitled to recover additional damages from her if you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:46 AM on October 31, 2007

Not a single person I have ever known in Chicago, including myself, has received interest on the deposit. I was even told I would receive it but never did. It does not happen in my experience.

Every landlord I've had in Chicago (except that most recent) has returned my security deposit with interest.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:27 AM on November 1, 2007

I've mostly been in larger buildings too, so the management companies probably had lawyers telling them what they need to do. I could see smaller landlords being oblivious or willfully ignorant of that statute though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 12:08 PM on December 10, 2007

Well, first define "reasonably priced." Suit prices have a very wide range.

Also recommending Men's Wearhouse. Not upscale, but good quality, and they do a good job of finding you what you need.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 10:03 PM on November 27, 2007

Golan's Moving and Storage has always done well for us. Cost about $800 for a two-bedroom last time.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:30 PM on November 26, 2007

Dell switches are fairly cheap and have never failed us, and Linksys has also been surprisingly good (they're a great cheap alternative if you need PoE switches as well - 24 ports for $450). Both of them produce enterprise quality web-managed rackmount switches for a fraction of what you will pay for Cisco.

It sounds like your network is a little cobbled together - unless you have those 8-port switches at your employees desks because you don't have enough wall ports,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 11:59 AM on November 26, 2007

Makes sense. I would still advise avoiding Netgear, however.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:02 PM on November 26, 2007

Some guys aren't natural romantics, but can play it well enough when they're not face to face. I'm one of them. I've been far more romantic in long distance relationships than I ever am when I'm dating someone local. When you don't see each other a lot, you feel the need to make your gestures count more.

On another note, you've been dating a guy for three months and he's telling you how romantic he was with his last girlfiend? Not buying it... please tell me you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 11:19 AM on November 26, 2007

Did he test the signal AFTER the splitter on the 2nd floor? That may be where your problem lies. I had this same issue - the seasoned Comcast tech who finally fixed it ended up putting in a signal amplifier before my splitter. He also told me that the new digital stuff has been causing a mess with signals all over the place - I got the feeling that the equipment Comcast has in a lot of buildings isn't always capable of providing a strong signal to everyone.

Also,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:34 PM on November 19, 2007

DTMFA.

You're only torn because she's the hottest girl you've ever had. IT'S NOT WORTH THE THERAPY.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 1:22 PM on November 15, 2007

Neither. Once you're out of high school it's pretty normal to need more than simple proximity to a naked woman to maintain an erection. It sounds like she isn't being as considerate to your needs as you are to hers. Is she averse to oral reciprocation?
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:57 PM on November 13, 2007

Maybe they just need to get used to you being around. You're new, so you're easy to forget. I find myself doing this to new friends all the time - it just takes awhile to remember to include them with the regular group.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 4:57 PM on November 13, 2007

Make sure you're on the same page financially. If one person tends to rack up debt without thinking about it and the other is a saver, you better start talking about that now. Money is one of the biggest conflict starters in new marriages.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:28 AM on November 12, 2007

BootCamp gives you an option to burn a Mac drivers disk when you create the partition. Be sure to do this, and when you boot into Windows, run the setup program on that CD. It will enable all of your Mac hardware for you while running Windows.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:14 AM on November 11, 2007 marked best answer

Thirding (or fourthing or fifthing) contacting the Attorney General.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:50 AM on November 10, 2007

Your dog is being a brat and doesn't realize it. What would you do if your kid though it was okay to stomp on your toes every time they wanted some attention? You need to teach her it's bad behavior.

The most important thing to do is to not give her affection when she does this. Push her away, put her in a kennel, or whatever, but never give in to her, or it will reinforce her behavior. She needs to associate scratching people with something unpleasant, the exact... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 3:40 PM on November 9, 2007

happyturtle:

Choke collars are never good. It's not the metal, it's the fact that dogs can "get used to it" and pull so hard that they crush their trachea. Never use a choke collar.

An alternative, if you feel physical correction is needed in on-leash situations, is a prong collar. The design is such that it causes less harm and more discomfort at the same time - there is a limited amount it can pinch, the pressure is evenly... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:39 AM on November 10, 2007

Oh, and further—there are a lot of things that you can do only with film (mostly negative work), or that are so incredibly difficult with digital compared to film (again, mostly negative work) as to be functionally prohibitive.

If he's looking for discreet places to develop his film, I would highly doubt the OP is planning on doing negative work.

Unless you want to learn more about the guts of photography, there's no reason... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:33 PM on November 7, 2007

This is SUCH a sad attitude. All these strict digital adherents are missing out on a really rich artistic discipline. I can't imagine why anyone would say, "Why would you want to use film?

I think you missed my "casual photographers" qualifier.

Also everything bradbane said.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:40 AM on November 9, 2007

Mac, if for no other reason than it gives you a choice.

I prefer OS X to Windows, but if you decide it's not for you, you can always install Windows on it instead. If you buy a non-Mac PC, you don't have the option of installing OS X on it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:31 PM on November 7, 2007

If you prefer to spend money on the Apple because it makes you feel like a member of the technological elite [and man, hats off to the Apple marketers who convinced people of that], fine, but don't suggest it is a choice made for reasons of economy.

Very true. After getting my first iMac, I was completely sold on Apple hardware. But that's just because the iMac is a fantastically designed machine, that fits a lot of performance in a tiny package and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:45 AM on November 8, 2007

Other sources of infrared light interfere with it (such as bright sunlight). Also low batteries. Those are about it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:00 AM on November 8, 2007

They haven't asked you anything yet, so don't get worked up. If they do ask, just say that you don't know what resources you'll have available at that undetermined point in the future, but you certainly won't let them starve or go homeless. That should be understood without asking, but it might be the only reassurance they are looking for right now.

If they are talking about some sort of guaranteed stipend, then you have bigger problems. Losing their financial... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 10:32 AM on November 6, 2007

Any suggestions beyond a reinstall?

Here's one - don't overwrite system applications without backing them up first, and be suspect of any software that asks you to do so.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 7:56 PM on November 5, 2007 marked best answer

Well, TurboTax online will give you as close to 100% accuracy as you can get. Of course it will take a little bit to fill stuff in, but since it lets you skip parts and shows you a live running tally of your refund, you should be able to figure it out pretty quick - just fake your W-2 info and tell it which deductions you're taking.

And since they don't charge you for using it until you file electronically, it's free too.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 4:25 PM on November 5, 2007

Ask them to keep their dog inside at night, or install a dog door, as it is keeping the neighborhood awake.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 2:27 PM on November 4, 2007

Last I heard the Wii was outselling both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 by far, so the problem isn't artificially low supply but just a lot of demand. I think the Xbox may have recently overtaken it again with the release of Halo 3, but it also had a year head start on the Wii.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:54 AM on November 4, 2007

So, is this something that I should be this worried about.

Yes. You need to either to pay for training / rehabilitation, find someone who's willing to adopt her and work on her, or put her down. Otherwise, you are putting yourself, others around you, and the dog herself in unnecessary danger.

I have a friend who had a doberman from a very similar situation. He was adopted when he was 5 from a very abusive owner. He never... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:12 AM on November 1, 2007

He loves his dogs, but a dog that attacks people once can never be trusted again.

He is free to his opinions, but that is not necessarily true. This is like saying any human that gets into a fist-fight should be locked up for life. Even a well-trained and socialized dog can bite someone after exhausting other means of escape or conflict avoidance.

In this case, the dog is being forced into an anxiety-inducing situation. If... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:21 AM on November 1, 2007

...the friend sued us - in spite of the fact that we had the dog put down after he bit the child - and received $250,000 from the insurance co.

With friends like those...
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:45 AM on November 2, 2007

My bank (LaSalle) does it, but it's only for business accounts. I assume this is a personal account you're talking about.

Which begs the question, just how many checks do you have to cash if it's not for a business?
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 3:35 PM on November 1, 2007

First of all, he should not be leaving a brand new puppy alone for 7-8 hours a day. Until they're a few months old they need to go out every couple hours. If he wanted a dog but did not have the time to invest in a puppy, he should have adopted one at least 6 months old.

What you're describing sounds like separation anxiety. This can be caused by a lot of things, but the end result is that when your roomie leaves, the dog doesn't think he's coming... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:33 AM on November 1, 2007

If you stick a dog in a tiny box, remember that it's not natural, not enjoyable, and that almost any dog, given the choice, will not spend the day in one.

We let our dog roam free, but she spends the whole day sleeping in her (open) crate regardless. A lot of dogs just don't like the extra responsibility of being alone in their master's home without supervision.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 8:36 AM on November 1, 2007

This really is a terrible thing for them to do. You can't leave them alone for that long. I mean, can your roommate go 8hrs without peeing?

For a puppy, yes, this is not good. Adult dogs routinely go 8-10 hours without peeing, especially once they get into the habit. If I try to take my dog out sooner now, she won't go. Dogs usually only drink water when they're thirsty. They don't drink socially or need coffee to wake up, so they don't need to go... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 9:31 AM on November 1, 2007

If you have $750K in assets, you should have been working with a financial planner long ago. Now is a good time to start.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 1:18 PM on October 30, 2007

I don't agree that you should necessarily rush to a financial planner. First of all, your money and its safeguarding will never be as important to your financial planner as it is to you. Second of all, your financial planner may not be as smart as you are. Third of all, you're probably worth more money than any financial planner you could get to sit still long enough to hear your story, and that ought to tell you something. That said, if you really feel uncomfortable or uncertain in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 2:25 PM on October 30, 2007

If you don't know anything about investing, find a good financial planner / money manager to invest it for you. They can describe your options and still give you the freedom to choose how adventuresome you want to be with the money.

Finding a good one is the hard part of course. Rule 1 is to avoid commission-based managers; you'll want someone who gets paid a percentage of your total account value at the end of the year - that way their only incentive is to grow your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 7:50 AM on October 30, 2007

I'd take out just enough to pay a financial adviser for a few hours of advice. It's important that you not pay them commission. I'd go to the meeting with a few long-term goals and an open mind.

This is very poor advice. Investment and financial planning is not a one-shot deal. You need to be constantly re-evaluating your needs and your investment performance. If you want to do things yourself, do them yourself. But if you use a financial advisor... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 2:10 PM on October 30, 2007

roofus, maybe you should just remove all the mystery from the game and not allow people to bet on crappy hands. And have poker police walking around enforcing it.

Sheesh, poker is a mental game. Leaving people wondering whether you folded due to being barely beat or because you never had anything is half the game. House rules that force them to show is poor gamesmanship.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 7:59 AM on October 30, 2007

Lame_username:

Folding does not equal a bad call. It simply means that you lose - it may have been by a single card, it may have been by a landslide. By not showing, you keep people guessing - if you really had a good hand that just barely lost, and you can fold and leave someone wondering if you were bidding on nothing the whole time, that can work to your favor in future hands - they may be more willing to call you when you have an excellent hand.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 1:48 PM on October 30, 2007

Something doesn't add up here. Unless the spillee was pretty drunk (which I doubt, or he would most likely have found it funny too), I have a hard time imagining someone going straight from accidentally spilling a drink on you to saying "Get over it, it's not the end of the world." He'd have to be a royal asshole to do that, and in that case, his next response would probably be to escalate the conflict rather than getting offended and leave the party.

The... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 2:17 PM on October 29, 2007

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're 12 years old rather than socially stunted.

The only situation where this would ever be moral is if they both knew of each other and were OK with it. Otherwise, you're basing what is supposed to be a close, trusting relationship on lies.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 11:11 AM on October 27, 2007

Get off the computer. Go to the hospital.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chundo at 3:14 PM on October 26, 2007