Thanks. I was hoping it might be online on one of those manual scan aggregation sites but couldn't find anything. Will call/write them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 6:29 PM on July 25, 2008

Thanks everyone, good to know it can be done right out of the box. I thought maybe it works with some sort of polarity and can detect inside vs outside loop but sounds like it is simply how close to the wire the receiver is.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 1:13 PM on June 29, 2008

Out of the ShadowsSexual addiction takes many forms, from obsessions with pornography and masturbation to engaging in voyeurism, cybersex, affairs, sex with strangers, incest, and rape. Though solitary forms of this addition may not be overtly risky, they can be part of a pattern of distorted thinking and identity conflict that can escalate to involve harming the self and others. The defining elements of this kind of addiction are its secrecy and escalating nature, often resulting in diminished... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 9:15 AM on June 1, 2008

Raw fish is problematic in other areas (parasites, mercury). Ok occasionally in small quantities.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:59 PM on May 16, 2008

Gardner's Art Through the Ages is one of the best. I own the 10th edition from 1996. There are older and newer editions. Depends how much you want to spend. It's a staple in schools. Later editions are multi-volume and more globally oriented.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 7:56 PM on May 13, 2008

Don't try to "figure it out" -- just see if something resonates within you as you stand in an artwork's presence.

I never really understood this. As if being in the mere precense of art there is some sub-conscious invisible effect that radiates forth into a passive vessel of a brain. If it "resonates" it does so for a reason, because of some pre-existing aesthetic or taste that was learned - we are not born with taste in art, it is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:14 AM on May 14, 2008

I don't think paper turns into methane, only things like kitchen waste. Might be wrong but that was my understanding, methane is a "wet waste" by-product. Living things decomposing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:15 PM on May 13, 2008

It's acid from food and sugar (sugars create acids on the teeth, bacterial by-product). Swish your mouth with water after every meal and it will save your teeth. Don't believe it? Drop a tooth in a can of Coke for 6 hours a day see how long it lasts. As a control, drop another tooth in a can of Coke, immediately remove and then rinse it off with water. The second tooth will last longer. Not complicated. Acid destroys teeth. The longer in contact with acid the worse it is.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:09 PM on May 13, 2008

Slightly outside the mainstream canning/freezing techniques these three books offer more traditional methods:

*Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition and Craft of Live-Culture Food

*Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables

*Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques for Recipes

The last is my favorite as it has tons of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 7:00 AM on May 9, 2008 marked best answer

Thanks all who replied. They are all "best answers" so I don't want to clutter up the screen and mark every one. Learned a lot here. I'm now a punch convert and will be suggesting it for parties and weddings. It almost seems like a good topic for a popular book, sort of like the recent titles "Cod", or "Salt" or "Banana", or "Sushi" etc.. it would be "Punch: the drink that changed the world".
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 7:33 AM on April 4, 2008

Medieval Latin I assume. Some of the people on that articles talk page I think can read it. First step is to put it online and give the random person a shot at it.

BTW, appropriate screen name for this question - although Boethius wrote in classical Latin, close enough :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 5:28 PM on April 1, 2008

There is no mechanism by which it would cure viral infections, parasitic infections and cancers

Not clear if it "cures" all of these things or simply keeps them in check by helping boost the immune system which then does the work. Does that by killing off bacterial cells in the gut which are a drag on the immune system. Same idea as taking pro-biotics are known to help with many disorders so are anti-biotics.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 9:08 PM on December 20, 2007

chrisamiller: it's more than marketing people, it's people I personally know. Also, it's dirt cheap over the counter chemicals, no one is making real money on this, there is no secret formula or chemical.

Justinian: I don't think your being intellectually honest, sorry, I don't trust your pronouncement that there are "no sources", it conflicts with claims made elsewhere - you may be right, but I know you have not done the legwork to support your position, your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 2:19 PM on December 21, 2007

this is a serious question stalbach, how can I prove to you that there isn't any real evidence for this?

Well, since they make the claim for 75,000 documented cases, that is very factual piece of information that should be fairly easy for someone to look into and prove or disprove - "documented" means there are documents, physical evidence. It's not "proof" of anything one way or another, but certainly it would either show them to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 9:29 PM on December 21, 2007

I'm looking for more information. THAT'S WHAT SKEPTICS DO. Christ almighty the nanny patrol is driving me nuts.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 7:10 AM on December 25, 2007

Yeah well I'm in the more delicate situation that I have friends who I know and trust (with PhD's and stuff) who have tried this therapy and reported that IT WORKS. So, being somewhat skeptical by nature, but also believing my friends are reporting something, I'm trying to find additional information, any information, about the therapy. History is full of things that took a long time to be accepted -- as I said above, usually it's never black and white - even colloidal silver... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 12:07 PM on December 25, 2007

Thanks! This is exactly the type of information I was looking for. I'll let folks know.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 10:22 AM on March 4, 2008

I wouldn't just because it's an electrical device and they are prone to fire. It's like asking for it. As soon as you put the money there it will blow up, that's just the nature of computers, if it can happen, no matter how small the chance, it happens.

I read somewhere a good place to hide money/jewels is inside stuffed toys. Get a bunch of them from garage sales, put them in a old box marked "sisters old toys - 1985" with some smelly moth balls - it would... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 6:52 PM on February 29, 2008 marked best answer

disclaimer: I do not hide valuables in my house, I use a bank safe deposit box :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 6:54 PM on February 29, 2008

On the flip side you could have songs about "small cats".
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:06 AM on February 19, 2008

I missed that, thanks ook and robocop - this must count as some sort of cross-forum double-post.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 7:35 AM on February 19, 2008

It's worth it, but consider adding another $20 for a holiday tip to your postal or UPS carrier.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 9:33 AM on January 20, 2008 marked best answer

Great Famine of 1315–1317 was brought on by heavy rains which soaked the ground: "The French, under Louis X, tried to invade Flanders, but being in the low country of the Netherlands, the fields were soaked and the army became so bogged down they were forced to retreat."
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 7:22 AM on January 3, 2008

I have read 1 book so far, Postmodernism, and found it to be difficult (as the subject is), but provides clarity of vision for a subject often of muddled origin and meaning. The author certainly makes value judgments, it is not a NPOV wikipedia article thank goodness; he takes a position in what is ultimately a political movement, but provides multiple POVs. Short book but some pages can take a long time to digest, its a "slow read", pithy but never banal.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:53 AM on November 26, 2007

The Teaching Company.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 10:22 AM on November 25, 2007

Hmm.. according to my friend who is 70 years old and has been a professional body builder since the 1950s (he even trained Arnie at one point), spacing like that doesn't matter one way or another. You should rest between exercises so as not to pull a muscle. The most important thing is just be consistent and keep doing it every day (or whatever your routine is). Don't miss a day. That is the key - so long as you do it every day for months on end your muscles will respond - the spacing on an... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 9:09 PM on November 11, 2007

m3thod4, that is why it's a good idea to have a trainer who can make changes. I see my trainer every 6 weeks or so as well as make small adjustments in the routine as needed. You still need a routine, written down on paper, that you do every day - that routine will change, but you still need to do a routine every day. Most people don't know how to go about lifting weights honestly and they either hurt themselves lifting too much, make no gains not lifting enough, and/or drop out in the long run.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 9:39 AM on November 12, 2007

Sounds like the rubber plastic seal that covers the drain is leaking. This is normal, they dry up and crack and need regular replacing. Any hardware store should have it, pretty standard size.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 12:33 PM on November 11, 2007

TiredStarling, I meant the flapper valve just didn't know what to call it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 9:20 PM on November 11, 2007

You can buy universal plastic adapters that create a sleeve between the new nob and the original prong - cost a couple bucks. I had to do this with my sweet 1950 stove. I don't know what they are called technically, maybe call an antique stove restoration place and they will know about it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 12:29 PM on November 11, 2007

Yes! Actually it may have been something different (I seem to recall there being a lot more icons throw together) but thats exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Thanks much for the quick response!
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 10:44 AM on August 27, 2007

The 12th tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh contains an omen warning that the spirit of a recently killed King would return to haunt his home city. Circa 2100 BC or so. This is some of the oldest known written literature in the world. Hope that helps.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:25 PM on March 31, 2007

Thanks for the comments. It looks like this idea is already being done. Just a matter of selling the idea to book publishers with the right business model. I suspect it will ultimately be the future of books, all digital with the "luxury" option of buying the hard copy. Kind of like hardcover which paperback never replaced.

For digital book skeptics, try reading a scanned book on Internet Archive, via Flip Book, with a laptop, on the couch - it's a good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:22 PM on March 31, 2007

Thanks all, learned a lot here. I went with buggzzee23's suggestion since it sounds like a cool hometown place which specializes in dates and they have a sampler pack with 4 or 6 different types of dates, a perfect introduction to the world of dates.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 6:43 PM on December 19, 2006

A pack of bottle rockets wrapped a map pinpointing the locations of certain foreign embassies.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 7:46 AM on December 19, 2006

National Geographic Road Atlas contains tons of little red squares marking interesting sites. I used it on my cross country road trip and found lots of neat places. If nothing else it is the best road atlas available.

NatGeo Road Atlas
NatGeo Road Atlas: Adventure Edition
NatGeo Road Atlas: RV & Camping... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 7:22 AM on August 13, 2006 marked best answer

Thanks Mitheral, that's the kind of solution I was looking for. Pretty cool little device.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 12:56 PM on July 26, 2006

So this person marked the DocuPen as best answer

*Evil laugh*
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 2:31 PM on July 27, 2006

Yeah I own a FoodSaver (great product) the problem is the seal is not reliable long term with sharp-edged book-type things. Once the vacuum seal leaks the whole thing puffs out and moisture can get in. With shrink wrap a tiny break in the seal doesn't compromise, it stays tightly bound.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 1:43 PM on May 27, 2006

redfoxtail thanks. I didn't realize all you need is a heat gun and plastic wrap. I checked ebay and there is stuff even cheaper than Uline, but that's a good site.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:35 PM on May 27, 2006

Same think happens to me. t's been observed in animals as well. Fairly sure it is pressure drop and other factors mentioned here. I also suspect it may be an evolutionary response (lightning, run for cover, don't move) but that is speculation.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 1:37 PM on May 27, 2006

We had a home inspector come out, take samples, send them to a lab - it was pretty cheap around $150 - Wash DC suburbs - the peace of mind is worth it. There can be asbestos in wall plaster, places you wouldn't expect that a pro will know where to look.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:08 AM on May 5, 2006

You gave permission? That's a mistake. Put yourself in her shoes when she hears that! She'll show ya who gives permission. Hell has no fury... you cant control people, cardinal sin. You probably meant well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 10:08 AM on November 3, 2005

Yes. I have noticed it for a long time. On my right side thoughts are more rational, on the left more bizzare and dream-like. It only seems to work during that twilight between wake and sleep, when your still conscious enough to notice, but already partly asleep.

I'd always assumed it was a left-right brain thing and blood flow and gravity pressing on hemispheres. I'd like to know why exactly, and if its possible to "train" the brain to be more active in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 9:19 AM on November 3, 2005

I looked at Lulu and they seem to require a Word document as the source. Is that not the case?
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 11:43 AM on October 27, 2005

zsazsa, I uploaded the 72mb to LuLu and added a cover and now have a book(!). Amazing. Was missing the TIFF->PDF part, thank you so much.

horseblind, its on LuLu as "Across Persia". I need to fix a spelling and content mistake on the back cover (didnt realize you couldnt easily go back and edit afterwards) so will publish a new version in the next day or two. The cost came out to $13.40 if you do decide your interested. Im just doing this so I can read the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 10:46 PM on October 27, 2005

Stay away from any oil made in a chemistry lab.. ie. use oil that humans have been eating for thousands of years. There are a number of theories that the modern heart disease epidemic tracks perfectly the introduction of modern oils. Most of these modern oils were made not for taste or health (although they claim so) but because they have properties that increase revenues along the supply chain ie. stable and never go breakdown (imagine that in your blood stream), made from cheap materials... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:10 AM on October 7, 2005

What is an AAC and how do you make it bookmarkable? I download from Audible, play the book on my PC and capture it to a MP3 file, so it's a plain vanilla MP3 file. Easier to deal with and archive that way. Basically just like any other music file, just a lot longer. Thats why I need good bookmarking features. Would iPod do that?
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:57 AM on May 13, 2005

Thanks all! Learned a lot of new things, sounds like AAC and iPod is the way to go. I'd probably go with the mini just because its smaller and lighter.

Since ther are TTC fans here, anyone know of a community forum? Not for tradeing, but to discuss reviews on courses, aspects of the course, etc..? Maybe thats another AskMe.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 6:09 PM on May 13, 2005

I checked the "Larousse Gastronomique", the French encyclopedia of cooking, and it has no mention of soft shell crabs at all, is this a new world dish? It does have endless recipes for crayfish.
posted to Ask Metafilter by stbalbach at 8:50 AM on May 13, 2005