How about a "Brudbåge", i.e. the "Bride's Arch"?

It's an archway that is covered in leaves and flowers [birch leaves, traditionally]. It is placed somewhere over the aisle in church (I've seen ones either at the far back, or in the middle of the church), and the bride and groom walk under it on the way to/from the altar.

The archway is then moved from the church to the location of the dinner, and set over the place where the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 6:36 PM on July 24, 2008

I'm not sure it answers the question exactly, but have you read the CIVIL CODE PART IV: FAMILY on the Ministry of Justice's website? It covers adoption and what is considered legitimate/illegitimate.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 6:17 PM on July 24, 2008 marked best answer

Agreed that the Swedish isn't all that great, which complicates the translation. If it was me, I would read it as having a break between "[name]" and "om", because that makes the most sense. If so, I would translate it like this:

Since if I break it off with [name], or if I'm even in love with you, though luck, because I'm moving.... With the "tough luck" being directed at the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 4:46 PM on July 22, 2008 marked best answer

You could try the local newspaper too, see if they are willing to run a story on your looking for your roots in Norway through the old photos. I know that my hometown paper in Sweden runs human interests stories like that sometimes, and that someone located long-lost relatives like that. It might be worth trying, anyway, to see if someone there might be able to help you identify who they are.

Note that "Pladen opbevares" means that the photographer kept the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 12:08 PM on July 20, 2008 marked best answer

Start by digitizing the pictures and cleaning them up a bit (if you don't have the skills to do it yourself, there's a Flickr group that will help you do photo restorations). That way, you will at least have copies of all the images for later.

Even if you can't display all the pictures themselves in original, you could make a nice coffee table type book out of the scanned ones. I scanned a whole slew of old pictures and used them in a photo book (via blurb.com) for my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 9:12 PM on July 20, 2008

Could you accidentally have made some change to the Normal template that is opened when you open Word?

Rather than trying to figure out what you changed and change it back, try rebuilding the normal template. Find the location of "normal.dot" (in older versions of Word it's "C:\Documents and Settings\YourCurrentUsername\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates"). Open the folder, rename "normal.dot" to something else (like... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 8:59 PM on July 16, 2008

I recommend getting a credit card, but only if you can pay it off in full each month. If you have the self control to not (or hardly ever) carry a balance, it's a good idea to have one.

As you correctly identify, it helps build your credit history - which is a necessity these days. Also, a credit card can be a much better alternative for some things than using your debit card, because you have all kinds of consumer protection built into your mainstream (i.e.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 12:17 PM on July 13, 2008

I recommend checking out some graphic novels, as the genre is alive and well in comics. There are lots of comics that I would say captures the "noir" feel in addition to David Lapham's excellent ones. I recommend "Criminal" and "Sleeper", as well as 100 Bullets.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 7:05 PM on June 20, 2008

If I were a manager I would seriously not even want to know about this.

That kind of attitude would make you part of the problem rather than a part of the solution. A good manager knows that anything that affects the team negatively can end up decreasing productivity. Therefore, it needs to be on your radar screen so you can find a way to mitigate against it.

Something like this, that is lowering team morale, is important to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 2:51 PM on June 16, 2008

A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell, which is about the Italian resistance to the Germans during the last two years of WWII. I read this book when it came out in 2005, and I still think occasionally about the characters in it.

The Richard Sharpe series and the Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. If you liked those, try all his other historical fiction - they are pretty much my go-to page turners. Similar to the Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books, which are... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 10:41 AM on June 15, 2008

When I worked in archeology, we had a ritual for when we finished all the fieldwork on a site.

The head of the project would get a stack of new quarters minted that year, and we would toss one into each of the excavation pits as we refilled them. I'm not sure that's a "profession" thing, though, as much as it was a tradition within the company.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 5:56 PM on June 14, 2008 marked best answer

- Run disk check and defragmentation tools once a month or so
- Always run an anti-virus and anti-malware program, make sure to keep it updated with the latest definition files
- Make sure there is either a software or a hardware firewall between the computer and the internet
- Use a program like CCleaner about once a week to remove temporary files/clean the internet cache/keep the registry clean
- Learn to monitor processes/always-running... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 4:38 PM on June 11, 2008

If there have been a lot of people working on the project, it's really easy to forget someone in the acknowledgments - even if that person has been a huge part of the work. It's very likely just an unintentional oversight. (If it was intentional, then that's a whole other issue.)

My big boss gets credit for things I do all the time, but if others at the same level as you are getting thanked (and your predecessor got thanked last year), then yes, it's an issue. Morale and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 8:39 PM on June 9, 2008

beagle has the exact right answer. There is no doubt in my mind that they would be interested, if you got the right person - and that person would be the curator. If you can't get in touch with the right person by calling the Mission, try contacting the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) at the California Office of Historic Preservation. They would know who best to contact.

As for verifying its origins, the curator at the mission would be able to say if it might... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 7:07 PM on June 6, 2008

I work on China/Taiwan issues, and I've been getting similar emails from supposed Chinese publishing houses about papers I've written, about photos from my time in Asia, etc.

I am fairly certain that these are a version of the "who's who" scam that nomisxid linked to. They will ask to publish her work, then charge her for a copy of the book - if there even is a book to get. I just delete them these days as spam.

There is a legitimate... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 3:41 PM on May 28, 2008 marked best answer

The one thing I know that has tripped up some of my relatives flying in from Sweden has been the U.S. restrictions on carrying liquids, gels, and aerosols through security in your carry-on luggage. If you want to carry things like toothpaste, lotion, or asthma medicine onto the aircraft, everything must be less than 3 liquid ounces and be carried in a clear plastic bag. The above link goes to the TSA regulations.

In my experience, the TSA agents take the "clear... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 9:38 PM on May 25, 2008

Roosevelt Island, then take the Potomac-side path (the Mount Vernon Trail) south to Gravelly Point to watch the airplanes. Later, go south to Fort Hunt (abandoned coastal fortification/WWII Intel base). Sometimes they have Sunday concerts in the park. It's five miles south or so of Alexandria, and it's right next to Mount Vernon, too.

There are all kinds of things to see along the Potomac river path going north of D.C. too. Take the C&O Canal towpath up to Great... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 10:17 AM on May 22, 2008

Is it possible that part of it is a normal abbreviation? BTQ in particular could be a company or database data. So "BTQ standard" maybe.

Looking at some of the other answers: Boutique stand? Beat Q:s ToDo?
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 5:47 AM on May 18, 2008

This was the way I was leaning, but it's good to know that others would deal with this in a similar way, and for similar reasons. I guess I'm just used to moderating forums and being called out on every little thing...

Deleted! And thanks to all.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 4:38 PM on May 9, 2008

Farscape:The Peacekeeper Wars would never have been made if not for the fan outcry after the cancellation. I think La Femme Nikita was saved for an additional season after fan outrage as well.

And yes, Star Trek is kind of the grandaddy of all "save my show" campaigns. Of course, that was letters at the time, not emails.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 8:26 PM on May 5, 2008

It's my understanding that cats eat grass and other plants to induce vomiting, in order to get rid of hairs they ingested in the course of grooming themselves. If it's an indoor cat, eating household plants would have to suffice in lieu of grass.

Tulip flowers (and yes, the flower in your picture is indeed a tulip) are not inherently poisonous - only the bulbs are. In fact, tulip flower petals can be used in salads to add color - they are edible.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 8:36 AM on May 3, 2008

When I got my International MBA at the University of South Carolina (ranked #2 for International Business), two of my classmates had pretty mediocre undergrad GPAs. One person (2.6) made it in on the strength of his essay and the fact that he had 5 years of relevant work experience. One person (2.3) had to appeal the "no" decision, and ended up going in front of the selection committee and pleading his case. In the end he swayed them and got in, but he was really passionate about the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 7:58 PM on May 2, 2008

I would suggest that you ask the salary question once you have a good feel for the job and the company, and once you have decided you would like to work there.

As the interviewer, I like to get this question at the end of the first interview, if the interview went well and there seems to be mutual interest. It shows that you are not afraid to broach a touchy issue, and generally that you have a plan and an idea of what you're looking for.

Not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 7:41 PM on May 2, 2008

I had something similar, where it looked to me like the formatting was the same, but Word would still see it as having formatting issues (as opposed to spelling issues). Do you have "Mark formatting inconsistencies" checked under the Tools:Options:Edit tab? Try using the format painter to copy formatting from a non-marked paragraph to a marked one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 10:25 AM on May 1, 2008

I wrote a whole paper on Wendigo and similar myths as an anthro undergrad. If I recall correctly, the very specifics of the Wendigo myth (evil spirit, possess those who ate human flesh) is pretty localized to the US northeast.

But there are lots and lots of cannibal myths around the world, and many of them involve the eater taking on some of the characteristics of the eaten person. That's one of the ostensible reasons for cannibalism, i.e. eating an enemy to gain his... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 11:49 AM on April 30, 2008

I use AVG Free right now, but I have been thinking about switching to Avast as well -it's getting a lot better reviews lately.

Another question would be, what about your firewall? It sounds to me like you were using the Norton all-in-one internet security, not just the anti-virus. If you are using a NAT router and the XP firewall you're protected already. But if you want to be extra safe you might try a free software firewall too.

I like Comodo... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 5:13 PM on April 28, 2008

I used to be an archaeologist, and like elendil71, I also got the dinosaur question a lot.

I did a lot of urban archaeology throughout the southeast, though, and that almost always entailed having people stop by the site. The most annoying and common question then was always "So what you digging for? GOLD?!!?". Man, people thought it was the funniest question, and we heard it over and over every day...

If I say where I work and with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 4:52 PM on April 28, 2008

I would recommend Wordpress over Joomla. WP is super easy to use, especially with the new dashbord in 2.5, while Joomla is very powerful but not very user friendly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 9:19 PM on April 23, 2008

The most common Chinese font families as far as I know from my own research for work are Ming (aka Song, because it's based on the Song Dynasty writings), Hei, FangSong (may also be called "Li", I think), and Kai, but there are various varieties. Here are some visual examples available for traditional and simplified characters. For more font examples, see the Twin Bridge font pack. Note that some fonts will only support traditional characters, not simplified - and vice versa, as the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 11:17 PM on April 22, 2008 marked best answer

Is it possible to have a headset where I sometimes use the earbuds for sound, and other times have sound come out of my speakers, while I still use the microphone?

Like others have said, this will normally drive your teammates crazy. But you can fix this easily by using the push-to-talk button and binding it to no volume.

"This script will mute the game volume while you are speaking to keep game sounds from coming... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 10:38 AM on April 21, 2008

oops, my current headset is Plantronics, not Panasonic...
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 10:43 AM on April 21, 2008

I would personally never do it, because it wouldn't sit well with how I want to behave. So I would say unethical. More importantly, however, I think it's both unnecessary and might make some potential commentators hesitate to post comments in the future.

There are some good advice above. I would suggest that you 1.) Post as yourself in response to a post. 2.) Ask a friend or two to make some additional comments. 3. ) Contact anyone you would like to see posting a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 10:48 PM on April 19, 2008

1970, born in Sweden. My mom sang to my older brother and me all the time, with my dad joining in on very rare occasions. As young kids it was usually as part of playing - so children's songs, singing rhymes, songs from kid's TV, that kind of thing. She would also sing folk songs and psalms a lot. She used several psalms as waking up songs - the most common was "Morgon mellan fjällen", which is pretty annoyingly rousing when you are a teenager asleep and dead to the world.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 10:28 PM on April 19, 2008

I just did this using javascript. It's nowhere near as nice as the example you linked to, nor as flexible as the other options mentioned (and won't work if your visitors generally have javascript turned off) but it works pretty well for my purposes.

You can't post code well here (I tried), so I put the code up in a .txt file, if you want to look at it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 9:27 AM on April 19, 2008 marked best answer

I've had problems with this before too, and I think it may be an instance of Excel not working like it should. I can't get it to do it correctly either, not with Excel 2000 nor with Excel 2003.

I dug up this excel tips page that explores the same issue, and the tip to get around it is to use IE to open the file through a macro.

For me, it was too much work for the links I needed. I ended up just making the PDF file itself easy to navigate (with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 3:50 PM on April 17, 2008

Special-K got it - that's what Picasa does.

Note that progressive images take up more space on your server than doing what JJ86 said. If you want to use progressive images, you should still make sure that the image is the same size as how you will use it on the page.

Also, make sure that you correctly define the size of the images in your source code, so the browser knows to allocate the space on the page for the image, even before it loads.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 4:00 PM on April 15, 2008

Definitely a bug going by or some dust being blown by close to the camera. A fairly large suspended particle in the air is entirely consistent with the air in China, even on a relatively pretty and calm day.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 4:00 PM on April 14, 2008

There are two parts to your wordpress blog - one is the wordpress install with files on your web server - that includes your templates, images, wordpress files, etc. - and one is the mysql database that holds all the data from your blog and that is probably residing somewhere on phpwebhosting.

First off, take your site offline to stop further degradation. The fastest way would be to FTP into your web space and change the password/username in your wp-config.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 1:34 PM on April 11, 2008

It's going to be hard to find scholarly articles yet. Most good academics would probably want to spend some more time studying the situation before they write serious analysis on it.

But I would focus on finding magazine articles in publications like Foreign Affairs and the Far Eastern Economic Review, that might have some more in-depth perspectives than the regular newspapers. They also do forums and online commentary, where you might find some additional perspectives.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 9:27 PM on April 8, 2008

Fragile China: Beijing struggles with unrest in Tibet.
From today's Daily Standard, by Gordon Chang (who wrote "The Coming Collapse of China").
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 8:30 AM on April 10, 2008

I would guess that it is probably some sort of certification mark, used to "certify regional or other geographic origin, material, mode of manufacture, quality, accuracy, or other characteristics of someone's goods or services, or that the work or labor on the goods or services was performed by members of a union or other organization. " (USPTO). But what it would be a certification mark for, I dunno.

Or perhaps it's the name of the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 9:11 PM on April 8, 2008

Seconding Riverside Park - I spent a lot of time there two weekends ago. It's such an oasis in the city, and there are all kinds of animals and birds, along with nice wooded paths to walk on right south of Grant's Tomb.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 4:06 PM on April 8, 2008

The Swedishop you linked ships to the U.S. - I've used them before - so that is an option, albeit not inexpensive.

As for where to buy them here, I'm not sure. How about calling the closest Ikea, they sometimes have them for sale (usually in the late summer/early fall, for crawfish season). I think they are called "cressets" in English. You might try a candle store or similar and see if they have any idea of where to go to buy them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 7:03 PM on April 7, 2008

I would say that it does have some things to do with maintaining as many sorts of ties with other countries as possible - for the very reason that you raise, how Taiwan is being marginalized globally. There are only 23 countries in the world that recognize Taiwan, and this is a good way to reach out beyond that circle.

I compared the list of countries with official diplomatic relations (23), with the countries where there are sister cities (34). There is only overlap on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 10:11 PM on April 5, 2008

...once its public, it not just public at flikr, its public on the big, wide internet.

This bears repeating. Flickr photos get picked up all over the place unless you lock them down with friends/family privacy. I've had my pictures show up all kinds of places online without me doing anything to promote them (admittedly, my pics are under a CC share alike license). With pictures of kids, it's definitely worth considering putting them up online... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 11:55 AM on April 5, 2008

Just for any others finding this question, who might not have Access 2007 available to them, the Mail Merge Toolkit (which I use for some emails at work) will allow you to assign files to attach to emails, very similar to how your regular mail merge fields work.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 5:24 PM on April 4, 2008

I would agree with those who say that you have to look out for your own safety as well. But I applaud you for deciding to do something next time. I've been in the same situation, and I am still feeling guilty for not doing anything.

One thing that might help is to think about how to mitigate against what's called the Bystander Effect. Basically, it states that people are "less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when other people are present and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 5:15 PM on April 4, 2008

Don't suck up, but be gracious, and the sincerity should show. It's usually pretty easy to tell when someone is being genuine after a job interview or not.

This is so very true, and excellent advice.

Just write a note (email or letter) and explain like what you did in the question - which came across as both articulate and focused. Then make sure to follow through with your intentions. People who show continued growth and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 6:31 PM on April 3, 2008

I have had them before, and I think they are just called "Cream cheese buns".

I found a recipe here that looks pretty decent:
http://auntyyochana.blogspot.com/2006/08/cream-cheese-buns.html

Redone here with some variation and better inside picture:
http://mamafami.blogspot.com/2008/04/cream-cheese-buns.html

Looks yummy and definitely doable.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 6:07 PM on April 3, 2008 marked best answer

With plain html files, there is really no other easy way to do it, to be honest. Just make a copy of the front page, change the items that vary, change the coloring of the "tab" in the menu for that page, and you are done. Since you have only five other pages, making changes to the menu shouldn't be so bad. (Though I just finished an update project where I had to change the navigation interface on 200+ flat html files, which sucked, so in theory you are certainly correct.)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gemmy at 8:29 PM on April 2, 2008