Two friends of mine did The Flinstones, which was easy - he didn't shave, and got an big orange beach towel he drew black spots on. She (a red head) put her hair up with a bone, did a similar towel thing for a dress, and had a ping pong ball necklace. The other couple could be Betty & Barney.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 10:34 AM on September 30, 2008

Any syncing I do is whatever the default is. (BTW, I am very much an itunes/ipod noob.) I have no playlists yet. Where can I check if I'm syncing All Songs? I looked in Preferences, and couldn't find any info on syncing.

I've checked each song in the album before, looking for odd things. Didn't find any. I selected the whole album, and did "Get Info" - nothing weird.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 2:29 PM on September 21, 2008

The album is set as a Compilation. Hmmm... and I just found another (Marty Robbins) listed as a compilation, that is also not findable as Artist or Album.

So... Is the solution to un-check albums marked as "Compilation"? What does Compilation even mean? What's it used for?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 2:59 PM on September 21, 2008

Thanks, all! Now I've got to "de-compilize" my music...
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:33 PM on September 21, 2008

Aquaman - Another good answer! I will be doing that AND uncompiling. Especially because I think certain albums should be compilations (Soundtracks, multi-artist performances).

And if anyone is interested, it seems that besides the two I listed above, it seems like a number of "greatest hits" albums (say, 25-30%) seem to be marked a Compilations.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 4:20 AM on September 24, 2008

Fireside deli on Jericho turnpike does catering.
Disclaimer: I've eaten there a number of times, but never experienced their catering.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 11:30 AM on September 16, 2008

A quick googling of "huntington catering" gave a bunch of results, with phone numbers.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 11:33 AM on September 16, 2008

Wow! Thanks, all!

Now I'll have to get to work on the "miscellaneous" pile, so I can determine a best answer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:06 AM on September 12, 2008

What Miko said. There are, I believe, a dozen Lateral Thinking books by Paul Sloane. I own eleven of them. And several others as well. And MindGames. I LOVE Lateral Thinking puzzles, and use them as "warm-ups" when I host Game Night at my house. A couple of my favorites:

1. In 1421, three men lived in the same village, within a mile of each other. They were normal/average men who traveled about the village regularly, at various times during their lives. But... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 10:17 AM on September 9, 2008 marked best answer

Don't know the origin, but I remember it from when I was a kid on Long Island, late-60's, early 70's. Can't quite remember if the "that's what" came with a punch or kick, though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:56 AM on September 9, 2008

Another data point for you... I just replaced a light weight liner with magnets, that used to move occasionally, with a heavier liner without magnets. This one does not move a bit. The overall weight and stiffness of it seem to keep it in place.

Weird.

BTW, this was one of those questions I've had in my hopper for a while, but never got around to posting. Thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:31 AM on September 8, 2008

Maybe talk to the person separately, and say something like "That was uncalled for". It's not too harsh, gets the message across, and doesn't call them out in front of others.

This is a tough one, with many possible apporaches, but it's something that bothers me quite a bit. If you don't mind my getting on my soapbox... I notice more and more nowadays, that people tend to be hurtful or rude as if it is simply their way or their sense of humor. And when... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:44 AM on September 4, 2008

By going to a bike shop, you're already on the right path (ha!). Seriously, it sounds like you're mostly set. A few things I will add, though, as a cyclist...

- Get helmets. That fit. Wear them.
- The "no tools" comment threw me for a loop. You should at least have the ability to change a tire when you ride. That means patch kit ($1 or $2) and tire levers ($3 or $4) and a pump ($20 for a mini, but I also carry a CO2 inflator). And learn how, it's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:53 AM on August 25, 2008

I don't know if it would be applicable in this case, but here goes...

I've heard that, when looking for contract labor (electrician, carpenter, etc.), and you have a "short list" of say, five possibles, ask each one of them, "If you couldn't do the job, which of these four would you recommend?" Then go with the one most voted for by the others. (This assumes that they all know each other. )

I have no idea if this would apply to lawyers.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 2:19 PM on August 20, 2008

When I make my jello brain, I use a standard jello recipe, with extra gelatin powder added. Also, I use a very light colored flavor of jello (peach or watermelon), and add a can of evaporated milk. The result is a nice flesh-colored... um, flesh. Maybe a google search for "jello mold" or "candy mold" will result in something to give you the nose, lips or baby finger.

How about some cleverly carved fruit roll-ups for tongue of dog?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 2:12 PM on August 20, 2008

For our office fridge, our secretary uses the "toss everything on Friday" policy. And everyone is aware of it. Seems to work.

Regarding theft... good luck. In my experience, you can't do anything about it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:46 PM on August 20, 2008

I have a similar complaint with my new car stero (Kenwood) and ipod classic (with 30-40GB of music). With the additional annoyance that the knob that allows for scrolling has "press in" and "press up" features that don't always work consistently. The result being that I turn the knob (this enables the Artists, Play List, etc. feature), get to Artist, then do a "press in" and (hopefully) get a list of artists. I then turn the knob to go down the list. When I get to,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:02 AM on August 14, 2008

I love fondue! I haven't had the best of luck making it at home myself, though. But some tips I have heard from experts. OK, a guy who worked at The Melting Pot, but still...
- A pinch of flour will help the cheese hold together, and not "break".
- Liquid first, then add the cheese slowly, stirring (in a kind of lifting motion) with a fork. NOT a spoon.

In my experience, white wine works well with swiss, gruyere, ementhaler, etc. But... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:00 PM on August 8, 2008

As much as I like money, I would be thrilled by an email saying, "Hey ORM, the advice you gave me was great!"

I would ride that til the wheels fell off.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 10:08 AM on August 4, 2008

I'm not sure what would be "correct" (I'm at work, and Miss Manners & Emily Post are at home).

But it's your party, you can word the invitations how you like. You want to be polite, but still be able to plan accordingly. That being said...
- I don't think it's "wrong" to write something like, "It's our treat" on the invitation.
- Putting "To: Mary Jones and guest" on the invitation is appropriate (and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 10:00 AM on August 4, 2008

I agree that getting the hang of a whetstone is tough.

I have the Lansky system, and it's pretty good. But I think my next purchase will be from EdgePro. The basic Apex model is $150 (more with different stones), but I'm leaning toward the Pro 2 ($375).

And FYI, I currently have my kitchen knives sharpened professionally. Which has been an adventure in itself. Some "pros" are better than others.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 6:26 PM on August 1, 2008

I'd say it has to do with happy hour. Traditionally, in the military, happy hour was from 5-6pm. It had to do with the fact that pilots were not allowed to drink 24 hours prior to a mission (the mission occuring the next day at 6pm). So, as long as they got their drinking out of the way in that hour, they were fine.

This is only my recollection from other people's description. (A brief google search yielded nothing.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 12:43 PM on July 30, 2008

You've got a ton of responses already (I haven't read them all), but I must give my own input because poor customer service irks me to no end. Here goes...
- Be available. But don't ask me "Can I help you?" as soon as you see me. For me, just making eye contact, and not disappearing is enough.
- Smile. And appear as if you enjoy being there.
- Listen. And don't interrupt.
- When giving answers, be honest. Even if that answer is "I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:43 AM on July 23, 2008

What christonabike said.

Fight it. With or without an attorney. I've gotten two tickets in my life, fought both (by myself), and had them both severely reduced.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:30 PM on July 22, 2008

I probably don't fit into the groove here (I wasn't impressed with "House of Leaves"), so take this for what it's worth. But I really liked the online novel John Dies At The End. Very creepy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 10:58 AM on July 21, 2008

Great question, and some great answers.

It's been said before, but I'll add my two cents...
- Science is a method of finding out about the world/universe.
- It is not a compendium of facts. This is in response to the uncritical thinkers who say "Science doesn't know everything!" True. In fact "science" doesn't "know" anything!
- Science is self-correcting. A scientific theory is a model. Sometimes that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:47 PM on July 15, 2008 marked best answer

Go for it. I am incredibly un-handy, and I stained, finished and installed base molding in my living room. And it looks pretty good.

One tip... For base molding, do it in two parts; the base and shoe molding. It takes more nailing (and costs a little more), but it's worth it. (Since your floors & walls are not perfectly even/level, the shoe molding will flex to cover any gaps. A base molding will not.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:52 AM on July 15, 2008

This company does vinyl to CD. Not quite what you're looking for, but they might have some info for you. I've dealt with them in the past, and they were quite responsive.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:02 AM on July 14, 2008

I would normally not post unless I had a good, accurate answer, but since no one else has answered yet... I used to use a Blistex product (don't remember which one), but then switched to "Lip Rescue" by Desert Essence which I now love. Take it for what it's worth.
Checking amazon.com shows the ingredients are; soybean oil, beeswax, candelilla wax, ozokerite, carnauba, shea butter, ginkgo, rosemary, vitamin E, propyl gallate, and essential oil of mint. Because... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:00 PM on July 6, 2008

By the way, did you check out this question?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:41 PM on July 7, 2008

Party at Mary's!! (I'm partial to JD.)

A quick google search turned up this pecan pie recipe.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:12 PM on July 6, 2008

Sorry. I totally read "vegan" as "vegetarian". But still, I should have thought more about it. The deliciousness of pecan pie threw me for a loop.

How about grilled veggies (eggplant, zucchini, portobellos, etc.) with JD as marinade?

And is the party still on? :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:36 AM on July 7, 2008

Desert Essence Lip Rescue (also found in health food stores).
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:16 PM on July 6, 2008

I have the Onkyo TX-8222! I bought it to replace my 20+ year old Onkyo TX-26. It's great!

As I understand it, you don't want the wattage rating of the amplifier to be greater than that of your speakers (not a problem in your case). But I'll let the audiophiles go into details.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:07 PM on July 6, 2008

I've had two people like that in my life. Part of it is common interests or "outlooks". But I think it's that you feel a "click" (or chemistry, as rtha said) with him/her, and he/she feels the same about you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:40 PM on June 28, 2008

I'm in New York. I got a ticket for uninsured vehicle (among other things), and the car was impounded. This was about 20 years ago, and things might have changed (and other factors in my case might have effected things). And, as I recall, the fine was non-trivial ($100's, I believe). And there was also the towing and impound fees. Oh, and there were lawyers fees, because I fought it.

Bottom line, don't do this. If you get stopped by the police, for anything, they will... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 2:37 PM on June 25, 2008

This question seemed... odd to me. And slightly frivilous. Then I read it over again, and I think my initial reaction was undeserved. And I think I get what you're asking now. That being said...

I think the bottom line is rationalization. People who are very particular ("obsessive" seems too clinical a word) about washing their hands have a good reason for it - our hands are, and get, very dirty. We know this, because we're around our hands all day, and we know... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 2:25 PM on June 25, 2008

Thanks! For all the input!!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:41 PM on June 23, 2008

It's funny... I just did a search for a puzzle I solved, and forgot about ("The Bridge"). And found it (and more) here. Currently stuck on "Alphabet Blocks".
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:20 PM on June 23, 2008

All the comments here seem to cover everything. But I'll add my 2¢...

I have a portable, and for the 3-4 times I've used it, works OK (don't know the brand, sorry). The connection is a little finicky. That is, hose doesn't always get seated correctly, and leaks, but that is easily fixed by throwing a dish towel on top of it. Getting your connection right is trivial. Worst case, you might have to buy a 25¢ adapter.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:49 AM on June 11, 2008

I will second the Brill. Great mower, I've had it for ~3 years, no problems. But I'll also second caddis's warning. The Brill's highest setting is something like 45mm. Not quite high enough for my tastes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:12 AM on June 3, 2008

I see that the ones I knew were already identified by others. But I'm glad the one that I was going to say was a weed (A), and should be pulled is not. I have that growing, and would have pulled it this weekend.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:52 AM on May 22, 2008

Previously (with my $.02).
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 10:49 AM on May 8, 2008

I have a friend who is in the business. When I see him, I'll ask him.

I sent you a mefimail, but didn't hear back...
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 5:27 AM on May 3, 2008

I have a Capresso Infinity grinder as well, but I find even on the coursest setting, it's not course enough for the french press (I still get a lot of sediment). But I suspect I'm Doing It Wrong.

cabingirl, deCadmus, et al... what's the secret?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:10 AM on May 1, 2008

Thank you for this question! I'm in the same boat with my Dad. And it looks like he and I will also be going the Wordpress route (and also maybe changing hosting company to GoDaddy) thanks to friends' recommendations, and info here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:40 AM on April 24, 2008

I have a small closet in my bedroom (around 10x8x4), and completely re-did it with help from some storage store (forget the name, and they've since closed down). The first thing they asked me was to count my clothes - which seems obvious now, but at the time, slightly obsessive. Once you know what you have (with a guess at future growth), you &/or the closet expert can start putting together a layout (pants and shirts take up about the same vertical space, dresses a bit more, etc.). I got a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:24 AM on April 24, 2008

IANA Doctor, Nutritionist, etc. But maybe it might help to break up the dosage so you take less, but more frequently (i.e. instead of one 15mg capsule, take a 5mg with breakfast, lunch & dinner).

Suggested dosage seems to be around 15mg; 25mg max.

More info here, here, here.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:38 AM on April 22, 2008 marked best answer

I've worked in the city while living on Long Island (Lindenhurst and Long Beach). I like it, but I'm biased. It's a little pricey, but cheaper than Manhattan.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:49 PM on April 19, 2008

Seconding taking it to a dealership. I had a problem with the seatbelt on my Acura, and I found out that seatbelts are covered under unlimited warrantee.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:44 PM on April 19, 2008