Dan gets the boot, but the two of you chip in and pay him a month's rent so he's not under pressure to find a place and find a replacement when he gets back, which should make it much more bearable for him.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:30 PM on August 6, 2008

I'm blown away by this thread. I was taught in driver's ed (Ontario Canada) that the right of way goes right-turn, straight, left-turn, regardless of who got there first.

Same a 4-way stop? What if there's a zillion cars whizzing past and you can't even see the far side of the intersection? What if you both arrive close to the same time and then wait for five minutes?
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:25 PM on August 6, 2008

The engineer in me is already sketching out ways to do this. I've never experimented with this sort of thing before but it seems like a fun project.

Basic setup: A very heavy brick is the anchor, with a line that is simply attached to the float. But the float will bob up and down and move around a lot.

To keep the buoy from moving around laterally, you could use more than one anchor -- maybe three, in a circle, spread out, with three ropes. If... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:27 PM on August 4, 2008

Or you could rent a jam-space somewhere. That's what most people do in my city, anyway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 7:32 PM on August 3, 2008

While browsing at a used bookstore I randomly bought a book called "My Life on the Plains" by one George Armstrong Custer. It was compiled from a series of dispatches he wrote about the Indian Wars which were published in newspapers at the time. It was a great read - dramatic - and also illuminating as it allows you to see the west through Custer's eyes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:44 AM on August 1, 2008

And look, you can read the whole thing online.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:46 AM on August 1, 2008

I don't know about the unemployment but may I suggest a few things:
1. Don't quit until the move happens. Moves sometimes don't.
2. Don't deliberately hurt your company. The world is bad enough without spite.
3. If the company negotiated a lower salary with you due to the good work environment, perhaps you can renegotiate a higher one instead of leaving (or at least give it a shot before you quit).
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 7:29 PM on July 28, 2008

Could she be fibbing? Yeah, she could!

-- Why would she need the rights to the song if it's just for a 17-year-old's class project?
-- How would writing to "the UK" for the rights attract the attention of the Queen? It's not like she personally reads every letter that passes through the country's mail system.
-- Why does the London Symphony need your friend to arrange rock anthems for them?

I mean, I guess I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 5:47 PM on July 28, 2008

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but it tends to be easier to find information about events that actually happened...
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 5:59 PM on July 28, 2008

I don't mean to be harsh. But extraordinary claims require at least some kind of proof. If someone told you a very unlikely story, and there was no ready evidence that is was true, and all of your internet searches turned up nothing, would you assume it was false? Or would you decide you hadn't looked hard enough? And how long are you going to look before you decide that you're done looking?

It's tough to prove that something never happened. I myself could claim to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 6:37 PM on July 28, 2008

If you accept, are you locked in for any length of time? I imagine these units are in high demand given their price and location and if you decide you want to move, they will have a waiting list a mile long. Why not accept the apartment now, and if you don't like it, move?

Don't underestimate the benefits of having an apartment in a central location all arranged for when you move. I know from experience that it is a real pain showing up in a new, unfamiliar city and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 9:49 AM on July 22, 2008

Xubuntu is designed to run on older machines. I think it will work with 64mb.
Extra laptops are handy, you know. You can take it traveling so you have easy access to email and internet, but it gets stolen or grabbed by customs or whatever, no big deal. If you often have guests, you can set it up as a guest computer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 7:05 PM on July 16, 2008

The first thing it reminded me is the Christian image of a dove surrounded with light which (I think -- not a Christian) represents the Holy Spirit. I thought I had seen it in some big churches. Turns out it's in St Peter's. It's not only the visual style of the glow but also the placement of the lantern - above, like a guiding light - that made me recall the dove. (Awesome tattoo, by the way.)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 9:07 PM on July 14, 2008

I have heard anecdotal reports that things have toughened up in recent years and you might have trouble. My mom told me a story about a friend of a friend who's friend was denied entry due to an old DUI. Apparantly the border agents now have access to the US criminal record database and they just run your name through as a matter of process.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 8:48 AM on July 11, 2008

I've done it twice, I think I've had my fair share of fun and now I'm done, it's a big undertaking to get down there and I'd rather spend my vacation on something new. I've had some amazing experiences though and would never call it miserable (though it can certainly be exhausting). You should definitely go.

I think you will find that people are surprisingly cliquey. If you're a really social guy who can make friends easily and won't be shy about hanging around with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:08 AM on July 10, 2008

After a recent AskMe thread about EU citizenship I discovered I might be eligible, as my great-great-grandfather was born in Italy. Still doing the legwork to find naturalization dates etc. In the course of my googling I found these forums, both of which were immensely helpful:

Italian Dual Citizenship Forum
Italian Geneology Forum (currently down it looks like)

For those who may not be familiar with the process, Italy has a law... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:36 AM on July 8, 2008

A general tip for lectures that I've discovered over the years (i'm not a law student, but I imagine it's universal): it can be tempted to space out during a lecture, especially if you are given the material ahead of time as lecture notes or printed slides or whatever. If you get lost you can always study it later. That's a sure way to fall behind. Be an active participant in the lecture. As an engineering student, this meant I wrote down everything that was presented, even copying full... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 2:17 PM on July 4, 2008

They've either caused or exacerbated a tendency to see women not as people, but as a means to an end (sex, "a little son") and as types who need to be assessed and manipulated by category in order to reach those ends

Exactly what I was going to say. It is clear that you don't respect the women you sleep with. If every woman you sleep with is a conquest, what's left after you achieve your goal? Only the next conquest.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 2:33 PM on July 1, 2008

The correct direction would be more towards just finding flaws in others.
If you say you. I still think you're not being honest with yourself.

The big million dollar question, then, is WHY all women start annoying you. Why you get turned off. You said you see problems and flaws in them. What kind of problems, what kind of flaws? Can you give specific examples?
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 2:49 PM on July 1, 2008

Then the next question is WHY are you having relationships with people you dislike? Surely you know all of these things about these people before you start anything.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 3:04 PM on July 1, 2008

Let me tell a little story that I just remembered. A little while ago I was traveling in Barcelona and was sharing a room with a guy from LA. There was a conversation about women and he was asked about American girls; he said something like "they're all slutbag-whores. They'll go out with you if it improves their social status but if you don't impress their friends they won't give you the time of day". But, during my stay at the hostel he had a whirlwind romance with a girl he... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 3:28 PM on July 1, 2008

Just a question, OP: could this be a cultural thing? Where are you from and where do you live?
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 4:11 PM on July 1, 2008

Posted on behalf of my girlfriend, who reads MeFi but doesn't have an account, and first wondered if this might be a cultural thing:

I am from a Muslim country with very traditional sets of values, especially when it is concerning women, marriage, and family. I would argue that most of the world still has that traditional view on things, despite our changed outlook on the same topics in North America or Europe. I have met several people who have become very confused in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 5:13 PM on July 1, 2008

although: a nice southern lady i know built a fence around her yard. one of the neighbors complained (for reasons i don't recall) and kept harassing her, so the lady painted the side of the fence facing the neighbors bright purple and neon orange.

Funny, I once rented a room from a woman who did the exact same thing, except I believe she chose pink and lime green. Though this was just an escalation in a long-running feud. Sadly I didn't stay long... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 3:47 PM on June 30, 2008

I once stumbled across a blog called We Move To Canada. That's a good place to start. Go read the archives. They also moved to Toronto.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 9:20 PM on June 28, 2008

I looked at Gallagher lake and I can see they don't allow wood fires... I was kind of hoping to have a campfire.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 2:24 PM on June 19, 2008

Well... up bright and early on Friday morning, we checked the weather one last time. Rain in the Okanagan... and sunshine in Tofino. So we went to Tofino instead. Thanks anyway for all the advice, I will make it to the Okanagan sooner or later and this will be very helpful.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 8:25 AM on June 23, 2008

Rent it. There is no way you will be able to construct something yourself on the cheap with low money that won't suck. Trust me. I've tried.

Well, so have I, and it was totally awesome. Total cost around $40. But we were very fortunate in that we had lots of trees to tie it to. Actually, it was less of a tent and more of a big angled tarp suspended in the air. We couldn't afford a big enough tarp, so we bought some giant sheets of clear plastic... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 4:43 PM on June 13, 2008

I guess the party already happened. So, OP, did you make a tent?
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 9:55 AM on June 17, 2008

Earnest, joyful singing can be endearing and warming. Cutesy, goofball singing can be really aggravating.

Like, imagine you're on a bus and someone starts singing along to their headphones and it's like, I don't know, "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. I can't get no! No no no! A hey hey hey! It's fun to see people get into a moment like that. It humanizes them somewhat, a nice change from the walking ghosts we bus-riders tend to be.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:12 AM on June 13, 2008

Not a lawyer but I found lots of stuff on Google. See Law FAQ. Melgy appears to be correct in that he is allowed to detain shoplifters outside the store. See also this story which came up in my Googling in which security guards tackled a shoplifter and broke his teeth. The shoplifter was awarded damages because the Judge deemed the amount of force used in the arrest to be excessive. According to the Section 25 of the criminal code (cited in this case) you can only use force that is likely... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 6:54 PM on June 12, 2008 marked best answer

oaf, do you have something to back up what you're saying? The links I provided seem to indicate he is correct and you are not.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 7:11 PM on June 12, 2008

I kept Googling cause this is interesting!
In Canada, rights at the time of arrest are governed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. (wiki)

You can give them a printout of the charter to show them what their rights are, and you can point to the criminal code which says you have the authority to arrest them because you witnessed them committing a crime. Pretty hard to argue with that.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 8:12 PM on June 12, 2008 marked best answer

oaf -- as far as I can tell the criminal code makes no distinction. It says plainly that anyone can make an arrest. The charter describes your rights with respect to being arrested. Tell me where I'm wrong. And don't just say I'm wrong, link to something that backs it up for goodness sake. Did you read the Law Faq link? It is an interpretation of the Canadian criminal code for laymen, provided by a legal resource center. It *clearly* supports pretty much everything I and the OP have been... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 9:54 AM on June 13, 2008

14,000 sq miles in the US would be affected by a 1 meter sea level rise, though half of this is already wetland (source)
The US land area is 9,161,923 sq km (source)

Therefore about 0.4% of the US's land area would be affected.

Assume the global percentage is probably on the same order, maybe between 0.1% and 1%. Sound reasonable?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 3:10 PM on June 12, 2008 marked best answer

Holy crap, I might be an Italian citizen. Thanks scody. Now all I have to is track down my great-great-grandfather's naturalization records and my great-grandfather's birth certificate... hmm....
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 2:49 PM on June 9, 2008

A CD-ripping party. Invite 15 or 20 of your friends over on a Sunday and tell them to bring their laptops. Each person gets a stack of 100 CDs to rip. Afterwards they can dump the results on a network drive. Provide entertainment, food, and drink.

Oh and it had better be damn good entertainment, food, and drink, by the way. And these had better be damn good friends.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 4:21 PM on June 5, 2008

P.S. 1-5 min per CD = 3500 to 17500 minutes = 50 to 250 hrs = $500 to $2500 at a measly ten bucks an hour. With the volume of CDs you have you're better off hiring a professional than a student.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 4:23 PM on June 5, 2008

Is there a reason your current desktop is not cutting it? 3.2Ghz is plenty fast for most tasks; if the system is sluggish, a wipe and reinstall will get it back up to speed.

(I don't know if you can swap out the chips)
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:50 AM on June 5, 2008

Big guitar amplifiers are really good at picking this up too. And the funny thing is, the noise often (maybe 50%) happens about 3 seconds before a cell phone rings. So during rehearsals, if we're talking between songs or something, when we hear 'dit dit dit --- dit dit dit" we stop and everyone checks their phones.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 9:56 AM on June 4, 2008

Well, doesn't the whole process depend on network connectivity at the client site? What happens if they can't get a connection?

It sounds like they are just entering data, not doing lookups. The only problem with the current manual process is that they have to enter the data twice, right? So instead of having them write it in Word, could you not make a simple 'mobile data entry' application, which accepts input and saves it locally, then pushes it to the database in a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 11:37 AM on May 29, 2008

So if you touch a knife and fork, you magnetize them? What happens if you get a little tiny fridge magnet - does it stick to you? Can you make paper clips jump from the desk into the palm of your hand? Or is it just restaurant cutlery?
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 4:47 PM on May 28, 2008

OK while we're all here, I just saw this last night, watched through the credits because I had heard there was something after, and saw in the credits:
Animals by (Some Guy)
and a standard All animals used on set were cared for under the supervision of the society for something or other.

Now this is very important: what animals??? I don't recall a single animal in the whole movie. Anyone?
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 3:53 PM on May 24, 2008

You might really enjoy James Michener's books (e.g. Hawaii, Texas, Chesapeake, etc) or Edward Rutherfurd's (London, Russka, Sarum, etc). Both tend to write sweeping, epic tales about a particular place that follow a set of characters and their descendants through hundreds or even thousands of years of history. These are big, thick novels that are perfect Sunday afternoon on a patio reading.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 6:59 PM on May 21, 2008

OMG, I know this -- it's Bern, Switzerland!
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 10:53 AM on May 18, 2008

See also here with the fountain clearly visible.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 10:55 AM on May 18, 2008 marked best answer

If they're going to the trouble of providing housing for you, I'm sure they would reimburse you for the cost of a cab.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 9:32 AM on May 16, 2008

I am certain I recall the author (Doug Hofstadter) describing the woodcut somewhere inside the book itself.
A-ha:
A “GEB” and an “EGB” trip-let suspended in space, casting their symbolic shadows on three planes that meet at the corner of a room. (“Trip-let” is the name which I have given to blocks shaped in such a way that their shadows in three orthogonal directions are three different letters. The trip-let idea came to me in a flash one evening as I was trying to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 9:28 AM on May 16, 2008

I had brake pads replaced on my 92 Camry and I noticed some definite squeaking. I took it back in and the guy said it is tiny flakes of metal coming off the rusted undercarriage and falling onto the pad, or something like that. I've had it checked at a dealership since then and they found nothing wrong - the pads are still fine - so I have no reason to doubt him.
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 4:21 PM on May 13, 2008

Renting only sucks if you have a shitty place or a shitty landlord; if you have a nice apartment and no landlord troubles it can be fine. You are probably feeling some anxiety about selling your house and renting and now that you are in a bad rental situation that anxiety is getting multiplied. Try to keep these very distinct issues separate in your mind.

Tenant's rights:
www.tenants.bc.ca
www.rto.gov.bc.ca
posted to Ask Metafilter by PercussivePaul at 2:18 PM on May 12, 2008