A bit late maybe, but what I use when necessary is Stugeron, 15 mg cinnarizine tablets. The problem is that I don't know if you can get it in the US; certainly in one country I tried to get some, they only had 75 mg capsules, intended for treatment of vertigo. I'll generally take them in advance of encountering bad weather (if possible), for the first night and gradually tail them off over a day or two - I've been fine after taking them at the start of a three-day gale (for values of 'fine' that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:08 PM on July 23, 2008

Places I have studied and worked include a university building where certain floors require keycard access from both the lift and the stairwell - the research there involved animal experiments, and so there was greater security for protection against animal rights activists; a building where the code-locked doors got you access to such enthrallingly staff-only areas as the back of the bar, the staff coffee room, toilets, a store room and the stairs connecting them; and somewhere else where you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 4:35 AM on July 18, 2008

dhartung writes "You can go what's called "working passage" and actually make some spending money for the time ashore...."

dhartung's second link says "Can I work on a freighter for all or part of my passage?
This is the most frequently asked question I get via Email. The answer is simple. NO!"

dhartung's third link says "A common misconception is that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 12:57 AM on July 11, 2008

Acting on a set of irrational fears is not a substitute for therapy.

But we only have your word that they're irrational! CBT is all very well sometimes, but sometimes it doesn't work, especially if you haven't got it to work before. If it all seems perfectly sensible to believe that the end of the world is nigh, going tra la la oh look what a nice new iphone doesn't do much good (and I know that's not CBT either).

Can you tell... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 9:43 AM on July 9, 2008

John Wyndham's work generally has a hopeful ending, whether it's a book about climate change (The Kraken Wakes), bioenginering (Day of the Triffids) or basic post-Armageddon craziness (The Chrysalids). Of course, these days brandy is not considered such an essential part of a disaster survival kit, but it can't hurt, right?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:32 AM on July 8, 2008

Another merchant seafarer here. If you're not looking for something with such long trip lengths as your friend is doing, consider either the ferry or offshore support sectors; as well as the ship's crew, there are jobs offshore for all sorts of people working for the charterers - e.g. on pipe- or cable-laying ships, doing all the pipe or cable stuff, and leaving the ship's crew to get on with their side of it. I've never worked on that kind of ship, but apparently you'd most likely be working... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:25 AM on July 8, 2008

The first steps are to sort out what's necessary for those still living, in this case to make sure the pets are ok and that all family members stay (relatively) sane. And, depending on how long the deceased was in hospital, throwing out all perishable food products and buying some long-life milk.

The next are to do what's necessary for the deceased, the funeral and so on. No idea about your local laws, but someone at the hospital will know what has to be done about... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 6:13 AM on July 6, 2008

Remember that even if they can't talk, they can still understand a lot. So tell them - in little words, admittedly - what you're going to do, and if it's a case of 'Let's go outside! Where are your shoes? No, really, where are your shoes? Here's one of them, where's the other one? Have I looked under the sofa already?' it's entirely possible that they will understand and be able to find the shoe. Likewise, a spirited attempt to open a packet of nappies may... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 4:08 AM on July 2, 2008

If you don't know this woman, how can you be sure the note is from her? Unless you saw her deliver it, of course, in which case all the above stands. Maybe it's more paranoid to suggest the presence of a malicious or prankster third party than simply one strange lady, but it's not impossible!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:56 PM on June 30, 2008

Thanks everyone! I've already tried H&M and Gap with no joy (I found a really lovely style of not-quite-jeans in Gap, but they just did. not. fit.) but I'll be heading to M&S next, and trying Ebay as well. Replay looks like they'd be a little more expensive than I'd like, unless I found the absolute perfect pair!

I've also got a longer waist-hip distance than average, apparently, so I'll start trying on the longer styles with an eye to cutting bits off (or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 8:20 AM on June 28, 2008

If you have an ISIC, regardless of your age, you can use that to get a Young Person's (and Student's) Railcard, which costs about £20. If used on a return ticket from London to Edinburgh, that would save you money even if you didn't do any other train travel. The train takes four hours from central London to central Edinburgh, with no airport security, no having to pay extra to check your luggage and so on, and the scenery is quite pretty in places. But train tickets have a bizarre and complex... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 2:44 PM on June 14, 2008 marked best answer

Sounds like a short circuit over the compressor. This means that the unit should be fixable if the compressor can be replaced; I don't know whether or not this can be done more cheaply than just buying a new unit.

(Above comment by Lebannen's boyfriend).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 12:27 PM on June 14, 2008

The computer completely shuts off, or the display does? What are the settings for the display under System Preferences: Energy Saver: Sleep?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 9:44 AM on June 13, 2008

Mooncup = stupid name + £20 total spent on sanitary products in the last 14 months + mildly icky at times + significantly less icky than scrubbing blood out of the inseam of your jeans, off your sheets, etc. And my periods do seem to have got a bit shorter, but that could be unrelated. Because the cup's smooth silicone it may be less likely to cause yeast problems than fuzzy tampons or dry-dry-dry towels, I don't know about that.

I've also heard of a brand of disposable... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:50 PM on June 11, 2008

Wetherspoons pubs do free wifi, and the food is cheap and edible. In Southampton that's either the Standing Order on the High Street, or the Giddy Bridge on London Road; both walkable, and both Wetherspoons so no significant differences in atmosphere or lack thereof.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:30 PM on June 11, 2008

I'd be really surprised if no smoking on the balcony was enforced - it surprises me that it's policy at all. I would double check with the cruise line.

Search for ["Star Princess" fire] to find out why cigarettes and cruise ship balconies are not a good combination. Depending on just how brand-new the ship is the balconies might be made out of stuff that doesn't burn, and there may be sprinkler systems on them; there's been a whole lot of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 5:12 PM on June 4, 2008

If you're planning to travel a lot by rail and if you're under 26 or can get hold of an ISIC (International Student Identity Card, costs about £5 in the UK), you can get a Young Person's Railcard (costs abut £20) and get a third off most train tickets (although I don't know how/if there's a discount for the Tube). You can still get the railcard if you're a mature student, but if you don't have an ISIC the application form and a photo have to be signed and stamped by someone at your college; to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 8:48 AM on June 3, 2008

So here in the UK, I would probably open a notice account, that is, one where you have to give x days notice to get the money out - probably with a building society, and preferably by post for that extra time delay on getting access to the money. It is (usually? or always?) possible to get money out quicker by paying some kind of fee, but if you could go the 'trusted person' route, you could get them to keep hold of your passbook, if the thought of having to pay for your money... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 7:57 AM on June 3, 2008

You're female, young, in a long term relationship and may quit drinking alcohol? It doesn't matter what you say, people will assume you're pregnant anyway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 10:01 AM on May 28, 2008

I did this ten years ago (and loved it, definitely plan to go back one day), so don't have anything specific about current good places to go, but, think seasonally. OK, a New Zealand winter isn't going to be the same as a Canadian one - it's going to be grey and damp, when it's not just plain raining. But if you ski, think about working a season somewhere it hopefully won't rain.

I worked the summer season in the Bay of Islands and loved it, but I'd... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 9:38 AM on May 28, 2008

Suede, Stay Together? Possibly a little bit early, but definitely got that high-pitched 'you and me together'....
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:41 PM on May 24, 2008

In similar situations I've used either drawing pins (on wooden window frames) or blu-tack (on metal, be careful if paint or plaster are involved, and it may unstick itself every few days anyway, but should also work on plastic) instead of duct tape.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 7:56 AM on May 20, 2008

YES I CAN HEAR THAT SHWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! FROM THE ROAD KTHX NO LOVE.

Umm. Sorry. But yes, there is a house on my road with one of those green things on a stick in the front garden, and whenever I walk past I can hear this horrible intermittent shrieking that goes right through my head. It seems to be pretty much line-of-sight, but if anyone under the age of about thirty is likely to be exposed to your garden it should probably be something to take... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 5:27 PM on May 17, 2008

Change all your default fonts for the Japanese character set to 'Osaka'. I have no idea why this works.

For me this is Preferences: Content: Advanced: Fonts for [Japanese from the drop-down menu].

(via).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 12:39 AM on May 13, 2008 marked best answer

I realise this may be a long shot, but have you tried pressing buttons to see if you can get the red icon to go away again? Or possibly even looking in the manual to find out what it means, if you have a manual available?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:45 PM on May 10, 2008

Another data point, I think maybe I've had this too. Yes, I use a laptop with a trackpad - the same one I use to post to Metafilter, to write reports for college and everything else that doesn't find the cursor jumping all over the place. Running Firefox with an adblocker on OS X.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 12:12 PM on May 2, 2008

Have you seen a medical professional about this kind of thing since asking your last question about hypnosis?

I'm afraid I don't know anything specifically about Liverpool, but if Monday was a nice day, or maybe you were dealing with people who were feeling happy for some other reason (it's a bank holiday next week, so maybe they're looking forward to having time off?), it's quite normal that a person might get lucky with requests (like the refund and the small library... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 6:03 AM on April 30, 2008

Do you know what nationality/ies the crew will be? Either they will already have backgammon and cribbage or they are unlikely to want to learn the crazy foreigner's game.

Do you know what the company's alcohol policy is? Either you will be able to buy very, very cheap booze on board, or you will not be allowed to take any. And this isn't a fishing boat, so a slightly different level of intelligence may be expected when considering the possibility of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 2:29 AM on April 25, 2008

Cut it in half to make two rectangles, and stack them. That way there's less surface area and it's easier to wrap them securely. Wrap and secure with reusable elastic bands. And if you're my grandparents, make the bands out of cut-up rubber gloves for that extra bit of recycling.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 12:55 PM on April 24, 2008

I think the only things I normally carry that haven't been mentioned already are a very small sewing kit and, umm, a disposable face shield for CPR. I got that one free on the last first aid course I went on, it's not something I'd carry otherwise. The sewing kit is about the same size as a stack of three credit cards, and the last time I used it was when I got a splinter in my hand and needed the needle to get it out again.

A recent investigation of my grandma's handbag... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 4:27 PM on April 22, 2008

I got like this when I was horribly stressed and depressed (hello, dissertation!). It went away when that got sorted out, which took a while because I found out a few times that I couldn't reliably get myself in to the university; I'd be walking down the road and find myself shaking and about to throw up. In the short term, that stopped once I turned around and walked home again; in the long term, not so much. If you think you may have some similarly doom-laden psychological issue, it's probably... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 9:55 AM on April 22, 2008

I'm playing Vox Imperium, free, online, real-time strategy. I don't know that it's quite got a cult following as such, but it could get there. Games can last between four hours and a couple of months depending on the way they're set up, graphics are basic, documentation is likewise - but if you read your way through the forums you can find a lot of explanations and tips that aren't in the official instructions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 8:02 AM on February 28, 2008

Class Goat - that's quite odd and annoying, because looking at rosettastone.co.uk it's £69.95, which is some $25 more expensive, and a bit outside my current budget. Definitely something to save for another time, though. Thanks.

fusinki - my county library service is unfortunately not so advanced, because that would definitely have been a good plan.

bottlebrushtree, cześć, dziękuję! I'll look at that possibility another time, but I know I'll... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:46 AM on February 21, 2008

I seem to be getting this too. It's great. That said, it is apparently normal for your periods to get shorter at some point in your twenties - I'd noticed it about a year before I started using a cup, and been wondering if it was somehow down to a rather unusual lifestyle change (I didn't live, work or socialise with another woman for four months; I don't believe in the whole 'synchronisation of cycles in a house full of women' thing, but in a clutching-at-straws way I was wondering if being in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 4:30 AM on November 30, 2007

Is that renamed, as mumkin assumes, or redesignated, as in the original question?

Is anything a Scheduled Ancient Monument? A Grade Something Listed Building? Did it used to be something else? Do I think it's cheating to ask a question here when there is a possibility that you might get a prize if you win? Is there a prize if you win? Will you share it with us?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 11:38 AM on November 28, 2007

I somehow didn't notice the question title. If I had, I probably wouldn't have thought about designations either. And I can't find anything that looks like an actual answer anyway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 1:08 PM on November 28, 2007

Another variable is going to be the quality of the land; an acre of hill farm will be different from an acre of polytunnels or cornfield, even if they're all in sight of one another. Then there's the extent to which you do or don't internalise your externalities - does that cornfield need artificial fertiliser? Is it a silly question to ask what's going into the polytunnels? I think the 'minimum' figures quoted tend to be for efficiently intensively worked land, assumed to be flat and neither... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 12:58 PM on November 28, 2007

The amount of water carried in a ship's liferaft is 0.5 litres per person for three days. For lifeboats it's 1 litre per person for three days. The water comes in little plastic sachets which can have a shelf life of up to five years. Therefore, if you wanted to find some really expensive water which would be certified fit for paying guests or somesuch, you could probably go to a large marine chandlery and ask about lifeboat water rations (like this, only in Canada).

As... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 10:03 AM on November 25, 2007

Of course, if you expect to get some notice of the zombie apocalypse, it might be handy to have a few empty jerry cans (or coke bottles, whatever) kicking around, to be filled with tap water before everything shuts down. Use them up before starting on anything sealed.

I've had to refill jerrycans of drinking water in an old ship's lifeboat. If you did go that route, I'd recommend sterilising them every time you changed the water, which should be every couple of months.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 10:33 AM on November 25, 2007

Is this the stuff that I (in Britain) would call demerara sugar? I'm not familiar with kosher salt, so can't compare it myself!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 12:04 AM on November 22, 2007

If you did somehow try to take control of the domain, when law enforcement turns up you may have a harder time of explaining that the dodgy stuff is not yours. Of course, there may not be any dodgy stuff. Are you prepared to take that risk?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:33 PM on November 19, 2007

For what it's worth, some fog signals on lighthouses and floating marks, at least in Northern Europe, are being removed.

Saying 'I thought everyone had GPS these days' is all very well, but GPS alone (when it's working properly) only tells you where you are, it doesn't say anything about where the rocks are. Being able to look out of the window and see those rocks is significantly more useful as a constant indicator of your position.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 2:00 PM on November 8, 2007

Earlier this year I spent a while on a ship which had an always-on internet connection - 'satellite broadband', and that apparently cost £3k/month, although that may have included the cost of the equipment. I never tried uploading, but download speeds were equivalent to (not the fastest) terrestrial dialup. I don't think you'll get video for cheap.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:59 AM on November 8, 2007

To the OP: something like these? Unfortunately I have no idea how well any of these work, I'm just putting my research skills into practice. You're going to have to find out if they're available in your part of the world on your own, though.

To Deathalicious: Maybe it's because most people aren't comfortable talking about sex toys in public? Because, while anonymous posts are possible, anonymous comments aren't, and our posting history is accessible? Because anonymous... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 6:53 AM on November 7, 2007

Unless there is a reason the five year old can't walk, stick the baby in a buggy and go for a walk together. Or stick the baby in a sling, to get that bit more exercise while walking. Maybe you won't get as far as if you were power walking in the snazziest running shoes you own, but it'll be further than nothing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:48 PM on November 6, 2007

My family's home has a septic tank for black water and a soakaway/separate system for grey water. The soakaway needs maintenance every few years, the septic tank once in 25 years. Neighbours who don't use this kind of system, and put everything down the one pipe, need to get their septic tanks pumped every year or two. YMMV but this suggests to me that in the case of a septic tank, the less that goes into it, the better.

I believe it's also better not to put anything too... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 9:11 AM on November 4, 2007 marked best answer

Oh good lord, I'd forgotten all about this. SW England, fifteen/twenty years ago.

The 'victim' stands with her eyes shut, while someone else stands behind her, hands on the victim's shoulders, shaking her gently backwards and forwards, reciting the 'concentrate' bit. Then the egg on the head, but not as a rhyme, just gently describing what was supposedly happening as she ran her fingers over the victim's head.

Then, completely new bit! Or, oh now,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 5:18 PM on November 3, 2007

If she wants to wear a lot of black, burn joss sticks or essential oils and decorate her room with crystals, dreamcatchers and pictures of unicons, waterfalls and dolphins in space, she doesn't need to be a member of a religion to do that.

My understanding of the various neopagan ramblings that get defined as (or define themselves as) Wicca is that they can be summed up with some variant of 'An thou harm none, so do what thou wilt', which seems to be a pretty good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 6:49 AM on November 3, 2007

She claims not to know the cause of her depression". This is probably because she doesn't. This is a perfectly normal reaction to feeling depressed when a far as anyone can tell there is no disastrously wrong thing in one's life. No-one is going to magically find an answer the seventeenth time you ask what's wrong if they didn't know the first sixteen. Try believing her when she says she doesn't know. Accept that she would really like to know, because her life feels wrong... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:07 AM on November 1, 2007

VSO? Geekcorps, if that's the area your skills are in? Spend some of that money sailing around the Atlantic and Europe (and send me a postcard!)?

Ok, you've had one big adventure already, but it's never too late to have another. You've learned a lot - can you teach some of that to other people to increase their chances of success, too? But however much you've learned, you can always learn more, and at this stage I'd say preferably not in an academic... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lebannen at 3:18 PM on October 28, 2007