The best thing about being in a long term relationship must be the fact that I can read Glamorama or the latest Terry Pratchett on BART without worrying about what it says to potential suitors - because what I want in a mate and what I want in a novel are two different things entirely.

Wait, do these people only read books that agree with their world view? I think it's one thing to break up with someone because their world revolves around Ayn Rand or The Secret and it's... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 12:51 PM on September 1, 2008

When I used to hang out at my dad's shop, almost everyone brought a friend to chat with. I can't imagine being able to read a book, but if it's on your leg or something, perhaps. I think bringing an iPod isn't a bad thing, but the artist may want you to be responsive, at least at first, to make sure you're not phishing out?

I think tips are appreciated, but not always expected, depending on the kind of place you're going. If it's a one-man shop, it seems less necessary... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 11:09 PM on August 27, 2008

I got hit on too often on the early ddials if I used my real name (Amanda), so I went by "Guck" or "Gucky" depending on how lazy I was when I /h'ed that day. I've been using it since 89 or 90 on bbses and ddials.

(Gucky was a childhood nickname because my two-year-old cousin couldn't say duck, and thought I was one because I was hanging out on a pier feeding them. My aunts and uncles thought it was funny and used it from then on out.)... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Gucky at 9:05 PM on August 26, 2008

I'm surprised at all the JUNO hate (which I agree with) and none for KNOCKED UP. I mean, same considerations, but worse.

We're supposed to think that it's heartwarming that the slacker dude is pressured into some semblance of getting his shit together temporarily while the girl who can't deal with the reality of her pregnancy in relationship to her career and future plans, so just passively accepts what happens. Let alone the secondary Paul Rudd relationship, which... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 11:51 AM on August 24, 2008

Or you could just buy rental bowling shoes online if you don't mind the word "RENTAL" stitched into the side ;) . They're $30.

(I don't advocate them. They were just the third result for "bowling shoes rental purchase")
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 7:58 PM on August 20, 2008 marked best answer

I'd go with the Spinal Tap song "Cups and Cakes".

Or, to be all memey:
- All Your Cake Are Belong To Us.
- Mai kupkakes!
- sudo bake (or sudo bake cupcakes)
- FTP (Fine, Tasty Pastry)
- Cakerolled.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 7:46 PM on August 20, 2008

I find the "war on Pandora" ridiculous, as those "Buy on iTunes" and "Buy on Amazon" buttons have cost me over $600 in the past year - in fact, the only music I've purchased that wasn't a used CD from Amoeba. All artists I wouldn't have purchased or remembered without Pandora.

Muxtape, to me, is on much shakier ground - what with the more easy play on demand, the lack of link to anything vaguely related to purchasing and the perpetuation of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 10:05 PM on August 18, 2008

A slightly Pepsi blue FPP about shirts that are junior high hilarious and an article that the founder is slightly kooky.

Huh. The web's empty again, huh?
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 5:06 PM on August 10, 2008

If you really want to go with Japanese\Chinese symbols, you could go with something like this, meaning "long life."

A number of kids in my grad school smoked a brand of Chinese cigarettes called "Long Life".

The more you can simplify the symbol, the nicer it will look at it ages. Redder and lighter fade faster than blacks, etc.

Congrats. The money you're saving on cigs certainly... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 4:55 PM on August 10, 2008

The most recent bachelorette party I went to started out at a burlesque dance class getting a private group lesson. Then he headed out to a big dinner - we went for just nice Thai - and then went to an '80s themed "prom" at a local small dance club.

I've run into bachelorette parties at Broadway-style shows, the drag waitress restaurant, Buca di Bepo, bowling alleys and - my favorite - the roller rink.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 11:11 PM on August 8, 2008

I fully expected him to drive a prius.

Tall people and a Prius do not mix in the least bit.
posted to MetaTalk by Gucky at 11:11 AM on August 8, 2008

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 8:42 PM on August 7, 2008

In the last four years that I've had a Mad subscription, I'm continually surprised at how good it is. They're running strips by Joey Sayers and other "more edgy" comic artists, they're political and I haven't had a month where I thought it wasn't worth the money.

That said, while I think Jobs is ripe for a satire, this is a joke that would have been best as a single strip. By the end, I was like, yeah, yeah, I get it.
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 8:04 AM on August 7, 2008

That's the first time I've wanted an iPhone. It is the perfect size for a deck. What a great idea. (But alas, being iPhoneless, I can't check it out.)
posted to Projects by Gucky at 6:50 PM on August 5, 2008

These look dorky as hell, but the cost is right, and I don't think fashion would be high on my list if my choices were these or nothing.

I've been looking for new glasses and have a picture of Sigmund Freud with me as the example of the glasses I want. Sure the side arms are clunky, but the front frames are awesome cool.

I third the I'd pay $100 for a pair and send the remainder to folks who need 'em.
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 12:02 PM on August 4, 2008

My Canadian ex husband couldn't order food in Georgia without pointing to items on a menu. There are plenty of people for whom accents are difficult. I agree that overdubbing sucks, but making sure people are understood is a good thing, yes?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 9:56 AM on August 3, 2008

Wow. I thought I was too cynical to let things like this get to me, but that grand jury report has me weeping.

How the hell can people do something like this to another person - let alone a kid? I hope to all get out that there are wonderful foster homes for rest of the Kelly children.
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 3:46 PM on August 2, 2008

And of course what is so maddening is that with the political will and the money and properly funded social programs much of this could be changed.

There were services that Danieal was eligible for - free - that she didn't receive and they're listed in the report; physical therapy, school, medical care. But her mother couldn't be bothered to fill out the papers, was too embarrassed for someone to see her daughter in public. Those services benefited the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 3:51 PM on August 2, 2008

"Let's have a picnic. A picnic with a gun!"

I believe it was only released to cable due to "controversial content", so you had HBO in the '80s.

I still question why my parents let me watch this when I was very young. I felt disappointed when I got to junior high and no one offered me speed OR acid to get through art class.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 2:57 PM on August 1, 2008

Won't someone not think of the children?

I was vaguely with him in a non-committal way until he asserted that teachers were being driven from schools by over attentive parents. Funny, I don't think any public school teacher I've ever talked to would say that parents are taking too much interest in education as a whole.

(That, and he brought up New Trier bringing back memories of picking fights with the bitchy rich girls that were always doing... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 3:00 PM on July 31, 2008

So, I can only speak from my own experience, but I am not the prettiest girl in any group, but I often played the outsider role in my 20s when I tolerated such things.

I like immature boy things - video games, D&D, etc. My attempts at small talk with very "girlie" women fall flat if I get stuck on my typical topics of excitement. They don't understand how I can love cartoons and I can't fake make up or fashion, just because it shows that I don't care. What... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 10:23 AM on July 31, 2008

A certain amount of middle school involves being miserable. Or at least appearing to be completely miserable to your parents. It's the time you're figuring out who you are, what you stand for and what's next in life and how that conflicts with small and large societal pressures. If you're happy the whole time, you'll end up being one of those people that never moves beyond it.

In other words, I was just like your niece - including the drawing. I got beaten up for drawing... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 4:24 PM on July 30, 2008

I've been doing far too much business travel, so I happened to see this sort of thing in the SkyMall catalog. It seems be what you're looking for.

I have no experience with it besides knowing of its existence.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 2:39 PM on July 30, 2008

My company has been working with a number of clients on sustainability in the last few years. Quite a few consumer electronics manufacturers have complained that the Best Buys/Circuit City/etc of the world won't allow them to cut down the amount of packaging they use due to fear of shoplifting, etc. They also worry that they'll lose shelf faces if they do reduce package size. Work with your buyers now, today, to refocus what the heck they're saying.

You've got an... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 1:13 PM on July 30, 2008

In undergrad, my teacher's interpretation of it was very similar to misha's, although many in the class had that THELMA AND LOUISE interpretation -- the world was not one she could live in, blah blah. We did a compare and contrast of The Awakening, Passing by Nella Larsen and Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. I jokingly called it the "pettiness of women" semester.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 8:25 PM on July 28, 2008

I think I wrote this question on Ask 3.5 years ago almost exactly.

I had never lived alone in my entire life and with split custody of my kid, I suddenly had half the week empty.

Here's what didn't work for me:
Leaving the TV on for the noise of people. Maybe it'll work for you, but it made the quiet even more sad and sucked up my time. I tried it for a bit and then eventually canceled cable. I got NetFlix and caught up on the movies... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 1:42 PM on July 28, 2008

I'd handle it similarly, but with guidance towards someone you do trust for coding work, etc. "We're set up for integrating design and coding. Although we're always glad to work with you, we feel that neither you nor our company would get the best arrangement from this. Local firms/freelancers such as X, Y and Z specialize in simply coding and can get you the results you're looking for with greater efficiency than a shop like ours in which design is so integral to our working process."... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 1:16 PM on July 28, 2008

These days, despite the difficulty, I'd bet Harry Potter, at least based on my daughter and her classmates a few years ago.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 9:10 AM on July 23, 2008

I taught within an art school (college) with an MFA degree. Due to accreditation, those without graduate degrees needed to jump through many more hoops and prove professional equivalent, etc.

In the 5 years I taught there, I never met a DA. However, my area of specialty is advertising, so I wasn't spending the majority of my time with the fine art teachers, but rather advertising, graphic design, computer arts and film folks.

If you win awards or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 5:39 PM on July 22, 2008

Everyone who says Chicago is walkable hasn't tried to carry groceries a few blocks in the winter - even with the L.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 5:33 PM on July 22, 2008

Every little girl has that phase. I gave my daughter unicorns and pegasus toys when she was that age. They're very compatible with princesses (the skipper to the princess's gilligan so to speak), but they're not. And they were enjoyed long after as she got into her horse phase.

She may love Klutz kits that are targeted at girls and they let her take a more active role.

Even a gymnastics ribbon wand thing.

or you could hit... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 2:31 PM on July 22, 2008 marked best answer

Everyone is different, so, as always YMMV. But, when I had my kid, I wanted everyone just to get the hell out. I wanted to crawl in and nest with the kid. "Helpers" really just wanted to see the baby, play with the baby. If someone had paid for a maid service to come in, clean the house using only organic stuff when I was walking the baby around, great.

This social obligation feeling you're having now. If your experience is anything like mine, it will seem... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 7:47 AM on July 22, 2008

I work with some incredibly respected designers pitching and presenting their work and taught ad school for years. I'd echo a lot of the criticism.

The second best advice I was ever given in school was, "If you make your interviewer think it was really produced as student work, you're hireable." I think all the criticism you're getting is, although people like your work, it's the kind of work that teachers like, that design schools create, but that demonstrates... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 7:48 PM on July 21, 2008

Yep. My daughter was recently locked out. She spent a while getting into Bella Sara and that sort of thing and when she came back, her account didn't work. It pissed her off enough she decided not to register her newest one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 4:57 PM on July 16, 2008

Upcoming fits your criteria.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 9:29 AM on July 6, 2008

This isn't just day care, this is luxury day care specified by upper level management's whims to the level that makes it unattainable by the people who don't make the gigantic salaries over there. It's unaffordable because they designed it to be unaffordable.

It's the Whole Foods of kid care when most people would be happy with better than McDonald's.
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 10:30 AM on July 5, 2008

Google just figured out that it was sitting on a goldmine of liability for agreeing to look after the little brats of confirmed snobs all day.

Did you even read to the second page of the article? It's the opposite. They are building a snobby daycare for the kids of everybody there and expecting the rank and file to pay snob prices.
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 10:31 AM on July 5, 2008

I've only heard it as an accidental alert, as in, "We can't put 'Better Tasting' on the can! That's an accidental alert to people who've never tried it. Let's go with, 'New, full-bodied recipe' if we can squeeze that in the character count." But I don't think it's a universal. The industry is phenomenally good at coming up with terms that only exist within a particular agency.

I taught advertising copywriting for years - and have read far too many books about... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 12:50 PM on July 3, 2008

One step better is the place that advertises "Fresh" Seafood, leading to grammar snobs like me being very concerned about the quotes and why they're there.

As someone who's written for shelf-stable salsa and beer, be more afraid of "the fresh taste" or "fresh tasting" than scare quotes. Legally, quotes don't do a thing. The difference however between "Chocolatey topping" or "rich chocolate taste" vs.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 12:53 PM on July 3, 2008

On top we've got a lamp, a Chumby, a DLP projector (for watching movies in bed) and typically a glass of water or Coke Zero.

The top drawer is the same thing as everything else, the grownup playtime drawer.
The middle drawer is mine. I keep a dream journal, pens, my passport.
The bottom drawer is my husband's. It is one of the few places in the house that are none of my damn business.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 10:28 AM on July 2, 2008

I moved from a major college town with minor tech job opportunities (UIUC) to silicon valley and then we recruited a lot of friends and friends of friends, etc. The only people who regretted jumping before they got a degree were people who were uncertain that they really wanted to be software/hardware/web folks and then weren't motivated enough to accomplish projects in the work world.

You get a degree to get a good job that you're interested in and that gives you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 10:21 AM on July 2, 2008

In addition to winning the War on Drugs, drugs are now salting the earth to curse future generations.

And this is so much better than cops needing to outfit breathalyzer guns to detect THC as well how?
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 1:36 PM on July 1, 2008

Open Me. I'm a dog. by Art Speigelman. Awesome book.
(I'd second The Stinky Cheese Man as well.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 3:58 PM on June 30, 2008

Are you using the same giant jar of vitamins? I've found that the smell/taste of some vitamins got me sick when they got older. I don't know whether or not vitamins can totally go bad, but they went bad for my stomach. New jar, did just fine.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 1:01 PM on June 30, 2008

Great Schools has ratings that include parent reviews, test scores and more.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 3:12 PM on June 27, 2008 marked best answer

Infringement usually hinges on confusion. The fact that Devo just put out a (terrible) kids' CD through Disney records targeting the same demographic as Happy Meals doesn't help.

Or the fact that my eight-year-old daughter opened up her Happy Meal, said, "Look! A Devo toy!" without prompting and then gave it to my husband all excited about getting a "Devo toy" for him based only on her exposure to a few Devo videos and "Dare to be Stupid"... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 11:25 AM on June 27, 2008

also, The Weekly World News is a tabloid parody. They're just so into the deception that they won't ever admit it.

Also, they're out of business. I really miss Ed Anger.
posted to MetaTalk by Gucky at 1:49 PM on June 24, 2008

The child of an acquaintance of mine was diagnosed with ADD and after they worked with the doctor to select medication, the child had a terrible reaction to it - aggressive, sick, etc. Then they tried another - speedy, couldn't sleep. Then the third after two days worked like a charm (and isn't in your list).

My adult ADD friends have related similar stories to me. That finding the perfect med is great, but it's trial and error and the reason they have so many is that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 6:40 PM on June 19, 2008

Once again, the collective you is truly awesome.

My daughter will be jazzed about it as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gucky at 2:54 PM on June 19, 2008

I kept waiting for the punchline.
Then a gentleman took e and got naked.

And then I thought perhaps people who laugh at this haven't actually been surrounded by this at 3am in a warehouse/1 am in a danceclub before. Or maybe they have too much.

Sometimes parody is tamer than reality.
So, really, where's the punchline?
posted to MetaFilter by Gucky at 2:52 PM on June 19, 2008