I second Marrakech. I stayed at the magical Riad Kaiss, and the dirham is a lot more tourist-friendly than the Euro.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 12:50 PM on July 4, 2008

Have you been on any kind of long-term medication (not necessarily for mental or mood disorders)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:40 PM on July 1, 2008

As long as you don't mind not being able to drive on freeways. A scooter obviously takes up much less room than a car, so you will be benefiting your fellow traffic-weary L.A. drivers while also contributing less smog. And of course, the weather is perfect for it!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 9:05 PM on June 2, 2008

StudioFlat rents nice, clean (albeit tiny) apartments at the rate of £450/week. The flats are in a beautiful Georgian building right in Notting Hill (although this might not meet your away-from-tourists preference).

I can also recommend the Hotel Filosoof in Amsterdam. It's a nice walk from the center, provided you don't get lost (but expect to get lost lots of times!) Also, look into the Amstel Botel - it's a hotel on a boat a la the Queen Mary,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 11:48 AM on March 24, 2008

My girlfriends call it "bad atmos." It's the feeling of watching the Rose Parade on TV New Year's Day, being trapped in jury duty, waiting in a long line at the pharmacy, and anything else that just makes you feel a little more depressed and uncomfortable about being human.

My brother used to call it "keno," after the feeling of being in a Vegas hotel restaurant at 7 in the morning with a raging hangover, the sounds of ringing slot machines clanging... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 11:22 PM on March 12, 2008 marked best answer

Yes, you should move. As a native Angeleno, I've come to hold firm the idea that any transplant to L.A. who does not want to be here should, by all means, leave. This may sound harsh, but your own displeasure doesn't help make L.A. a better place, only worse for those who want to be here. I think most transplants would be surprised to realize how much their kvetching about L.A. is frowned upon by locals.

L.A. is crowded enough, and in this day and age, you can write from... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 11:43 AM on March 11, 2008

Wonderful, thanks. All great suggestions (except the one about not leasing - sorry, pal, not very helpful).

Keep 'em coming if you can!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:36 PM on January 13, 2008

Oh, and nothing unusual (that I was aware of) happened to the car before it was experiencing the problem. In fact, I was out of the country for six months, during which time the car was only driven once a week to prevent the battery from dying. And it's an automatic, so I couldn't have physically thrown it out of gear....
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:43 PM on January 13, 2008

odi.et.amo, how do you hear a difference between "could of" and "could've? I can see it in writing, but the sound pretty much the same to me.

Of course, everyone laughs at me when I say "iron" too, so I may be at a disadvantage. Pravit, are you parents immigrants? Mine are, which I've finally concluded is the reason behind my pronouncing certain words "wrong."
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 11:24 AM on December 30, 2007

I wonder, would she have said it if a black person had been in the room? If not, then racism could have been the underlying impetus behind the comment, otherwise why would she feel the need to censor herself?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 5:30 PM on December 29, 2007

I had a very similar problem, only mine was that I consistently felt as if I were "walking crooked." I visited a neurologist and had an MRI, but the tests were normal. It didn't occur to anyone to be an inner-ear infection, but one doctor believed it was anxiety-related & I was prescribed medication for it. It seemed to subside, but not entirely. Finally, the episodes just seemed to diminish on their own, which makes me think it could have been an undiagnosed ear infection all... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 5:20 PM on December 29, 2007

I know people who like Rudy's on Sunset in Silverlake (cheap), and I used to go to the Vidal Sassoon hair academy in Santa Monica (also cheap, but it took FOREVER).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 5:08 PM on December 29, 2007

I recommend the pine tar soap from the Grandpa Soap Company. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 10:56 PM on December 4, 2007

For what it's worth, consider buying refurbished from Apple's website. I have had 8 (new) Macs over the course of my life, 4 of which were lemons. I went with a refurb model with my MacBook Pro because they are presumed to be "rigorously tested," they cost less and also have a warranty. If you buy new you might risk getting a system with flaws that have been overlooked (example: my boyfriend's 14-year-old son tracked his new MacBook from China only to find that when he got it, the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 11:09 AM on November 28, 2007 marked best answer

Maybe sell them on eBay and donate the money to the deceased's favorite charity?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 6:38 PM on November 21, 2007

I've had these experiences many times. After getting over the initial phase of being freaked out by them, I concluded that the experiences that follow my dreams are actually manifestations of my sunconsious somehow knowing where my life is headed, based on my present circumstances.

That's the only way I managed to rationalize it, anyway.

Like yours, the dreams were usually benign, and even if I felt a call to action, there was little I could do without appearing crazy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:31 AM on October 30, 2006

I have never heard of déja vu or anything related as being the symptom of a psychiatric condition. If anything, it could point to epilepsy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 9:01 AM on October 30, 2006

Do you have any collected concert/club wristbands? Wear as many at many as you can.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 7:13 PM on October 23, 2006

Oops - as many as you can.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 7:14 PM on October 23, 2006

Campers has very sexy, warm boots.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 2:20 PM on October 20, 2006

I love Jet Rag (super cheap and stylish vintage wares) on LaBrea.
I'm not too thrilled about American Apparel's founder, so I avoid them at all costs. But Target is great, I think.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 10:55 PM on September 24, 2006

I have had many of the same questions, and found a lot of them answered here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:43 AM on September 22, 2006

I should add that it's a paid subscription ($15?), but really worth it, in my experience.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:44 AM on September 22, 2006

This exact same thing happened to me. I ordered a graduation gift, it was supposedly delivered by USPS with a tracking number saying it had been delivered, but it was nowhere to be found. Someone at my company's shipping said this happens often: The USPS says it's been delivered while it's actually stuck in a post office somewhere. I gave up. Three months later the item was delivered - damaged. Of course, by then it had been too late to return it to the sender, since they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 6:00 PM on August 29, 2006

I understand the car will be worth less to the dealer at this point, and I'm willing to pay all the cost of the depreciation plus any early termination fees. My question is whether it will negatively affect my credit, since I will be terminating the lease early.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:17 AM on August 17, 2006

Thanks, all!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 7:22 AM on August 9, 2006

I have been on an alternative documentary kick all this year.
I was going to recommend Grey Gardens as well. Also:
How's Your News?
Off the Charts: the Song-Poem Story
The Legend of Leigh Bowery
The Nomi Song
How to Draw a Bunny
Keep the River On Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale
New York Doll
Mad Hot Ballroom
Grizzly Man
Z Channel: A... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 3:37 PM on July 26, 2006

Yes, I guess that's true -- I didn't see a single person under 30 at the Bowl the other night
when Belle & Sebastian played.

Funny, I saw quite a few. In fact, at 32, I felt quite old. And I was in the box seats!

The rooftop of the Downtown Standard is very scenic/scenestery. I second the Short Stop
and MJT. You can also always find worthwhile suggestions here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 4:21 PM on July 13, 2006

Sorry, I actually took a comment at face value, but I'm not ashamed.
Sarcasm is played out anyway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:59 AM on July 14, 2006

Was he an independent filmmaker or did he work with a studio? If he worked with a studio & you knew which one, it might be easier to determine which archives to search through. Also, the Margaret Herrick Library might be helpful, as well as the UCLA film & TV Archive.

I'm curious to see these films too!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 12:16 PM on July 12, 2006 marked best answer

I find myself looking at the clock at exactly 9:11.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 2:43 PM on July 8, 2006

Pasadena Museum of Art has jazz on the terrace on weekends.
Downtown South Pasadena is nice, especially Buster's.

I second Burger Continental, even though I've only been there for their bellydancing weekend brunch.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 4:20 PM on June 30, 2006

BTW, if you didn't like Hollywood or L.A., you still might like Pasadena. It's much different, even if it still is L.A. County.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 4:22 PM on June 30, 2006

I rented Honey Kalaria's Bollywood Workout on Netflix,
and I sweat so much that I bought it (a steal at $6.99).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 10:40 AM on June 30, 2006 marked best answer

Thanks. I just wanted to scan the thumbnails of the videos to see which films are worth downloading for an editing project (which is why it would make no sense to bring them in on another drive). IT wouldn't be much help; I've tried getting past filters for legitimate business reasons before without any luck. I'm also not sure it's worth evading the proxy, either. (Peacefire is also restricted.) I could understand if the filtering software was trying to restrict access to the site in order to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 3:03 PM on June 28, 2006

I live in Koreatown. It, too, is central. Biking here is easy, and there are tons of historical apartment buildings that are well-maintained, affordable, and have lots of character.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 7:48 PM on June 18, 2006

Some puns:

"Later, tater."

"Your spuddy."
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 11:12 AM on June 15, 2006

Native Valley Girl speaking: I second the museums already mentioned.

If you go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology (which is great), there's a great, cheap all-you-can eat vegetarian buffet at Govinda around the corner. (It's also the Hare Krishna headquarters. I'm not a Krishna, but damn, the food's good.)

If you'll be here on a Saturday, take a walking tour downtown, then catch an outdoor movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 10:28 AM on June 2, 2006

By the way, I've written quite a bit about the L.A. area for a recent travel writing class.
(Pardon the self-link, but in this case, it may prove useful.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 10:33 AM on June 2, 2006

Being half Croatian, I spent many summers on the Croatian seacoast and loved it. I recommend Dubrovnik and Hvar. However, I don't recall many of the beaches I visited there being sandy...
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 7:59 AM on May 24, 2006

I've read recently in a children's book on manners that when someone asks for salt at a dining table, it's good manners to pass the sale & pepper together (which I didn't know). Also, when you're leaving your seat at the table, put your napkin on the chair, not the table...
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 11:32 AM on May 19, 2006

salt, I mean.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 11:32 AM on May 19, 2006

I've used this word to describe what you're saying:

ef·fu·sive (i fyÁÆsiv), adj.
1. unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve: effusive greetings; an effusive person.
2. pouring out; overflowing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 12:23 PM on May 16, 2006 marked best answer

It has nothing to do with culture! They simply sound like awful people.

I'm American and don't know anybody like that. Of course, the minute I run across someone intolerable, I immediately terminate relations with them. You're in an unfortunate position because you can't really do that. But you can draw the line, as you say.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 12:12 PM on May 11, 2006

I'm in a similar position, and I'm not sure I believe in finding "the one" in a world with 6.6 billion people. All I know is that the person I'm with loves me, and I love being with him, and any doubts I have are probably arising from my own anxieties over the notion of "the one."

I think if you're happy in the here & now, that's all that matters.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 5:20 PM on May 10, 2006

If you like sushi, Sushi Spot has the best sushi I've ever tasted, and it's in Tarzana. There are no museums directly between the two of you - the Getty would be out of the way for both of you. If you're dead-set on museums, one of you will have to be willing to travel a little further to meet at one.

I also second the Calabasas idea. Sagebrush is lots of fun. There's also good shopping in Calabasas as well as the Leonis Adobe Museum, though it would be a bit closer to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 3:06 PM on May 2, 2006

No, that's not it, but this film looks great, too...
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 1:48 PM on May 1, 2006

It's difficult to say without hearing it, but it could a harpsichord, saw, theramin or xylophone...
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 9:42 AM on April 23, 2006

I was once in a particularly bad earthquake at that hit around 4:00am. As I lay in bed with window glass shattering around me, I distinctly remember thinking, "Oh, well, may as well go back to sleep."
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 10:46 AM on April 14, 2006

Tokyo Delve's in North Hollywood is interesting/funky. Jerry's Deli in Studio City is also fun, though it's a chain. Also, one can take the train to Hollywood & Highland, where there are quite a few restaurants.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Lillitatiana at 8:28 PM on March 19, 2006 marked best answer