You can hang lots of long noodles on a string by folding near midpoint, to dry, but you'd need a lot more strings to hang short noodles, and they would more easily fall off.

I thought about that, but then why not simply cut or break them before cooking?

long noodles are much easier to eat with chopsticks than short noodles are

I wondered about that, too, but that doesn't explain... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:29 PM on July 21, 2008

Long noodles take up the same amount of drying space as short noodles but you dry twice as much pasta. When I make egg noodles and lasagna noodles I make them about 3' long, 18" when hanging, and then break them into 4 pieces once they are dry.

Me, too. I make and dry my pasta long, but then I cut or break it before cooking, because I find cooking long pasta more difficult.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:33 PM on July 21, 2008

We don't know too much about his background at this point, but he likes to use colorful language. Mouths off a lot. Tries to be clever. The phrase in question would be, "Look, maybe this wasn't such a bonza idea..." Would that sound realistic, or phony? Thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:14 PM on May 13, 2008

Well, I think my suspicions have been confirmed, then. I don't want the guy to speak cartoon Aussie. Thanks - Best answers all around!
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:26 PM on May 13, 2008

Thanks, everybody! For the record, I went with: “Look, maybe this wasn’t such a crash-hot idea, after all…” It's not something this character is likely to say a lot, but he's doing a lot of deflecting with colorful turns of phrase in this particular passage, and I liked the way it fit into the scene.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:30 PM on May 13, 2008

If you really want to understand why a hypothetical theist would raise the issue of morality as an argument for belief, then you need to reverse the direction of your thinking and try to see it from that theist's perspective:

1) Morality derived from the word of God.
2) Atheists don't believe in the word of God.
3) Therefore atheists have no basis for morality.

It's as simple as that. You may disagree... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:41 PM on April 5, 2008

You're begging the question.

Both sides of this argument are begging the question.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:48 PM on April 5, 2008

Both sides of this argument are begging the question. [Quoting myself]

To elaborate: Either there is an absolute moral authority, or there isn't.

If there is, then said authority, by definition, gets to decide whether it's enough to simply follow the example, or whether one must also be a member of the club to lay claim to Morality (cap M). I can say the pledge all I want, I can do all the activities... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:11 PM on April 5, 2008

Again I think you are misidentifying what the question is. "God exists" is a hypothesis put forth by the theist, on whom the burden falls of defending that assertion. "Absolute morality cannot exist without God," even if true, is not a good argument in support of that hypothesis.

I'm not misidentifying the question, you're missing my point. I clearly stated they were begging the question. Which means it is not a good argument.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:48 PM on April 5, 2008

The atheist position is necessarily begging the question if you are the literalist theist on the other side of the argument. The atheist positions under discussion require comparative analysis which necessarily derive from the proposition that identical beliefs and behaviors are morally equivalent theism notwithstanding. In my experience, this proposition is not generally acceptable to literalist theists because it is negated by their own question-begging proposition that Morality is equivelant... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:12 PM on April 5, 2008

How can a position's question-begging-ness be dependent on an observer's identity? Either an argument assumes its own conclusion or it doesn't.

There you go trying to argue faith with logic, again.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:26 PM on April 5, 2008

The world is full of things that will make you uncomfortable, and perhaps now is a good time to begin dealing with that. Looking anywhere but in the potentially offending direction may cause you temporary discomfort now, but by choosing not to discomfort others, you make the world a better place, and begin to take real ownership of your own behavior.

I had a job interview once with a long-legged HR employee in an Alley McBeal ultra mini, who sat directly in front of me... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:53 PM on January 23, 2008

NorthCoastCafe, I've been in something like your position, with a good friend dying from pancreatic cancer. We spent a good deal of time together after her diagnosis, and I have a few thoughts from that time:

We talked about dying and what it might mean. Many times, actually. More often, though, we talked about life, and wondered about that. The important thing, I think, was that I let her frame the conversation. Having the conversation, on her terms, was more important,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:12 PM on January 8, 2008

I'd go with Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. The key to a serious ass-kicking.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:45 PM on October 19, 2007

Do Not Disturb
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:16 PM on October 18, 2007

Out To Lunch
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:20 PM on October 18, 2007

Dead by his own hand
Which is probably still
Crawling around here
Somewhere
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:23 PM on October 18, 2007

Your Shoe's Untied
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:29 PM on October 18, 2007

I See You
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:35 PM on October 18, 2007

What's That Smell?
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:19 PM on October 18, 2007

BRAAAIIINNSSSS!!!
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:38 PM on October 18, 2007

I have complicated sciatica, including some permanent nerve damage that was highly aggravated by a prolonged hospital stay last spring. In addition to the recommendations in the linked thread, most of which were very good, I would add:

1) I've had great relief from a new Tempur-Pedic® bed. This made more difference to me than all other treatments combined. Your (friend's) results may vary.

2) Heat/ice treatments. I apply heat then ice in 15-to-20... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:53 PM on October 18, 2007

turaho's "google and ye shall receive" link above includes Byrne explaining the origins of the move.

But I got that thing from, I saw these Japanese kids dancing in the park in Tokyo, these kind of rockabilly dancers, and then there were these kind of space cadet kids that had a completely different set of movements. I videotaped a bunch of them, and that's where I got that.

posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:46 AM on October 16, 2007

Umm - hello? Is this mike on? I just quoted Byrne answering the question. Right there, three comments up. From turaho's link half way through the thread. Byrne denies the hot dog origins and says he got it from some Japanese kids dancing in a park. He videotaped them, which is what was included in the video. Mystery pretty much solved.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:29 AM on October 16, 2007

Lots of good advice in this thread. I'd like to add one long-term coping strategy that has helped me often:

Concentrate on doing something nice for someone else. I've found that when I'm at my lowest, focusing on doing something good for another person really gets me out of myself.

Good luck to you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:36 PM on September 18, 2007

Lots of good advice here. My additional two cents: A strong interest in math and science coupled with skills and a degree in the humanities suggests you might be a good candidate for a career in technical communications. Take a technical writing course if you can. You might still be able to work in the fields you love, even if procrastination and depression have derailed your original career plans.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:07 PM on September 18, 2007

The Major-General's Song from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:05 PM on August 3, 2007

Viens Avec Moi by DeVotchKa
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:46 PM on August 3, 2007

It's both sweet and presumptuous. Borderline borderline-overstepping, yet also just something grandmas do. The fact is, if your baby's first Halloween is a special event for you as a couple, and you want to dress baby up yourownselves, you are under no obligation to take the tyke trick and/or treating in grandma's gift costume. But I would advise against lying or confronting. There will be pictures, and there's no use hiding them. Also, confronting what was surely an... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:29 AM on August 1, 2007

I know you say you haven't found any obvious pools of standing water, but finding their breeding ground really is the key to solving your problem. Have you checked the less obvious places? Gutters that don't drain completely, for example, are a common problem.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:03 AM on July 31, 2007

Bjorn Under a Bad Sinewave
or
Electroshock Therapy
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:41 PM on July 26, 2007

I've got the commute from Hell, so here's everything I can think of:

Keep a bottle of very cold water with you. Whenever you get particularly sleepy, take a long drink.
The loud music is good, but singing loudly along with the music is better (and better than yelling). It requires more thought and or work. Try to harmonize.
I sometimes slap my face and tug on my beard.
Tensing all of my muscles for ten seconds or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:54 PM on July 17, 2007

There are certain social situations in which fucking with you is considered a basic test. I've experienced this behavior in racially mixed company, in working-class bars - even in gay bars. I've found that humor is universally useful in asserting yourself without either giving away too much ground or claiming too much familiarity. But you'd better learn to have a good ear for it, too. Anyway - that's the trick that has worked the best for me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:17 PM on July 10, 2007

80's Geek Boy scenes?

Revenge of the Nerds: Pick a scene. Any scene.
The Goonies: Any scene with Richard 'Data' Wang & his inventions.
The Lost Boys: The Frog Brothers try to save Cory Hiam's life by giving him a comic book.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:28 PM on July 10, 2007

Yeah - Definitely The Manhattan Project. 80's high school dude builds an atomic bomb.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:45 PM on July 10, 2007

Using the data from the CDC site, 45.1 million "adults" smoke in the US each year (20.9% of all adults in the US), and 438,000 people in the US die from smoking-related causes each year (including second-hand smoke). That's a little over 1% of the smoking popluation dying from smoking-related causes each year.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:59 PM on July 5, 2007

Seconding arcticwoman. Clive Barker is your man. Early Barker is better for the dread factor. His novels are great, but his early short story collections are phenomenal.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:17 PM on July 3, 2007

Macallan 18 is a nice $100 bottle

Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Year Single Malt Scotch is my drink of choice. The sherry oak casks give the drink a very distinctive rich aroma and flavor, which is definitely more mature and balanced in the 18 year than the 12 year. Be aware that the price will vary quite a bit depending on where you are. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the Macallan 18 is now over $175 per bottle. The Macallan 24 year is really... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:11 PM on June 24, 2007

Tacoma is really growing, these days. The downtown area, mostly dead when I lived there, is booming now, with many new condos, restaurants, and night spots. There was a lot of new development surrounding the Tacoma campus of the University of Washington, including the Museum of Glass and a new trolly/transit system to move people around. If you want a condo, go downtown (if you can afford to).

6th Avenue is starting to boom now, too, East of Union. It's technically on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:20 PM on June 21, 2007

"What is your impression of how XYZ Church fits into the neighborhood?"

I think Tehanu's question nails it for me. I grew up in a neighborhood with church/neighborhood issues, and this question seems the most open-ended.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:54 AM on June 20, 2007

Mad Max 2: Road Warrior?
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:36 PM on April 9, 2007

Or maybe Damnation Alley?
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:38 PM on April 9, 2007

Sounds like Deuce Bigalow to me. With some obvious embelishments. Call it Deuce Bigalow, Yakuza Gigolo, I guess.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:50 PM on April 4, 2007

I'm guessing the "call me Shirley" is derived from the Airplane! line, "Don't call me Shirley."
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:40 PM on April 4, 2007

I'm guessing a cheese press would be useful for random food constricting play.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:48 PM on March 22, 2007 marked best answer

It's probably fine, but if you're on the fence, why not scrape off the tuna & microwave it in a bowl for two minutes to kill any nasties, then butter the bread, spread the tuna back on, add cheese, and grill the sucker?
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:52 PM on March 16, 2007

In case that wasn't clear, I meant nuke the tuna but not the bread, then reassemble & grill. Add cheese & tomato for toasty goodness.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:59 PM on March 16, 2007

seiryuu: Do please follow this up and tell us if you died, won't you?
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:43 PM on March 16, 2007

I think it's still acid reflux, it's just less severe. The pop rock aspect is the biocarbinates in your saliva neutralizing the acid. Just a guess, though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:07 PM on February 23, 2007

It's audible. My wife has heard it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:19 AM on February 24, 2007