How about a sewing box?
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 4:24 PM on July 25, 2008

I've used a Sanyo branded unit in my server closet for years. Works good, and it's very quiet.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 3:41 PM on July 18, 2008

For a non-linear, relational look at the history of technology, read anything by James Burke. Or watch any of his Connections TV series. The original series was best.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 3:37 PM on July 18, 2008

My daughter had surgery at two years old. One thing I remember clearly is that the nurses gave her a mask to play with -- the one used to administer the anesthesia. This helped immensely. Other than that it was just a fun visit to the hospital to play with toys and meet people. She didn't like it when someone else held the mask in place, but after a few seconds of her doing it on her own she wasn't able to put up much of a fight.

All that to say, talk with the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 6:27 PM on May 6, 2008

I had a similar problem a while ago. I found that someone in our household had been bookmarking just about everything ever visited since the beginning of time. I removed most of the bookmarks and things worked nicely after that. FF seems to index these every so often, so other system slowdowns were resolved by this as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 4:26 PM on April 3, 2008

What A Wonderful World

Walking on Sunshine
(whish my user name was Fry)
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 4:59 PM on March 17, 2008

You need a maintenance plan. For instance, each year you'll want to flush out the water heater. Every 4-5 years, you'll want to install a new anode rod in the water heater. You'll need to replace HVAC filters every two to three months. If you have a septic system, you'll need to know what kind, what the maintenance routine is, and where the cleanout is located. You'll have to replace flexible water supply lines on your washing machine every 4-5 years.

Put all that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 1:39 PM on March 5, 2008

I, too, have used Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover plan successfully. Buy the book or borrow it from the library. It's worth the money to buy.

Email me if you'd like a copy of the spreadsheet I made for budgeting. This goes for anyone who would like a copy. I'll share.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 4:54 PM on February 29, 2008

Let me start by saying that you don't want to use Zoysiagrass. It's a warm weather creeping grass. It will live, but it'll be the last to green up and the first to brown off. And since it's creeping, it will invade the rest of your grass, making it all look brown except during the hight of summer.

You've told us that you're in central NE. What you don't say is whether or not this is full sun, part sun, or shade. I suspect full sun since crab grass does best there.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 4:39 PM on February 29, 2008

Assuming you mean Des Moines, Ia...

Waveland
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 1:37 PM on February 29, 2008

I know I'm late to this, but I'd just throw in that I've got oily hair and scalp with dandruff. I use only vinegar, once a day.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 7:53 PM on February 28, 2008

Evolution Rage
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 7:47 PM on February 27, 2008

Gotta love science. Thanks man. I was a bit distressed I couldn't find this myself.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 2:04 PM on February 24, 2008

The slips-of-paper-in-the-hat method has gotten old and they are asking for something more flashy. Not to mention that it's a lot of work.

Tom, I got your email and, while that's not Access, it does make it easy for others to manage it. It may end up being the core of what we use. Thanks!

GregWithLime, that seems slick, but I don't know where to put it. I wish I understood these things better.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 7:25 AM on January 17, 2008

1981 Simon and Garfunkel held a concert in Central Park. Included in the performance was a song, the only one in the show written by Art Garfunkel (I think), called "A Heart in New York". Worth the effort to find if you ask me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 10:19 AM on October 26, 2007

You paint before assembly because if you paint after and the wood shrinks you'll see small bits by the edges that didn't get painted. The wood will expand and contract from season to season.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 10:07 AM on October 26, 2007

I have a six year old who is also in first grade. He is home schooled. When he does sub-par work for lack of following directions, he is simply told "that's not good enough, go back and try harder".

Sometimes he's frustrated or angry that he doens't earn a reward or get to move on to something more fun. In those instances we sometimes just tell him that, like it or not, he has to do it. Other times we'll explain that if he'd done it right the first time,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 5:38 PM on October 18, 2007

Dubliners?
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 1:36 PM on August 8, 2007

Mt. Elbert. Pertiest place I ever been - or in the top 3 anyway. It's a laid back hike to the highest place in the highest state.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 8:24 AM on August 3, 2007

Again with the magic of vinegar. Add 1 quart to a bath and soak at least 10 minutes. I suppose you could also soak a towel and apply liberally. This was the prescription for my father.

It's gentle on the skin and the budget. It's also good for your laundry, killing whatever may survive a washing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 9:24 AM on August 1, 2007

Nthing vinegar. With an infant, a diaper-wearer and a bed wetter in the house, not to mention me gardening and coming in soaked in sweat, 1 cup of vinegar added to the washer as it's filling always does the trick. Keeps the washer gunk-free too.

We line dry when we can and that always helps too, but isn't required.

Vinegar can be had at my local Wal-Mart for ~1.20/gal. It's also useful for cleaning kitchens, bathrooms, floors, cabinets,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 7:23 AM on August 1, 2007

If you aren't looking for undergarment protection, but large wound protection, go to walgreens and ask for a surgical abdominal pad.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 8:38 AM on June 21, 2007

Set up an IRA.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 3:05 PM on June 14, 2007

Read this definition a year or two ago, on this site I think...

Irony is when I poke myself in the eye while putting on safety glasses.

Yes, like most queries these days, it's been discussed already.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 2:33 PM on June 14, 2007

Many places recommend Borax, sprinkled around the living space and in hard to see spots. Some say sugar should be added, and baking soda too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 8:11 AM on June 14, 2007

I've used the free AVG on my DSL for 5 years and haven't had a single problem in all that time. Of course, I am running behind a router, a hardware based firewall, and a software based firewall.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 10:54 AM on June 12, 2007

I've had the surgery. It's a bit worse than the disease, but recurrence is slim. Anyway, when I needed to rinse, I remembered something my wife was given by the hospital after childbirth. It was a plastic squeeze bottle with a J-shapped nozzle. When the bottle was inverted, water could be squeezed out the nozzle spraying upwards. It's less convenient, but a heck of a lot cheaper than installing a bidet.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 10:21 AM on May 30, 2007

If you choose to take it in and make a table out of it. You can put it on a furniture dolly to make it mobile. I like the idea of bringing it in out of the weather.

I'm in Des Moines, with similar weather conditions as you. My A/C is stored in an unheated garage. I've only been able to make the units last about 5 years. After that time, the hot/cold cycles fatigue the metal and the coolant leaks out. After that I can refill it, but it only lasts for 3-6 months -... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 2:30 PM on May 22, 2007

We've been through this with our kitty. Her's was just over her tail. Our vet drained it. Eventually the skin over the area died and fell off. Antibiotics were prescribed and administered for about 10 days. After a couple of months you'd never know anything had happened. It looked oozy and icky for almost a week.

I think you have nothing to worry about. Check the wound daily for any sign of infection, just in case.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 11:05 AM on May 22, 2007

Jack Horkheimer!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 1:23 PM on May 21, 2007

Des Moines Art Center
Spaghetti Works
Botanical Center
Salisbury House (English Tutor Mansion)
Blank Park Zoo
Brass Armadillo Antiques
Majestic Lion... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 10:49 AM on May 18, 2007

Oh, and welcome!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 10:49 AM on May 18, 2007

I've vacuumed my cat for years now. Learnt it from my gramma.

To acclimate them, start with the round brush and pet them with it. Then attach the hose to the brush and do it again for a few days. Then add a running vacuum in the room, not attached, for a few days. Finally, hook up the vacuum, with the little venty thing open. You may like to switch to the upholstery brush to prevent it from suctioning to the feline.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 12:16 PM on May 16, 2007

I used to have very bad dandruff. Always itchy, sometimes scabby. Yuck. Then I tried vinegar. What can I say, I was desperate!

I put some into an old shampoo bottle with a pop-open lid, wet my hair, and dribbled it on, and rubbed it in. It stung. But after three days of that, the itch (and stinging) was gone. After a week, most of the flaking was gone. After two weeks, there wasn't any sign of dandruff.

Now I use vinegar, with a good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 7:59 AM on May 16, 2007

One more thing. Time. Cook them low and slow.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 6:37 AM on May 15, 2007

Pickled eggs, pickled sausage, pickled anything really.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 1:32 PM on May 14, 2007

Certain varieties of bamboo are invasive. Others stay where they are planted. Please read up on this or talk to a nursery/landscaper.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 10:33 AM on May 11, 2007

One cheap and ugly solution is to get to the home center and purchase a sheet of cellotex. It's a foam board insulator with a shiny side. Cut to fit into the windows. While it will darken the room, it will also reflect most of the heat entering through the windows.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 8:35 AM on May 11, 2007

For the record, it's a person named Art Garfunkel, not a group named Garfunkel Art. Art got his start when paired with Paul Simon. They were Simon and Garfunkel.

Anyway, I hope the only sound your computer is making now is silence. If you'll excuse me, I have to take a call. It's Mrs. Robinson. She's homeward bound and is about to cross the bridge over troubled water.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 8:28 AM on May 11, 2007

Bag Balm.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 8:19 AM on May 10, 2007

When establishing a budget, the tool (legal pad, software) isn't where you start. The plan is. Having recently gone from just where you are, to having and running a budget for many months, I feel your pain. Money runs you, not the other way 'round.

So tell us, does your primary income arrive twice a month? (If so, I can share my spreadsheet with you. Just send me an email.) Are most of your bills paid monthly?

A budget is nothing more than... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 8:29 AM on May 8, 2007

Alfredo
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 8:06 AM on May 8, 2007

You could just mix up some salt water. Or apply a thick coat of 1980's Chrysler paint. That always worked well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 12:49 PM on May 4, 2007

Having rather limited information about your distress, I can only conclude that hers are emotional choices and you are seeking factual evidence for such. That's not speaking the same language and your argument is doomed to failure.

As stated several times, you cannot easily calculate these things, and that's probably for the best. If you value your relationship, you should be talking to her, not us.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 2:56 PM on May 3, 2007

Cooking with Google:

researchbuzz.org/wp/tools/cookin-with-google/
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 6:38 AM on May 3, 2007

Suspended swimming pool!

Okay, more seriously, you could suspend a large piece of 3D art. Or even a large picture suspended 4ft or so as a false ceiling. You could even have some low-voltage lighting hidden above it providing ambient light up and off the ceiling.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 1:30 PM on May 2, 2007

River Raid
Zaxxon
Donkey Kong
Galaga
Lady Bug
Adventure
Yar's Revenge
Pitfall

I wasted my youth.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 10:58 AM on May 2, 2007

You may be having trouble because there's already a word for it: communism. The only difference from traditional communism is that the community lacks a center in meatspace. The center exists, just in bitspace. Think "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need".
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 7:02 AM on May 1, 2007

If you want to keep him as a friend, don't do this. It will change the relationship. It doesn't sound like he can afford this, and eventually he'll miss a payment or two. They he'll start avoiding you. Don't do it.

In ten years the truck will be junked, buy you could still have this friend. If you really want to help him, give him the truck or sell it and buy him something that will fit his need.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 11:55 AM on April 27, 2007

I like lemon, ground pepper, and savory or rosemary.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kc0dxh at 11:44 AM on April 27, 2007