Two things: he's gotta fix the windows, and you need to make sure you have a place to live. In most municipalities, rental units have to be kept in a certain condition, and there are all sorts of rules about what is allowed and what isn't. Go find out what those rules are in your area. I'm guessing that windows that open and close fall under that category. Second, don't threaten not to sign the lease unless you're ready to leave right now, and you know where you'll stay tonight. That one... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 8:18 PM on August 4, 2008

I think it's a fair assumption that if it's on the torrent sites, it's either out on DVD, soon to be out on DVD, or the filmmaker or company has uploaded the doc themselves, in which case the entire question is moot.

I think what you're really after is a way to assuage your guilt rather than a way to monetize that torrent-guilt. I'd suggest Netflix combined with purchasing those DVDs you find particularly fantastic. Directly contributing money to filmmakers you like... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 2:46 AM on August 1, 2008

Check your mefi mail. I might be able to be of some help to you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 8:22 AM on July 14, 2008

There's a full hand-wash on Melrose, a couple blocks east of Fairfax -- I think it's on Genessee or Spaulding & Melrose -- and they do a really great job at a fair price, and there's no automated anything involved. They wash, soap, and rinse all by hand. A couple weeks ago I took my car to one of those conveyer belt places like you describe, where the automated parts just apply the soap and water and the guys do the actual washing, and I found it to be about the most disappointing car wash... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 12:29 PM on July 12, 2008

As for the ethics, I always figured that buying a film or song or album or whatever, allows you to enjoy it forever, no matter the medium in which it was originally delivered to you.

But that's not the way it works, Marxfriedrice -- purchasing the dvd allows you to watch it ON THAT DVD -- it doesn't mean you can walk into a store and steal the blu-ray version (or an old VHS copy) if you like. The general fuck you the internet has given to copyright... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 2:37 PM on June 29, 2008

This is why incessant is worried over nothing. The traditional entertainment media business model is doomed....The idea that "more movies won't get made" is, of course, ludicrous. Nobody has to buy a DVD anymore, right now, today, and the box office still has $100 million weekend after $100 million weekend because no hard drive will replace the big-screen communal experience.

If you guys are really interested in exploring further whether or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 11:11 PM on June 29, 2008

4 Non Blondes aren't grunge, not by a long shot. Linda Perry may wear grungy clothes in that video, but their music was solidly alternafolk. Nada Surf isn't grunge, either -- they were too late, and Popular, while a great song, is alternapop. If your blog post were about Weezer and its early contemporaries, they'd be perfect, but they don't fit here. I wouldn't put Blind Melon or the Lemonheads in the category, either -- Blind Melon qualifies more as a jam band, and they never had much to do... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 9:15 AM on June 27, 2008

At the risk of not answering your question at all, I think there might be a way around all this. Consider how much you could sell the television for, how much a comperable television might cost at your new location, and how much shipping/insurance would set you back. If the TV is newish, it might've depreciated too quickly for this plan to be worth it, but if it's older and you could swing a decent deal on a used TV in your new location or you're interested in upgrading, that could accomplish... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 7:49 AM on June 25, 2008

Not to be flip, but if moderate drinking before sex had a negative affect on conception, then we'd be a planet full of morons.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 2:50 PM on June 14, 2008

My wife's family still hates the Turks, although the Armenian Genocide (yeah, I capitalized it -- you wanna rumble?) occured a few decades before the Holocaust. Were she to have married a Turk, you can be damn sure that she'd've been disowned -- and these aren't country bumpkin Armenians, either, but rather college-educated Armenians, very liberal, very European. Ask them point blank and they'll claim they aren't anti-Turk, and I think for the most part they aren't, but I've seen my own wife,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 4:24 PM on June 10, 2008

The general rule of thumb is that the shorter time frame you need the money the less risk you can bear, and the less risk you can bear the lower your expected return. The other general rule of thumb is that you only play with money you're able to lose. I would make a stab and say that the money you need to purchase another house with is probably money you can't lose. If that's the case, then find decent-yielding online savings accounts, 3.5% or 4% is what to expect here, or go searching for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 2:12 AM on June 10, 2008 marked best answer

I don't know anyone in Charlotte. I've never been to North Carolina. I don't read the papers there. I don't go to parties there. I don't have a court case pending in the area, and I've never met Mr. Belk or Mr. Thalheimer, and I don't know anyone on the Charlotte Observer's staff, and I could not adequately describe what attributes I'd ascribe to someone thought of as a "Marmaduke-type." In other words, I'm a completely unbiased third party.

And I have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 9:15 PM on June 8, 2008

Off the top of my head, I can only think of one reason -- it will perpetuate the feeling that your real, current, actual age is somehow 'wrong' and a problem that needs to be fixed. But that's only an artificial solution, one that resolves the external issue of turning thirty but does nothing with the actual fear you have of growing older and feeling like you haven't accomplished what you need to or somesuch. Instead of going through such an elaborate lie, perhaps you'd do better learning how... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 1:32 PM on June 8, 2008

Straight from my Executive Producer friend: Right now, most EPs will read pretty much anything, including features and pilots. Most of the TV writers I know have at least one or two pilots in their stable of samples -- and that includes young writers, who often just write the pilots because plenty of EPs happily read them in lieu of spec'd shows, and there are so few shows on television these days that actually lend themselves to writing specs that it's almost a necessity. And besides, EPs... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 11:58 AM on May 19, 2008 marked best answer

The same idea as the shirt box is the box that Kinkos and other copy stores use to hand over large amounts of paper to customers after a copy job. They come in various sizes as well. If I were you, I'd actually make a copy of the printout -- I've always felt that copied pages are freer of defects than recently printed pages, especially when I printed on a laserprinter that had a habit of rolling the pages. And spring for nifty paper, too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 12:39 PM on April 25, 2008

Tilden has loads of places, certainly. Although it's a bit further away, try Lake Temescal. Easy access to freeways, plenty of facilities, and just a bit off the beaten path. This comes from someone who hasn't lived in the area for ten years, though, so take the suggestion with a grain of salt.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 10:06 AM on April 23, 2008

Cinematography.com has some very interesting and informative forums. Dvxuser.com is a good forum for the Panasonic prosumer cameras and you'll absorb a lot of information about cameras in general while there.

If your aim is to become a director, then what you really want is a relationship with a cinematographer. All the reading and studying and everything I did was instantly supplanted by a couple of lengthy conversations I had with the first couple of DPs I worked... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 9:21 AM on April 18, 2008

Memo, you should get a great big gold star because check4change got me my tickets. AskMeFi really CAN change your life.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 9:56 AM on April 9, 2008

Bingo on the MSG -- that's providing the mysterious taste you can't identify, the thing at the back of your tongue that makes it tingle, and it's probably also the reason why some love it and some think it's yucky.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 10:57 PM on April 6, 2008

The Mauna Kea on the Big Island is old fashioned and elegant and an amazingly romantic, isolated sort of resort at one of the nicest beaches in the world. It's closed until Fall 08, though, so might not fit your time frame. The Hapuna is just up the coast half a mile, and it's more posh, newer, and almost as fantastic. You don't give too many details about what kind of vacation you're looking for, though, so research before you go because there are a thousand different types of resorts in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 8:28 AM on April 2, 2008

Maintenance Man is allowed to think racist thoughts and say racist things. He isn't allowed to do something about it, like kick people out of the building because he's a racist fucktard. If you are friendly with 'those people,' I'd ask them why they're leaving. I'll bet that they're leaving of their own accord, and not because they're getting kicked out, for being black or any other reason. It's pretty hard to force someone to leave an apartment, at least in the state I live in. I'll bet... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 4:09 PM on March 28, 2008 marked best answer

Should this end up in court, you could be on the hook for libel.

I'm not a lawyer, but I do not believe that telling someone that someone else is racist and that you suspect they're being discriminated against qualifies as libel, or even slander.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 4:11 PM on March 28, 2008

Yeah, krisjohn, I can't say I'm with you, but I agree that so far, no one is really addressing what appears to be the key question here -- how to balance old car that has already been manufactured but gets crappy mileage with new car that will be newly manufactured but gets good mileage? I don't have an answer, but I think it's important to restate that portion of the question. The rest of it are hopefully things the asker knows already, like looking at the gas savings versus the raw cost of a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 2:00 AM on March 28, 2008 marked best answer

I'd be surprised if your insurance goes up -- this was clearly the nuns' fault, and at least here in California, if you aren't judged at fault, then your rates don't go up. Of course your situation might be different, as others have said.

I have experience in a couple of situations nearly identical to this. My car was totaled when I was rear-ended. There was substantial damage to the back of my car -- trunk compressed, bumper toast, frame shot, the whole nine, coming... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 2:37 PM on March 26, 2008

Your grandfather was your uncle's dad. You are your uncle's nephew. While family is family, just know that your relationship to the man allows for a different sort of response to him than your grandfather's relationship allowed. I'm not saying that you need to be cold and uncaring, but you don't have to expend all your energy or money on figuring this out, and I hope no one expects you to.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 10:28 AM on March 25, 2008

All of the discussion of bringing your 360 someplace is moot (or, as Joey would say, 'Moo' -- y'know, like a cow). This is what makes the hard drive so fantastic -- detach, take it along with a copy of Bully to someone else's 360, and update that way. No moving gamertags, no hand-waving, just plug in and download patch. Yeah, a kind gamestop might do this sort of thing. Hell, I'd do it if you send me the hard drive. Modded or not, the hard drive should still be clean.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 9:48 PM on March 22, 2008

As unSane says, you need a producer. You might be able to find someone local who is interested in working on an idea like this. I'd suggest delving into your address book and seeing who you can scare up through your professional contacts. That being said, I think a three week time-frame is far too short, even if you got an experienced producer involved tomorrow. These sorts of things are planned months in advance, and they tend to require more prep than you can imagine.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 11:22 PM on March 17, 2008

Your friend just made a record so he can show it to record labels and say "Hey, listen to this and see how great I sound! You should sign me so I can make another record!" You just produced a record, and now you can show it to bands and say "Hey, listen to this and see how great I made this guy sound! You should hire me so I can make your record!" The way I see it, just like this is a calling card for him, this should be a calling card for you. While you did him a solid,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 8:29 PM on March 16, 2008

I think the reason no one is touching this is that it's Friday and the question is about health insurance, not "Should I break up with my abusive boyfriend?" or "How do I program some obscure thing in flash?" Health insurance is a complete racket, so I say fuck 'em. If the insurance isn't connected to your work, then switch companies. Seek out a company that doesn't require a physical. I can only speak about California -- here, there are many insurance companies that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 7:14 PM on March 14, 2008

If you can't afford $45 a month for health insurance, then how do you pay for the drugs you're buying?

It's not $45 a month -- it's a $45 a month increase from what he's currently paying. Big difference.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 3:33 PM on March 15, 2008

I don't know of this company specifically, but I know their ilk. It's pretty much a waste of time. There are still more than a few levels to get through and a few companies to filter through before you're actually in with an agent. If you were approached by, I dunno, casting director Mali Finn or an actual agent from one of the kid-centric agencies or someone like that (Wait -- did Mali Finn die? Gotta check on that), then exploring further would be worth something.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 11:51 PM on March 14, 2008

If your smile (and your makeup, which is the real reason models sip drinks through straws) is your chief source of income, then yes, a straw makes sense. But otherwise, that's like suggesting you drink the wine with your nose plugged, and it'll be about as pleasureable.

Same goes with the brushing teeth thing, and (to a lesser extent) the swishing water thing.

And it's not just Europeans who won't notice your discoloration -- it's Americans, too.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 4:50 PM on March 12, 2008

From my perspective, it seems that she's the one who needs to break up with you. And this comes from someone who recently quit smoking, believes it's the best thing I've ever done, and would heartily encourage absolutely everyone in the world never to smoke because it's a filthy, disgusting, revolting addiction that'll kill you. But never would I put an ultimatum on someone I was dating, or judge them, or force them to behave in a way they didn't want to. Never mind the health of their lungs... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 11:45 AM on March 12, 2008

You gotta reveal this up front, right away, as soon as you are able to without just blurting it out in the middle of a conversation. Think of it as a selector -- if she's cool with it, then great. If she's not, then there's no way you'll want to date them anyway, right?
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 10:54 PM on March 11, 2008

A lot of people are going to suggest you follow your instinct and jet off to places unknown, explore, travel, write. I am not one of those people. Don't listen to people on an internet message board -- ask an agent or a manager. I hope you're in the process of talking to one or both right now.

So you're in a pretty good position (although don't get ahead of yourself, and don't count your chickens -- really). You think the heat's going to start coming soon. In Los... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 12:54 AM on March 11, 2008

I get the feeling that this is less about him than it is about you and your mother. Wait -- hear me out. Your father's treatment is being taken care of by your mother. If you don't feel that treatment is adequate, then you need to talk to her about that. If she's willing, then you need a specialist to get involved, someone who can specifically address his current living situation by visiting the house and observing what's going on. We can't do that; we're an internet community. You can do... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 10:51 AM on March 6, 2008

I'm going to introduce the notion that the car and the seat might not be the cause of her back pain, but because she just got the new car, and she just got the new back pain, she thinks the car caused the pain. It's an unlikely possibility, but one I suggest she rules out before going to great lengths to fix what might not be the problem.

Two things to do: have her drive around someone else's car for a couple of days and see if it's not the car but any car that's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 1:51 PM on March 5, 2008

There are so many bad movies by great filmmakers that it boggles the mind, though because film can be a touch more subjective than other mediums, there will be those who disagree. I'll just offer one here: Steven Spielberg and "AI." It's kinda a two-fer, both Spielberg and Kubrick participating in the laughable, tone-deaf disaster.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 8:59 AM on March 4, 2008

With $18,000 in credit card debt, you *are* swimming in debt, and you need to seek out a financial professional if your previous attempts to read books and such haven't resulted in you understanding the major budget changes you need to make in order to eliminate that debt and get back on your feet financially. Find someone who can make up a budget with you, allocate your resources better than what you're doing now, and make you stick to it. Frankly, it sounds like you're feet over head here.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 1:47 PM on March 2, 2008

Actors' contracts (and, actually, nearly all contracts for people on the show) delineate where and when their credit appears. It's a negotiable piece that ties into compensation, as well. If you're a producer or a writer, exactly what you're called in the credits will be something you'll negotiate, and often will be only tangentially related to what you do on the show. Perrineau's agent surely negotiated for being in all the credits.

From a story perspective, it also... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 7:52 PM on March 1, 2008

If you're looking for arcade-y racing, don't bother with forza. PGR is OK, but c'mon, guys, why has there been no mention of Burnout Paradise? It quickly took over my life until I broke the races in two and swept up the pieces. When I spend 50 hours on a game in less than three weeks, it's good. Really really good. P.S., take advantage of the demos to get a feel for what you're interested in. The demos have saved me all too many times. May I ask why you're dismissing Halo? Brush aside... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 9:45 AM on February 29, 2008 marked best answer

Have you visited Burbank? I mean really visited Burbank? It has absolutely none of the qualities you state you're interested in. OK, that's not true -- there's a Panda Express. You can walk on the side of the freeway, I guess. The movie theatres in Burbank do show movies, and sometimes you can actually make it past the mob (mob!) of teenagers texting outside. I'm sure there's a library somewhere around there -- or at least a gigantic Barnes and Noble.

But seriously,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 9:22 AM on February 27, 2008

This sounds like an expensive ring, and I'm not sure you're getting a fair price. When you're buying jewelry, only concern yourself with three things: how it looks to you, durability, and source. If the stone looks good to your eye (in the sunlight or regular light, not under the loupe), then it's a good stone. Flaws, mistakes, whatever just don't matter unless it affects the way you perceive the stone. In truth, if you get a mediocre stone, it'll only look mediocre to you when it's next to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 12:21 PM on February 26, 2008

Well, now platinum would make a hell of a lot more sense. Seeing as how you didn't even bother to mention exactly what the metal you were using was, I assumed gold. So there you are. The price sounds a little more reasonable if it's platinum, but still... Then again, I'm the guy who got my band of 14k white gold because hey, who can tell the difference between 14 or 18?

About coming back to the table and asking just to buy the engagement band, you may do whatever you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 2:21 AM on February 27, 2008

This is a level of question that is beyond the abilities of an internet message board, but here's the spitball -- if he's got a decent script and a reel (I'm assuming he wants to direct), then what he needs next is a producer. The producer is the guy who'll find the money. A manager or agent will facilitate finding that producer. Getting an agent or manager is a whole other conversation.

There are as many sources of money in filmmaking as there are stories to tell.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 2:12 PM on February 17, 2008

To start, I'm your age, anon, and I'm assuming that the girl is our age as well or therebouts. Firstly -- ignore everything you've read here so far. No, really. They're all wrong, even the ones who agree with me. It's weird, isn't it? Weird but true. Secondly -- seriously, whether or not you hold hands with her isn't really the issue you're concerned about, now is it? Again -- don't listen to anyone on this, and certainly don't take Sex and the City as your source on whether or not to do... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 9:20 PM on February 16, 2008

This won't help with your leaving this Sunday, obviously, but here's my question when I was renewing my passport. I'd give A Briggs a C+ for service, and wouldn't use them again.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 11:37 AM on February 16, 2008

I proposed to my wife in a photobooth located in the rear of a restaurant -- it was actually quite private, what with the curtain and all. Best of all, we've got the four pictures to document the event.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 3:15 PM on February 8, 2008

Generally, nutritional information is for the food ready-to-eat -- that is, if a serving of banana is 100g, that's 100g of banana meat, not banana and peel. Apple sans core, pistachio without shell, that kind of thing. In other words, the nutritional information for a chestnut is without the shell. Also, calculate the serving size before you roast them -- toasting bread, for instance, can decrease the weight by 10 or 15%, but the carbs stay the same.

As to how many... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 11:25 PM on February 3, 2008

Don't get your "I'm quitting booze" medical information from the internet -- talk to a doctor, preferrably your doctor. Reading something that tells you that going cold turkey might be dangerous is a form of an excuse. The booze is a crutch. It's probably also an addiction, or at least that's what it sounds like to me. Stop drinking, see what happens.
posted to Ask Metafilter by incessant at 8:49 AM on February 1, 2008