This is the place. We've stayed here and loved it. Meets all your criteria. Not sure about the super pricey part, but you've got the Euro/Pound on your side.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 9:40 AM on July 26, 2008

Minneapolis/St. Paul are affordable, have good public transport and good/great walkability except in the winter.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 5:45 PM on July 22, 2008

Late on this one ( as always}, but, I was a "Justin" who came from a similar situation and did horrible acts to get attention from a system that wasn't prepared or coordinated enough to deal with me effectively. I hate to be trite, but all this activity is a "cry for help".

What we have in the US is a complicated social; service network:, schools, criminal justice and private agencies that don't/can't communicate with each other. I'm sure that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 4:06 AM on July 4, 2008

Our daughter is an only child who grew up without any extended family nearby. Daycare provided her with a sense of normalcy and community/family that she would have never had otherwise. She was in private family daycare from 3 months to 3 years on a part time basis, and we have never regretted it once.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 1:18 PM on June 28, 2008

I'm pretty sure about this:
Sycamore
Red Cedar
The Spruce is a little harder. The determining factor is whether the the twig have small hairs on them. This is not visible in your images. Also the white spruce is is always conical which it is not in your image. I'm going with Black Spruce. You can make your own determination at this link.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 4:33 AM on June 19, 2008

My bad, my computer is an Imac G5 and has no dome.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 8:33 AM on June 13, 2008

Ukeekunkel was right. They extended my warranty to cover the power problem and I'm bringing it into the Apple Store this weekend. Thanks MetaFilter.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 2:27 PM on June 13, 2008

Is there any warranty left? It was my understanding that Hyundai's come with a 6 year/100,000 mile warranty. Perhaps buying a warranty extension would be cheaper than paying for the clutch
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 5:20 AM on June 5, 2008

Though I wouldn't call it Eco-lodging the sea-ranch cabins at Hotel Hana-Maui fit all your criteria
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 7:01 PM on June 2, 2008

Do what Ashton Sheperd did.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 6:44 PM on June 2, 2008

Thanks everyone, mission completed. The most helpful tip was about the reverse thread. I got a little worried when I was unable to unscrew the fitting at first. I switched from a crescent wrench to a more solid sized wrench and it came right open. Because it was a flared fitting I used no sealant. Thanks for saving me $130.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 2:31 PM on May 29, 2008

What is the need for a new card? In general they are not an official ID. I haven't had one in over 20 years. If a social security number is needed to be verified you can show copies of tax returns etc.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 3:09 AM on May 27, 2008

Visualizing the last minute I spent with lost objects always helps. Sometimes I don't find it but usually I can visualize how I lost it (like the Ipod left on the plane last week). If nothing else is missing I'd rule out theft and concentrate on your actions the last minute you had it with you. There is still hope.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 12:17 PM on May 23, 2008

In general, the twins cities bookstore scene has been decimated by the chains. One exception is Grand Avenue in St. Paul. Lots of small shops,bookstores, restaurants and relatively easy to get to by bus.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 3:07 PM on May 20, 2008

Bedroom Walls by Sound Team.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 4:24 PM on May 19, 2008

I'd think park instead of cemetery and maybe park in Germany. Englisher Gardens in Munich perhaps?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 6:04 PM on May 3, 2008

Moistworks just had a large thread about this very idea. My interpretation of the article is the concept of indie culture itself is dubious at best.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 5:57 PM on May 3, 2008

Look here or here. These sites have many activities that should you help reach your goal. From my experience the best activities do not manipulate participants or lead them to preordained conclusions. The best activities have an uncertain outcome, allow for failure, and allow participants to experience self discovery in their own way and draw their own conclusions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 4:06 AM on May 3, 2008

Spend the extra thirty to fifty dollars and use a travel agent to book the whole thing and one continuous trip. they should know how to do this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 11:12 AM on May 1, 2008

Get into the personal challenge of getting things done for their own sake. Challenge yourself to not fuck up at all, not even once. Praise in public, scorn in private. The earlier you get there, the earlier you're done. Be nice but impersonal with everyone. Keep your opinions to yourself, always. Don't compare yourself with anyone else but identify with their strengths.

I am exactly like you in attitude, and have retooled myself to survive in what could otherwise be a toxic system.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 2:40 PM on April 30, 2008

I will again take the contrarian stance. Twenty one years with a septic tank, much paint washed down the drain from both kitchen and bathroom sinks. No problems at all with pipes or tank. You get what you pay for with cheap rollers.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 2:55 PM on April 23, 2008

With six hours you'll be fine. You can clear immigration easily and then you can shop in the arrivals area, take a shower, or you can take a train downtown. It takes twenty minutes to the train station. The trains run frequently. At that point you can walk, find a cafe, maybe walk down to the river. It depends on what time it is.

No way would I sit inside security for six hours. Plan on 30 minutes to go through security though it should be less than that. If you are... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 7:01 AM on April 10, 2008 marked best answer

I never have liked this equation: If I did X I would want someone to point it out to me, so I will point it out to everyone else when they do X. Your desire for grammatical correctness is ok within work settings, but don't, please don't, correct me in an informal web setting. It will just piss me off.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 6:53 AM on April 10, 2008

Dude!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 6:46 AM on April 10, 2008

I grew up with Episcopalian parents and was close to church through my youth, though I haven't been in a church in years. This a perception only, not necessarily reality. My experience past and present was that the majority of Episcopalians are slightly quirky. They seem in some sense, to be the outliers of christianity. Part of this quirkyness seemed to me to be an obsession with the inner workings of the church.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 2:34 PM on April 9, 2008

A contrarian view: Let him go knowing that his children love him and are concerned about his well being. Wish him well. Let him have the adventure of his life. If he is truly a" canny businessman and knows his way around dangerous situations", then he will have some intuitive sense of how to avoid danger be it in-country, or dealing with the challenges of being a contractor. Heavy drinking goes with the territory. It may be he will back out of the deal after just a month or he may love... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 10:50 AM on March 30, 2008

Here's a discussion about your question. More info is available in the rest of the forum. Too much to search.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 5:22 AM on March 30, 2008

Seconding Greens.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 1:01 PM on March 26, 2008

I one took a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota while reading Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. I remember little if anything about the trip, but "Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in time." is still vivid in my memory.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 7:35 AM on March 25, 2008

Some MeFites don't like the concept of 12 step programs, but Emotions Anonymous is helpful to those who can work within the 12 step format.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 4:46 AM on March 18, 2008

What happens to me is that I'll park in an out of the way place and return to find my space connected with the main mass like kind of like a parking version of Go or maybe parking Tetris. It must be some hidden internal human need to connect to the outlier.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 3:37 PM on March 17, 2008

As long as there are people who still read The Weekly World News, there will still be people available to be scammed by spam.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 5:42 AM on March 16, 2008

I wonder when we will start seeing offshore accounts denominated in alternative currencies (Euros, Loonies, new Rubles, etc.) offered directly to average American consumers as a matter of course.

You can already do this by investing in currency ETF's.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 1:25 PM on March 2, 2008

My sense is the ability to give to others is a subset of one's ability to recognize one's blessings. Maybe happiness isn't the operant term here. Maybe gratitude is what you are looking for. Considering making an alphabetical list of all the things in your life you are grateful for. Don't say there aren't any. Just do it. start with A. Don't forget that M is metafilter.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 6:48 AM on February 22, 2008

If you have a corporation and are paying yourself, you probably have some accounting software. Quickbooks has the capacity to produce paystubs though I have never had to use this feature. Check your software
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 4:21 PM on February 18, 2008

As Granted said above, sugar addiction is a true addiction. I use a twelve step approach, not necessarily overeaters anonymous. I can't manage or control my sugar addiction. I have to surrender and admit I am truly powerless over it. I need help beyond myself to achieve some sense of sane eating. Also, I keep it in today. If I had to go my entire life without sugar I don't think I could do it, but I can be sugar free for today.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 4:38 PM on February 17, 2008

For more Frequent Flyer information, look here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 8:07 AM on February 14, 2008

Try the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. A beautiful safe place one hour from Phoenix.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 6:14 PM on February 13, 2008

I was going to post this as a FPP, but will post it here. All three members of the DNC credentials committee, who determine who can be seated ( Florida, Michigan), all served in the Clinton Administration.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 11:37 AM on February 11, 2008

How are your bowel movements? If you're constipated pain can show up in that area.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 6:54 AM on February 8, 2008

I thought one of the differences between organic and conventional was the process used to get them to ripen. Aren't conventional bananas exposed to a gas while organics are not? I remember reading this but have no citation.

Sometimes organic bananas appear to go fom green to brown without ever turning yellow.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 9:03 PM on February 7, 2008

but you could fight that legally

Not.... The whole process is secret. If you are denied they may or may not tell you why. As for an appeal, I doubt it.

I have a government contract. It's 8 pages in length. The expectations are spelled out clearly. My political beliefs are not included.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 10:27 AM on February 6, 2008

BTW, when I took the poly, the first question in the baseline phase was: "What's the worst thing you've ever done?" The answer wasn't "I voted for John Kerry."
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 10:33 AM on February 6, 2008

This guy believes that you can achieve the same results through talking not just through sitting.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 8:31 AM on February 5, 2008

I don't have an official citation for this but I remember my father telling me that a road almost always connected to another road, in other words it was an connector to somewhere else.

A Drive was the next stop down from a road. It was longer than a lane, and may or may not be a connector (usually not).

A lane was a shorter than a drive and always was a dead end.

A circle was a lane with a circular turn-around at the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 2:01 PM on February 3, 2008

Two important things to consider about expediting through USPS. Every mailbox has a notice on the bottom stating where you can bring your mail for an earlier pickup. If you are in a large city this should be helpful.

Secondly, earlier pick-up or not, once the mail goes through the slot you lose all control of when it will be delivered. I've found I have some control over this by actually handing the mail to a clerk inside the post office. Remember that standard first... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 1:47 PM on February 3, 2008

I would say American University. Probably in the midwest. I'd guess the trees are elms, and not large ones, so the picture may be from 1910-1930. I'd suggest checking the architectural history of the major state universities on the east coast and midwest. The building does not look like a New England college building to me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 3:14 PM on January 26, 2008

Buy a full fare, refundable ticket for a flight that departs after your friends. The eating inside security is some of the best inside an airport anywhere. Three hours is not enough to be relaxed. If there is a problem with a security delay or with traffic, your friend is probably doomed or at the least highly anxious.

Southwest Airlines will usually refund your ticket price on the spot. Get the boarding pass from them, go inside, see your friend, eat a relaxed meal, go... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 11:22 PM on January 24, 2008

I have experienced a milder yet similar iteration of this scenario with my wife. The cooking for me is a coordination process, getting all the pieces to come together at the same time. When it works I feel so great, "here is this magnificent meal, I , despite all the challenges, made."

When she procrastinates, I feel that my supreme effort is unappreciated. The solution for me is twofold. One is the realization that the supreme effort is it's own reward. No... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 11:08 PM on January 24, 2008

I was wondering why still had razor blades disposal slots on airplanes so I Googled and found this answer to your question.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xurando at 7:11 PM on January 9, 2008