Displaying post 1 to 50 of 56
Where can I get advice on diagnosing a problem with a inVion GPS-4V-106-IUS GPS receiver? No useful information is available on the inVion web site. The unit is stuck in entertainment mode. It appears to use Windows CE as an OS. The map files are accessable on its the flash card with my main computer, but not when the card is read in the GPS. This unit is obsolete and is not worth sending out for repair. I would like to get it running again jest for bragging rights in my family. I do not have Usenet access at the moment.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 7:17 AM on August 2, 2008
(1 comment)
I ate tortillas in Mexico that were cooked on an old harrow blade over a wood fire. The harrow blade was dusted with a form of charred bone powder that prevented the tortillas from sticking. They were delicious. Is this anti stick bone powder available anywhere in the US?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 6:29 PM on May 28, 2008
(13 comments)
What is the cello piece that plays in the background of the new Evista ad?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 1:41 PM on May 17, 2008
(1 comment)
I am thinking of installing a metal roof. I am in central New England. My present shingled roof has a 3½" to 12 pitch and is rated for up to 30 pounds per square foot. This winter The roof had to be shoveled on a regular basis. I am both worried that with heavy repeated snows my home is at risk for structural damage and I suspect that this 30 PSF rating is not a real world figure. I also have a problem with heavy snow blocking the combustion air for my furnace which is built into the furnace stack. Would a dark colored metal roof with such a shallow pitch be self clearing under heavy snow?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 5:55 PM on April 26, 2008
(5 comments)
What can I do with my old F mount, non AE Nikkor lenses? I have the Nikkor monoscope adapter that works very well with the 200mm. What to do with the 28mm, 50mm, 55mm macro, 135mm and 500mm mirror (universal mount) lenses?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 12:24 PM on April 1, 2008
(8 comments)
We have lost a 3 day old child in our family to Edwards Syndrome. Please help me choose what to read at her rememberance service.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 5:59 PM on February 4, 2008
(13 comments)
I need to enhance facial detail in a 70 year old B&W 120 negative. The negative is both underexposed and out of focus. I am using PS Elements 3.0. I also have Photoshop 7. I will be using a Canoscan 8400F scanner. I can go to a local pro and have the negative scanned on his Epson V750 for $$$$$ if needed. What are good texts that can explain the mechanics of image enhancement? Any advantage in upgrading Elements? My computer does not have an internet connection and I do not need any of the net connected features that seem to be the reasons for upgrading Elements. I can also live with the 3.0 poor cataloging.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 7:39 PM on December 21, 2007
(4 comments)
What precautions are needed for sanding pressure treated wood? This is Thomsonite brand pressure treated that is not the same as the older arsenic treated wood. I will be doing this outdoors over a tarpaulin. Will a regular face mask be OK or should I wear a full mask? If my mask is need, what class of filter should be used?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 2:52 PM on September 1, 2007
(2 comments)
The throttle on my 2003 S10, V6 54K miles jammed open. Very fortunately it happen in a rural area where the driver was able get off the road and stall the engine by using both feet on the brakes. Has anyone on the list experienced runaway throttle on a S10 or any other car?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 12:26 PM on July 23, 2007
(17 comments)
I and my SO have to travel to the Sun City, Hilton Head, Florence part of South Carolina. We have a two day block where the person who we are to visit has to attend a conference. Whats to do in this area? Not interested in golf or other sports.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 5:22 PM on May 30, 2007
(7 comments)
A cousin is about to be ordained as a Methodist minister in South Carolina. What would be a good ordination gift?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 4:51 AM on May 9, 2007
(18 comments)
What form did the repatriations that were extracted from Germany after WWI take? I am curious as to whether they were in the form of the heavy durable goods that would have accelerated the recovery of German industry or if they were foodstuffs, direct labor or something else. Where can I find data that would give me a breakdown on what the repatriations consisted of?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 9:52 AM on April 11, 2007
(8 comments)
I need to install a branch line from my emergency generator circuit that will feed my wifes work computer at home. I always assume that voltage from my Honda generator/welder is going to be quite dirty. Do I need more than a surge protector and line conditioner to prevent her system from being damaged?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 7:55 AM on February 7, 2007
(8 comments)
Does a Ferrari Newport tandem bicycle have any value? It is complete and functional. A racer friend said they are sought after because of the Ferrari brand, but also are not a very good tandem. It is taking up too much space and has to go. Does it go to the dump or Ebay?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 5:39 AM on January 19, 2007
(14 comments)
I have been assembling some simple test equipment that involves mating an Omron digital readout to an Omron 0-5VDC pressure transducer. I have been seeing erratic zero fluctuation that appears to coincide with switching the power on and off. My background is electrical, not electronic. I suspect that there could be a voltage spike occurring when the on/off switch is used. The switch is a good quality industrial double pole rocker switch with internal illumination. I want to eliminate possible switch caused spikes as a variable in trying to figure out if anything external is causing this wandering zero. I am familiar with switches that will control spiking in an electrical circuit but not with more sensitive electronics. What type of switch do I look for in my (Digikey) catalog?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 8:02 AM on January 4, 2007
(6 comments)
Do HIPPA rules apply to health care professionals when they discuss health problems/treatments of friends and family members when they are not professionally involved with their treatment?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 12:56 PM on December 12, 2006
(14 comments)
What are good places for breakfast in the North Station area of Boston? When I go to the city on an early morning train I would like to start my day in the city with breakfast at something other than a fast food chain restaraunt or donut shop. These are pleasure trips and a walk over to the North End would be nice. I have been urban hiking in Boston for a great many years and am willing to travel a distance for a good breakfast.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 12:28 PM on December 5, 2006
(12 comments)
How do players such as Winamp or Media Player choose the sequence that they use to play MP3 files? I have classical MP3 files and recorded books that must be played in order. These players look at something very different from the way that they have been arranged (and numbered) in File Manager. Can the ID3v1 ID3v2 tags be used to control the playback sequence? I play these files on three separate computers plus my car radio via a flash drive and do not want the hassle of creating separate play lists. I cannot create play lists with my car radio. I am using, and much prefer, Winamp 5.094
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 11:01 AM on November 28, 2006
(14 comments)
Looking for a very nice restaraunt for my wifes birthday dinner.
We have eaten at most of the well known places in the Nashua/Manchester area and are looking for something new. Any suggestions out there?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 3:08 PM on October 15, 2006
(11 comments)
Why cant I find a english to latin translation for either "snake" or "serpent"? I have been trying to use online translators. and none of the ones that I have trried come up with a match.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 3:55 PM on August 20, 2006
(17 comments)
Many years ago I saw a serialized German language television play with english subtitles on the life of Moliere. What was it called, and can I purchase a copy of it anywhere?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 10:54 AM on August 7, 2006
(2 comments)
How to get out of a car lease with the least amount of pain. A family member leased a car for commuting after she ran the numbers and found that a lease was less expensive than purchase and then private sale after five years. They are now working from home and do not need a personal car. The lease holder will take the car back, sell it at auction, subtract that from the balance on the contract and she will make up the balance. This balance due for early release number is about $5K over the retail sale value of the car. Anyone out there who has dealt with this problem? Can leases on cars be transferred?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 4:45 AM on July 13, 2006
(9 comments)
Cole Porters song "Anything Goes" contains these lines.
"When folks who can still ride in jitneys
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitneys
Lack baby Clo'es,
Anything goes!
What or who was Porter referencing when he wrote these lyrics?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 9:59 AM on July 5, 2006
(19 comments)
My dialup is crosstalking with my wifes cable internet connection. She works from home and has a dedicated cable internet connection with VOIP. Only her fax is connected to the phone line. She can hear my system dial up and sometimes can hear my phone call conversations over her VIOP. My office phone connection passes through my modem. The phone is not a wireless. Both services share an underground conduit coming into the house. The cable company sent a Tech out who could not find any problems on my wifes system. What can I check out on my POTS before I blow $100 on a visit from a phone Co. Tech?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 8:09 PM on June 16, 2006
(9 comments)
Who are good uptempo Brazilian musicians, people similar to Tania Maria?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 4:44 AM on May 31, 2006
(4 comments)
Some time ago I went to the Boston Pops reformance. My seat was on the far wing of the first balcony that overlooked the orchestra. One of the performers was operating a large darkroom timer in addition to his instrument. What was he doing with this timer?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 1:00 PM on May 23, 2006
(8 comments)
How do I merge/combine 4 separate photographs onto a single sheet? This is for an insurance record. Four separate photos might be more easily lost in my insurance agents' filing cabinet. i need to keep the four separate images intact and unmodified. I have Photoshop Elements 3, Photoshop 7 (which I have never used) and Corel Photopaint 8 and could not find (or did not know how to properly phrase a question to find) a description of how to do this I any of these programs. Can this be done in any of these programs? I would prefer to use PE3.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 3:27 PM on May 13, 2006
(9 comments)
Car and Driver magazine, I have been told, had an article many years ago that described a person who built his own engine. He supposedly made the crankshaft for this engine with just a file and a hacksaw. I believe my source of this to be trustworthy. Anyone familiar with this person or with the article?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 10:04 AM on May 3, 2006
(6 comments)
My ISP will be discontinuing news services at the end of May. They are doing this because Giganews is increasing their fee to my ISP to the point where their news service would be offered at a loss. Who do you use as a news server? I download both text and binaries.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 5:31 PM on April 25, 2006
(21 comments)
In the early 1970s (?) there was a subscription book series sold by Time Life Books. This was a wonderfully selected collection of reading material that I enjoyed reading every month. My set was destroyed in a fire and I am rebuilding it a book at a time from used book stores. Where can I find a complete list of the paperback titles published by Time-Life Books in this series? I can account for 91 titles. Were there more than 91 titles published?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 4:20 PM on April 18, 2006
(5 comments)
Microsoft did a video ad based on a Flash Gordon film. It may have been for one of their server lines. The ad is a howl. Where can a copy be downloaded?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 10:05 AM on April 11, 2006
(4 comments)
For many years I beat my self up because my photographs did not approach the quality that I saw in magazines. This stopped when I was assigned to repair and maintain an offset printing press. I saw the offset being a four color (five if you factor the brilliance of the paper) mechanical process while my photographs were being done in a single or three color chemical process. The printer told me that images that were to be offset rather that darkroom printed had to be slightly overexposed. When a chemically processed photograph was placed beside its' offset printed twin, they showed two very different images of an identical subject. Is a magazine photograph a true photograph or is it really something else? Can a magazine illustration accurately portray what a photograph from a negative looks like? Does this question exist with digital photography? Please discount duotone and tritone B&W printing. I have been trying to wrap my head around this for years and the question still troubles me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 3:39 PM on April 2, 2006
(12 comments)
A few years ago, I attended an Elderhostle study on the Navajo culture in New Mexico. One part of the presentation was a hands on instruction on how to stone grind corn by hand. We then each had a sample of blue corn mush which was delicious. I got to thinking that this would be quite good served up like grits with butter and pepper. Since then I have been trying to find stone ground blue corn similar to that which was served. The commercial blue corn that I have found is much lighter in color and while good for baking has comparatively weak flavor and almost no mouth texture when cooked as mush. This is true even when cooked at double the concentration called for in the recipe. What is the darker blue corn meal called and where might I get some?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 9:46 AM on March 22, 2006
(7 comments)
We have a family of turkeys that has lived in our neighborhood for the past three years. They are active summer through early fall and then are not seen until next year. They leave no tracks in the snow during the winter. The full family of twelve walked through our backyard yesterday. The are much bigger than they were last fall, obviously well fed, and we can now distinguish sexes in the family. How do turkeys in New England survive winter? How long does a turkey family stay together. Do flocks contain more than one family? What is a good source of information on wild turkeys as a social unit?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 7:25 AM on March 15, 2006
(9 comments)
The last Tony Hillerman novel, Sacred Pig, used a Navajo term that translates into english as "She who tells a sheep which blade of grass to eat". This Navajo word would be useful for me to know. I have tried to find it by scanning the novel with no success. Does anyone know what this word is with the correct pronunciation?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 10:01 AM on March 3, 2006
(9 comments)
What is the shelf life of the gasoline/oil mix that is used in 2 stroke engines? I use my chain saw 2-3 times a year and mixing fresh gas/oil mix every time is both wasteful and creates a disposal problem. How often should the gasoline in my emergency generator be changed?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 3:53 PM on February 19, 2006
(5 comments)
Many years ago, WGBH (NPR) in Boston had a Saturday afternoon folk music program. One day they played exerpts from an album by a singer/guitarist who had recorded rude songs that children sing when they think that there are no adults around. Who could this be and what is name of the album?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 6:50 PM on February 11, 2006
(1 comment)
Where does Israel get its oil?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 5:46 PM on February 4, 2006
(8 comments)
Many years ago, (late 1950s?) I read in Yankee magazine that the Edgar Allen Poe story "The Cask of Amontillado" was based on an event in Poe's life. The article went something like this: Poe had joined the Army and was stationed at Fort Independence in Boston Harbor. While he was there he heard a tale about a very unpopular officer at the fort that had been walled into a room by some of his men and left to die. When the fort was modified for harbor defense in WW1, the engineers saw a room indicated in the original drawings that did not seem to exist. They broke through the wall at the point where the drawings showed a room and found a skeleton dressed in an Army uniform of the 1830s. Can this be verified or is it BS?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 6:41 PM on January 27, 2006
(10 comments)
Many years ago in Boston when WBCN was a classical station, it broadcast a program called Dekovan (SP?) Presents. The commentator on this program made a distinction between Baroque and Rococo music. He did not elaborate on the differences between the two and implied they were too subtle for most of his listeners to understand. I do not remember after 40-45 years any of his examples of Rococo. Does Rococo music exist or was Dekovan the only one that recognized it? Do any elderly AskMefs remember Dekovan and know anything about him? The show was syndicated throughout the country.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 11:59 AM on January 19, 2006
(3 comments)
What are the functional differences between regular salt, sea salt and kosher salt? Why are sea and kosher salts specified in some recipes?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 4:44 AM on January 12, 2006
(38 comments)
What is a good digital camera for doing close focus (not real macro) photos? I used to use a Sony Mavica that was outstanding at doing close focus photographs and also unintentionally created an image file file that was optimized for a laser B&W printer. These laser prints were gorgeous. The Mavica has gone the way of all Mavicas and has been tossed because of floppy drive failure. This is to be used in a home brew document copier and does not need to be one of the new high megapixle units. Color reproduction is not a major concern. It needs to be able to save a file as a TIFF for OCR conversion and have filter threads on the lens for mounting on the copier. The camera would also be much easier to use with a remote cable. Direct USB connection to a computer would be very useful. I use a Minolta A2 whose macro capabilities are dismal. (Have I been spoiled by the Mavica?) Any recommendations and suggestions?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 10:29 AM on January 4, 2006
(9 comments)
Is there a place in southern NH/NE Massachusetts that serves fried pickles? I followed the suggestion of a member of this board (you know who you are) and tried the deep fried pickles in Chattanooga Tennessee. I am hooked and am looking for a source closer to home. help me out here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 11:09 AM on December 20, 2005
(10 comments)
There was a rumor going around back when I was a kid back in the 1950s than masturbation was a venial sin in Indiana and a mortal sin in Illinois (or visa versa.) Is/Was this true?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 9:24 AM on December 12, 2005
(8 comments)
I have been given a set of WW1 officer training manuals. Some of them are in booklets, some are stapled packets and some are loose. I want to scan them to a CD so that they can be shared and read without handling the originals. I would like to scan them without bending or creasing the booklets and bundled paper. I have both a regular Canon Canoscan 8400 flatbed and an HP 4670 see through scanner ($38 on clearance at the local Staples.) Is there a way of scanning this material without damage? Any good discussion groups out there where WW1 memorabilia is discussed?
I also found a box of glass plate negatives from a photographer that was operating in St Albans VT in the latter 19th century. I would like to scan them. Can either of these scanners be used or modified for large negative scanning? If I could find a pinout diagram for the Canoscan film scanner cable, I might be able to build a light source for large negatives.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 4:18 AM on November 30, 2005
(6 comments)
Is it possible to capture still images from a DVD movie in a standard graphics format? Looking to save images of antique cars from old movies.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 12:59 PM on November 22, 2005
(12 comments)
Many years ago I was given a box of odd DOS software on 5 1/4 disks. One of them had a Star Treck game whose object was for the player to assume the role of captain Kirk and issue commands to the crew members in the correct star Treck manner. While I had enjoyed the show, I was not familiar enough with the program to play the part of Kirk. Just to see what would happen, I told Spock to go do an anatomical impossibility and was immediately relieved of command and placed in the brig. The disk has been lost. What was this game and where can I get a working copy?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 12:09 PM on November 15, 2005
(1 comment)
I have been enjoying a complete set of the works of Studio Ghilbi and the anime of Hayao Miyazaki in particular. Can anyone recommend anime of similar quality?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 9:39 AM on November 8, 2005
(16 comments)
Whose side would you choose to be on in the American Revolution? Assume that you are a person of the times and not a time traveler carrying 21st century views on race and society in your baggage. Assume that your focus is on your immediate world and your information does not have the completion that you are familiar with from history. This question comes up from time to time in conversation and I am still on the fence as to which way I would fall. The Unknown American Revolution by Gary B. Nash is a good (and the only) history that I have found that discusses this question. Nash also shows that the Red State/Blue State thought divide has been with us from the beginning. Any other books/texts out there where this is discussed?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 1:37 PM on October 31, 2005
(31 comments)
I want to purchase a quality stereo system. I have learned that just purchasing expensive stuff and setting it down in a room where the wife thinks it looks good does not work. How do I match a stereo system to the acoustics of a room and its furnishings? My wifes sense of style also gets in the way here. I do not care what it looks like as long as I get good sound. Are there any self compensating speaker systems out there? Can a system be retuned if the room furnishings are changed or if the room is remodeled? I am positive that my elderly ears have frequency recognition limitations. Any way of determining how much of a problem this can be? Are there ways of dealing/compensating for this?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Raybun
at 5:25 AM on October 20, 2005
(27 comments)
