Okay, number 1 is definitely a problem. Certain strains just won't work for risotto purposes. You pretty much need arborio rice (available at most half-decent groceries nowadays). Varietals such as basmasti and other long grains just don't release their starches well enough to make the dish (though you can get a nice pilaf out of them, it's just not risotto).

2. You should put just enough broth in to cover the rice. When it absorbs, ladle some more in, but, again,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 12:21 PM on February 27, 2008

Love jeri's tips.

I go on a lot of two month work trips. Being a guy makes things a lot easier, but, I'll try...

Always overpack. Pay the extra bullshit airline carrying fees, if necessary. You never know when you'll see another washing machine.

If possible, and hopefully, expensible, check yourself into hotels with amenities such as laundry, internet access, and an in-house restaurant/bar. Or, somewhere downtown,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:35 AM on May 28, 2007

Depends on your income and location. Zara, H&M, Salvation Army, Holt Renfrew, whatever. Go shopping, man. Even better, have a flamboyant gay friend go shopping with you. Ignore almost everything he suggests. Usually, you'll find what you want right beside that. Or, to cut through the bullshit, have a lesbian friend go shopping with you. Whichever. Just never listen to the cute salesgirl.

By the way, Khakis never look good. Sorry.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:08 AM on May 28, 2007

I always liked the joke about having to ask your parents for money to buy a Speedball.

Ah, Dogwelder was invented by Garth Ennis. He does shit like that all the time (creates goofy one-off characters, not welds dogs to people's faces, unfortunately). Entertaining as hell.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 7:00 PM on May 14, 2007

Ah, gotta say, Hurf Durf, Butter Eater. Buy a pack of cigarettes. Or three cans of pseudostew. Whichever. Cigarettes worked for me as a student.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:09 AM on April 20, 2007

(I'll also take every chance to say "Hurf Durf Butter Eater," so please ignore me if that wasn't your inclination already. Sorry.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:14 AM on April 20, 2007

(Nevertheless, cigarettes did help.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:15 AM on April 20, 2007

No, sir, (sir, madam - whatever), they are not last minute jitters. In fact, they're not jitters at all.

Unless I'm misunderstanding, you're disappointed you no longer feel that particular sustained rush of first love (and maybe looking for that rush again?). Why you withhold affection would seem to be the sheer boredom that accompanies familiarity.

The scare is, at least from my experience, you'll never feel that again. Well, you won't,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 4:36 AM on March 14, 2007

Ah, here's the shit thing: if you don't already get the refrerences in any kind of referential work, it's too little too late. Even if you go back and understand them all, watching, admiring, listening, to the work you're trying to footnote will seem boring. As will the footnoting itself.

It'd be like trying to understand, from a Freudian angle, midget porn shown on a basement television at a party. Or undergraduate English.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 6:12 AM on January 31, 2007

As a journalist, my first tendency would be FOR outing terrorists....

Jahaza

Seriously? In what context? The openess of society as enforced by the fifth estate? Or in a more partisan way? Please respond; I'm very interested in reading your reasoning in this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 5:59 AM on January 31, 2007

Try Energie. Some are on the 'spense side, but you can get deals, especially online. I like them for the same reasons you listed above. Hell, even their butt pocket stitching is reminiscent of Levi's. Good quality denim, button fly, fit tall and slim really nicely.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 7:37 PM on January 10, 2007 marked best answer

As Rhomboid said, but it doesn't work with every app. For instance, Outlook consistently steals focus for me, regardless of the setting.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 5:28 PM on January 6, 2007

Is this a USB keyboard?

If so, try leaving it unplugged during the boot sequence and plug it in when Windows is back up.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 3:29 PM on November 22, 2006

Guinness Extra Stout (brewed by Labatts) is a far different creature than Guinness Draught. Extra is very popular in the Caribbean for some reason and barely consumed (to my knowledge) in North America. All Guinness Draught is imported into North America. In Canada, the two beers are not even represented by the same agencies.

I also believe it's shipped, not airlifted. And being a usually non-allocated product, nobody gets preference in Canada (may be different in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:54 PM on November 19, 2006

Gotta mention that none of these even approximate what high school is like. But the titties and urine and masturbation hijinks are certainly nice. I can just imagine the Russian ones. "Piotr! Not the borsch!" Etc. Let's not bring up the apparent bad jokes about less fortunate regions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 12:52 AM on November 14, 2006

Dammit, I do agree with Y Tu Mama Tambien. Ignore everything I say: I don't think things through.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 12:53 AM on November 14, 2006

www.T-ShirtSellingSite.com
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:12 AM on October 27, 2006

Oi?
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 8:13 PM on October 24, 2006

Well, huge, but understandable. People have crushes on Playboy models too, so don't feel so bad about the cartoon thing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:23 AM on October 20, 2006

Yeah, in my experience (I work as a sort of consultant for the liquor industry in Canada), there is no norm and this is always a contentious issue.

I always prefer the gross sales model to the percentage of server tips, though, as there are too many ways for the wait staff to screw the kitchen using the latter. Also, while you would end up with examples like glip's, a poor server would not directly affect the kitchen's tips.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 4:53 PM on October 16, 2006

Yeah, we do grow a lot of wine already, but grahamwell did mention a "robust Canadian Cabernet."

We do pretty well with Pinots, Merlots, and other grapes that don't mind a cooler climate and shorter growing seasons, but have you tried a Cdn Cab you'd consider robust (or drinkable, for that matter)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:14 PM on September 22, 2006

Of course she's using you.

Yes, yes, nothing good or productive will come of this.

Anyway, continue fucking and loving her, but do as she is to you.

Sleep with other women. It will be much healthier (and more fun).

Upsides: sex. With other people. And a nice affirmation.

Downside: she gets pissy. Yeah, you'll have to deal with that, but she's the one who started... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 3:36 AM on August 30, 2006

Yeah, well, what would your reaction be to someone randomly starting a conversation with you?

I'd find it annoying, unless you are one of two things (or both): physically attractive or/and intellectually fascinating.

If you are, go nuts. The world is yours.

Hell, go nuts anyway. Worst than can happen is you give someone a good enough story to tell their coworkers or classmates that morning. Or anonymously annoy them.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:35 AM on August 30, 2006

Well, like I said, dare away.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 3:18 AM on August 30, 2006

Yeah, it's normal. And probably temporary. Fantasies shift like the music to which you listen.

Is it not the case that everyone sometimes fantasises about other people during sex? Could be wrong, but think it's pretty common.

Resolving this would be solving a grand, yet barely admitted, problem with monogamy and should be published in a reputable journal.

I wish you luck and fame.

By the bye,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:04 AM on August 30, 2006

Justinian: I believe orangeshoe's friend may be overstating the, uh, "problem."

She's coming, she's just disturbed that she's having this fantasy.

Practical point was: wait a couple of months, then talk to her. Give the couple enough time to have an amazing session.

Course, the entire problem could just be he's not paying enough attention to her needs. The girl thing does strike me as a smokescreen.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:44 AM on August 30, 2006

4'33" - John Cage
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 12:37 PM on August 16, 2006

So, then, doesn't the question become: "How do I vet buyers?"

As general interest, what are some good steps for this?
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:36 AM on August 8, 2006

Well, yes, but I would not recommend you do it yourself. LCD components are very delicate and can be very irritating to reassemble. Take it in, if you have the choice. Compressed air and/or shaking would be useless.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:39 AM on July 24, 2006

Coincidentally, I'm having a similar problem with my HP ZD8000 (not that anyone cares about the model - just for those searching articles in the future). I don't really want to take it to a repair shop or send it in to HP, so I've simply started propping it up a bit by resting it on a small book, thus unblocking the fans underneath. I've had great success with this so far. You may want to look into getting a docking station which keeps the base of your laptop clear, or, as nevers says, a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:00 PM on July 19, 2006

I still like the answer: "[Strong] enough to kill Batman."
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 7:08 PM on June 20, 2006

I agree with everything I've heard so far (I especially like rob511's BoneFone - that's hilarious), but I don't consider carrying it in my back pocket (crushable) or carrying a man purse viable. Sticking in my underwear seems, well, odd and doesn't work if I ain't wearing any (ah, summer).

I guess I like the bluetooth headphone idea best (it would solve a couple of issues), but other than that, I guess I'm screwed.

Also - davejay - agreed with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 4:53 PM on April 4, 2006

Yeah, there's no way I could fit it in my front pockets. Wear jeans most of the time. That ain't changing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 8:42 PM on April 4, 2006

Had a similar problem a couple of weeks ago (Media Centre, Zen Microphoto). I had purchased a brand new Zen. I couldn't even get it to charge via the USB port, let alone get Media Centre to recognise it. Because of the power issue, I assumed it to be a faulty cable or port on the player. Didn't care and returned it.

Media Centre is crippled severely from a networking standpoint (even beyond the lack of domain support, which there is a hack for), but you'd think this... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 11:52 AM on February 14, 2006

Agree with stavx. Check out the Dirty Three.

Also, you may like some of Elliot Sharp's stuff (though far less bluesy).
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 7:42 PM on January 6, 2006

Is this a new DSL connection? Is it active? Some DSL providers require you to register the MAC address of the computer (in this case, your router) on a special setup page before you can gain access to any other connectivity. Sometimes you'll be automatically redirected to that page, sometimes you have to find it yourself.

Also, if you've previously connected without a router (ie. you had the modem directly plugged into your desktop), you'll have to reregister.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 5:49 PM on November 27, 2005

Oh yeah, is your LAN connection functional? Can you see your desktop from your laptop and vice-versa? If you can, its almost certainly a WAN issue. If not, it might just be an internal misconfiguration.

Might.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 5:53 PM on November 27, 2005

Cecil Taylor.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 12:28 PM on November 18, 2005

www.demian5.com

Easily the best comix content I've read on the web.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 3:22 AM on November 8, 2005

Just a guess, but North American culture is a direct descendant from English Puritanism.

Shocking that the Puritans didn't use bidets. Tell the truth, shocked that we're actually able to use commercial toilet paper without feeling guilty. (Okay, I do feel a little bit guilty, but, hey.)

Yeah, we are backwards in some respects. But that's why.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 3:12 AM on November 8, 2005

I don't really buy the idea of alcholism as anything more than a habit, either. Might be a moot point, but, it ain't heroin, coke, or tobacco. No shakes and such by going without.

You've proven that you can walk away from it without help (course, that's not really the question).

The question is: why are you asking us? Can you safely have a drink? Of course you can; you already know that.

What are you really asking?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:17 AM on October 24, 2005

(would help if I could spell "alcoholism.")
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:18 AM on October 24, 2005

Intriguing service, but looks like it only works in the U.S. of A. Cdn here.

But thanks anyway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:38 AM on October 4, 2005

As far as strategies and universal truths and questions go:

Everyone cheats.

Infidelity is not the end of everything. Not even close. You've been (and would again were there no consequences to your sense of honour). Give her the same privilege.

Do you need her? What do you need her for?

This is a blow to your ego; nothing more.

Do not fuck someone else anytime soon if... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 12:58 AM on September 13, 2005

Decani: was perhaps a rhetorical overstatement on my part to say "Everyone cheats." Assuming you speak truly, apparently not everyone does.

Just most people.

To pretend that most people do not fail their own morals is a "fallacious waste of time" and "ignorant" as well.

And, no, that doesn't justify it. No one said it did.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 10:54 PM on September 13, 2005

Yeah, I know this is going to sound idiotic, but it works.

Deal. In the drugs.

Undesirable lifestyle? Check. Easy to do? Check. Money to be made? Check. Unromantic danger? Check.

Keep your job. Use others for distribution. Start small. Use middle men as much as possible. Keep an eye on the market.

Like starting real self employment, without the red tape or taxes. If you do it with some... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 2:10 AM on September 13, 2005

Yeah, no. Don't.

Don't fly out and roger him senseless. Whatever your motivations (and I'm guessing they're exactly what you say they are), that'd be the worst idea possible unless you'd just like to bang him and move on.

Want to be a friend to this guy? Call him. Often. Make sure he's alright. But don't overbear.

Engage him during those calls. Remind him of who he is (without romantic overtones).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 1:17 AM on September 13, 2005

Good guy? What scarabic wrote.

Decent guy? What cribcage linked to.

Great guy? Honour, man. Just honour.
posted to Ask Metafilter by converge at 11:34 PM on September 12, 2005