You can dry your own herbs, which turn out much, much, much better than ones you buy in the store. Check out this Alton Brown video on drying at home (about the 3 minute mark).

Seconding also the "minimalist pesto" -- food process, mix with some olive oil, and freeze. You can always thaw and add in garlic, nuts, and cheese to make pesto down the road, and this allows you a little more flexibility.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:39 AM on August 6, 2008

I got pulled over for expired tabs (about 6 months overdue; I had plum forgot) and I went it to mitigate it (not contest it). While it took all morning, it was an overall very pleasant process and it reduced the $260 or so ticket to $120.

This may not be an issue for you -- it may be that a morning of work is worth $120 -- but for my poor college student ass, it was worth it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 7:02 PM on August 5, 2008

I hiked part of the Hoh River trail (decided upon on a whim by my dad and I because we thought the name was funny) and enjoyed it a lot.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 8:37 PM on August 4, 2008

I like making rice with stock, or sometimes part stock/part water. Definitely adds a great flavor, especially if you are doing a pilaf or paella or something.

Beans cooked in stock are also FANTASTIC -- quite a luxury. Again, this is a good place to throw in a few cubes if you don't want to go whole hog and use an entire block of stock.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 10:54 AM on August 4, 2008

Yeah, talk to your local university school of music. It's a little different for percussionists, because a lot of times schools don't have their own drumsets -- and if they did, those would be only available to music students who are majoring in percussion -- but it's a good place to start. People there can probably point you in the right direction, at least.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 8:15 PM on August 3, 2008

Our department did the same thing, on a smaller scale. We ordered 10 each of S, M, L, and XL. They were fancy American Apparel tees, but sizing is at least similar. The mediums went first, then the larges, then the smalls. There are still a couple of XLs floating around.

I would say order 20% more mediums, smalls, and larges than XLs, but that's just anecdotal.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 9:02 AM on July 24, 2008

You need to read up on the Danger Zone. Not sure why your old cooker didn't do that -- perhaps it kept the rice hot enough for the whole time to keep it out of the Zone. But, at any rate, this is not something you should be doing. Make smaller batches of rice, or do as yoyo and thinkingwoman do and freeze portions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 6:23 PM on July 23, 2008

Lusty Library has a podcast that's pretty good.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 9:07 PM on July 20, 2008

Check out Lee Morgan (the album and tune called Sidewinder) and any Horace Silver.

I'll post more when I think of it, but those guys will get you going, definitely.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 2:20 PM on July 17, 2008

You'll notice in the credits that the music is by Shorty Rogers -- I'd check in that direction, as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 3:06 PM on July 17, 2008

This doesn't have much to do with anything, but I've always thought Flimsy Pretext would be a good band name.

Maybe that's why I'm not in a band.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:30 AM on July 17, 2008

"St. Louis Blues" -- Peter Cincotti
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 7:06 PM on July 16, 2008

I've never tried it, but I bet you could do something like beer-glazed beans, substituting whiskey for beer. Here's a recipe from Mark Bittman - you could use any beans, and probably less booze than he calls for beer, but it'll get you started (adapted from "How To Cook Everything Vegetarian"):

2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 cup beer [maybe 1/3 cup whiskey and 2/3 cup water or broth?]
3 cups... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 12:20 AM on July 7, 2008 marked best answer

If you want the caffeine without the acid from a drink, why not just take some caffeine pills? They're no worse for you than a cup or two of coffee.

If you're reacting to the acid in the caffeine itself and want a non-caffeinated morning beverage, many of my vocalist friends (who aren't supposed to have caffeine, sugar, nicotine, or anything else fun) drink weak peppermint tea or just hot water. It's got quite a bit of sugar in it, but warmed up apple juice or apple... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 8:51 PM on July 6, 2008

Thanks for the advice, all. I appreciate the confirmation that KC Reactions are not great quality (I had seen guys bitching about them on the Style Forum, but those are the same guys who call sub-$100 dress shirts "cheap"). As for bespoke shoes, they're probably out of my (student) budget right now, but it's a good thing to think about.

Re: orthotics -- I have to make an appointment with my podiatrist about an ingrown toenail, so maybe I'll bring in some... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 10:44 AM on July 6, 2008

The UW maintains a student housing office at the student union building ("HUB"). It's basically just an organized bulletin board, but there are good options for summer sublets; my girlfriend and I found a place there 2 years ago. Their website is here; I'm sure you can find an email or phone number. Failing that, memail me and I can walk down to the HUB and take a look myself.

Good luck! Wallingford and Fremont are great locations.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 5:53 PM on June 29, 2008

Let me clarify: I realize that you are not a student, but there still may be resources available to you at the OCHA as you are going to be staff/faculty at UW.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 5:54 PM on June 29, 2008

YGMM, Grouse.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 9:12 AM on June 30, 2008

Touch? Around or potentially below the beltline? Probably flirting.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 8:44 PM on June 28, 2008

Same thing happens to me, and like jessamyn and Melisamata, I watch with closed-captioning (or better, subtitles, if I have the choice -- you don't need the ones that say *alternative rock music plays* when Kim Bauer walks into Rick's house). This is helpful for spy movies where you have to keep track of a bunch of names, and/or movies with people who have unfamiliar and/or foreign names. Very useful.

As for novels (I also do the same thing; in addition, I have a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 7:50 PM on June 28, 2008

I'm a male and very pro-undershirt as well. But I have almost no white undershirts; I buy colored undershirts from cheapestees.com and have one in almost every color (I stopped buying plain white socks a while ago as well; much more fun. No packaged underwear or boxers either, but that's sort of a given). I don't often wear polos, but when I do, it's a simple color (brown or black or dark grey) with a contrasting undershirt. If I'm lucky, it matches my socks.

I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 3:02 PM on June 27, 2008

If you're looking for savory things, keep in mind that sesame seeds come in white and black varieties (check any Asian grocery), and they taste very similar. The black ones especially are very striking.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 10:22 PM on June 22, 2008

There's a neat Tito Puente cover of "Take 5" that's in 4.

When I was in 9th grade I had the idea of "Round Midnight" as a quick, uptempo jazz waltz (ala Coltrane's "My Favorite Things"). I didn't, and still don't, have the chops to play it (now a straightlaced classical trombonist), but I'd always hoped someone would record a great version that way.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'll post others if they come to me...
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 9:58 PM on June 21, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I had been considering something like Asahi or Corona but its great to see all these ideas.

I'll go to the store tonight with these tips and report back. Meanwhile, I expect lots more parties this summer, so keep the comments going.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 6:54 PM on June 10, 2008

Spring Rolls ala Steelhead Diner

INGREDIENTS
-- about 4 ounces dried rice vermicelli
-- 1/4 - 1/2 green papaya
-- 3-6 carrots
-- about 6 cooked chicken fingers (I bought some from the deli at my local Safeway; you could bread and fry your own but I haven't tried that)
-- 2 T rice vinegar and/or lime juice, plus some extra
-- 1 T soy sauce, plus some extra
-- about 12 rice paper wrappers... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 9:39 AM on June 16, 2008

There is an Argentinian cheese (I don't remember what it's called -- I'll look next time I'm home) that has a similar tang. I would reccomend mixing it with pecorino if you miss the tang of parmesan, but I use it on its own.

I would just go to the store and start trying out hard cheeses, particularly those made from sheep's milk (even though Parmesan isn't), as they're likely to be tangier.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 4:57 PM on June 13, 2008

I have a stand like this one (the Proel on this page). I don't have that same brand, but it's similar.

I like that the stand desk is metal and non-folding, but it's got holes in it so it's not as heavy. Wing does not blow through it, but you can always get some big clips ("bandstand") or, do what I've seen guys do, and use a big sheet of plexiglas.

Good luck!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 4:21 PM on June 13, 2008

Obi, "refrito" just means "well-fried", referring to the fact, I suppose, that they are normally cooked in a lot of lard.

I have used bacon grease with great effect. I've also heard of lots of Latinos using olive oil (not traditional, but it's another flavorful fat that adds a not-unpleasant note).
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 5:45 AM on June 4, 2008

I should add that I have Entourage 2004(?) as an option as well, and I'm not opposed to switching if that would make things easier. Other details: G4 iBook, Tiger.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 12:01 PM on May 11, 2008

Sorry to overmoderate, just wanted to clarify a few things:

-- stresstwig: how would I disable the drive?
-- winston: yeah, I thought of that, too. That's going to be a last resort, since it's not really something I'm comfortable doing.
-- Inspector.Gadget: we have only one computer in our office and I'm the only one here. But yeah, I did think of something like that. It's the kind of thing I would do to a coworker...

Thanks, all.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:26 AM on April 5, 2008

(stresstwig -- I just disabled the drive through the device manager while it was shut, and it did not work -- just popped back out).
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:28 AM on April 5, 2008

Teraflop -- thanks! That worked! I don't have high hopes for the drive, at any rate -- it's not reading discs now. But, that's not a huge deal; I've told my bosses that they probably should invest in a new drive and I can probably pop it in next weekend.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 3:42 PM on April 5, 2008

Current UW student here. I would avoid on-campus (or really any HFS-related) housing like the plague. Really.

Campus housing is usually way overpriced, and not really that convenient. The campus apartment are not on campus at all (I'm not sure which ones you're looking at, but plug some of the addresses into Google maps and you'll see what I mean). This isn't that big of a deal -- there are plenty of good bus routes that, as Jacqueline and nikki point out, make the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 4:04 PM on March 31, 2008

One week, definitely.

That's the thing I don't like about home made mayo -- I use so little of it that even the lowest common denomination of mayonnaise (you can't easily use half an egg...) is too much for me to use in a week. Oh well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:14 PM on March 24, 2008

If you used stuff from the freezer, it probably didn't cost too much. Throw it out, and chalk it up to a well learned lesson that the stock pot is not a garbage can!*

Try it again, but do this: roughly chop some onion, carrot, and celery. Saute in a bit of olive oil with a couple of (unpeeled) cloves of garlic for about 5 minutes, then add hot water. The mushroom stems were probably a good call, same with dried mushrooms if you have any (porcini or even shiitake). If... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 3:51 PM on March 8, 2008

Basically you're just listening to where there's emphasis in the time, even if it's subtle.

For example: sing Mary Had a Little Lamb. Which notes are most accented? It probably sounded like this:

MAry had a LITtle lamb, LITtle lamb, LITtle lamb.

Now try accenting everything third syllable:

MAry had A little LAMB, little LAMB, little LAMB.

Sounds weird, right? Sounds... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:05 PM on March 3, 2008

Ack. My overly simple "Mary Had a Little Lamb" demonstration isn't that useful, I just realized, because the song has a rest in it ("MAry had a LITtle lamb [rest]"). Think of it this way. The song could be written like this:

MAR-ry had a
LIT-tle lamb [rest]
LIT-tle lamb [rest]
LIT-tle lamb [rest]

MAR-ry had a
LIT-tle lamb, its
FLEECE was white as
SNOW.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:13 PM on March 3, 2008

If you have reason to expect that your classmate is planning on paying you your usual fee, charge $200. How much time are you putting in? I'd say $200 is more than reasonable, but I'm a musician in Seattle. Practice stating your price without flinching or apologizing! You are providing a service for which you deserve to be compensated.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 1:46 PM on March 1, 2008

I hear you about the dorm food. You are doing the right thing by looking elsewhere for your calories.

Luckily, you don't need any fancy equipment to make pasta dough. Traditionally, it is made on a countertop. You will need flour, eggs, and a fork (plus water). Salt too. And a rolling pin. But you can improvise the rolling pin if you can get your hands on a wine bottle.

As you probably know, the pasta machine makes rolling it out easier --... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 12:12 AM on December 26, 2007 marked best answer

Wonton wrapper ravioli is great, BUT -- and I say this from experience -- it all goes to shit when frozen. Regular dough may be fine, but if you make wonton ravioli they will fall apart once they come out of the freezer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 8:42 PM on December 26, 2007

FWIW, I've always understood that salt goes in the shaker with fewer holes.

But you are not alone in your confusion! It seems that the Internets have not figured this out yet, either.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 9:35 PM on December 25, 2007

How long do you want to hang them up before putting them back with clean clothes? If it's just a 24-hour air dry kind of thing, you could hang them on hangers over the shower curtain bar.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:36 AM on December 17, 2007

I just dug out my notes from music theory 202, although I'm embarrassed that I couldn't answer this on my own.

You want to use a pivot chord -- a chord that makes sense in both keys. In this case, you want to use D, which is V in the old key (G major) and IV in the new key (A major).

I would do this:

----------------C-----------D--------G--------[D-----E-------]
Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:57 PM on December 15, 2007

Beammeup -- yeah, that's the easiest thing to do, and not a bad option. But I think (hope) that the OP is looking for the chords to play during the transition that will smooth out that key change.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:58 PM on December 15, 2007

Raider is correct -- the chord over "grave" should be D, not E like I wrote.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 12:04 AM on December 16, 2007

Go with ludwig_van's suggestion -- he actually plays guitar (I was sitting here for about 20 minutes trying to think of the cool way to do it with a diminished chord, and then I gave up).
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 9:45 AM on December 16, 2007

FOLLOWUP --

(I am the anonymous OP).

I ended up going to Blue Bottle and finding an amazing, graphic print with all the right colors. They had one already framed ($35 unframed, $70 framed), so I had her wrap it up and I took it home with me. Gave it to the SO on Thursday for our anniversary and it went over great! It's now hanging up in our living room.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 11:28 AM on December 15, 2007

I think of movie soundtracks sort of like illustrations in a children's book. Sure, there's some great stuff out there, and there's definitely a lot of artistry behind it, but you're probably going to find more material if you broaden your criteria a bit and look at a wider genre of "classical" music.

In general, I'd look for string quartets. They are more likely to be "violin heavy" (string quartet = 2 violins, viola, cello) and most quatets are 4... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 3:33 PM on November 21, 2007

Ditto on the old-school shaving stuff -- but you want badger hair, not boar. There are tons of old threads around here; search "shaving" and you'll find many. MefiMail me if you want more info.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 9:04 AM on November 17, 2007 marked best answer

Shredded Wheat can be good with lots of sugar on it, for sort of a faux-Frosted Mini Wheats kind of thing.

That's pretty much all I've got. Apples and pork do go well together, but I don't really eat pork ("I just don't dig on swine") so I wouldn't know.
posted to Ask Metafilter by rossination at 8:06 PM on November 4, 2007