Um, watercarrier, where do you think bottled water comes from? A magical spring in the mountains? Bottled water is normally just tap water. Complete with pharmaceuticals and everything.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 8:11 AM on October 10, 2008

Perhaps they are hesitant to call you just by your first name, as that might be seen as being overly informal? So LastName sans Mr. is a good compromise?

Incidentally, for some reason I feel like this is something more common in the UK than in the US. My British cousins seemed, as I recall from visits, to be referred to as "Bruce" or "Brucie" (their last name) pretty often by their friends. Could this be a cultural transference thing? Most Indians... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 12:50 PM on October 9, 2008

Some people don't have the same taste in reading material as you. I am not a book snob (I have been known to read romance novels) and it's mostly because they're comforting. Books that fit a type- sci fi, fantasy, romance- are comforting because you know they're going to have a happy ending (usually) and you know what to expect. I've always read a ton, and quite a lot of it has not exactly been what my last English teacher would have termed literature. Escapist, comforting, predictable- they all... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 4:56 PM on October 8, 2008

Send yourself a facebook message?
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 2:19 PM on October 8, 2008

As for automatic: Facebook's default behavior is to send you an email whenever you get a message.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 2:20 PM on October 8, 2008

Do you have a primary care provider? Normally, they will have a list of their go-to specialists, which (hopefully) includes therapists, along with cardiologists, ENT specialists, etc. Their shortlist might give you a place to start, although ultimately you'll probably want to spend a little time with several before you make a decision. This assumes that you have a good relationship with your primary care doctor and trust their judgment on things like this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 12:08 PM on October 8, 2008

When I was a kid, my mom would fix our jeans by ironing on those denim patches Quietgal mentions. They never worked very well. Inevitably, you ended up with a stiff patch around the hole in the shape of the patch, and it looked and felt pretty bad. By the time they got worn in like the rest of the jeans, the patches would be falling off. Sewing on a patch of denim (or another fabric) around the edges of the hole is probably a better idea.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 1:45 PM on October 7, 2008

This is completely up to you, but I think the general consensus (as much as one can be had on a question based purely on personal preference) is bottom is better. Easier to get in and out of.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 4:08 PM on October 6, 2008

How big do you need the paper to be? I use a stack of small pieces of paper intended to be used as a refill for one of those desktop wooden paper holders (if that makes any sense....) held together by a rubber band. It works pretty darn well. I've also seen little pads of paper (bundles of four or five for a dollar) at my local stationary store.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 4:28 PM on October 4, 2008

Could you perhaps channel your anxiety about this into exercise? That would have the dual benefit of reducing your risk of heart attack and give you a concrete thing you can do to reduce your risk factors. Remind yourself that your relatives lived unhealthy lifestyles, but you don't have to. Think about each exercise session as insurance against following in their footsteps. If you're so anxious and stressed about this that you can't do that, or it really starts to interfere with your life on a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 5:22 PM on October 2, 2008

We get these in rice sometimes. The only thing that worked was throwing anything away that they might have infiltrated and vacuuming the crap out of pantry. Incidentally, I've often heard these referred to as pantry moths; I know there are some old threads here discussing them. In my limited experience, they tended to come back, either from places we had missed or from new rice. Constant vigilance and consistent freezing is the best way to keep those suckers out for good.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 5:01 PM on October 2, 2008

My grandmother collected them... I think she was hoping that they would hold value, especially the supposedly scarce ones. I liked them because, as an elementary-school aged kid, they were fun to dress up and play with. My grandmother had previously collected various kinds of dolls (Madame Alexander, etc.) and sold them at collector shows, IIRC. Beanie Babies were pretty much an extension of the same thing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 8:19 AM on October 1, 2008

What exactly do you think people in Australia eat that is so different from the US? The cultures are fairly similar, from what I understand...
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 3:59 PM on September 30, 2008

14 is a really weird, hard time. And yeah, when my mom gives me cash for food or whatever, I tend to hang on to the change unless she asks for it back. But then, she nearly always tells me to keep it when I offer change back in those situations. Perhaps that's how your friend and her husband do things as well? It doesn't seem like this girl really actively made a plan to steal... she did produce the money later, after all. That doesn't really excuse it, but it kinda makes it seem like going to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 1:42 PM on September 30, 2008

I'd like to correct the OTC drugs answer that was best answered- I think they meant generic drugs, which are drugs that are chemically identical to a Name Brand drug. OTC just means you can buy them without a prescription. So, Zyrtec versus store brand cetirizine. Generics exist in both OTC and prescription drugs. As a side note: for some people, for whatever reason, Brand Name drug x works better than the generic. Sometimes people demand the Name Brand despite the usually higher cost, but for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 2:06 PM on September 29, 2008

Try a decongestant. Sinuses are hateful and like to mess with a wide spectrum of head/throat/neck areas.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 10:49 AM on September 29, 2008

Um, not to be rude (or overly snarky, hopefully) but you have long hair? And you're worried about looking feminine or outdated? Perhaps this is just my own bias, but I think dated, or more specifically, trying too hard to look 'cool' circa 20 years ago, when I see guys with long hair. I tend to associate it with poorly groomed computer nerds, burned out metal heads and hippies who haven't given up the dream. Maybe try talking with your girlfriend about it- does she love Brad Pitt's hair, or hate... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 9:37 PM on September 28, 2008

Drinking water is good advice. I'm trying it myself (mostly because college on a meal plan = not a lot of snack opportunity) and I'm liking Crystal Light for this purpose. The best flavors, imo, are the white grape and lemonade, made about half strength. They taste like food, but a large glassful has about 3 calories in it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 9:28 PM on September 28, 2008

You have some good suggestions here about how to handle the professor situation, but I'd just like to suggest that you stop checking this thread, turn off your internet and go write the damn paper. That will make you feel far better than the best prof-approaching plan of action. I don't want to sound harsh, because I feel for you, but I can see my own tendency to overthink when I'm faced with starting a paper. You say "Oh it isn't that long, not that hard, I can do it in like, an hour"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 4:25 PM on September 28, 2008

Turning off the sidebar is key. I like it for playlists because I may be in the mood for songs with a particular feel- fast, slow, acoustic, harsh vocals vs. pretty, etc. - and Genius does a pretty good job of making playlists based on that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 1:05 PM on September 26, 2008

I don't know how helpful this will be, but here goes. I've always been the kind of person who can put very little effort into school related things and come out with good grades. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing or that I have it worse than you, but I've envied people who do have to work hard. I've never really put a lot of effort into something for school, I have little work ethic and put things off until the last minute, and I don't feel I've ever reached my full potential- I'm not sure... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 1:12 PM on September 25, 2008

Go to the fair! I just left Dallas for college and I'm missing it hard- make sure to wander around the outskirts, the midway is not the best part by a long shot. You'll also get a good intro to the Dallas/Texas common man.

The museums are a great suggestion as well- if you're only going to go to one, I'd do the Kimball/Modern/Arboretum (read about this in the other thread) trifecta rather than the DMA/Nasher/Crow. Thar way, you get to see Ft. Worth as well. Skip Austin... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 2:23 PM on September 23, 2008

I came in here to suggest Atul Gawande. He's amazing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 4:58 PM on September 22, 2008

If I remember my Olympics correctly, volleyball teams sometimes switch pins. I assume a country specific one for the Olympics, but I'm not sure.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 2:27 PM on September 16, 2008

Spoon has an acoustic demo of "I Summon You" that I like. If you can't find it (I think it was on the Gimme Fiction bonus disc?) I can send it to you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 8:51 PM on September 11, 2008

Except, troy, she wants an optical drive.

I have a black MacBook and am totally happy with it. I got it in February and IIRC the line has been refreshed at least once, maybe twice since then. Sure, I look at the prices and how I could have gotten my computer for less, but that doesn't decrease my happiness with my current computer. If a new shiny MacBook lines debuts in a month, hey cool. But. It's not like my 7 month old laptop is crap suddenly. You're working on a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 6:10 PM on September 11, 2008

We haven't got enough distance yet. What will define this period is what looks funny and out of place in 6 or 7 years. Or better yet, give it a decade or two.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 4:54 PM on September 11, 2008

I would suggest hitting up the junior's department, or stores that cater to teenagers. I'm 18, and I often find that jeans from American Eagle, Aeropostale, Charlotte Russe, etc. do not allow for asses. I find they gap at the waist and sag there when they fit elsewhere fine; perhaps you have the shape they seem to be designed for. 14-16-18 might be a tiny bit large for those stores, though. I know I've seen 14-16 there, but I'm not sure about 18.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 6:01 PM on September 10, 2008

Is there some way you can ask the school to get you in touch with some graduates of the part- time program? You could say you want advice on balancing work and school... not that you want to grill them on their career opportunities. I'm not sure how feasible this is, but you'd probably get better advice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 11:34 AM on September 8, 2008

Kinda gross, imo.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 2:42 PM on September 7, 2008

You aren't actually supposed to post homework questions here. Homeworkfilter is a bad thing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 1:05 PM on August 25, 2008

Learn HTML/CSS, soend hours trying to perfect a web page design. You don't need web hosting to do this.

PlaceSpotting is my new favorite. I found this website (possibly through MeFi) a week or so ago and it was one of those "Oh wow this is interesting" (an interlude) "Oh shit, it's four in the morning" things.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 6:59 PM on August 23, 2008

I used the Sam's brand for a while (probably the same as Wal-Mart) and I noticed a difference in how long it took for my eyes to start to dry out. My contacts would start feeling dry and like they weren't in good contact with my eyes, leading to stinging and watering and blinking. No fun. I switched back to Opti-Free and the problems stopped.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 11:29 PM on August 22, 2008

Open your windows and oil your wood furniture. Masculine, natural, and easy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 10:55 PM on August 21, 2008

Yeah but violetk, the insurance provider is not going to go the poster's employer and report that "Employee X is clinically depressed, fyi". The insurance company knows what kind of treatment is being received, because they're sent the bill.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 12:46 PM on August 21, 2008

I'm a native Dallas person, and I have great affection for the city, but it is the opposite of walkable. Stay out of Texas in general, really, with the exception of Austin. Actually, you're probably better staying out of the South in general if walkability is key for you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 12:25 PM on August 21, 2008

I've never worked in a bowling alley, but I did work as a cashier at a cafe/restaurant and if a customer had come up and asked to buy, say, a plate or a ceramic coffee mug, I would probably have said no, and been reluctant to find a way to make it work. We had a computerized POS system that tracked our transactions, drawer balance, etc. If I gave a customer a mug, and took their 5 bucks or whatever and put it in my drawer, chances are my manager would be fine with it, but then again, it's an off... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 10:32 PM on August 20, 2008

I think the thing with the women's vault was that the Chinese gymnast's vault was not just flawed in the landing- she had been off balance and was not so strong technically when she hit the table, which led to her pretty obvious fall. The NBC commentators, at least those who were gymnasts, said she didn't get the deductions she should have for the earlier errors. That could certainly be explained by less experienced judges. No knock to say, South Africa, but they are not world-renowned for the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 12:43 AM on August 20, 2008

Can you contact former students of your school who went to college(/community college/tech school)? Maybe you could make a day of it, asking reps from the school and former students to talk to your kids? You could maybe try to set up some mentoring, even. That was what was most helpful to me, in going through the application process (leaving for Williams next Monday!!). I had a friend from a summer program who also went to a small liberal arts school, and he was really cool with helping me get a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 12:29 AM on August 20, 2008

If you have trouble opening up, try not making eye contact, therapist's couch-style. Talk like you're talking to yourself, not an individual person. Try to forget that you have an audience.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 4:39 PM on August 19, 2008

Perhaps this is too easy, but is there a BC-level class at your high school? Teachers who might moonlight as a BC-level teacher at a community college? You could just ask them for some supplemental material. I doubt they'd let you have a set of tests and quizzes, but you might convince them to let you take them at or near the time the BC kids were taking them, if not before. Of course, I imagine that if such a class existed, you'd be in it, but still- asking your teacher to teach you to the BC... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 1:13 AM on August 17, 2008

I sometimes find that when it's very quiet, I start to almost feel like I can make out sounds- voices, quite often- in the background buzz of my house. I think it's a human trait to listen for patterns in random sounds like that... could that be what you're experiencing?
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 12:05 AM on August 16, 2008

Don't be afraid to ask a girl out. In my experience, most girls wait for the guy to do the formal asking, at least at that age.

Tell him not to be afraid to break up with a girl if she isn't treating him well. I don't know what he and his female friends are like, but I've seen some of my good female friends (who are really nice people, truly) take advantage of the "OMG I have a girlfriend!!!!" excitement guys get when they're in their first relationship- the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 5:07 PM on August 14, 2008

I went to the dentist last week and had the same thing done; mine were mostly twos and threes, with a few fours that prompted my hygienist to tell me to start flossing every day. According to her, I was still at a point where I could improve things through flossing and not grinding my teeth. They didn't even bring up the idea of fillings to protect my gums, only that if I didn't shape up I might need a gum graft. I would think getting a second opinion might be a good idea, and re-evaluating how... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 11:30 AM on August 13, 2008

I've never dealt with Nearly Free Speech.net, but I kinda wish I could. They seem ideal for your needs.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 8:37 PM on August 6, 2008

I'm er, under 25 and I prefer one page, at least in part because seeing how long the web page is scroll-bar-wise tells me how long the article is. With pagination, I can reach the end of an article that appears short and find that I have seven more pages to read. That can be good or bad, bad usually when I'm not in the mood for a long article but am interested in following through on the article's ideas. I can, on the other hand, find myself lost on a loong page of uninterrupted text if I try to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 11:46 PM on August 2, 2008

I'm not sure if this is quite what you mean by shoulder bag, but I've been very happy with my purse from this Etsy shop.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 12:37 PM on August 1, 2008

Perhaps you could stay up late one night and try driving fast along a more or less deserted stretch of late night highway? Then, work your way up to driving on more congested roads. In addition, I know that in my area (Texas) some roads slowly turn from neighborhood roads with 40 MPH speed limits to 55 MPH country mini-highways. Maybe try one of those, if you can find one, working your way up to higher speeds? They look essentially the same, but you can ease into going faster. They also tend to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 10:13 PM on July 31, 2008

Do math and read poetry. For both, the more obtuse, the better.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 11:09 PM on July 30, 2008

My mother worked in the cash office of a grocery store for years, and she has told me they would often handle more cash than the bank my grandmother worked at. Having that much cash on hand is, as mentioned above, a liability to the store. Hence, cash back is good for the store, and good for the consumer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MadamM at 11:58 PM on July 26, 2008