Ah, you have my deepest sympathies. We had similar problems with our Motorola PVR that Comcast provided. We kept having them come and switch out the non-functioning one until they finally brought a newer model (which I had found online and insisted on); this one is much more functional, though not at all perfect. If you google your PVR's model number, you'll see that you are far from the only person with problems. All Motorola PVRs appear to be crap. You should contact Shaw and keep harassing... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 12:29 PM on July 20, 2008

Thanks, pieoverdone; she doesn't have any other scrapes or scratches, no sign of mange, nothing like that. Maybe she got both ears nipped somehow. We're not so much worried as curious about our little dog's history. If only she could talk!
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 4:42 PM on July 3, 2008

Looks like fly strike dermatitis is a very likely possibility. Thanks idiotfactory and bluenausea! I'm sorry to hear that she was probably kept outside a lot by her first owners, but it's good to know.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 6:03 PM on July 3, 2008

Thanks, shesaysgo; it actually did occur to me that Mina got her ears nipped by the other dog her foster mom was caring for, a rambunctious corgi. But she claimed not to know how the marks happened, so I figured they had happened before she went into the foster home. I don't worry too much about her little scrapes and scratches; the other day she managed to trip going up some cement stairs in the yard and got an owie on her forehead. I just wiped it off and let her keep playing, and she seemed... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 9:19 PM on July 4, 2008

Best? A store that buys used books and employs a staff that often misses collectible first editions and puts them on the shelf marked $7.95.

(A friend of my husbands actually got a first edition Harry Potter from a Half Price Books this way. Bastard.)

Other than that, a large selection of used and new books in good condition is all I ask for. And cats are a nice bonus.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 9:35 AM on July 4, 2008

Free WiFi!
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 8:22 PM on July 4, 2008

Back to the continuous BC plan - I've been period-free for almost 8 years, no health problems (my Gyn recommended this, and does it herself). Try it, talk to your doctor, and see how it works for you. I had no breakthrough bleeding after the first three months or so (and none since). Not having periods has changed my life in numerous very positive ways.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 11:40 AM on July 3, 2008

shadowfelldown, I do kind of understand your distrust of the no-periods thing, but be aware that the uterine lining (which you shed during a normal period) does not build up under this scheme. You don't "fill up" with menstrual blood or anything like that.

Also, realize that for a long time in human history, it was the norm for women to be pregnant and/or breastfeeding for most of their fertile lives. Because you don't menstruate while pregnant or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 3:53 PM on July 3, 2008

I know it's wrong, but here's what I'd do: photograph your shed, open the image in Photoshop, and do some creative "painting." Make at least one based on the goatse image. Send her a few printouts of your best efforts, with a note saying, "Yes, you're right! It's time to paint my shed, and I've been meaning to. Here are some of my ideas for the next paint job."

Seriously, I can't stand nosy people like that and I'm afraid I would... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:23 PM on June 30, 2008

This is all very good advice, and just what I needed - thanks to ALL! Interesting info about the dog door, special thanks for that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 8:53 PM on March 31, 2008

Thanks, MeFi! I took the plunge and here's the new family member! The cats are starting to adjust surprisingly well, a little at a time, and it's only our second day.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:44 AM on May 4, 2008

One more follow-up, for those who emailed me asking to let them know how it went with the cats + a dog. The answer: it's going just fine!!
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 6:52 PM on June 22, 2008

I don't have any advice, except to offer a "welcome to Seattle" in advance, from someone with two cats, a dog, and a Mini Cooper! :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 6:25 PM on June 18, 2008

Thanks! I'll check all of these out!
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:20 AM on June 9, 2008

I hate cluttered desktops, and I don't know how some of my friends and coworkers can function with dozens of icons on their desk! How can you see your cool desktop photo?

I try to save things into the right place as I'm working/downloading, etc. Then, like birdherder, I make a folder called "To Sort" and when I've got an annoying amount of icons on my desktop, I dump them in there. (An annoying amount to me is about 5 - 10.) Once in a while I open the folder,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 10:21 AM on June 7, 2008

Cats are good spider control, I've found. Mine hunts them down mercilessly. But be sure and get neutered cats, or you'll soon have a cat problem, and you'll have to bring in dogs to control the cats, then llamas or something...it's a never-ending cycle.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:16 AM on June 4, 2008

"O Death" from O Brother Where Art Thou
Dead Can Dance - The Host of Seraphim
Anything by Diamanda Galas - though not all would call her vocals "beautiful."
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 10:07 PM on June 2, 2008

Aww - she looks a lot like my dog! Mine's a cross between a Lab and a Dachshund (!). Yours seems somewhat more, ah, normally proportioned, though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 6:27 PM on June 2, 2008

I love the nitrous, and it's made it possible for me to go to the dentist after many years' avoidance. I also get prescription anti-anxiety meds, and together they make even the most grueling periodontal procedure a real pleasure. Yes, DO get someone to drive you, at least the first time.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 12:57 PM on June 2, 2008

Oh, and bring an iPod and some trippy music and you'll wish you had a dental appointment every week!
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 12:58 PM on June 2, 2008

You might consider a Mini Cooper, as long as folks are suggesting other cars. There's a back seat that I know from experience will fit two kids (even two adults, but not on a long trip unless they're short) and you can fold down the back seats for tons of storage room. A 2007 Mini with manual transmission gets 32/city, 40/hwy, and is super fun to drive. They're not terribly expensive, either.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 10:09 AM on June 1, 2008

Oh, and they have very high resale value compared to most other cars. And you never have to haggle about price at the dealership.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 10:10 AM on June 1, 2008

My husband does this, and I think it's cute. It's just one of those in-joke kinds of things couples do. I suppose if someone who was just an acquaintance did it, it might get annoying...but not necessarily. I'd probably still find it endearing. That's just me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 3:09 PM on May 31, 2008

Funny - I saw the trailer and loved (and downloaded) the song instantly! I hope she gets a lot of recognition for this; she has an interesting history.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 10:37 PM on May 27, 2008

Seattle. White carpet. Shoes off. But I don't insist that people who come over take their shoes off; often they will notice all the shoes in the shoe-bench thingie inside the doorway and take off their own shoes, but I don't mention it, because it would feel rude to do so. Besides, what if their only clean socks that day happened to be the ones with the hole in the toe? I don't want them to be unprepared and embarrassed by something like that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 4:13 PM on May 26, 2008

Wow - so glad I asked this! I'm still planning to negotiate vacation time, because it's pretty much a deal-breaker for me; I have 4 weeks now and wouldn't want to go back to two (or one!) unless they offered me a huge amount over what I currently make. But I most definitely will NOT write down my current salary etc. as I had planned. AskMe saves the day!!
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 2:27 PM on May 22, 2008

gjc, your thinking is in line with what I've been planning, except asking 25k more (though I like that idea, I'm not sure my industry/field supports it). I plan to ask a hefty sum over what I make now, though. Maybe, after reading your comment, it will be heftier yet...
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 3:05 PM on May 22, 2008

I asked about this not that long ago; part of my dog adoption question was about integrating with our two cats. You'll be lucky in that you will have more options. If I could start from scratch, I'd get a puppy and a kitten. But our sweet older cats have adapted surprisingly well, so far, after two weeks of living with our year-old rescue dog. One is so relaxed that she sleeps peacefully no matter how close pup comes; she just could not care less. The first couple of days she hissed when the dog... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 8:43 AM on May 17, 2008

I'm very much like you in this, and also an only child...coincidence? My only caveat is that I learned that my husband can't, and shouldn't be, my only friend, because it puts a certain amount of pressure on him to be all things to me, if you see what I mean. So I've tried to make an effort to keep in touch with friends who like to, say, go shopping or to the garden store, because he won't always feel like going. I do value my free time immensely, though, and like to spend a lot of it on my own.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:39 AM on May 4, 2008

I just tested it and the default export works fine, with a 100k rectangle. Are you sure your shape doesn't have a blending effect or opacity applied?
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 12:23 PM on April 17, 2008

Great topic. You might be interested in the podcast of All in the Mind, from Australia's ABC Radio National.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 12:12 PM on April 17, 2008

I really enjoy Escape Pod (science fiction short stories) and Pseudopod (horror shorts). And seconding PRI's Selected Shorts, and This American Life. Also, if you enjoy This American Life, WNYC's Radio Lab is similar and very good.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:41 AM on April 10, 2008

As an alternative, you might try Yelp.com; they do list contractors and home services...here's a listing of contractors in the Seattle area, to give you an example.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 9:49 PM on April 2, 2008

Etsy had a link in the nav bar between "News" and "My Etsy" that said "Waffles." Click on it, and there were...waffles. Photos of them. Under each was a link to "Flag this as not a waffle." Subtle and cute.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 9:30 PM on April 2, 2008

Rosemary will become a LARGE woody shrub if you keep it happy; I have one in my yard that was bought at about 5 inches tall and is now about 4 feet tall, and gets pruned every year to keep it at that size. Of course, in a container it won't go as crazy, but I'd put it and maybe sage together, definitely basil on its own or with other tender herbs. You might also like chives (garlic chives are yum!); they grow like mad, multiply every year, and have interesting flowers if you let them. They're... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 9:50 AM on April 2, 2008

I would start a knitting/crochet group (google Stitch-N-Bitch for ideas) and invite a bunch of fun people over for a big yarn party! See who can come up with most creative, softest, ugliest, strangest, and award prizes (free yarn!). I think you'd have a blast!
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 8:10 PM on March 28, 2008

I thought it started with "Hope me, Obi-Wan, you're my only help" for some reason...but Google does not seem to back me up.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 6:01 PM on March 27, 2008

AHA! 1997....thank you Google Groups.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 6:04 PM on March 27, 2008

We usually buy cheese in multiples, for parties or a cheese tasting, so we do save the wrapper (and I have done c, many times) so that we can keep straight which is which for later. But most often, I put cheese, wrapper and all into a baggie. But that may change now; interesting link, DenOfSizer.

Seattle MeFites, see you at the Cheese Festival in May!
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 9:25 AM on March 22, 2008

Well, you could try the Coinstar hack. At your own risk, of course.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 9:52 PM on March 18, 2008

Call your nearest Sir Speedy Printing; they used to work with a company called Business Cards Tomorrow which would do just that. They're the thermographic kind, which, to the experienced eye, scream "cheap!" but they should be able to get them to you. All this is based on when I used to work there, back in the early 1990s, so YMMV.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 9:48 PM on March 18, 2008

I think prophetsearcher has it, but also - could the dessert be something easily bagged up to go? Pie instead of ice cream, for example? They can have it the next morning with their coffee.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:40 AM on March 18, 2008

Many great ideas; I think that due to budget constraints, trips to the UK are out for a while. He has Banks' book, and the Jackson guide; a kilt, while I would love him to wear one, is sadly not to his taste; he's said he has plenty of glassware...and I don't feel like I can buy him a bottle as he is very particular about what he likes, and so does a lot of research before buying - and has probably got most of what I could get him, including some rare ones ordered online. So I'd have trouble... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:27 AM on March 18, 2008

Oh come on. It looks good on him because it's Sayid. And he's HOT. A suit made out of the dirty rags you use to wipe your car's dipstick would look good on him.

(I do think it's just a generic suit.)

(So hot.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 6:17 PM on March 17, 2008

Where I work they used to be called traffic managers, now are called project managers or project specialists.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 11:16 AM on March 16, 2008

I got a good deal on a very nice mattress set at the Kirkland Costco Home store. They have several to try out, and if you're a Costco member, you get a coupon book now and then that gives an additional discount on already quite good prices.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 7:19 PM on March 15, 2008

I believe your climate might be close to ours here in Seattle, so you could check out our wacky local garden star, Ciscoe. He's a bit odd, but has some good gardening tips. Also, in searching for that link, I found that the local liberal talk-radio station has a gardening show podcast, which I can't vouch for but will give a try. I'll be interested in other responses, though, because it's a topic I'd like to hear more about too.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 6:32 PM on March 12, 2008

1. Stop watching TV. This alone will open a massive amount of time, if you're like most people.
2. Explain to your girlfriend that you love her, but you need an hour a night just for you, without interruption. Have your own space that you can go to, and shut the door. Make it a space you can feel creative in. Go. Create.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 8:48 PM on February 26, 2008

Well, I'm surprised no one has suggested "Why People Believe Strange Things" by Michael Shermer. Here's another good one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 10:59 AM on February 24, 2008

Data point: I have been period-free for almost seven years now by just skipping the fourth (placebo) week, with my OB/Gyn's approval (she, and several women in her office, also use the pill to eliminate periods). I use a generic version of a common pill, called Junel, however, I have previously used other variants of Ethinyl Estradiol and Norethindrone pills. I ad some spotting at first, but it's incredibly rare these days - once I went three or four days without any pills and had little... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by TochterAusElysium at 10:11 AM on February 24, 2008