I think of Fortinbras as an example for Hamlet of what he's supposed to be like - a Prince of Action, so to speak.
Like Macduff and troybob said.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:03 PM on July 30, 2008

Nashoba Valley Winery
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 10:34 AM on July 22, 2008

Guests While You're In Labor
Most importantly, I suggest that you and your spouse/babydaddy/birthingpartner make - and stick to - a joint decision on who, if anyone, can 'join you' in the room or at the hospital for your labor. It's important that you back each other up on whatever you decide.
My STRONG suggestion is that you not have anyone. No family. Nobody until baby arrives. If this is going to irk your in-laws (or whoever), then you can just be passive-aggressive... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 10:24 AM on July 22, 2008

PS. If you can be as forceful with your family as some of those other posters encourage, I say go for it. You will be get tired and fed up with their shit, I promise you. On the flip side, I don't know how to instill this in someone who hasn't been there; if I had read that when I was in the middle of my pregnancy, I would have just shrugged and figured I'd be different.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 10:29 AM on July 22, 2008

I'm using disposables, but friends and family using cloth diapers seem to be happy with them.*
I hear great things about Fuzzibunz.

I looked into gdiapers a little, and ultimately, it seems like it's a big messy hassle. All the time-consumingness of cloth diapers combined with the throwing-away-iness of disposables. I mean, the fact that it comes with a special toilet 'swish-stick' is a big red light. It's the worst of both worlds, not the best of them.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 11:39 AM on May 30, 2008

I like Ristorante Fiori, which can be under $50, depending what you order. I love the tagliatelle.
I've also heard good things about Pomodoro.

Given the deadline, I suggest you also look on boston.citysearch.com, where you can search by price and neighborhood. Also try yelp.com - I've heard they're up-and-coming in the world of restaurant reviews.

And I second Modern Pastry, but you already know all this; you live in the area.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:34 AM on May 30, 2008

I suggest a strategy sort of like FuManchu's, but more general:

Give yourself a goal other than just winning the game.

You don't have to sacrifice trying to win, but try it in a different way. Approach the game as an exploration rather than a competition. (For example, can you win at Settlers by only collecting wood?)
This will keep you from focusing on winning, and with a new goal, you don't lose in quite the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 8:35 AM on April 22, 2008

"Hey, we have a wonderful surprise for you! I'm/[Girlfriend]'s pregnant! Isn't that great? You're going to have a grandchild this fall! Congratulations!"

That ought to both convey the information and indicate that their response should be happy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:58 AM on April 5, 2008

I have one suggestion that may help with a small part of your situation. You mentioned that "every little bit of personal hygience, interpersonal relationships etc are a very studied approach based on what other people do rather than any real notion on my part..."
My suggestion is that you pick up a modern (non-ironic!) etiquette book. It might really help you, since perhaps you are better at learning things academically rather than through social... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 12:04 PM on March 19, 2008

I love the oatmeal cookie recipe in The Joy of Cooking. I like to use chopped golden raisins.

One thing I learned from Alton Brown is that you can make a cookie crispier or chewier by tweaking the butter - the more melty the butter, the chewier. For crispier, don't let the butter get quite as warm. If you know your friend has a preference in this regard, you can use one of these recipes and when you use the butter, err a little bit on the side of whatever she prefers.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 10:59 AM on March 19, 2008

Prague?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:28 AM on March 13, 2008

I would generally defer to nikkisioux's experience, but I think that if you are nanny-sharing, day care is not necessarily a less expensive option. An in-home family day care might be less expensive, but a more institutional setting will be pricier.

I have heard good things about sittercity.com, so I'll second that. I'm just too cheap to use it myself.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 4:54 PM on March 10, 2008

I live in East Arlington too, so my suggestions will be a big skewed in that respect. For a true, big ol' booze run, my favorite is Kappy's in Wellington circle. That's been my fave for 10 years, whether I lived in Somerville, Medford, or Arlington. It's more of a drive, but you'll make it less often.
For subs, you might try the S-hop, Steve's House of Pizza, in Arl. Ctr. While you won't like their (Greek) pizza, you might like the sandwich offerings, and their onion rings are SOOOO... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:03 AM on March 6, 2008 marked best answer

The Broadway Diner, which is jammy-located for me, is an offshoot of the Arlington Diner; it was started by one of their waitresses. They don't usually have the crowds of the Arlington, and they are very generous with their portions of fruit.

That said, you'll probably want to find your own jammy-located diner on your side of town.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:05 AM on March 6, 2008 marked best answer

I Nth scallions or leeks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 5:02 AM on August 22, 2007

If you qualify for USAA, it's terrific for banking, and meets your criteria. They're even trying out this crazy thing where you scan your checks to deposit directly to their website, instead of mailing them in (in the pre-paid envelopes they send you).

They also have great customer service by telephone.

Unfortunately, not everyone can have USAA.
Electric Orange seems like a good alternative for savings and checking, but I've only... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:34 AM on May 21, 2007

I like the old pasta+vegetable+sauce one-dish cookin' - of course, there should be some kind of protein thrown in there, too. You can increase/reduce the amount of pasta (or any ingredient) to meet your dietary preferences.

So, here are two examples of pasta+veggie+sauce+protein:

rotini+frozen broccoli+marinara+frozen meatballs:
Cook rotini as usual, but about 3 minutes before it's done, put in the frozen broccoli to cook with it.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:43 PM on May 11, 2007

I vote passing phase. This Ask Moxie post talks about how difficult three-year-olds can be; it sounds like yours is acting pretty normally.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 2:03 PM on May 8, 2007

I'd like to point out that WPW and genefinder only realized the value of their relationships once they had broken the relationship.
It seems like the lesson to learn from their experience is that you should break up with your girlfriend, and then, if you realize it's the biggest mistake of your life, hope that she'll take you back.
There are plenty of guys who broke up with their girlfriends and it did NOT turn out to be the biggest mistake of their lives.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:59 PM on May 8, 2007

Another fan of Couch-to-5k here! Unfortunately, I didn't graduate because I got pregnant and had to stop running.
I used a countdown alarm on a sport watch, but when I take it back up again, maybe I'll use those podcasts!

As for the OP, gregb1007, I think you should talk to a doctor about how winded you get. Sure, it might be asthma, but it also could be that you have a clogged artery somewhere that you never knew about before you exercised but is getting... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:46 PM on May 8, 2007

Helping with small tasks the night before/day of could be very helpful, but I suspect you're looking for some projects to take on for the coming six months.

Considering the skills you've mentioned, how about helping the couple choose their invitations? You could do the legwork in looking into companies, pricing, and design, talk with the couple about what they want it to look like and cost, and then come up with like, 5-6 good matches for them. The world of invitations... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:25 AM on May 8, 2007

I Nth getting some "shapewear" that will smoosh you into a curvier, less-pregnant silhouette. One thing I've discovered about being pregnant versus having fat is that pregnant women cannot "suck in their gut" so to speak.
As uncomfortable as the spandex stuff is, it will help to smoosh the fat in the middle down towards your hips, to create a more hourglass kind of figure, even if only for the interview.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:13 AM on May 8, 2007

Christopher's in Porter Sq. (Red line, Cambridge) has an award-winning veggie burger.

I've never been to Buddha's Delight, but I did enjoy the vegetarian fare at the Happy Buddha, now 'Pasteur', according to the website.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 12:47 PM on May 4, 2007

Aargg! I've had this happen before, and the solution I came up with was to return to the store with the item and receipt, and head directly to Customer Service. Hopefully, they'll notice the alarm going off when you enter the store, so they won't be that surprised.

Other than that, you probably have to find a removal device. Maybe there are some listed on craigslist or ebay? Or maybe you have a friend who works in retail who can help you?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:21 AM on May 4, 2007 marked best answer

I'm not really a Mac person (my husband is), so my initial response was to suggest the "Journal" function in MS Office. (Anyone checking in here who wants a solution in Windows should consider it.)

That said, I think what you want is a project time-tracking program, like what consultants and lawyers use. I did a quick search on Apple's widget board, and it looks like Shockoe might be a promising widget.
If you get into using BaseCamp, then Sundial... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:17 PM on May 2, 2007

Frankism
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:30 AM on May 1, 2007

I’m also concerned that my wife might be resentful of the deal. Although it looks good this year, she might feel bad about it in 2008, and then it will be ‘too late’.

Trust your wife to honor the deal.
Also, be sure to tell your relatives and her relatives that this is the plan; that for Christmas 2007, you're both going to visit family in Melbourne this year, and for Christmas 2008, you're both going to visit family on the Gold Coast.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 6:52 AM on May 1, 2007

If all you have is from 1pm on, I suggest MGM. Ride the movies!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 8:06 AM on April 30, 2007

(If you can't live together, why would you keep dating?)

She's probably just as frustrated with the situation as you are. She probably also knows that this relationship isn't working; that's probably why she's so dramatic.

Tell her you'd rather live separately for a while, and help her find her new living situation. You don't have to break up as part of this process.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 12:25 PM on April 25, 2007

To accomodate a variety of schedules, have events at different times of day and different days of the week. Also, when people 'sign up', have them fill out some kind of schedule that reflects when during the week they tend to be busy/available. Use the schedules to decide the teams, so that teams have an even distribution of availability. This should randomize the player distribution to some extent.

In addition to the above, make sure that everyone has at least one... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 12:19 PM on April 25, 2007

I love the coin flip idea, but I have another point of consideration. You said that they don't know each other, and that you hang out in two different groups. Whoever you end up dating will at some point get introduced to the other group. Maybe your deciding factor can be based on who will get along the best with all of your friends.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 11:44 AM on April 25, 2007

It might sound nice to keep gym stuff in the car, but I treid keeping running clothes in the car one spring/summer, and I found that the heat of the day melted the adhesive for the soles on my Nikes, such that they separated from the shoe-part completely.
Don't keep running shoes in the car during the summer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 11:07 AM on April 17, 2007

I second the idea of changing it around once a week. You could even assign different jobs to different seats - one seat helps the cook bring the food in, one to help clear the dishes, and one to help wash the dishes. Or whatever works for your house.

The only structure we had at our table at family gatherings (when the cousins came over, etc.) was to make sure that lefties and righties were seated harmoniously - no lefties to the right of righties, and vice-versa.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:43 AM on April 17, 2007

Caneel Bay is a good option - I second that.
Or maybe Key West, if you want to stay domestic.
Costa Rica would also be a fun option, as would Puerto Rico; both have lots to see and do.

Hawaii is not a great idea in Dec/Jan, because at some point in the winter, the winds all change around, and the beaches that are usually sunny and beautiful are deluged in rain.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:42 PM on April 16, 2007

If you haven't already spoken with your supervisor about your goals with the company (like at an annual review or something), now is the time to do it!

I think it's so easy to spin this positively. Just explain that you understand that they are looking for someone to do Y all the time, and that you were really hoping to take on some Y into your workload. Tell them you're afraid that with the backlog of X you have right now, you wouldn't be able to do Y full-time right... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:51 AM on April 10, 2007

I'm with miss tea - I've never heard of such a position, much less 'staffing' it with guests. Hello, they're called "guests" for a reason.

Anyway, I suggest your girlfriend simply say, "Oh, I've done a reception table in the past and it has really stressed me out, and I'm afraid I didn't do a very good job at it. I would hate to botch things for your special day; please don't put that kind of pressure on me!"

The beauty of it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:42 AM on April 10, 2007

It's not clear from your post whether you are (a) entering a newly-created position, or (b) taking over for someone else, or (c) doing the same job you were doing before, only in an office.

If it's (a), then it might be a while before you, or your boss or co-workers, really know what it is exactly that you're doing, because the job gets put together as you go along.
If it's (b), then hopefully there will be some instructions left behind by the previous... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:55 PM on April 9, 2007

That food-at-your-desk thing can go either way. It can be cute to bring in cookies for everyone (to be kept in the breakroom, usually) on your first day, because even if it's totally against the office's culture, people will forgive your naivete. If, after a few weeks' analysis of the office culture, you want to keep food at your desk for others, have non-perishables like wrapped candy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:23 AM on April 10, 2007

I second schroedinger.

This is a discussion to have with your partner. If he (or she) doesn't mind, then I think it's fine, especially in a business practice. Of course, a tan line might give away that there's usually a ring on that finger, so consider putting on another ring to cover that up - otherwise, you'll be busted.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 2:05 PM on April 7, 2007

Kappy's in Wellington Circle.
When you walk in, turn right past the initial wine displays/bins, and check out the outside shelves of the last aisle on your left before the aisles become made of cases instead of shelves. That's where they keep their more unusual brews, including Chimays and Harpoon 100 barrel series.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 10:18 AM on April 6, 2007

If you're really serious about it, try calling and talking to someone over at the Beer Distributors of MA - if they don't know of places, then they can at least give you a name of someone to talk to at a major distributor.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 10:27 AM on April 6, 2007

I'm a big Harpoon fan, but they are not a diverse packie.

Now that I think about it, though, calling them would probably be a great way to find out about stores with good diversity of products, because they self-distribute in Boston. 888-HARPOON. The people who work there are really nice, so they'll probably be helpful.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:03 PM on April 6, 2007

Fishbowl might be good, if the 12-yr-olds are mature enough to handle it. I've done it with 15-year-olds:
Needed:
male & female facilitators
paper & pens
male & female teens

Separate the facilitators and teens by gender. Each gender/group gets some paper and pens, and each participant writes down an anonymous question they honestly would like to know about the opposite sex (e.g. "Does having your period... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 12:41 PM on April 6, 2007

scratch has great advice, in my opinion. When I saw you'll be working in Rye, my first thought for you, living-wise, was Port Chester. It's right next door, there's an up-and-coming feel to it, but it's still (relatively) affordable.
Elmsford or Valhalla might work well too, and are a tolerable commuting distance.
White Plains is generally a bit more city-ish, but also a reasonable commute.
My mother grew up in New Rochelle, and it seems to have gone way... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:05 AM on April 3, 2007

I think that if you're going to abandon a cart in line, you should have SOMEONE watching over it, even if it's the person behind you in line. A simple "oh, I forgot eggs, I'll be back in a moment!" is all it takes.
If nobody's behind you in line, then what is the full value of holding your place? That's what seems weird to me about the lady in the OP's story. I think it would have been more appropriate for the woman to push her cart to the side, if she didn't want to have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:50 AM on April 3, 2007

It sounds like the driveway gate might be necessary, at least so that anyone found in your yard CLEARLY has no reason to be there. That should keep out the crazy dog-ladies.

As for prickly hedges, consider putting them on the outside of the fence, by the street, if you can. That way, they might work as a deterrent.

Look around and see what neighbors with similar houses have done regarding this problem. Remember, you don't have to outrun the bear,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:57 PM on April 2, 2007

Therapy probably can't hurt, but here are a few suggestions to try concurrently, based on what you've already mentioned.

1) Limit your screen-time.
This means TV and computer time. Impose some kind of restriction on yourself, since you are spending more time than you'd like in front of a screen. There are lots of ways to do this: keep the computer turned off, so you are more aware of the time you spend in front of it, because you have to turn it on and off;... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:38 PM on April 2, 2007 marked best answer

Here's a paradox of two truths that are important to consider:

1. People change.
2. Nobody can be counted on to change.

In terms of relationships, this means that while some kind of change is inevitable in a person, no other person can dictate what that change will be. At age 23, she has many directions to travel in. Maybe she will decide to party and drink more often than she does now. Maybe she will take up knitting while watching... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:25 AM on April 2, 2007

To make tables look exactly the same, I would suggest that you focus on the centerpiece; it might well be the only point of color on the table (assuming white linens and china), and therefore will catch guests' eyes more quickly than the silverware layout. Flowers can be somewhat chaotic; instead, how about a grouping of three tall pillar candles, or identical items that signify the occasion, like Sassyfras' clocks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:07 AM on April 2, 2007

I Nth beagle - I think he's supposed to be a weird take on Snoopy, and Snoopy was a beagle.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sprout the Vulgarian at 11:43 AM on March 30, 2007