I second Tom Bihn, particularly The Buzz. Doesn't hold a huge amount but it's sleek, fits very well on the back, is a sling pack which allows you to put it on with one hand (great during a commute here on the DC Metro when getting on and off) and fits a MacBook. I love mine.

It can carry a few books but not a lot and I have squeezed my lunch in there too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:31 AM on July 23, 2008

While your at the Building Museum, go a couple blocks west to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, both housed in the same building. These museums are also right across the street from the Spy Museum. These should keep you busy for a couple days.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:07 AM on July 11, 2008

A must see: Olafur Elliasson's The New York City Waterfalls.

Congratulations on your 15th. We recently celebrated ours as well. 1993 was a good year!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:05 AM on July 8, 2008

When we got married our wedding party came from all over the States. I went to a vintage store and found those old 1940s travel postcard sets (the ones that look hand colored and fold out) from each of the states or cities they came from. Each cost me under $5 and they were personal. Everyone got a big kick out of them.

I'm not suggesting you do this but pointing out that sometimes a good gift can be found that is worth a lot more in its intrinsic value than its... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 8:50 AM on July 8, 2008 marked best answer

I second putting it in your washing machine with some bleach. Works for me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:18 AM on July 2, 2008

If you have a car, you might enjoy Legoland. It's just a short ride north of S.D. (be aware obtrusive sound automatically plays on their site).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 12:56 PM on June 29, 2008

My 8 year old Passat only has 21K miles on it (this floors my friends in LA where I grew up for obvious reasons). My mechanic told me to fill the gas tank when it gets to the half-way mark just to keep the gas "fresh."
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 12:50 PM on June 29, 2008

I think the most majestic scenery I've ever seen in the continental US is the Grand Tetons near Jackson Hole, WY, so I'd second that detour.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 7:05 AM on June 28, 2008

We live in Maryland but buy our wine in Virginia (cheaper). I grew up in California and it took a long time before I got used to not seeing wine in grocery stores (they do sell wine in grocery stores in Virginia).

Yes, Maryland law is antiquated. I especially abhor the inability to buy wine from out of the state and have it shipped to your home. Not allowed UNLESS the winery has no distributor. (We belong to a California wine club and they can ship it to our house... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 1:49 PM on June 27, 2008 marked best answer

The way flying is these days, one of the best things a traveler can do is to sign up for their airline's notification service. Many will send delay and cancellation emails, text messages, and phone calls to your address/phone number of choice.

Last fall, at 11pm the night before a flight I got a call from the airline notifying me of its cancellation. I got on the phone right away and rebooked to the next flight. The next day there were MANY disgruntled passengers who... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:48 AM on June 24, 2008

Some of the best meetings I ever had were at a urinal. ;-)

I should also add that I would never engage in conversation with someone doing more than taking a piss.

And one last thought that just occurred to me: the only place I see men talking to each other is in our work bathroom. Any other place: nada. Hmmm, interesting.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:01 AM on June 23, 2008

All of these comments are great! This is one of the best and supportive threads I've ever read on AskMeFi. You are a stellar group of people.

I am Dad to two girls. I live in a house of women (even our cat). My relationship with my Dad wasn't great shakes. But it didn't matter when it came to my girls. What is wonderful about being a parent is being able to see the world again through my children's eyes. And, in doing so, many of the disappointments I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:55 AM on June 23, 2008

doctorpiorno, I'm speaking at a program co-sponsored by the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. And timsteil, that IS the soundtrack for my trip. NOW I'm really getting excited. Thx.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 7:07 AM on June 22, 2008

It sounds to me like the someone sold the sponsorship rights for those photo ops. Sort of like this photo I took in Puerto Rico a couple of years ago (this was taken at our hotel in the SW part of the island, far from the normal tourist spots).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:52 PM on June 21, 2008

Yes, why no sunscreen? And, if you can't, for some reason, wear sunscreen, there are t-shirts and the like you can buy that do a good job of blocking UV rays, such as SPF Store.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 7:55 AM on June 8, 2008

Last weekend I heard an NPR story on the music scene in Omaha. Not my cup of tea but if you like KC, then maybe this might be a place to checkout.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:12 AM on June 3, 2008

I have a cousin who was an artist in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the US in the early 1980s. In the USSR he was "lucky" enough to belong to the artists union and was given a stipend. He was supported by the state so he could make art. But he had to make "acceptable" art. He was a sculptor and made the type of monumental social realism which he abhorred.

When he came to the states he could make the type of sculpture he wanted but, of course, he... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:10 AM on May 29, 2008

There seem to be only two Orthodox synagogues in DC, neither of which are close to your hotel:

Kesher Israel
2801 N St., NW
(202) 333-2337

Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah Congregation
1600 Jonquil St., NW
(202) 882-7225

However, closer to you is the 6th and I Historic Synagogue, one of the oldest in DC. I can't tell from their Web site whether they are orthodox or not. But, it's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 7:48 AM on May 18, 2008

While you're near the Dead Sea go to Ein Gedi, a series of clear water pools. They're beautiful and you can take a hike from one to the other, ending in a cave-like pool that overlooks the Judean desert.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:11 AM on May 13, 2008

The Tom Bihn The Buzz is a lightweight sling pack. I have one and love it. It is relatively small, fits close to your back, and great for commuting. And I can use one hand to put it on my back while I'm walking.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:07 AM on May 13, 2008

Embrace your [pending] baldness. There is life after hair! ;-)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:00 AM on May 5, 2008

Last summer we went west as well with a 9 and 10 year old. I would highly recommend NOT driving across the country with your children, especially if the important stuff they want to see is in and around California.

We flew to Las Vegas (my nine year old thought it was BETTER than Disneyland!) then drove to and through Yosemite, then to Gilroy for the garlic festival (mid July or so) then onto San Francisco. We took ten days. So your two weeks will be eaten up a lot by... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:16 AM on April 23, 2008

We found a GREAT eye doctor who spent a lot of time making sure our prescriptions were correct and talking to us (how about spending 2 hours with us!! --unbelievable!). So I know they're out there (but I'm in DC, not Mpls, sorry). Shop around.

As for going elsewhere for your frames, don't feel bad about doing that. Yes, they give you a hard sell or at least suggest you buy there. But a good doctor's office shouldn't give you a hard HARD sell or they're not a good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:56 AM on April 23, 2008

"Tell me your love story (how you met and fell in love)."
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:36 AM on April 23, 2008

Well, if you have to have fries (and who doesn't?), try sweet potato fries instead of the regular white potato variety. SPs are full of complex carbs and lots o Vitamin A. A little deep frying (or better yet, spray them with some oil and bake 'em) and you've got the perfect food!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:27 AM on April 14, 2008

If you are interested in keeping these photographs in good shape do not store them in a shoebox. The acid in the box will eventually ruin them. You should be thinking archival storage. Take a look at the products at Light Impressions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:42 AM on April 13, 2008

My father always told his children that they would have to buy their own cars. And we accepted that. At Xmas time during my senior year at college he took me to a car dealer, saying he was looking to buy a new car for himself and wanted my input. While I was there the salesperson kept asking me for my opinion on what young people wanted these days. I was uncharacteristically ignorant of what was going on until he came to school for my graduation and asked me to come down to see "his"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:15 AM on April 11, 2008

Sounds better than what I used to take for asthma as a kid. Way before inhalers et. al. it was a tiny red coated pill in the shape of a rounded square I think. The important part was that I had to put it under my tongue for a minute before swallowing. The only pill I know that required you to do that was nitroglycerin [hmmm, googling for this + asthma does bring up nitroglycerin!]. So maybe that was what I had been prescribed!

Luckily, I grew out of asthma.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:48 AM on April 11, 2008

My then seven year old had to have a tooth pulled (and had to have an $800 "temporary" cap put in for spacing --but that's another story more related to my bank account). Feeling anxiety is totally natural of course. Our pediatric was great. Gave her some "gas" to relax her and the rest was pretty easy. Also the dentist allowed Mom to be there so that also helped our daughter's nerves.

Let us know how it turns out.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:38 AM on April 11, 2008

I agree with boomchicka. It's not your FIL's responsibility. However, it sounds like you love your FIL. Putting his needs first, to make this a stress-free bar mitzvah for him of his grandson would be a MITZVAH for you and your family. You would be doing the right thing. You would become such a mensch! I know that's hard and I can understand the sacrifice you are making. But it's for the greater good.

Having been through a number of these family things I have seen the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:52 AM on April 2, 2008

This happens all the time when my iPhone is near some sort of speaker, clock radio, etc. Simple solution: turn off your phone. Second best solution: move your phone away from your night stand.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:48 AM on April 1, 2008

It's sort of a Catch-22: in order to get known (in part because traditional publishers have no desire to print "unknowns") you self-publish, bypassing all the gatekeepers. Yet, when you do, they're leery about works that have already been published.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:22 AM on April 1, 2008

I moved from Verizon DSL to Verizon FIOS and have never been happier. And here's the reason: Their DSL service relies on their phone lines but the two groups responsible for those (the phone line and the DSL) don't talk with each other. I had DSL telling me it was my phone line (and, by extension, not their problem). I replied: "But aren't you the same company?!" Well, yes and no. It's a silo mentality there.

The first question I asked when I talked to a FIOS... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:17 AM on April 1, 2008

Leave that question blank.

JohnnyGun, that's like putting a big magnifying glass right on it that says to the employer: "Investigate this!" I would not recommend leaving it blank.

onepapertiger, it might be a relief to you if you did consult a lawyer on this, just to be sure and ease your mind.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:37 AM on March 31, 2008

I have been in this situation with both my parents, many decades apart. I'm sorry you have to go through this.

When my stepmother called to say my father was very ill I immediately flew out to see him (I'm in DC and he was in LA). I spent ten days there while they tried to determine exactly what was wrong with him. Near the end of my stay the doctors told me it was terminal. I spent the last couple of days spending time with him and even delayed my flight home so I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:04 AM on March 27, 2008

It was simultaneously the most heartbreaking and most affirming moment of my life. I hope that makes sense.

Amyms, I agree. Despite the sadness of my father's passing, it was a very "rich" moment for me. It was indeed affirming.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:10 AM on March 27, 2008

We bought Alaska fair and square...

We bought Alaska fair and square from whom? The Russians who "claimed" it as part of their own manifest destiny? Or from the people who lived there for centuries. I don't mean to start a flame war here. I just want to point out the fuzzy concept of ownership.

Here's the problem: as new lands were "discovered" by the Europeans, they claimed them as their own. We did the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:47 AM on March 18, 2008

We just redid our master bathroom and put in two toilet paper dispensers. One for the type of paper my wife likes and one for the type I like. Hey, it's our bathroom. ;-)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:26 AM on March 13, 2008

This is indeed an interesting question, especially for all of us "new media" types who started when the field began in the early 90s.

If you have managed projects at your present job, talk about the processes and challenges (and how you solved them) in these projects. And, feel free to show that work, even if you didn't design it (as long as you don't take credit for the design). Senior new media people are, more and more, being called on to coordinate these... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:32 AM on March 10, 2008

I was wondering the same thing when I heard Katie Couric pronounce it on the national news the day he retired. And, thank you for using your MeFi credits to ask this so I didn't have to. ;-)

Thank goodness he's famous. Can you imagine having to spell your last name over and over again whenever you said it? Of course, all the rest of his clan has this problem.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:29 AM on March 10, 2008

This reminds me that I have no recorded voice of my mother and just a short recording of my father's voice as he annotated the reel to reel tape of my bar mitzvah in the 60s.

Growing up in the era of the Super 8 [silent] movie, many of us probably don't have audio recordings of those very close to us.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:17 AM on March 7, 2008

I'm using a Mac CX as a doorstop. Very handy. And the RAM's just right for the task.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:46 AM on March 6, 2008

A few years ago I followed the border (the fence) to the Pacific where it seemed to go underwater just a few feet out. I suppose you could swim across.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 1:42 PM on March 4, 2008

$200 to play music at a wedding is a steal. Also, if you charge your fee you will most likely be respected by the wedding party more than if you do it for free.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 2:42 PM on March 1, 2008

Create a print css so your blog posts look good when you print them out. Print them and take them to Kinkos for binding.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:05 AM on February 28, 2008

I wish I could help. These types of issues are very frustrating, especially when Verizon says that they're not the manufacturer and they don't support it (was the correct?). If so, quite honestly that's bad business.

FWIW, I have FIOS and the Actiontec router and have no problem with MeFi sites. Since I wanted my home network WiFi to be "controlled" by my Apple Express, when the tech installed the Actiontec I asked him to turn off the WiFi component, which he... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:07 AM on February 27, 2008

Related but Off Topic: I had a problem where if I used VPN I couldn't connect to any outside site, just my work network. If I shut down VPN I could once again get out to other sites. I plugged my computer directly into the Actiontec and it worked as it should. So the problem seemed to be either with my work network or my Apple Express. Trying to broker a fix between Apple and work was next to impossible. Each was blaming the other (sound familiar? -g).

I gave up and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:03 AM on February 28, 2008

Escuche y repita. Listen and repeat.

I was learning Spanish from a Pimler CD and darn if I can remember much. But I do remember Escuche y repita. I kept hearing it during each lesson! ;-)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:27 AM on February 27, 2008

I pat you on the back for putting your work out there for others to use. That being said, even if you want anyone to use your images, asking for a copyright notice with your name on it is not a bad idea. It's simple protection.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:14 AM on February 27, 2008

I don't have any links to add. I just wanted to say this looks like a great resource. Thanks for asking the question, aggienfo.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:54 AM on February 25, 2008