cronies
earmarks
goodies
my friends
middle class
oil companies
clean coal technology
clean green natural gas
offshore drilling
safe + nuclear
retirement
pension
401k
sending your children to college
insurance companies
small businesses
executives/CEOs
greed
sharing the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 3:09 PM on October 8, 2008

sitting at the kitchen table at night trying to figure out how you'll pay the bills
possibly 'katrina'/'new orleans'/'gulf coast'/'fema' will come up in the domestic debate
enabling you to stay in your homes
obama would fine you for not getting health insurance for your children
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 5:04 PM on October 8, 2008

mccain saying that he has been on a nuclear sub and this shows that nuclear technology + waste storage can be safe
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 5:05 PM on October 8, 2008

guesses about what might come up in the domestic debate:
aging/crumbling infrastructure
water policy
teacher pay/teachers as true American heroes
immigration/border security

obama saying '20th century X policy for a 21st century X'
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 5:09 PM on October 8, 2008

game-changer
make no mistake
Main St/Wall St
someone speaks a token Spanish phrase??
question of what we should do with Guantanamo detainees may come up; a judge is forcing the govt to bring 17 of them to DC and probably release them into the US soon
quotes from either Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Reagan, JFK
record over rhetoric
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 10:23 PM on October 8, 2008

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on 'personal identity' would be my starting place; I will post back if I find the quote you're after.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 12:33 PM on October 8, 2008

Principles of Psychology Ch X probably has some of what you're after. Try searching down the page for 'word', if you're interested specifically in his thoughts on the ambiguity of the word 'I' - you'll get a couple of points like 'Hereafter let us see the words ME and I for the empirical person and the judging Thought.'

What aspect of this are you interested in? Do you mainly want to know what James thought about it, or what Strawson (or whoever) said about James, or do... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 1:06 PM on October 8, 2008

To start it sounds like you could use a respectable, white-collar job that might have part-time hours. Bank teller? Hotel reservations person? Doctor's office secretary? Provided you are clean-cut, detail-oriented, and have a polite, can-do attitude, these might be good starting points. Even a retail clerk would be a place to start, to convince yourself that you are perfectly capable and employable. Maybe childcare?

Jobs like this usually don't require college but they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 12:13 PM on October 8, 2008

Yes, go and enjoy. Start with gesture drawings (try to capture the feel of the pose with a quick 30 second set of swooshing lines), bubble drawings (try to get the proportions of body sections right). Then settle in for a longer drawing if they are holding the pose for longer.

If you get really freaked out by the nakedness, you could just work on drawing the model from shoulders up, or just the hands or feet, until the feeling passes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 12:00 PM on October 8, 2008

You want paper that says "archival" or "acid-free" or "thesis paper".
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 11:38 AM on October 8, 2008

Oh - or any heavier-weight paper, if you don't care about long-term yellowing.
copier/cheapy paper is 20 lb
nicer normal printer paper is 24 lb
heavier weights will be noticeably sturdier
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 11:40 AM on October 8, 2008

John Donne's poem to his wife when he was about to go away on a long trip. It might be an obvious choice but you can't go wrong with Donne. ("Sublunary" = below the moon; i.e., earthly rather than celestial. "Sense" = physical sensory pleasures as opposed to a more spiritual "soulmate" style connection. "Compasses" here refers to the two legs of the geometric tool for drawing a circle, not to the navigational aid.)


A... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 11:32 AM on October 8, 2008

get out of the apartment and do something

Do something where other people have an expectation of being social (book club, casual sport, church event, political activism...)
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 7:28 PM on September 30, 2008

Smiling is not enough, because a lot of women will smile to be polite.
-schroedinger

Yessssssss. Don't take a smile or even a low=grade friendly response as a green light to sit down at my table. A bit of smalltalk is ok from anyone, but if I don't want to talk my response will be a friendly-enough "heh, yeah. tell me about it" with a little smile, and then I will look down at my work again. It won't be the total freeze-out or the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 2:19 PM on October 1, 2008

Twelve Angry Men - epistemic/civic responsibility

(Don't use Juno for abortion. The question about abortion is whether it should be legal/permitted, not whether it should be mandatory. It seems like you want a film that shows the down side of its being legal, and/or the down side of its being illegal. Juno doesn't do either.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 12:23 AM on September 30, 2008

previously
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 2:00 PM on September 27, 2008

Have other units in your area been selling?

Have you taken it down and then "re-listed" it, so that it's not obvious on the websites that it has been on the market for so long? When something's been sitting so long, buyers may wonder what's wrong with it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 8:22 PM on September 25, 2008

Figure out in advance what you want to do with checks people hand you at the reception; either let the groom/best man keep them in his pocket, or something else.

Delegate all duties for the day of.
It's tempting to imagine that you will be able to keep track of everything and deal with details at the last minute, but don't expect this - your attention will be needed elsewhere.
You should not be in charge of setting out party... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 6:18 PM on September 23, 2008

I've done this for a long time for two reasons:
1. the aforementioned "we've been together for years, so bf/gf sounds weirdly trivial"

2. I like having 'partner' be a word that doesn't tell the listener whether you're queer or straight. We need a word like that. If folks want to send a clear signal on the sex of their partner they can always say gf/bf. But there are situations where it's useful (for queers and straights) to be able to send a signal... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 9:08 PM on September 22, 2008

I also think that there's variation among subcultures in terms of how normal a word this is for straight couples. Among younger academics, I would say it's the norm for everyone in talking about their longer-term relationships, even when those are marriages.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 9:11 PM on September 22, 2008

Neal Stephenson's books
the unabridged Lord of the Rings series (Inglis) is fantastic; I haven't listened to the Hobbit though.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
the Harry Potter books in their unabridged versions are really good too, either Jim Dale or Stephen Fry
Douglas Adams books have good audio versions
The Golden Compass series might work; I haven't listened to them
I've listened to one Terry Pratchett book on tape -... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 8:06 PM on September 22, 2008

(I realize some of those are a bit lighter than you like, but figured they might be worth mentioning; Pratchett for example has about a million books, so if you like them you'll really be able to dig in)
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 8:07 PM on September 22, 2008

I went through a few invasions this summer, each one took in the neighborhood of a week to die back. I assume the serial invasions were from new colonies.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 7:31 PM on September 22, 2008

No great matches, but here are a few with the widest wide dimension I could find (in cubbyless wooden shoe racks):

Container Store expandable shoe rack with foam grips - has bars rather than shelves, but expands to 46" wide; 8-1/2"d x 18" h; 3 shelves, $33

Woodlore modular cedar shoe rack - two shelves, ; 16"H x 10"D x 37-1/2"W ; $45

Gaiam stackable cedar shoe rack - one shelf, 5"H x... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 5:18 PM on September 20, 2008

I think your best bet for the next hour or so is either to search (leaving an inviting spot for him near the door - a box on its side to hide in, with some food in it), or just sit quietly by the door, occasionally calling and listening carefully for him.

When you have to go to sleep, leave a nice hiding spot in the backyard near the door; cardboard box on its side with familiar-smelling cloth in it, eg.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 11:52 PM on September 17, 2008

Might be helpful to give us:
What places are involved? (what country/state/city did he live in at various points? where's his other family who he might contact? etc)

Any institutional affiliations like the military or alumni associations or Rotary club or hobbyist things that he might be into?

Did he have a distinctive job?
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 10:09 PM on September 17, 2008

So, you don't know where (city) the death cert was filed, or when?
If you knew the city, you could possibly try city-level records departments (or even maybe hospitals?) and see if they have the death certificate or if they have more info from it. Eg cause of death.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 10:43 PM on September 17, 2008

To be honest, the way you describe your temperament (you get down when you're lonely, feel lively when connecting with people etc) sounds like high odds of getting into a PhD program and never finishing. Humanities PhD work is terribly isolating. To get through you need to be really focused and steely and mercenary about churning through the narrow, specialized research; it's the opposite of that intellectual breadth you loved in college.

And when you get done, would... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 9:06 PM on September 17, 2008

Customs - Passing through customs they might be curious about the bat, or they might ask some generic question like "do you have any weapons?" They will definitely ask for passport; they'll probably ask who owns the car and where it's registered; may ask where you'll be staying (including address) and for how long.

Seconding that you should be fine for safety. The towns you're thinking of visiting are near the size of Kingston, and will probably be sort of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 8:30 PM on September 17, 2008

About the gun suggestion: for the average concerned citizen wondering how to deal with dog-attacking-child, a gun would almost certainly be a terrible idea. You need to be a really good shot to hit the dog and not the kid. To become a really good shot takes a lot of practice - not to mention buying and carrying the gun, registering it, keeping it safe at other times, etc. So we're talking about a fair investment of time and energy including an ongoing training program in order to deal with this... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 7:52 PM on September 17, 2008

from this page DC auto registration and titling

"Vehicles must have a DC title and current DC insurance in order to register."

So yes, you'll have to get the title transferred. They will mail you the new title, they won't hand you a paper that day. I would photocopy the old title before you hand it over to them.

You should also call your insurance company and tell them you are registering the car in DC and want... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 11:08 PM on September 16, 2008 marked best answer

With the omega-3 craze in the last few years, maybe demand is higher for plain walnuts, and more manufacturers are putting them into things like cereal, granola bars, etc? (That might explain why there wasn't as much surplus left over from last year)
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 4:54 PM on September 16, 2008

just laugh and toss it out

Whatever else happens, she should not throw the document out. She should keep everything. And if she hands documents over to a lawyer, she should keep a copy for herself too (don't hand over her only copy). You never know what she might need it for.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 4:36 PM on September 16, 2008

one previous fireball question
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 10:40 AM on September 16, 2008

IMDb episode cast list will allow you to find the bit players and others who might not be listed as part of the official cast. That link starts with the 1987 season, scroll up ro down for other seasons. Click on the episode to get the cast list for it.

Do you know if the guy might have been a musician or writer or other non-actor?
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 9:39 PM on September 15, 2008

We got a cake (white cake with lemon) from Randolph's in Arlington and even the caterers said it was the best wedding cake they'd ever had.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 3:19 PM on September 15, 2008

Shout Out Out Out, and their other project The Wet Secrets
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 3:10 PM on September 15, 2008

And do be sure to schedule in enough time for sleeping, eating, and drinking water regularly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 3:11 PM on September 15, 2008

party tricks
physical tricks for young kids
(a few more by clicking on your "tricks" tag)
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 5:31 PM on September 13, 2008

Comics/movie characters -
the amazing Spiderman
milkd-mannered reporter Clark Kent
Robin, the boy wonder
Gotham's millionaire vigilante, the Dark Knight, Batman
Superman, the man of steel

Sports -
eg, nicknames used in basketball
baseball nicknames, listed by team
list of sportspeople by nickname

Satan, the prince of darkness, the lord of flies (etc... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 5:02 PM on September 13, 2008

Where is this university located? Country and state/province
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 8:25 PM on September 11, 2008

There are four areas where I can see thinking about things being done to "protect the interests" of the deceased. I.e. where the executor etc have obligations to act a certain way because of something about the deceased.

I don't have a legal background so can't answer the question whether the legal basis of these is framed with reference to the "rights" of the deceased or with reference to an interest of the state or the survivors...if yclipse has... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 8:20 PM on September 11, 2008 marked best answer

The new stuff being published in the AngloAmerican/analytic tradition is being published largely in academic philosophy journals. Examples: The Journal of Philosophy; The Philosophical Review are two of the most prestigious. But the articles published there are often dense and require some background to understand.

One new trend in the analytic world is "experimental philosophy" where traditional intuitions about various topics (eg ethical obligations in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 2:12 PM on September 10, 2008

Here are a couple of quick thoughts -

Arts and Letters Daily - an aggregation of popular-press essays on all kinds of humanities topics

RSS feed of Wo's online papers in philosophy - an arbitrary updating list of online papers in philosophy; usually academic, analytic papers so maybe not so good for a popular audience

David Chalmers' list of philosophical blogs - some are probably defunct by now, but you can browse by... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 2:30 PM on September 10, 2008

Anecdotal on the Russian Blue front: I know a woman who's very allergic (sneeze/welt, but not airway constricting) to most cats. She house-sat for someone with a Russian Blue and was ok, so got two Russian Blue cats of her own and doesn't have an allergic reaction with them. (I think she had a small reaction at first which settled down, and she does common sense anti-allergen things like having hardwood floors that she keeps clean etc.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 9:17 PM on September 8, 2008

She'll move on once her peer group moves on; it doesn't happen overnight. For now, she should get reasonably good classic work clothes and shoes and be sure she shows up on time, clean and ready everyday.

Beyond that, who cares if she is extra frugal? As long as she's putting that extra money away intelligently, it's great that she's being frugal.

If you're looking for some quick ways to make her place more homey (maybe things the family could... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 9:36 PM on September 6, 2008

Don't take offense. It's just habit.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 8:44 PM on September 6, 2008

Here's a site that allows you to search for baby names by number of syllables - that linked page is for girl names with one syllable.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 8:35 PM on September 6, 2008

If they're really cold sores (herpes), I'd highly recommend seeing your doctor for treatment options.

If they're canker sores (not herpes), I've had luck rinsing with salt water and avoiding citrus/acidic foods.

Seconding this. Figure out which they are.
If they're canker sores, I've seen a few things recommended, eg dabbing with Milk of Magnesia.
I used to get them all the time, but figured out that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 3:24 PM on September 6, 2008

previously. There may be significant differences between US and English institutions, though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LobsterMitten at 3:16 PM on September 4, 2008 marked best answer