Yellowbeard!

Pew from Treasure Island always freaked me out.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 8:28 AM on July 9, 2008

70% believed that Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11

I'd like to see how that poll question was phrased to people. If it was "do you believe Saddam Hussein (or someone like him) could possibly be in any conceivable way, shape or form responsible for anything that happened on 9/11?" that's a whole lot different than a multiple choice quiz with al Qaeda as one of the four answers (with the fourth answer being "None of the Above").... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 8:06 AM on July 9, 2008

> your policy leaders couldn't differentiate between the two significant warring parties in Iraq and the near east

That would definitely be a problem, but that's based on the fact that those policy leaders are making significant decisions based on that information--a far cry from knowing what amounts to some geographical trivia. Not defending Bush (groan), but politicians make lots of mistakes when they're speaking in public by virtue of the fact... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 8:23 AM on July 9, 2008

- dead-reckoning without external reference points
- you're using what is sometimes called 'odometry'

I'm not sure where either of those come into play with my design because I'm not using dead reckoning (estimating distance by time). That's why I specifically mentioned stepper motors. The "external reference point" would be determined by how many steps the thing has traveled relative to the starting point... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 4:43 PM on June 12, 2008

- from a known start-point made via tracking your heading and distance

I like to think this device would do something "in-between" dead reckoning and external referencing because there's no heading. It should never turn. Just up-down-left-right (or if you prefer, up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-B-A-select-start.) It's two distinct axes because the wheels have wheels on them. I'm not expecting miracles - I'm sure... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 8:50 PM on June 12, 2008

The transistor point may be moot because of future advances in things like biological computers and multigate transistors obsolescing the "standard" FETs and BJTs. In 472 years we might have the equivalent of a slave virus that reads and plays back MP3 files encoded on other virus' (virii?) backs, and is fed by some magical space-age protein battery. (I wonder how the animal rights people will figure into all this?) Anyway, my point is that numbers won't help you predict things like... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:25 PM on June 12, 2008 marked best answer

Audacity can't do it. WinAMP used to be able to do it, and when coupled with out_lame could even re-encode to MP3. I haven't tried that in a while since I use commercial software for that stuff anymore.

Anyway it depends. If the WMA is protected with DRM you'll need to unprotect it before converting it (I'm assuming of course you have full rights to the audio).

If it's unprotected you can give AviSynth / VirtualDub (both free) a shot. I just... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 1:51 PM on June 12, 2008

iTunes does it, but he might not want to install that bloated Apple-cation just for converting a 30-second file. Avisynth and Virtualdub are fast, free and work immediately and very well for this specific purpose. Also, they edit video pretty well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:02 PM on June 12, 2008

This is more young-adult, but I wish I'd been told when I was a teenager: If you're considering a technical career, get a four-year technical degree (in the US, that's a Bachelors) as soon as possible from a regionally accredited school. Ignore anything else anyone tells you about certifications or education in general, especially if they say you don't need a four-year degree. Those people are liars, or confused, or both. Test out of "general education" classes like Humanities,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 12:34 PM on June 12, 2008

Nthing quit (or more like QUIIIIIIIT!!!!) for sure, but get a new job lined up first to ease the transition and make the whole quitting process less stressful, with no hard feelings. (Temping seems like the route to go given your situation.) As someone who worked in an abusive environment every day for over a year (at two different consecutive jobs!), it was like the sun coming out after a thunderstorm when I got a new job where people actually acted like professionals. I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 11:54 AM on June 5, 2008

Could it be Cerrone's The Collector from 1985? The female singer's face is painted blue in some shots, it's animated sci-fi (80s-style--think Tron. Think Apollo Computer.) It was more than a few years ago, though. Like, 23 years ago.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 11:23 AM on June 5, 2008

Thanks for all the answers! A retractable dog leash is about the strength I need for my application. Lanyards are too short/weak and the industrial strength stuff is too expensive/heavy. Thank you thank you thank you!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:07 PM on May 21, 2008

Old but this Sasha/Dave Seaman compilation still does it for me. I was humming some of the melodies the other day. Catchy! And well worth the $4.44.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 8:30 PM on April 24, 2008

Pull your pockets inside-out like bunny ears

COME ON! Did you just make that up?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 8:51 PM on April 21, 2008

Firewall issue? I had similar issues under XP with ZoneAlarm (the buh-duh! noise was there, it looked like it was trying to connect, but there was no indication anything was going on under the hood). I disabled the firewall and it worked like a champ.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:36 PM on April 10, 2008

It's case by case.

I'm sure they evaluate the seriousness of it ("it" being the perceived threat and "they" being the people who make the decision to arrest/detain/question you) based on subjective procedures as well as written law. This is assuming of course "they" even hear of the lyrics/skit/whatever. It probably also depends on how their day is going, how much time they have to spend/waste on the effort to question you, what their... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:26 PM on April 10, 2008

GoDaddy will register it for $20. Or maybe cheaper if you go with them for a few years. I've had a good experience with them so far. They'll also host it cheaply if you're open to changing your host.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:11 PM on April 10, 2008

First let me say you probably want to spend a little more than that on an item your kid will be using for a few years. $300 would be more reasonable.

Overstock has some good deals, but your best bet is likely eBay if you want to go really dirt cheap on quality items, although you have to do your homework before you buy.

A nice kid-friendly Eee might do it for you at $300 from Tiger.

You are almost guaranteed to pay much,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:08 PM on April 10, 2008

Not a big deal. This actually happened to me this morning. I actually just now read the question and I was like WTF coincidence??!?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 5:47 PM on April 6, 2008

nthing the Sansa - it's almost mindlessly easy to use. It's a thumb drive with an audio output and an LCD display with buttons. Because it's a Flash drive, you can use it on any computer anywhere and you don't need any software or scripts or other miscellaneous kabuki to make it play music, which is the way it should be.

Don't buy into the iMarketing. (Although the above very simple procedure by chrisamiller works very well for my wife's Shuffle - we don't... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:31 PM on April 6, 2008

Also in the spirit of Linux, there's this. No idea how Vista handles "same-but-different" hardware though (as far as serial numbers) since I refuse to upgrade.

Also seconding vLite - it's saved me hours.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:14 PM on April 6, 2008 marked best answer

Seconding a seamstress. Call your local dress shop/tailor, give them a photo (or some stills from the movie) and get an estimate. It looks pretty simple to me and shouldn't cost all that much - but if you're looking for a replica, cost should be secondary to how it looks, right?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:05 PM on April 6, 2008

How old is it? Is it still under warranty? Once you've exhausted all other possibilities (like installing/reinstalling software, trying the drive in a different machine, etc.,), get an RMA by calling Plextor at 800-204-0332 or emailing them at techsupport@plextor.com. (Information found here.)

Apparently you have to pay shipping both ways, but I'd personally rather pay ~$10 than ~$150 for a new DVD-R burner.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:02 PM on April 6, 2008

This might round it out. Get the studio version though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 4:06 PM on April 2, 2008

As far as software, LSW ($250) or ProMagic Interlacer Lite ($99) work pretty well for hobby/home use. Both have trial software periods. Both of these will calibrate or "fine tune" your printer to the sheet with a pitch gauge you print out and lay the lens sheet on top of, since sheets aren't usually exactly 72lpi (they're usually 71.8763 or some bizarre number like that) and inkjet printers aren't usually exactly what they say they are either. The GIMP or Paint.Net (both free) or Adobe... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 5:56 PM on March 25, 2008

This character may have what you're after.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 7:23 AM on March 19, 2008

Try an S-Video cable. They're cheap and the video quality will improve significantly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 3:58 AM on March 17, 2008

So DNS resolves to IP but you can't get to the actual IPs...so it's not a proxy issue. Can you try a different (public, wireless?) connection and see if you get the same error?

Plug your computer into the modem or whatever and bypass the router and see if you can connect like nonsuch suggested. If that's the problem, reset your router to the factory defaults and reconfigure. If it still doesn't work get a new router.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 3:54 AM on March 17, 2008

You don't need an XBox - you need old warez and emulators.

Racquetball is good, if you have courts anywhere where you live. It's super-fast, cheap, and definitely not boring.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 3:12 PM on March 7, 2008

George Clinton's Atomic Dog - not sure if that has samples of real dogs but it's a pretty cool song.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:56 PM on March 7, 2008

Not sure if it counts, but the Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit had me in stitches.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 5:56 PM on March 5, 2008

The FOX News article said the guy who had the signs made wanted to scare people off from splashing around in the fountains? And he thought their ignorance of chemistry (like, third-grade chemistry) would scare them off?

How about a "NO SPLASHING - POTENTIALLY DEADLY BACTERIA" sign? That's about the same level of funny and probably a lot more effective. And, it might resolve liability issues for bonus points (I doubt Mr. Waterfront genuinely cares much about... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 5:01 PM on March 4, 2008

Origami (as has been suggested countless times by myself and others)! Learn how to make this right now. You'd be surprised how impressed people get (OMG YOU MADE THAT??!!1) and how outrageously easy it is once you learn the "trick."

Although it seems like from your SCUBA comments and some of the acro comments that you're looking for something a little more...active. I would imagine it's possible, through proper warming up and techniques, to do a full split... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 4:33 PM on March 4, 2008

OH, I know! Learn to crochet. It sounds boring but it's really fun. It's easier than knitting, it's super-quick, all you need is the hook and some yarn, you can make ridiculous unwearable joke-clothes and iPod covers and stuff, and it's good for your hand-eye coordination. I suggest you learn from a real person rather than a book or video, so if you know any yarn ninjas, hit them up for some mad crochet skillz. And again it's impressive. There's something about taking a "1-dimensional"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 4:39 PM on March 4, 2008

Also, is it just me or is juggling lame?

It's just you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 4:42 PM on March 4, 2008

Multiple monitors sounded like a good idea to me, so I did it for a while. I rarely used it and went back to the single. (Of course, it was a single 24" widescreen at 1920x1200, so, um, you know...YMMV ;-) )

But seriously, folks: Alt-Tab (the task switching hotkey in Windows) is your friend, if you don't want your window obscured by an always-on-top text editor or browser. Hit it once, hit it again, and you can "toggle" between... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 4:22 PM on March 4, 2008 marked best answer

Gee whiz, let it go. Write her a note, say you're sorry, talk about it in person and move on. Don't be confused why she is or isn't doing something like avoiding you or making you feel unwelcome or whatever. "Forgot to take your meds?" COLLECTIVE GROAN.

what you are witnessing is an attack of the Metafilter morality brigade

Hmm, not really, though. These all seem like pretty much legitimate and objective comments to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 3:56 PM on March 4, 2008

Good Lord! $70 for a splitter when you could pay $5? Unless you're going, like, 50 feet you ought not to need the line driver. Here's a component splitter adapter for $3.87 and HDMI splitter for $15 (passive). Or there's this bizarre thing that takes in HDMI and goes to HDMI and DVI for $12.

Or if you're outrageously cheap (I am), you could just buy some RCA leads from Radio Shack and wire them in parallel with your current component cable. That's all a component cable... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 3:33 PM on March 4, 2008

Incompetech.com has some terrific blank calendars, among other things (graph paper, mailing labels) and it's all free and in PDF format. Yay!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 3:19 PM on March 4, 2008

If you have a Palm or similar PDA there are tons of programs out there can do multitrack recording and mixing. I used this one and my kids absolutely loved it...it has built-in mixing, sequencing, effects (delay, reverb, filtering), sampling (record your voice, then do overdubs), a keyboard that's driven by the hard keys...I LOVED it. The same guy makes a virtual Rebirth-style 808/303/303 callled Microbe with effects and all that. Which is a super-fun drum machine / acid loop type deal.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 12:20 PM on February 22, 2008

HSPDA not HDPSA. mmf.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 12:21 PM on February 22, 2008

A9Cad and CatStd Lite are both free and work great, and can export to DXF format. What format did you want to output? If you're flexible and can give them PDFs or SVGs, Inkscape is fantastic. There are Java CAD programs that supposedly work on Mac/PC but I'm not into any of that. Inkscape is cross-platform as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 12:00 PM on February 22, 2008

I'm not calling XAMPP, PHPTriad, PHP, Apache, MySQL or any of those half-baked. I'm calling the 2,368 open source inventory applications written in PHP (see also: sourceforge.net) that use PHP and MySQL (typically served by Apache) that are recommended for this sort of thing.

Excel doesn't really have a hierarchical view and I'm limited by cell space. I'm looking for something a little more database-ey but without having to invent the schema. Thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 1:50 PM on February 19, 2008

On the defense: Not all the PHP applications out there are half-baked. I use PHP applications every day and they works great. I'm sure there are a few dozen out of the 'n' possible inventory applications that exist that work great! But they either don't do what I want or they're broken already.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 1:56 PM on February 19, 2008

Again I'm not looking for standard IT asset management software or network monitoring or any of that - I have tools for that and they work fabulously well. I just want something easier to navigate at a glance that's not web-based (doesn't require PHP etc.,) since only I am going to be using it. Generic inventory is what I'm after...something you might use to catalog your VCR, your TV, your chairs, your desks, your other inanimate non-IT objects, etc.,
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 1:59 PM on February 19, 2008

Inventory Builder is perfect for what I want to do! Thank you! No idea why that didn't turn up in my searches...I found some "iffy" software that didn't come close, but this looks like it fits the bill.

By the way I have PHP applications in place for issue tracking and other things so I definitely don't mean to demean PHP on the whole. PHP is great! Open source is great! I use open tools every day! I just want something guaranteed to work... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 3:19 PM on February 19, 2008

You might also like Jean-Jacques Perrey and his various side projects.

And check out Towa Tei's solo items, especially Technova.

Kind of sounds like what might be playing on the Jetsons flying cars' radios.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 8:40 AM on February 13, 2008

@Jjb:
- There are seven speakers in the ceiling located around the round table.
- I'd rather it be wireless because I have the money and I definitely want it to look good (high profile meeting, lots of suits and ties), and I want to be able to position it wherever without trailing a wire.
- Ultimately I'd like to make everyone at a given mic sound like they are "everywhere." Is this possible with boundary mics?

I'll check... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 9:25 AM on February 10, 2008

I've had good luck with these USB VGA Capture devices and their higher-priced counterparts (the LR and the Pro models) as far as capturing the screen. They require USB 2.0 so a Gumstix might not cut it, but you might be able to grab frames and serve them over the net using one of those micro-PCs. Although Epiphan does provide Linux drivers.

Rose Electronics has some pretty okay KVM Over IP solutions although they tend more toward complete systems, not so much one-offs.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 12:51 PM on February 8, 2008

Treo 680 or 750p. I have a 650 and I'm smitten with it. I had the 600 before and it could only get better. If AT&T had the 750p I'd get that too (Windows Mobile is teh suck). And I can play NES games on it, compose music (with Bhajis Loops), play MP3s, MP4 movies, view photos, FTP, VNC, decent browser, great keyboard, super-fast response. And a touchscreen. You gotta have a touchscreen!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ostranenie at 2:28 PM on January 22, 2008