If your friend can drop you off somewhere around the route of the MTA #460, it's a great option. It's an express bus that goes directly from downtown Los Angeles to Disneyland. The last time I took it, it originated at Union Station itself, but it seems that it now starts at 5th and Los Angeles. It can take anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours, but it's hard to beat the $2.45 price tag.

On preview..... yes. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 10:23 AM on June 27, 2008 marked best answer

If you're interested in this sort of thing, the Cherry Blossom Festival is going on this weekend at Sakura Square.. it's on 19th and Larimer, only a few blocks off of the 16th street mall.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 12:30 AM on June 27, 2008

Don't count out Torrance itself as a place to live. It has it's good and bad parts, of course, but it tends to be pretty down to earth (relative to the rest of the South Bay, at least), and if you're not that drawn to living near the beach, there's no sense in paying for it.

I always enjoyed spending time in Walteria, which is south of the Torrance Airport, around Hawthorne and PCH. It has a mix of houses and apartments.. Also the area north of the Torrance Airport... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 10:45 PM on June 24, 2008

Sounds like you've already decided, but I'll share this anecdote about the indestructibility of the G-shock in ocean water...

When my brother was young, he lost his G-Shock while swimming in the ocean on vacation, and didn't realize it was gone until later that evening. He and my dad went back out to the beach the next morning, and found it washed ashore, still in perfect working condition. I'm not sure what eventually happened to that watch, but he wore it for many... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 4:14 PM on June 21, 2008

I clicked on this thread with the Studio Day Sofa from World Market in mind, which I see Liosliath has already mentioned. I have one and really love it. It is somewhat low to the ground, though. (the seating level is maybe 13" or 15" off the ground)

I use it primarily as a couch, not for everyday sleeping.. but I can say that it is comfortable enough that I have nearly fallen asleep in it against my will several times. The wood frame is really sturdy.. it's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:24 PM on April 21, 2008

I don't see how it could hurt to call your local Mazda dealer and informally ask if they have records of services done at other dealerships.. if they don't, don't despair yet..

since it's an almost-new car, I would then try calling the Mazda dealer who originally sold the car to see if they have serviced it.. They should have it on record by the VIN.. If that fails, try other Mazda dealers in the same vicinity as the original sale dealership. If you find it that way,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:48 PM on April 7, 2008

If you pass through Denver, check out WaterCourse Foods.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 11:53 PM on April 5, 2008

Tons of map services use Navteq data. Navteq has a Map Reporter section of their website where anyone can report map errors and incorrect address placements.

The process is slow, and it is even slower for the correction to make it out to all the various places that subscribe to their data, but it's easy to do and definitely a start.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 9:06 PM on April 2, 2008

Incidentally the other major mapping data provider is TeleAtlas, and they also have their own map reporting system. I don't know who the delivery services use, but I have read that the majority of 911 centers use TeleAtlas data, so it is probably worth correcting there as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 9:51 PM on April 2, 2008

Try calling Armstrong, I've definitely seen them there before. If they have them in stock, they keep them at the checkout counter.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:33 AM on March 13, 2008

If you're heading down Highway 1, stop at Point Lobos State Reserve just south of Monterey. It's breathtakingly beautiful, and very easily accessible, so it's possible to spend just a morning there (though once you're there, you may want to stay all day!).
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 9:24 PM on March 11, 2008

The international agreement that covers this is called CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). They pretty much have a resolution for everything, including guidelines for how governments should dispose of confiscated specimens.

Disposal of illegally traded, confiscated and accumulated specimens.

Different countries have different implementations.. Generally a lot of things get destroyed (shells,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:52 PM on March 10, 2008 marked best answer

If you have the type of keyboard that this is possible, check underneath the keyboard... I've lost all kinds of things there. Also try any windowsills behind the blinds/curtains.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:31 AM on March 10, 2008

Maybe try clearing your CMOS?
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 11:26 PM on March 4, 2008

I found the reviews at prad.de extremely helpful when I was deciding on an LCD monitor recently. It has the most thorough informed reviews of any LCD review site I found. A warning though, the side has very annoying (sound) ads..

Another resource frequently mentioned here that leans more towards LCD Monitors (but also has some TVs) but is wonderful for background information about LCD technology is the LCD Thread at anandtech.

Personally, I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:28 AM on February 15, 2008

This is a fascinating question--it does seem to be somewhat arbitrary from city (or county) to county, but within a city or county there may be a government document that defines exactly how streets may be named.

When I lived in Tucson and was trying to figure out why some streets were called 'Stravenues' (nope, I'm not making that up!) my google searching ultimately lead me to Section 18.83.040 of the Pima County Code, which in insane detail goes into the addressing... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 10:48 AM on February 3, 2008

Several years ago I took the Capitol Limited (Chicago->DC), and I remember that the route guide mentioned that the Harper's Ferry stop was accessible to the Appalachian Trail. I'm not sure how close it actually was though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 12:49 AM on January 26, 2008

If none of the bookstores pan out, you might try calling the Chemistry department at a local university, and see if they have a group selling them. At my school the chemistry fraternity sold the models to the undergrads taking O-Chem as a regular fund raiser for the group. They may have some around to sell.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 8:57 PM on January 7, 2008

I think you should leave it on your wish list, but add a couple other ideas of things that you would use... By giving them only one request (that is, charity) it doesn't give the giver very much choice, and a gift is just as much about the giver as well as the receiver. Even if they genuinely would want to give this to you, when it's the only thing you ask for, it takes them out of the equation, which may lessen their gift giving experience.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 4:47 PM on December 14, 2007

As a procrastinator having a PDA allows me to do things I would normally procrastinate with while I can't be productive, such as reading Metafilter on the train home. (which is how I am posting this now)

They are clunky enough still to not be terribly useful if there are any other options available, so I don't find it hampers my productivity at home. I would go with the centro.. I don't know what I did before I got my smartphone (and it was only three weeks ago!)
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 5:22 PM on December 4, 2007

Cream cheese, tomato sauce, mozzarella, crushed red pepper. Best with sourdough.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:49 PM on November 12, 2007 marked best answer

But beware, the US govt has the option of degrading service at any time (adding random jitter), typically for "national security" reasons - think GPS receiver on a radio control plane with explosives.

Interestingly, the US Government recently made an announcement that the next generation of GPS satellites (GPS III) will be launched without this capability.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 8:03 PM on October 23, 2007

SecondSpin buys DVDs over the internet, and has a good reputation (and actual stores). You'd still have to enter all the UPCs, but you can do it in bulk in a comma separated list.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:00 PM on October 17, 2007 marked best answer

Ahh, the horrible disk read error problem. I hate that.. Ico was the first game I had this problem with as well, years ago. Luckily CD games aren't very common, and most of the potential fixes aren't too hard to implement.

I tried the PS2 in a vertical position with no luck.. what actually worked for me was the "scotch tape method", believe it or not. I've had to use the scotch tape method on every CD game I've bought since and it's worked every time. It may... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 6:49 AM on September 10, 2007

I did Kumon math as well--I don't know anything about the English portion, but I can comment on the method.. I basically went from failing math in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade to, well, not failing it. I did badly on the initial placement test so the Kumon center started me (a fifth grader) at the '1 + 0 =" "2 + 0 = " level! My younger brother started higher and I never caught up with him. :)

Nevertheless, by the end of fifth grade, I was working at my grade... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 10:37 PM on July 28, 2007

I just stumbled across this question.. there's a part of Redondo Beach, CA (near the pier) that has a somewhat crazy naming scheme like this... The streets are named after gemstones starting with Agate, Beryl, Carnelian, Diamond, Emerald, etc. Somtimes, major streets from other cities come in and disrupt the order (Torrance Blvd, for instance is between Garnet and Pearl).

They skip the letters that have no associated gemstone, but the jump from 'Garnet' all the way to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 9:01 PM on June 1, 2007

OK..Good points on the moisturizer but now this: The moisturizer I use, from Neutrogena, contains sunscreen. Any recs for non-greasy sunscreen to replace it?

Try Neutrogena's Dry-Touch Sunblock. I used to hate wearing sunscreen until I chanced upon this stuff.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 10:00 PM on April 14, 2007

Also in Los Angeles, Clifton's Cafeteria, and Canter's Deli.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:02 PM on March 28, 2007

Here's a remote possibility... We had a similar problem where our cable modem would fizzle out and get unusably slow every single night.. Not the exact same time each day, but definitely each evening. Eventually it started dying completely, so we called the cable company. It turned out to be a signal strength issue that was worsened by moisture (once it got cooler in the evenings) at the cable box. They replaced some hardware in the cable box up the street and everything's back to normal.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 9:26 PM on February 26, 2007

I'm also a fan of Long Beach. Closer than LA, and there's the aquarium, the Queen Mary, two museums, and tons of restaurants. There's also a cheap (maybe free?) tourist bus that takes you to all the big spots.

I second Long Beach; it's a really neat place to spend a day. If you find yourself there, I recommend George's Greek Cafe on Pine Street. Yum!

Also, since you mentioned kayaking, once a month the Aquarium offers kayak... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 8:54 PM on February 7, 2007

I waited much (much!) longer to swap for my CA license.. It wasn't an issue for me. The DMV people mainly want to keep the line moving. They didn't even have a problem letting me register my car without a title (!!!)

They didn't take my license from my old state, but they did put a big hole punch through it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 12:05 AM on February 7, 2007

Seconding memorizing the DUI penalty numbers before you go in for the test. Also, review the mulit-lane roundabout rules if you don't live somewhere where you deal with roundabouts.. those were on my test.

I've been told that a lot of people who are still paying off their car loan have their titles held by the bank that gave them the loan.

Good point.. I don't know how they handle that.. maybe in that case the car's owner is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:07 AM on February 7, 2007

Starting when I was fifteen point five, until I was around 22, every year State Farm would send my mother a notice of cancellation of her auto insurance because I was not listed on her policy even though I did not get my license until I was 23. She had to call and have a huge argument each time, (them: What if she steals your car? her: She can't! she doesn't know how to drive!!) They were incredibly resistant (and rude!) each time, in spite of the ridiculousness of insuring a non-driver. To add... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:15 AM on February 1, 2007

Anecdotally, I was on a jury for a case prosecuting a DUI based only on the Field Sobriety Tests and the original traffic violation (running a stop sign); the defendant had refused all other tests in the field and at the station. They didn't even have the FSTs on video tape, because they had moved out of range of the in-car camera in order to adminster the tests on level ground.

The trial ended abruptly on the third day. They didn't tell us why, but I assume there was a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 9:30 PM on January 29, 2007

There's one in Oracle, AZ called "Chalet Village Motel". It appeared to still be in business last I saw it a couple years ago. I don't know if it's a desirable place to stay or not, but the area around there is quite pretty!

When I was googling around to find out it's name (first hit for +"weird motel" +oracle!) I found this site which has some neat pictures of current and former cabin motels.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 8:00 PM on January 8, 2007

I've found lots of good advice at the forums at Super Honda.

This is probably not your problem, but just in case... I had my Honda ('96 accord) display the exact same behavior immediately after the radiator was replaced. From the list of possible causes in this thread, it turned out to be air bubbles in the coolant. I topped it off, ran it, topped it off again, ran it until it stopped.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 11:02 AM on January 7, 2007

I've had a SlipSafe laptop sleeve from The Pouch that I used daily for that exact purpose for six years, and it's held up unbelievably well. They're thin (neoprene) but sturdy, and custom made for your laptop's dimensions.. great for maximizing backpack real estate.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 11:32 PM on November 28, 2006

I'm late to this question, but I'll second ook's response. It's possible what you're seeing is some type of slime mold taking advantage of the damp root areas of the trees.. it's pretty bizarre stuff!
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 7:57 PM on November 2, 2006

I like seat covers.. in poorly lit bathrooms, it's easy not to notice a pee splattered seat until it's too late.. but when you set the seat cover down, you can see by how well it affixes to the seat how dry the seat is. Ideally it should practically slide into the toilet when you set it down!

It's just plain unpleasant to sit in other people's cold pee.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 8:31 PM on July 28, 2006

Okay, I'm late to this thread and it's already filled with tons of great advice, but I wanted to chime in to echo jdroth's suggestion of taking an introductory comp sci class at a local community college.. I struggled for a long time to learn programming from books like all my friends had done, and felt all the same things that you describe. I eventually came to the (wrong) conclusion that I just wasn't cut out for programming.

Years later, I took an introductory... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 10:29 PM on July 21, 2006

I second the recommendations above and would like to add:

The Disney Gallery which is easy to miss, but really neat.. it's above Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square. Also, the Haunted Mansion, the Mark Twain Riverboat, and a complete circuit on the Disneyland R.R.

In Adventureland, The Enchanted Tiki Room is made especially fun if viewed while enjoying a Dole Pineapple whip.

I think a lot of the Fantasyland... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 10:54 AM on July 4, 2006

How about Lake Quinault, WA, in the Olympic National Park? I've only had experience with the Lodge (which was amazing!), but a quick google suggests that there are also places that rent private cabins (here, for example).

I consider Lake Quinalt to be one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've ever visited.
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 4:36 PM on July 2, 2006

Be curious, and always keep learning.

Appreciate quality.

Family comes first.

(This thread makes me want to go give my Dad a big hug!)
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 12:18 PM on June 18, 2006

I agree that Mindstorms are a great idea.. Additionally, Robocode might be something he would be interested in.. It reminds me of Mindstorms minus the hardware. You build a Robot (a java object), plug it into their interface and it battles other robots.

IBM developed it as a platform to teach programming--it's open source now.

This article has a nice overview of it (including screen shots): http://ai-depot.com/Essay/Robocode.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 12:39 AM on June 17, 2006

This looks to me like a carpet beetle larvae... they come in a number of varieties, but a google image search for "carpet beetle larvae" shows a few that look like your critter there... they eat natural fibers (wool, etc), and grains.

I had an apartment in Arizona that had an ongoing problem with these and I was always finding the leftover skins, which made it seem like there were a lot more of them than there actually were. Finding and removing the primary... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by everybody polka at 10:48 AM on June 4, 2006