Brian Stableford's 1979 science fiction novel The Walking Shadow tells the tale of Paul Heisenberg, a new age evangelical rock star who suddenly freezes into a silver statue in front of an audience of 80,000 people, effectively allowing him to jump through time.

When he wakes many years later he finds the US devastated by a nuclear war. He also finds that other people, many of whom worship him, have also developed the ability to jump via stasis... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:44 AM on July 18, 2008

It's over. The nice stuff is just trying to cushion you so you don't cry too hard for too long, and to make you feel like you'll find somebody else quickly, and to make him look like a nice guy who treid rather than a bastard. Now he's just dragging it our because you cried longer and harder than he thought.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 6:16 AM on July 15, 2008

This doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. You don't have to drop out altogether - just make it clear what you will and won't do, and what you've done already.

"Yes, I'd love to be your bridesmaid! Thank you so much for offering."

but:

"I've run some numbers and I can't handle the room side of things. With my dress, hair, make-up, travel and accommodation, there's just nothing left in the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 6:06 AM on July 15, 2008

Thank you all - knowing the jargon and that there's even consumer-grade equipment to do this sort of thing makes it a near reality rather than a pipe dream. I'll try Custom Records to see if they'll ship here; otherwise, I'll check the local DJ scene for advice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 2:17 AM on July 15, 2008

*pss...pshhshshss*
*gulgulgulgulgulg*

Now, what were we talking about? Oh, yeah, Coke.

*pss...pshhshshss*
*gulgulgulgulgulg*

We filled our coke fridge at work half and half with bottled water. You can't have a Coke unless you've had a water first, and you can't have another Coke after that til you've had another water.

*pss...... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 8:40 PM on July 12, 2008

Well, here's how I remember it:

The first part was somebody playing Even Flow over and over and over again. Then, for a little while, it was somebody playing Informer and Mr Wendall over and over and over again while a few people sat in the corner with their fingers in their ears whimpering 'Kurt...why...' over and over and over again. Then, for a long time, it was like somebody playing the soundtrack to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 8:28 PM on July 12, 2008

Happened to all my shoes and boots until I bought a pair of RM Williams boots with oil-resistant soles. Six months of daily work wear, no wear on the heel. I'm a big guy - should last a normal-sized guy forever. Google for US distributors.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 1:57 AM on July 9, 2008

Negotiate on your own terms, not on "but Fred get this much" terms. She might be pleasantly surprised at the answer to a simple question: "Could we arrange a time to review my current salary, please?"
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 1:40 AM on July 9, 2008

Sorry - don't know what I pressed then. I meant to add: Don't wait for the salary review to do this. If told "wait for the salary review", respond "I'd like to talk in advance about how you see the review working out." If pressed why, simply say "I've been thinking a lot about my work here over the past four years, and how I might best structure my benefits to reflect my skills, experience and performance."
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 1:44 AM on July 9, 2008

Come to Australia and work in Aboriginal communities with Indigenous Community Volunteers. Help Indigenous medical services and other community organisations to develop practical community-based approaches to every facet of primary and environmental health.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 3:50 AM on July 6, 2008

Napoleon Dynamite had a girlfriend you wouldn't know too:

Yeah, my old girlfriend from Oklahoma was gonna fly out here for the dance but she couldn't 'cause she's doing some modeling right now.

- Is she hot?

See for yourself.

- Wow.

Yeah, I took her to the mall to get some glamour shots for her birthday one year.

- I like her bangs.

Me too.

posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:37 AM on July 4, 2008

Many (most?) Australian restaurants won't allow you to recork wine purchased on premises and take the bottle away with you - something about off-license laws. Whatever you don't drink goes back to the kitchen or down the sink.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:36 AM on July 2, 2008

Mashed with a fork on toasted bread with olive oil, salt and pepper and either:

- fresh sliced tomato, red onion and a little vinegar; or
- roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley and fresh lemon juice.

They're also not bad mashed in pasta - heat a little olive oil in a pan, add garlic and soften, mash through sardines with a fork, toss through pasta with plenty of fresh basil and parsley.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:23 AM on July 2, 2008

Thanks trip and a half. The list of ingredients would be enough - I've made it before, so more worried about quantities than process. When I see 'adapted from' in an online recipe, I worry about substitutions and alterations.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 10:20 PM on July 1, 2008

Thanks trip - the effort is much appreciated, and now I can access this precious recipe anywhere, anytime. Thanks too to iconomy - the recipe linked is pretty much the same as the real deal. You've saved Christmas!
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 12:01 AM on July 2, 2008

Write 'No soap. Radio?' on a piece of paper and put it in her mailbox.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 8:25 PM on June 30, 2008

No love for Piers Anthony's Battle Circle trilogy?
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:16 PM on June 29, 2008

I recommend you don't go solar. Get instantaneous gas instead. You won't need a tank, you'll never run out of water and you won't lose pressure if somebody uses the loo. The lack of a tank and the ability to precisely set water temperature makes them very energy efficient. If you don't have a lot of days of sunshine, you're probably going to need to use the booster a lot anyway, so you might as well go straight to gas anyway. Keep your existing gas radiators, and spend some of the money you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:37 AM on June 23, 2008

Wouldn't putting such a list on the net (for example, in a MySQL database with a nifty web front end) under a generic name (behold, Deep Trivia(tm)!) represent the same creative selection, coordination and arrangement of TP's material (that is, uncopyrightable facts) as TP made of Worth in the first place? I'm finding it hard to understand how they'd have a legal leg to stand on.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:11 AM on June 19, 2008

According to Volume 6 of Craft, you can draw directly on a t-shirt (white is best) with an oil-based wax crayon. Cover with a piece of wax paper, then a pillow case, and iron. Wash to set the design.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 3:42 AM on June 14, 2008

Our cat passed away in February last year, and we're just thinking about getting another two now. Our house is 112m2, and we have no hesitations about this being large enough for an indoorsy breed (we're thinking about ragdolls). Cats think in terms of volume, not floor space anyway.

If you want to do something nice for a shelter and the cats who live there, but you're not sure you can commit to FIV cats for whatever reason, why not make a donation each year on Scarlet's birthday?
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 1:52 AM on June 12, 2008

Don't tell. If asked, simply say "yeah, I did meet with them before I left, but I wanted to give it serious thought and the vacation let me do that."
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 1:40 AM on June 12, 2008

IndoMie Mi Goreng. Comes with seasoning powder, plus a triple sachet containing kecap manis, chilli sauce and onion oil, plus another sachet of crunchy fried onions. You mix all the seasonings and sauces together in your bowl while you simmer the noodles, then toss the drained noodles through the resulting paste, coating each strand with sweet, salty, spicy goodness, then sprinkle the onions over the top.

Damn, I'm gonna go have me some midnight Mi Goreng right now.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 6:10 AM on June 7, 2008

This is post is to advertise that I'm coughing while saying 'kneejerk' at the same time.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:59 AM on June 7, 2008

Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 12:30 AM on June 7, 2008

Make a loose rub/paste with olive oil and brush it on baked or grilled lamb, or dunk chunks of crusty bread in it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:21 AM on June 4, 2008

Stupid question, but why do they call them 'refried' beans? I thought the 're' in 'refrito' meant 'well' or 'very' (as in well cooked) not 'again'. Is it just a linguistic mix-up, or am I missing something?
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:16 AM on June 4, 2008

Class Action.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:20 AM on June 3, 2008

The Affidivets.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:22 AM on June 3, 2008

I was going to suggest 'Friends of the Course' (rather than the court, curiae), but don't know the Latin - amici tractus?
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:47 AM on June 3, 2008

Just because you're good at sales doesn't mean you're management material. Maybe the people you trained were good managers, and you just gave them enough technical knowledge about the sales side of things to make the leap. All of the people in my team have more degrees and technical qualifications than me - I'm still the manager, though, because that's what I'm best at. It's a separate discipline, not some sort of reward you get for being good at your job.

Otherwise,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:14 AM on June 3, 2008

Making sausages. Making ginger beer. Making ice cream (or Mexican fruit ices). Selling Jamaican goat or chicken mole or something else hot and tasty in paper cups. Letterpress printing. God, I love letterpress printing. Party planning / catering. Soup making. Soap making - esp. shaving creams. Bespoke tie making. Book binding. Photography. Running a weekend sports thing for uncoordinated geek kids who just want to have fun and couldn't care less about winning or teams. Writing.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 9:49 PM on May 31, 2008

Ralph is a good sleeper (read: Viking).
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 2:49 AM on May 30, 2008

Don't get rid of anything that could remind you of a good time with a loved one, or even of that loved one. When they're gone, you'll give anything to have it back, to hold it, and to feel your memories of that person come into crisp focus, even if just for a moment. Eventually you'll be able to let those things move on, but it's much easier than if you never had a choice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:43 AM on May 29, 2008

Do you have statutory rights in addition to your warranty rights? In Australia, if a laptop failed catastrophically after just two years you're entitled to a refund or a replacement because you have a legitimate expectation that something that expensive should last a lot longer. The warranty can only supplement, not replace, your statutory rights as a consumer. Could be worth checking with a local fair trading / consumer affairs authority to see if something similar applies in your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:33 AM on May 29, 2008

I can play anything brass - cornet, trumpet, flugel horn, bugle, baritone, euphonium, French horn and trombone - but don't. I just wish I could play guitar or piano instead. Is that a waste? *shrug*
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 2:03 AM on May 27, 2008

Does it have to be a salad? Puree a can of cannelini beans with a little olive oil, lemon juice and a clove of garlic, then keep it covered in the fridge. Goes great as a dip for crudite or chunks of bread.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:29 AM on May 26, 2008 marked best answer

Look for a secondhand copy of Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Grains and Greens.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:03 AM on May 26, 2008

Layer on the upper body - a wifebeater / undershirt, a v-necked t-shirt, a jacket; a t-shirt, a light, thin v-neck sweater, a jacket. Tuck in the layers underneath, leave the rest out. Layer similar colours, lightest lowest. Stick with v-necks and open, large collars - you don't want fabric against your neck unless it's a very good tie with a generous knot.

If you're not layering, use well-weighted fabrics and a tailored rather than stretch fit. Heavy cotton, single... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:47 AM on May 26, 2008

A 6-oz can of tuna in olive oil, a couple of tomatoes, a Lebanese cucumber, red onion, parsley, arugula and a lemon. It all goes into a bowl to make what I call "Big-Arsed Tuna Salad". As in:

"What's in the bowl, Obiwan?"
"A Big-Arsed Tuna Salad."

An 8-oz plastic container of passionfruit yoghurt and an organic Pink Lady apple.

Sachets of instant oatmeal.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:17 AM on May 26, 2008

I forgot boiled eggs and blueberries. Don't ask - I don't know either.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 4:21 AM on May 26, 2008

Talk the the dean of the relevant school. They can do anything with the wave of a pen. I remember being at uni, completely failing to grasp the bureaucracy, wanting to do something that "couldn't be done" (changing from one double degree to another mid-year for no real reason) and, being too clueless to realise it was impossible, simply rocking up to the dean's office and asking. Scribbled letter on uni letterhead, all sorted. A doctor's certificate might help.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 10:09 PM on May 16, 2008

You could ask the UK garrison of the 501st Legion to show up in force. You need to make a donation to charity, but perhaps they'll do it for fifty quid if they know their cloned brother is on the line.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:19 AM on May 15, 2008

None of these 'prove' anything. Mail can be automated. Date stamps on digital photos can be changed. Somebody else can log you in. If these are good enough, so is looking at your watch and writing the time on a piece of paper with 'time sheet' written across the top.

If it's that important, they'll implement a robust system of controls. Good luck with that - they'll need speed turnstiles / gates to stop tailgating, access cards or biometrics, software, cameras,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:06 AM on May 15, 2008

the money you make during the sale would negate the benefits of salary sacrificing

Why would it negate the benefits? I don't have to declare the proceeds from selling secondhand stuff on my tax return (do I?). Isn't it just $1000 profit? $1100 out, $2100 in?
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 1:27 AM on May 2, 2008

I don't think the hive mind hit the spot this time, with a lot of speculation and anecdote but no hard answers. Thanks for taking the time to answer, though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 3:17 AM on May 14, 2008

Supervillain: "MWHHAHAHAAHA! I have spent TRILLIONS of dollars blocking out the sun. You are poweless, son of Krypton!"

Supes: *switches on UV lamp*
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 8:30 PM on May 10, 2008

Supervillain: "I mean 'powerless', of course, and...wait, is that a UV lamp?"
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 8:31 PM on May 10, 2008

I second a working week's worth of smoking hot power underwear - black lace, garter, stockings, the works.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 5:51 AM on May 8, 2008

A belated note of thanks to Kadin2048 - you just saved me from blowing $130 on a crappy one-port 'wireless gaming bridge'. $60 for WRT + DD-WRT = awesomeness.
posted to Ask Metafilter by obiwanwasabi at 10:45 PM on May 7, 2008