Read "What Should I Do With My Life?" by Po Bronson. It's all about people just like you-- and how they figured out how to get out what they thought they had to do, and started doing what they wanted to do. And it's not always IT to herding yaks in Utah. The people, the choices, and the results are all surprising. And it's not self-help, at least in the ordinary way, either. It's much more like having a conversation with a bunch of people who figured out how, in Shakespseare's words,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 10:11 AM on June 8, 2008

Is this important? Get a name, get a name, get a name. Call the receptionist and ask who works on said project. Use Google-fu. Get a name. You will stand out from the pack as someone who did their homework. It has made the difference for me more than once.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 2:39 PM on March 3, 2008

Have you tried MPFreaker? I found it to be amazing at scouring for album art. And it also had a propensity to crash. Here's what I found that makes it work: drop small batches of folders on the program (say, artists a-f, then g-m, so on) while its not running, and then leave your computer alone (perhaps do a batch every night). It's a resource hog, it's a bit temperamental, and the drop mode works a lot better than the full-program mode, but it does get the art, and I thought it did an excellent... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:25 PM on February 24, 2008

Usually they float the purchase for something like 10-30 days. If there's no sign of it being profitable, it will return to the open market before they *actually* have to pay money for it. (Sorry, I forget the exact float period by which they have to pay or surrender the name.) So your best bet is to leave it be and check it again in a month.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 2:39 PM on February 22, 2008

Before moving here, I once parked in the Hoboken garages, across the street from the PATH/NJT stations, for 3 days. The fees were about $30 a day, but I saw that the maximum cost for a "lost ticket" was $30, so I went ahead and "lost my ticket." (Please no ethics lectures.) I had to fill out an simple form and was sent on my way, no repercussions.

The Hoboken PATH is about as convenient as it gets from NJ to Manhattan's west side below midtown. But,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 2:37 PM on February 22, 2008

how reasonable and organized he is to deal with, how trustworthy, etc. give examples, or make them up. your buddy needs to be a saint in your letter. anything less makes these boards wonder...also if you are impressive at all in your own job/life, ie, you manage people, you're a VP, something.. be sure to mention that too, because the boards do pay attention to who is doing the letter writing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 8:47 AM on January 16, 2008

Having done this in the past, I don't see why you offer a discount to them. This is the most frustrating type of design work their can be. If you have a full accounting of your time, bill them at time. and, i hate to tell you this, if you were unable to give them what they wanted (and i'm not saying that's your fault) you may be at the end of your work relationship with them anyway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:42 AM on January 8, 2008

What if your mom is the 5th woman who this doctor misdiagnosed? What about the 50th? Or, what if we take only what you know to be true, and she is the only one this doctor misdiagnosed? Would you act any differently if you knew the first two cases to be true?

I guess my point in asking you to think about this is, in our imperfect system, your recourse for mistreatment lies with lawyers and possibly a judge and jury. And inquiring about this doctor's past, filing a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 1:04 PM on January 3, 2008

nthing local news and state or county or city public utilities liason. also, there are often laws about turning off heat during the winter season. as in, its illegal.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 12:25 PM on December 20, 2007 marked best answer

Nice comic, niles, but sadly looking for something a bit more substantive. More brain-diving has led me to consider Harrison Bergeron and Brave New World, but I don't think those fit the bill either. I hope this scene isn't some figment of an overactive teenage imagination that somehow became real to me. And if it is, I hope the brain scanners don't charge me for it.

Keep 'em coming, please!
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:55 AM on December 13, 2007

the materials could've been other copyrightable things too, like movies or books.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 12:26 PM on December 13, 2007

Justinian, I would say I read it at least ten years ago. To expound upon some details (I too thought it'd be an easy ID), I seem to remember that media was freely available and everywhere. Books, newspapers, music, all just wrapped in cellophane and free for the taking, without even a transaction. But the deal was that, everyone had to go in to have their brain scanned every so often (monthly?) and the scanner was completely accurate in determining what was consumed and producing the appropriate... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:31 PM on December 13, 2007

I believe Mark Kurlansky tells this tale in his book "The Big Oyster" except, obviously, it's oyster shells, not clam shells. New York City was once oyster heaven, and there were beds in every body of water around the city and Long Island. Pollution killed them all, but there were once even huge mounds of oyster shells visible along the waterfront, where locals would just walk up to the water, pull out some oysters, eat them, and discard the shell. Imagine, an oyster in NYC for free,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:09 PM on November 20, 2007

many alarms have a valet switch under the dashboard or in some hiding place that will disable the alarm system. In my old car, I had to put the key into the ignition with the electronics but not the engine on, flip the switch, and that would disable the alarm.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:33 AM on October 24, 2007

#1, make it easy for them. there should be a big industrial size garbage can right next to the couch or tv, with a big sign on it that says, "trash" (if there isn't already). This is just engineering for human behavior (ie-- don't expect the frosh to drag their trash back to their rooms with them).

#2, put up another sign, one that looks like it was from Student Life or something, that says: "There will be no more warnings. Any trash or food left behind... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 7:40 AM on October 1, 2007

Eat it. Tell us if you live. Or if you can find a way to tell us you haven't lived (ParanormalFilter?), tell us that, too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:43 AM on September 28, 2007

Seconding Manimal. Genius.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:10 AM on August 30, 2007

I once got a ticket in a similar circumstance. I argued (in MD) that I was safely moving with the flow of traffic and in fact I found myself in a dangerous situation near aggressive drivers, and felt the need to accelerate out of that pocket of traffic when the officer stopped me. The key is, the officer did not remember the specifics of my case, and it was my first ticket, so I got off by paying court costs.

You have a right, though I don't know how to formally request... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 1:08 PM on August 8, 2007

Sheepshead Bay, on the B or Q line. It's about a 3 block walk to the water from the subway station, and there about ten piers with charter boats that go out for full and half days, and give you all the supplies you need, for $18. It's where exhilaration's brother went in the post above. But there are many boats there, and plenty of old weird guys.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 8:19 AM on August 7, 2007

Seconding Marquis. You're heading in the wrong direction from the airport, and you will not want to be rushed. Krakow in just a weekend is almost not enough time as it is. You're better off making a note of something that you and your friends didn't get to do together (like maybe a specific tour at Wawel, or a visit to the Kazmierz district), and returning to go do that once they've left.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 8:08 AM on July 25, 2007

Why not get a silver or titanium metallic ink pen from an art supply store and carefully and evenly fill in the plastic logo with it? It might take two coats, but I bet it would be opaque. you might want to test different shades on the bottom of your case just to be sure it matches.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 12:18 PM on July 20, 2007

Should've added, if you mask your design off with tape, you'll be able to peel it back once the ink dries and get a really crisp line. and it might be good to investigate some sort of sealer for this too, though obviously not shiny since your case is matte.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 12:20 PM on July 20, 2007

go to the clerk's office. you can likely pay the fine before your scheduled appearance date if you explain. IANAL, but if this works the way it did for my friend drinking a 40 on the street, they just want your money.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:49 AM on July 2, 2007

I've heard you can negotiate prices with your dentist if you are paying them directly in cash or credit. YMMV, but the deal is that you are saving them time and expense by putting money right into their hands rather than dealing with insurance co's, and so some will be willing to pass the savings onto you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 1:21 PM on June 28, 2007

buy a mac mini, a bluetooth keyboard and trackball, and a copy of apple remote desktop. don't use the mac mini for anything except launching a session to your macbook upstairs.

this is the simplest solution, IMHO. when you get into streaming video wirelessly and KVM switches, etc, you're asking for trouble. just use the hardware and software as God (Jobs) intended.

someday there will be a better way to do this. but today is not that day.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 2:25 PM on June 25, 2007

This is really great stuff. Thanks, everyone. I'm also interested in understanding how much data Google parses every day. ie-- Google parses the equivalent x Libraries of Congress every day-- that sort of thing. Having a really hard time finding that, probably owing to the lack of hard numbers...
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 8:55 AM on June 21, 2007

hi, litterboxes are cheap. and if they're not cheap enough for you, just find your local bigboxco and buy some cheapie storage bins without the lids. or buy a litterbox with a dome. or buy a disposable cardboard litterbox.

ie-- this is a failure of imagination. there has got to be a better solution to your problem than putting cat poop where your dishes go.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:26 AM on June 13, 2007

The georgetown branch, in the experiences of myself and dozens of friends, is the secret stash of the DC DMV. Almost always empty and quick. Definitely the way to go, as long as, as previous posters noted, they perform the services you require.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:30 AM on May 17, 2007

I think the bottom line is, how much do you really want this laptop? Enough to run license checks on concealed weapons permits in Virginia? That much? Really?
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 12:48 PM on April 5, 2007

I'm currently considering buying an NAS drive due to having to back up multiple computers and not wanting to hang an external off of each one on my home network. Are you consdering this, or can anyone weigh in on how this might affect the O.P?

I can add, FWIW, that Maxtor has been the absolute WORST over the years (about 15 now) that I've been using computers. I know hard drives fail, but I found that they failed, with regularity, immediately after the warranty expired.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 7:06 PM on March 1, 2007

Please try the subway. It's efficient and easy, and Midtown New York is not all there is to see. Katz's is a block from the F train's 2nd Ave. stop. The F also stops right near your hotel , at Rockefeller Center on 6th Avenue (don't call it Avenue of the Americas, no one does.)

This is really the only place in Manhattan that should fulfill your need for a good Jewish deli, which is sad but true. For good Indian, try Curry Hill, which is really in Murray Hill.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 2:15 PM on February 14, 2007

Try searching the Internets for Sooner Jeep, a Jeep salvage yard in Oklahoma. Their site is just a static page, but give them a call.

Years ago I had to replace my YJ transmission on the cheap, and they came through big time. Shipping was at cost, too. Good luck!
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 1:34 PM on January 29, 2007

You guys are all wrong. The answer is salt.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:17 PM on January 22, 2007

I can't believe no one has said horseradish. Fresh is preferred, but the jarred stuff is fine, as is the variety with beets in it. half a teaspoon on each half, plus a pinch of salt & pepper, and i guarantee your life will improve.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 7:27 PM on January 18, 2007

Re: Sears. You have to do it. It's your chance to say all sorts of romantic stuff like "it's time to set things right" etc. So here's what you do:

1. tell her you've made plans for a nice dinner at place x time y.

2. make reservations for even nicer place z at time y+2 hours.

3. a little before time y, call her and say that you got a flat on the road, you were towed to a tire shop, and the don't have your tire... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 2:28 PM on January 18, 2007

At a show like this, there will likely be a group of 20 parents hanging out in the back near the t-shirt stand, all waiting for their little juniors to be done moshing. Fear not.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:40 PM on January 17, 2007

second the hydrogen peroxide treatment. soak a cotton ball, rub it well into her chin, and repeat daily. it should clear up soon.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 10:46 PM on January 1, 2007

rsclark has it almost right. The highway into Denver was closed for days, and the Fox truck that was carrying the special computers that make the line was stuck on that highway, some 300 miles away, according to the announcers' comments. They said that they borrowed their video equipment from TBS. The game was in HD and they had the usual on-screen graphics, but some of the annoying sound effects and transition graphics were MIA.

Probably whatever program they use to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 10:37 PM on January 1, 2007

I believe there's a scene in "Kids" where the kids are stealing 40s from an Asian storekeeper, distracting him by asking if they have "dis dick" while grabbing at, uh, well, no one said it had to be a pretty movie, right?
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 10:08 AM on December 28, 2006

I was about to say it sounds like you've gotten enough practical advice in this thread, but let me second that leaving food or plates around is totally unacceptable. Old food smells. It is unsanitary. It causes people to get sick. It invites bugs. It creeps out guests. It's completely unfair to people you live with to expect them to deal with your mess. You might as well expect them to flush the toilet for you. You're damn right your roommates are wondering why you get to sit around the house... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 1:07 PM on December 18, 2006

What jellicle said about playing on emotions is true and obviously already happening. The OP is being an apologist already, if you read the statements he makes about his roommate and this bill. The way to find out about this charge is pretty simple: both of you call the ISP, together, or look at the account online, together. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the problem somehow disappeared just as this conversation was about to happen.

Besides, $3500 is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:07 AM on November 20, 2006

I've tried multiple variations of the drive and my advice is this: get some sleep and leave 6am Thanksgiving morning. The roads are EMPTY. It's incredible. No guarantees, of course. But I did it 3 times and it always beat my Wed. night or ESPECIALLY Wed. after work drives. Always got in well under 4 hours.

Two notes: MD cops tend to set speed traps in the median. Stay out of the left lane except to pass and keep it under 80. You'll probably be fine.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:07 AM on November 18, 2006

Slightly disagree-- stay in Pera/Beyoglu. (Pera Rose Hotel was nice.) This is a district with great shops, great dining, and located on a closed cobblestone street along with the famous fishmarket. It's "old" Istanbul, the equivalent of staying on the Lower East Side vs. staying in a hotel at the South St. Seaport. And from here, taxis to Sultanhamet are not that expensive, but you will be staying in a much cooler, yet less touristy part of town to enjoy your nights and meals in.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 7:44 AM on October 3, 2006

Here's what I did. Much like you, I needed to better manage my days as a freelancer. Half measures were simply not helping me, so in iCal, I set up the following schedule, every day, M-F, with an alarm clock to beep and pop up on my screen.

8:30-9:30- blogs, email, coffee, newspaper
9:30-11:30- freelance pitching, story ideas, article writing
11:30-12- exercise 1 (get outside, run errands, go for a brisk walk, or start to head to where i'm eating... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 7:37 AM on October 3, 2006 marked best answer

Not to be annoying but the muscle is actually named biceps with an s on the end. So you'd say, I'm going to get a tattoo on one of my biceps, or my left biceps or my right biceps. Anyway, lovely idea. Getting bodyart in the name of a joke is brilliant. I love the idea of a picture of your biceps on your biceps, but wouldn't that cause a problem of infinite recursion? Oh, and I vote for a block font like Gotham.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:41 AM on September 2, 2006

Ancillary to the question: if these are corporately owned, look into whether or not an insurance policy you guys have (like for portable computers) covers these damages. If not, look into getting such a policy. If alot of people in your company carry these things, they pay for themselves. I speak from experience.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 2:50 PM on August 30, 2006

Hi guys,

The responses have been overwhelming. I've been trying to keep a a running log to respond in kind, but I'll have to go with these categories:

Snarks (you know who you are): you decided that I was a fanboy sitting in my basement who thought writing sounded kewl. I work on this every day. Pitching, writing, emailing, making contacts, developing ideas, writing fiction, writing in my blog. I have had success in getting my blog entries picked... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 12:56 PM on August 26, 2006

mdiskin-- you were in the mixed category, but I'm not here to keep score, and your mixed was pretty helpful (and I appreciate the follow-up. now decidedly in the helpful category, with some details and the story of your break)

I really am at the point where I need to be reminded that the little things count. I've impressed other people who know that I've gotten good responses and encouragement from editors at the national level in my other areas of writing-- but... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 2:15 PM on August 26, 2006

mdiskin-- great tips. I really appreciate the level of thought. I'm writing them down in my little place to write important things down. I'm serious.

yeti-- i agree, it's not so much that i want the band to blow up and for it to be all because of me. it's more like, i want to share my opinion in a forum where others can read it and take it or leave it. i'm disabusing myself of the notion that i can waltz in somewhere and do that. most likely, this will end up on my blog,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 11:56 PM on August 26, 2006

The Union Square Inn (and their two other locations) are my pick for affordable, clean and convenient places to stay in NYC. Pretty much like Holiday Inn. Note at Union Square, there's no elevator, though I'm sure they'd help carry your bags up. Also, there was a passable breakfast available every morning. One other thing to be wary of: make sure you're not in a basement room. Otherwise, it's hard to beat this place.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raconteur at 9:08 AM on August 16, 2006