I dislike the very 90's look of a white t-shirt under a polo shirt, I find it very unprofessional looking.

Let the chest hair flow - I mean, don't unbutton it all the way, but certainly just a few tufts are okay.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 12:32 PM on June 27, 2008

Wow, this post couldn't have come at a better time. My blackberry is not working and I've been on hold for approximately... well, 37 minutes now. Just to resolve this issue, no joke.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 12:30 PM on June 27, 2008

I know that this won't change your life, but I just wanted to let you know that I really, really like your illustrations. They are awesome, and, in turn, you're awesome too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 12:33 PM on June 26, 2008

I would suggest joining a website like iLike or Last.fm and find songs that are "like" or similar to the songs/artists you've listed. What's really nice about iLike is that you can often times listen to the first 15 or so seconds of the song without having to buy it or go to another website.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 10:17 AM on June 26, 2008

Always have a book in your office, I would suggest a small anthology of short stories, so you can pick it up and take it to a nice, sit-down lunch, rather than grabbing Taco Bell on the run so that you don't have to sit by yourself.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 6:11 AM on June 26, 2008

Nice Mountain Goats reference in the title.

As for getting over love, something not necessarily relationship related, I've always been an advocate of doing something really stupid, screwing up really bad, and then settling back into reality after all of the pieces fall. Sounds stupid, but there is something to be said for one night stands, shopping sprees, and eating an entire gallon of ice cream.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 9:08 AM on June 23, 2008

Don't lie. Plus, most of the time it won't be necessary to lie, because companies, in my experience (HR person here), companies don't hire summer help unless they specifically need summer help/coverage.

Your best bet will be honesty and retail. Maybe strike a deal that if they hire you you'll come back during Christmas break to work a few days?
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 6:42 AM on June 18, 2008

My parents were (are still, I think) super involved in Marriage Encounter. I can't speak as to it's ease of use or anything like that, since I spent a good part of my childhood resenting how much time they spent doing "weekends," but I think for the most part it's a pretty decent organization. My parents are still married, 31 years later and all their Marriage Encounter friends seem happy. Good luck!
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 6:02 AM on June 18, 2008

Do you wear a powder over the foundation to "set" it?
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 11:40 AM on June 12, 2008

Actually, something very similar just happened to one of my employees - they accidently struck, and killed, a person who jumped onto the highway while they were having a psychotic break. I think the best thing that I said to the person involved was, "I'm sorry that you have to go through this, my thoughts are with you, and your family." I then suggested she call the Employee Assistance Program, because even though she was "okay" the day after, I wanted to her to have a basic... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 5:24 PM on June 3, 2008

Non-pivoting wheels on luggage grinds my gears.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 3:41 PM on June 3, 2008

If you aren't looking to create your own chain or macro, the List Compare macro from www.pspsoftware.co.za is really awesome. I use it to compare lists with thousands and thousands of entries on each column and it sorts it effectively, and in an easy to sort formula (by color).
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 7:41 AM on May 29, 2008

Cincinnati, Ohio, isn't the smallest city ever, but it's certainly not the largest. We've got a few famous people from the Queen City, including Jerry Springer (born in London, raised in Cincinnati and would later be mayor-and-paid-with-a-check hooker-user), Sarah Jessica Parker, Steven Spielberg, Charley Harper, Pete Rose (Sr. and Jr.), and a ton more... but, most importantly, Aloysius Snuffleupagus' grandmother was from Cincinnati, Ohio.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 6:15 AM on May 29, 2008

Avery. He looks like an Avery.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 1:28 PM on May 28, 2008

When I was in undergrad I would celebrate any momentous occasion with the hauling of a Nalgene bottle filled with rum and coke. Hell, I even had a special Nalgene dedicated to the consumption of alcohol while in class. Oh, and my birthday? Don't even get me started talking about the blatant bringing-of-champagne-bottle-to-class.

If I were you, I'd invest in some of these: Ice Stick Molds which would allow a small amount of water into your drink, but offer the ability to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 5:32 AM on May 27, 2008

I've answered this previously on MeFi and I think my advice fits, and would probably actually be taken, as I don't believe you mentioned any cape-wearing. Just say no to polos and Dockers.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 12:56 PM on May 23, 2008

I go to the movies probably twice a week, but this year I've really cut back due to crappy releases. Here are the following movies I really liked:

Starting Out in the Evening
Ironman
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Visitor
Son of Ranbow (HILLLLLARIOUS)
Run, Fatboy, Run
Spiderwick Chronicles


I think that's about it. I think I've seen, total, about 25 movies this year? Worst movie so far? Baby Mama. HORRIBLE.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 5:23 AM on May 23, 2008

Well, if you're leaving from Cincinnati at 1AM or 3AM, I wouldn't really be that worried. I took an Amtrak from Cincinnati to DC a few months ago and I left around 1AM so I could get to DC for a morning meeting and then got back on the track later that day, and I noticed that early in the morning it was pretty empty and the bathrooms seemed to be a lot cleaner than when I returned at approximately 10PM.

As for sketchiness, I can't attest to Union Station's general... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 10:17 AM on May 20, 2008 marked best answer

Tell him to be 100% prepared to prove that the injury was sustained while at work, on the clock. This will mean defending any and all sports, strenuous activities, helping a buddy move, etc that will be gone over with a fine tooth comb. That being said, make sure that the injury actually was work related/caused, and how his actions were not part of a preventable or self-caused injury.

In all honesty, tell him to prepare to defend himself, because in the eyes of the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 1:35 PM on May 16, 2008

Oh, also, I almost forgot - tell him to stay the hell away from the Chiropractor until his BWC claims adjuster/work rep releases him to "non-traditional therapy" because that is one way a lot of employers (depending on the state and their WC policies) get out of paying claims, stating that the non-traditional doctor, or a doctor they did not approve of, did not give them the treatment needed, or, actually, in some cases, can claim the doctor made the problem worse.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 1:38 PM on May 16, 2008

I teetered on the verge of becoming a compulsive shopper and I found that I immediately needed to make a change because I did NOT make a nice salary and I was finding clothes that still had tags on them, unopened boxes, etc, piling up in my closets. The best thing I found was that I immediately canceled all catalogs being sent to my house and I "banned" myself from doing any sort of online shopping. In order to curb the "it's a Saturday, I'm bored, I'm heading to the mall" I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 5:51 AM on May 14, 2008

She was under the impression she had short term disability through her job (through Cigna) and, according to her, the HR person told her that she would be, "Okay" to leave, which I assume she (Future MIL) took as being covered? I'm not sure, I asked her about it, but she was just getting more and more frustrated, so I dropped it and made a mental note to call her HR person after she returns to work.

Thanks for the help so far. I've placed a call to the Susan G.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 1:08 PM on May 13, 2008

When I was a child I used to stay up for nights, worried that the sun is going to burn out, the hole in the ozone layer is getting bigger, people are becoming more and more violent - countless things that would keep me awake night after night. It started effecting my everyday life and my mother suggested I write down all of my worries/stresses as soon as something crosses my mind. It helped greatly, and after a few months I only had to mentally catalog my concerns, and now they barely bother me.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 8:23 AM on May 13, 2008

For my home office I have purchased a few things from See Jane Work, which are both classy and well made AND some of them are even eco-friendly! Also just featured on Apartment Therapy, I have four of these, used in conjunction with these, create an office environment that actually makes me HAPPY to file.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 8:57 AM on May 9, 2008

I got lice a few years ago while living in a giant old, disgusting, falling apart house during my senior year in college and we had a "hat party" which involved going to a thrift store and buying every single hat they had, and adding beer. Lots of beer.

It took about a week for me to realize there was something weird, but a majority of the itching for me caused the base of my skull and the crown of my head to itch like mad. I felt like something was crawling... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 7:48 AM on April 26, 2008

I am 25, have a BS and a BA, am currently getting my JD/MBA and I don't know how to ride a bike.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 6:01 AM on April 15, 2008

From my travels I've noticed that the most common American impression is typically someone saying, "Duuuuude" in a super SoCal drawn-out way. Oh, oh, oh! And being excessively, excessively loud.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 7:02 AM on April 10, 2008

With the extremely limited about of "leeching" that can go on, I highly doubt that the use of a bottle for the suggested amount of time in a child's life (what? like a year? two years max?) will cause anymore harm than breathing in the air everyday.

Don't worry, just donate them. You're very nice for even thinking to donate them.

p.s. I totally donate cans of food that are getting ready to expire, so take my advice with a grain of salt... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 8:46 AM on March 12, 2008

My father worked in Oak Ridge for about three years, so I went to visit him a few times a year. While I was there I more or less surmised that other than hiking/climbing mountains and foothills, you can go eat some of the most delicious soup of all time at The Soup Kitchen. Absolutely delicious soups, something like 33 different types a day?

Oh and I second the drive on the 11 - while at times you may feel like you're driving onto the set for Deliverance, it is an... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 12:42 PM on February 13, 2008

Not so much a "journal" but a daily chronicle of my days is kept via sent emails to one of my good friends. We started emailing each other about a year and a half ago after bumping into one another on the street. The emails were a daily run-down of our thoughts and happenings, from very basic and mundane to very personal and emotional revelations. The emails typically run at least five to six paragraphs and are a good way to recap my previous day (post 9AM when I typically write the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 2:47 PM on February 4, 2008

Over the New Year's holiday I watched at least 15 hours of Law & Order and I can say with almost complete certainty that Adam Schiff has those exact same books in his DA office. That would be Law & Order (vanilla), Seasons 5 - 11.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 7:25 AM on January 4, 2008

You'll need port glasses. Little cordial glasses work perfectly. Wine glasses are okay if need be, but make sure you don't drink it out of ceramic or anything opaque.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 5:56 AM on December 28, 2007

I have the LG Shine and I love love love it. It's got great sound quality and beautiful screen. Texting is a bit tough to get used to on the smaller keyboard, however I blame the fact that my work blackberry has spoiled me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 3:14 PM on December 27, 2007

No capes. No Hawaiian shirts (which always look bad, no matter what, they are always, always tacky). No bowling shirts. No "cute" sayings t-shirts (i.e. "The voices like me better" or whatever idiocy can be found at Target). No fedoras. No hats for comedy's sake. No clothing for comedy's sake, for that matter. And, once again, no capes.

Your former wardrobe sounds more nerd-chic than "hipster" - if you're really looking for hipster, go with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 6:03 AM on December 27, 2007

My suggestion may seem lame, but it worked to get my friend in the mood to be a dad when he found out his girlfriend was pregnant - go to a really awesome toy store in your area, one that caters to kids, not the toy department at Target, and ask the people in the store what some of the most fun and awesome toys they have are, and if you can play with them. My friend and I spent the better part of four hours playing with every single toy imaginable and by the time we left the store he was... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 2:27 PM on December 25, 2007

As per my loving seamstress mother, "If the velvet is machine washable fabric, you should be able to throw it in the washer and the nap should be restored. Otherwise, take it to the cleaners and they should be able to get the nap back in place. Or, use a boar's hair brush and gently scrape the nap back into place. Good luck."
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 6:44 AM on December 24, 2007

I live in Cincinnati in Prospect Hill. I absolutely adore it here, it's super close to downtown, the style of houses are very similar to San Francisco row-houses but offer a backyard. Parking is a goddamn bitch, which sucks during ice-covered streets times, but it's got a great vibe, fantastic locals bar (Miltons, where I will be when the world ends).

I've also lived in East Walnut Hills, which is beautiful and wonderful, if you can get past the sort-sketchiness of the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 5:53 PM on December 19, 2007

Re-reading, re-posting: If you like running, Oakley/Hyde Park is your best bet. When I lived in Oakley every single morning there were dozens (no joke) of joggers running past my street-facing bathroom window. Hyde Park and Oakley both offer very nice sidewalks, pretty smooth surfaces with not so much traffic that you'll be running into people or car constantly. Clifton, on the otherhand, while nice and blah blah blah, is absolutely terrible (IMO) to run in - from the people, to the skinny... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 5:43 AM on December 20, 2007

Maybe because I hail from the land of one of the greatest ginger ales ever, Ale 8 One, I find ginger ale in gas stations all the time and in a few mom and pop restaurants.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 7:39 PM on December 17, 2007

I would say rather than a purse maybe a messenger bag that she can use as an overnight bag for going to friend's houses or school. Sparkly pens and blank journals that look "mature" (no characters on them) are great - maybe some really basic art supplies like colored pencils.

Oh! A learn-how-to-knit-kit can be had at Target for something like $11 and they were a HUGE hit with my 12 year old cousins last Christmas.

As for books - go... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 7:15 PM on December 17, 2007

Well, if you're basing your information on the band Heart, as you should, the tall, dark, and handsome (stranger) is exactly the mysterious man that everyone wants.

That being said, I read into (with the aide of Heart) "dark" as wearing a cape and perhaps sporting a fanciful mustache.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 2:57 PM on December 9, 2007

My mother gets her god-awful Christmas sweaters from C.J. Banks. I think she has one that even lights up.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 7:40 AM on December 7, 2007

From my personal experience, so I don't want to sound all sour grapes over here, but my first job was right out of college and billed as a "political consulting firm" and I was hired as a consultant/marketing coordinator.

My job responsibilities were, as follows:
Canvassing.
Begging for money.
Hiring more people to canvass and beg for money.

Check out their website/info before the interview and be... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 1:03 PM on December 5, 2007

Your boss wants to contact your professor independently? Not have you do it? In that case, just come clean. As a professional HR Specialist, I'm going to just go ahead and let you know that your boss cannot fire you for a mental health issue, however, he can fire you for dishonesty and technically stealing from the company since they paid for the courses which you dropped, therefore not receiving goods/services for payment on behalf of your employer.

Come clean. Web of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 8:27 AM on December 5, 2007

Save more money. Save as much money as possible. Take AT LEAST $5000 for your weekend trips. You'll be able to cheap it most places (smaller places) but if you want to spend any time in the larger, more tourist-centric Euro cities, i.e. Paris, Milan, you'll need a nice-sized pocketbook. Saving as much money now as possible will totally pay off when you have some amazing memories to look back on. Evaluate how much more kick-ass it'll be to say you had drinks at the same pub Shakespeare would hang... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 1:46 PM on November 30, 2007

Plasticities by Andrew Bird has a great first 20 seconds for a ringtone. I've been using it as my "at work" ringtone for about six months with great success. Sometimes I mix it up and have the opening 20 seconds of On and On and On by Wilco. Oh, if you're feeling a little literal, the song "Phone Booth" from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was my old at-work ringtone for about two years.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 6:59 PM on November 27, 2007

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!!!!

My favorite Christmas cards are absolutely tongue-in-cheek sassy and sacraligious.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 11:32 AM on November 27, 2007

I have two PAX closets and my major complaint is the layout I decided on and because they're so goddamn heavy I'm more or less stuck with that layout until I move or get a sledgehammer. I bolted one into the wall - which was a huge mistake since the wall is plaster covering brick. Awesome.

You get what you pay for when you get IKEA furniture. Just don't treat it like crap, don't slam the doors, don't think you can open and close the drawers fifty million times a day and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 9:15 AM on November 20, 2007

In all honesty, I go through very similar bouts of complete disrespect for myself and others. I'm young and dumb and sometimes just don't give a fuck. I haven't felt any of the negative side effects and will probably continue until I do. Let's blame it on society.
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 10:53 AM on November 18, 2007

I am n-thing the IDEA of a pea coat, but not an actual pea coat. I know you said your budget was $250, but if you want to throw an extra $100 into the mix I would go with the exact same jacket that I have (I am a tall, pear shaped size 14-ish) which I receive compliments on every single time I've worn it in the past two years I've had it. Wool Pique Gramercy Coat. It is the perfect combination of long, elegant, but easy to dress down and oh-so-classic. It's incredibly slimming and I have been... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by banannafish at 12:34 PM on November 8, 2007