The only reason I can think of to bring anything like that up in an exit interview is if you really care about your soon-to-be-former coworkers who still have to work under this person. In that case I think you could express that you had some concerns that specific management behaviors A, B, and C were affecting your team negatively in X, Y, and Z ways. Maybe mention that the team might work better if... [whatever].

In general though, I think it's better to keep your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 10:15 AM on August 7, 2008

I try to use words that start the same as my preferred curse word, but end up differently. That gives me an extra syllable or so to remember that I shouldn't be swearing. Fudge, shipwreck, darnit, jeepers creepers (instead of Jesus Christ) , piece of work (instead of piece of sh**), mother of <whatever sounds funny> (instead of motherf, or even to replace "mother of god" which offends some of my religious family), etc.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 2:26 PM on August 6, 2008

The reason I was given that the passwords were needed was because of a poorly written application that one or two users sometimes leave logged in overnight (ironically, he was one of the main users causing the problem), and cause files to be locked from editing and other users to not be able to log into that particular application. We've since remedied this be forcing reboots of machines at night until the manufacturer of that software corrects the issue (this was at least a couple of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 2:17 PM on August 6, 2008

The magnetic cord connection on apple laptops, so you don't yank your computer off the table when you trip over the cord. (For that matter, most anything apple has done in the last 5+ years, though I'm not usually a ranting fan.)

Lock and dam systems are pretty amazing to me, too. They don't have to pump any water, just open and close various doors and let the water run in. Presto, boat elevator. It's brilliant.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 1:35 PM on August 6, 2008

My swim coach in high school had a big bin of prescription goggles in case any kids needed them, and they NEVER, ever got used. I know this is kind of a weird idea, but maybe you could call a local school and see if their swim coach has any extra pairs you could buy or borrow for cheap? (In most places the fall swimming season has started, so the coach should be in full at-the-pool mode for daily practice.) The goggles themselves were all rated +x or -y, but of course they come apart at the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:26 AM on August 6, 2008 marked best answer

then turn the heat down low and simmer overnight

Do you just leave them on the stove with a flame going all night while you sleep? I can't imagine how my stove might set anything on fire, but leaving an open flame unattended for hours like that makes me kind of nervous. I would absolutely do it if it's considered standard practice, though. Good beans would be worth it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 11:56 AM on August 4, 2008

The darkest chocolate cupcake recipe you can find, with a dollop of cheesecake batter and a maraschino cherry dropped into the center of each before baking. For extra goodness, stir tiny chocolate chips into the cheesecake batter first. The cherry and cheesecake sink into the middle of the cupcake for an insanely delicious filling. I like dark chocolate frosting on these, but I bet cream cheese frosting would be good, too. (They're also good without frosting, but less pretty that way.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 11:40 AM on August 3, 2008

Is there anything great you could do (like maybe in France) with that extra $400? I'm all for quitting a soul-sucking job, but if it enables a truly amazing experience it might be worth sticking it out. I would not give that advice if you had the chance to accidentally stick it out for the next 5 years/decades, because people often get stuck that way. You've got a hard deadline to end this job, so the risk of that happening is nonexistent. On the other hand, could you do something amazing... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 10:56 AM on August 1, 2008

It sounds like there are a lot of things playing into your mom's emotions right now. Have you tried telling her that you're open to talking and/or listening? Sometimes people need really obvious permission to talk, especially if they already feel guilty about putting loved ones through stress. "Mom, it seems like you're going through some rough times right now. I don't want to make you talk about it, but I want you to know that I'm here for you if you want someone to listen" or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:36 PM on July 27, 2008

Has anyone made their hobby their job and NOT been happy with the decision?

Yup. I spent a summer tramping around the woods for the forest service as an intern, and it completely sucked the love of camping/hiking/being outdoors out of me. It came as a total shock, but I'm glad I figured it out before finishing college. Now I sit in front of a computer all day, and spend lots of my free time happily playing in the great outdoors. This desk job has... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 11:32 AM on July 24, 2008

Personally I think it's a lot easier to get a big, satisfying bite of noodles if I can wind spaghetti around my fork, rather than try to catch several small pasta bits on the tines. Scooping up tiny segments of broken spaghetti is the worst, it all falls off the fork.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 1:39 PM on July 21, 2008

I'm another person in the mid-20s set who has noticed this among my peers. "Women" are definitely people older than me, though in my youth I would have considered someone my age to be a woman. I also have a hard time seeing my guy friends as "men" - I think this is partly because I've known them since we were in high school, and they still seem the same to me. We all talk about this from time to time. We still feel like college students masquerading as grown-ups, but then... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:00 AM on July 21, 2008

Perhaps you should try eating much simpler meals to help figure out what's causing this. "egg on back bacon (canadian/peameal bacon) on toast with coffee (1% cow's milk)" and "muffets with fresh berries, dried goji berries, raw almonds, cinnamon, and vanilla almond milk (accompanied by the coffee)" each have so many different things that could be causing you trouble, I don't know how you could ever narrow it down. Try eating plain oatmeal for a while. If that's ok, try... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 7:39 AM on July 21, 2008

Last week I was first subjected to Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" on the radio, and this absolutely made me cringe:

Well we were tryin' different things
And we were smokin' funny things
Makin' love out by the lake to our favorite song

Who can't come up with a rhyme for "things"?!? Seriously.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 6:53 AM on July 21, 2008

I think you need 2 bags, in 2 seasonal varieties for each. One is for outdoorsy/casual/sporty pursuits, and the other is for when you might want to hit a decent restaurant or something in the city. To avoid over-packing, have a set of clothes for each of those bags that will serve you well in the cold time of year, and another set for during the warm time of year. If you only have to repack those backs once in the spring and once in the fall, it won't be that much hassle, and you'll be much... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:23 AM on July 18, 2008

I went through a period like this, and eventually deciding my cringing came because I was an insufferable know-it-all. I'd see someone doing something horribly embarrassing, and immediately my brain would be at war with itself over whether I should somehow try to stop the person from doing that embarrassing thing. I never did, because obviously it's extremely rude to inform a person that he's embarrassing himself, but still I fought this urge to save the person from their own poor judgment.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:53 AM on July 18, 2008 marked best answer

Online retailers have taken to not taking the money from your account until the goods actually ship

I'm pretty sure there's a law that won't allow online retailers to charge for the goods until they ship. It's less to protect the seller from pricing errors, and more to protect the consumer from being charged for goods that are delivered late if ever. But it does end up benefiting the online retailers with that extra lag time, in which they can catch their pricing mistakes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:29 AM on July 18, 2008

have felt pride and a sense of manly self-worth in my ability to love, build, create, remodel, and provide financial and emotional support

All those manly "providing for my wife" things go out the window if you manage to kill yourself in an accident. Though I'm having trouble thinking of any specific examples at the moment, I've always found the most romantic moments in movies and literature to be when the man makes it SO. VERY. CLEAR. that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 11:53 AM on July 17, 2008

Read the featured article on the homepage of wikipedia each day, or keep hitting the Random Article link. It's on the left sidebar of the main page, or it's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random if you want to add a bookmark. (Note that bookmarking whatever page appears when you hit the link will just bookmark that specific page, so you'll have to manually paste the URL into a bookmark.)

You could also try writing short poetry. Limericks or haikus about... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 11:34 AM on July 17, 2008

I don't know why I expected otherwise, but [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]'s gay hankie code link is NSFW. Heh.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:08 AM on July 17, 2008

I don't want to look like a bloated, alcoholic don johnson past his prime.

I can't speak to bloatedness or resemblance to don johnson, but there are plenty of us ladies who find the 5 o'clock shadow to be quite fetching. If your clothes or hair look sloppy, the shadow might add to that perception of sloppiness. But if you're in well-fitting, ironed clothes and your hair is groomed, the shadow adds a manly, rugged impression. The same goes for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 7:39 AM on July 17, 2008

I'm a designer. think ironic t-shirts, sneakers, jeans.

Can you iron your t-shirts? Wear dark jeans that fit nicely? Choose some trendy sneakers rather than a ratty old pair of nikes? T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers can look very well put together or very sloppy; there's a huge spectrum. Most of the designers I've known or shared coffee shops with tend towards the spiffy end up that spectrum. Even bed-head hair can look sloppy or trendy depending on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:43 AM on July 17, 2008

Ooh, thanks for asking this. I started seeing those around here on mefi about a week ago, and I figured people were doing some kind of html magic. It makes way more sense that it happened when I upgraded to firefox 3, because the timing coincides perfectly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 10:07 PM on July 16, 2008

Today is the Day - Apollo Sunshine
Dizz Knee Land - Dada
Devil Will Ride - Gomez
The Staunton Lick - Lemon Jelly
Eyes Like Sparks - Paul Westerberg
Heaven - Rusted Root
My First, My Last, My Everything - Barry White
Don't Rain on My Parade - Bobby Darin
Brick House - Commodores
Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger
Solsbury Hill - Peter... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 10:01 PM on July 16, 2008

Like a herd o' turtles!
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:45 AM on July 16, 2008

I like to think of Science not as a system for discovering Facts or Truth, but as a system for making the best possible predictions. Science sees that when A and B happen, C has followed many, many times, so it's reasonable to predict that C will happen again next time A and B occur. Though it's often over-simplified in the popular press into these terms, Science doesn't say "A and B cause C." All it claims is "In our observations, A and B have always been... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 2:15 PM on July 15, 2008

My sister and I were in charge of buttoning daddy's shirt sleeve buttons when we were little. It helped him get ready for work, and it helped us get better at buttoning buttons. So... got any kids?
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:37 PM on July 14, 2008

In my experience, Facebook won't let you be logged in from two locations simultaneously.

I can be logged in to facebook on my desktop in the bedroom and my laptop in the living room at the same time (much to my delight), so don't count on that being true.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:38 PM on July 10, 2008

surfs on an unsecured wireless connection

Also, could it be that a neighbor or fellow coffee-shop user or someone is watching through this unsecured connection, wherever it is? I'd recommend changing the passwords while hooked to a secured, preferably wired, network somewhere.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:39 PM on July 10, 2008

Calling a man's eyes "pretty" is no more or less a risk than calling a woman "cute" at the wrong moment.

I'm not a guy, but all my guy friends claim to hate being called cute under any circumstances. When I'm tempted to call a guy cute, it's usually because he's just done something utterly delightful that has made him incredibly attractive to me. But guys seem to think "cute" means you're putting them into a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:43 AM on July 10, 2008

Along the lines of Aquaman's "Why do you hate America?" - a favorite of the ladies I knew in college was to respond to a completely unrelated statement with a mock-offended "Are you calling me fat?" You've never seen such hilarious terror in a guy's eyes as he tries to figure out what he said wrong.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:11 AM on July 10, 2008

If they remove the prostate, how is a cancer in it going to re-occur?

When they remove cancer surgically, they usually try to leave as much tissue as possible while getting the cancerous part completely out. This helps preserve function in the body. Check out the wikipedia article on prostatectomy to learn about the different ways it can be done. Odds are they won't take out his entire prostate, which is why it could re-occur.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 7:54 AM on July 10, 2008

You know, now that I posted that, I'd like to make myself sound less certain about that top paragraph. In many cases surgeons try to preserve the surrounding non-cancerous tissue, but I don't actually know whether that's the case in prostate cancer. Regardless, I hope the linked resources help, and I wish you both lots of luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 7:56 AM on July 10, 2008

If nobody here recognizes it, try emailing Bill DeVille (the host) to ask. The Current DJs are pretty good about answering questions that people send them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:43 PM on July 9, 2008

Dr. Weil points out that the loss of menstrual cycles in women with very low body fat has other consequences, particularly that we need estrogen to deposit calcium in our bones. Thus very low body fat may cause osteoporosis (in addition to temporary infertility, which is so obvious I almost didn't mention it).

Many of your organs, particularly your kidneys, are cushioned by body fat. This keeps them from getting damaged as you move around.

One... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 10:21 AM on July 9, 2008

If you do a photo scavenger hunt, nobody has to spend any money (assuming the company will pay for one-time-use polaroids or people are willing to bring their digital cameras). Digital photos are especially good if you can hook people's cameras up to a big TV/monitor to view the results.

Do you have any large malls you could send people to? That's my next suggestion after museums for places with A/C and enough stuff going on to make a fun scavenger hunt.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 1:13 PM on July 7, 2008

I am no doctor, and personally I think it's always best to get a doctor's opinion when something hurts badly. Just to keep you from totally panicking based on the other responses, though... It sounds like the only motions that hurt you are the ones that use the same motions/muscles as carrying heavy boxes did. You might just be really sore from the extra work your poor muscles had to do.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 6:49 AM on July 7, 2008

The standard definition of physical fitness that I was taught in school involved 4 key aspects: cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and balance. I don't have any particularly good metrics for any of these, but I wanted to make sure you don't neglect balance if you are trying to make a really comprehensive list.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:09 AM on July 3, 2008

I did this once, and it didn't hurt my credit. I like to mail my rent check several days in advance to ensure that it arrives on time, and my landlord has promised to honor the 1st-of-the-month date written on the check. My paychecks are direct-deposited on the 30th of the month, so this usually works out pretty nicely. One time the landlord didn't notice the check date, and cashed it several days before my paycheck came in. (So, note for the future: banks don't care what date... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 1:30 PM on July 2, 2008

As the first sibling to bring a boyfriend home for a visit during late college, I used the approach given early in this thread - go into your separate rooms, and then meet up once everyone else has gone to bed. It's annoying (especially if you have to be up before everyone else so you can sneak back out), but doable. If you go this route, YOU should sneak into HER room. Then the responsibility is on you if Mom and Dad find out, and it won't be quite so awkward for her as... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 6:18 PM on July 1, 2008

"semi private area" definitely makes me think of the Local, so I'll second COBRA!'s suggestion. Half the bar is made of little rooms separated by carved wooden walls, with an open door area so you don't feel completely cut off from the rest of the establishment. Good luck, and congrats!
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:46 AM on June 30, 2008

The Imperial Room definitely has DJs on weekends. Dakota often has a largeish cover charge because people are there to see the performers, and those guests might be upset if you're sitting around talking instead of listening.

Do you know what time you're planning on going out? The places that are relaxed and quiet on a weekend night are different at 8pm vs. 11pm. I assumed you'd be going out earlier, since you said you'd be with adult family (which made me think Mom... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 2:21 PM on July 1, 2008

I've added cocoa to tomato sauce and chili, on the recommendation of various TV chefs and internet sources. I seem to recall that the stated purposes were to add "depth" of flavor and also to help neutralize some of the tomato acid. You'd want to use dutch process baking cocoa (most stuff you would buy at the grocery store is dutch process, so this shouldn't be hard to find), because it the processing makes it more alkaline. Start with just a spoonful and see how it tastes. Don't... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 7:46 AM on June 27, 2008

I've been volunteering in a surgery waiting room for several years. Some people want to be quiet and just sit, alone or maybe with their immediate family. Others rally the troops and come in with their 10 closest friends. Some people nap. Lots of them read the super-old magazines we have laying around. A few play cards or board games. There's really no way to predict what someone will want while they're waiting, without knowing that particular person. But I think it would be very nice of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:54 AM on June 26, 2008

Check out the Foxfire Magazine, which has also been bound into books that are available at major bookstores. Not only will they explain a lot of how to live on the land, they also make reference to places that offer classes and use this kind of knowledge. Hopefully you would find organizations in your area to contact.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:26 AM on June 25, 2008

A small bottle of hand sanitizer (I usually find purse-sized Purell on the display at the Target cash register) fits perfectly inside the tube of a roll of toilet paper. Throw the whole thing into a ziplock bag to keep the paper dry.

If you've got a free-standing tent (so the poles keep the tent shape without any guy lines necessary), get all your gear out of it in the morning when you're going to leave your campsite, and flip it upside down while you eat breakfast.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 9:21 AM on June 25, 2008

Oh wow, that is not at all what I expected. Thanks for this question, and the answer!
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:19 PM on June 24, 2008

You know how oil and water don't mix? Well your skin produces oils, and rinsing it with just water doesn't effectively get it off. Germs stick to your skin in that oil. Soap helps dissolve the oil, which helps rinse away both oil and bacteria. Fruit does not leech oil like your skin does, so in theory it doesn't need soap to help wash away any oil-stuck bacteria. (I suppose there could be some oil on the fruit from other people touching it at the store, but that would be so much less than... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:05 PM on June 24, 2008

Or, if you're looking for a more psychological answer: People know where their own hands have been. Using the bathroom, recapping the nozzles on their car tires after filling them, changing the baby, whatever. It's immediate knowledge. To consider that other people have touched your fruit, possibly several days ago, and had touched similarly disgusting things before doing so... that's several mental steps away. Ignorance is bliss, and it's a lot easier to ignore the the unknowable dirt on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:09 PM on June 24, 2008

I don't know about the money and door knob issues. I'm not personally enough of a germophobe to understand the psychological reasoning behind those decisions. My guess is that it's not rational, though. People think certain things are particularly germy, so they insist on washing their hands after touching them, even though there are probably germier things out there that they don't notice.

Money and public doorknobs do get contact from a lot more hands than fruit... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by vytae at 8:17 PM on June 24, 2008