George Mason University has a pretty radical libertarian bent, at least in its economics department.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:47 PM on July 23, 2008

In my experience from going to (public) school in upstate NY, I recall learning about religion in 9th grade history class and that is about it. Mostly just went over the basics of what they believed and why their leaders were important historically and that is about it.

I remember going over religions when I was in 6th grade (and was still attending Catholic school) but obviously there's a bit of bias there and not reflective of the typical American experience.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 3:26 PM on July 19, 2008

You could try getting some surplus brass buttons from American Science and Surplus and buy a few packs until you find your button (since they're randomly selected buttons in a pack).

At 95 cents for 10 buttons, it's worth a shot.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:26 PM on July 18, 2008

In the college library I worked at, most of the closed off rooms were either surplus office supplies that wouldn't fit in the circulation department area and there were closed off janitorial closets.

When I worked as a student custodian in a dorm for a year, one of the closed off doors without a handle was mostly just a closet filled with toilet paper. Likewise, there would be closets next to the bathroom with excess cleaning stuff in case I ran out.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 10:27 PM on July 17, 2008

I can at least speak on my experience when I was 10 and trying to get an autograph from Paul McCartney is that he only gives out autographs to charity (though he did invite me to joint he fan club).

I second of just trying to buy the autographs.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:00 PM on July 8, 2008

I'm no hippie but I prefer locally owned, small places over places like Barnes & Noble mostly because I like the smell of old books and cramped shelves and I usually prefer used books over new.

Pretty much my criteria is:
- the owner actually would recognize me when I came in.
- primarily used books, and I could trade in my books for store credit
- affordability
- heating - really, my only complain about probably my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 1:01 PM on July 4, 2008

I have a "friend" who actually found porn useful in what it takes to pleasure a woman. No, not like crazy stuff like double penetration but things like g-spot stimulation, how to perform oral sex right, that sort of thing.

It's paid off.

Like the Internet and alcohol, porn is the cause and solution to many of life's problems.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 10:42 PM on June 18, 2008

My Freakonomics desk calendar confirms phunnieme suspicion that girls can be given boy name. Apparently, names like "Shirley" and "Tracey" were originally boy names, but eventually became associated with girls. They reach the conclusion that boy names are frequently likely to become girl names but the opposite is extremely rare.

And surely I am serious.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 4:02 AM on May 12, 2008

I actually tried doing this for my 21st birthday, though it didn't work out because no one came except my roommate's friends who I didn't know :(. That aside...

Obviously you need to have everyone bring booze and food to the best of their ability, and distributed according to need.

Declare yourself People's Commissar of Birthday Festivities and declare that it is for the good of the Party that you get more of the booze though.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 7:33 PM on May 7, 2008 marked best answer

Oh, and be sure to play the Soviet National Hymn, along "The Internationale" for music.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 7:36 PM on May 7, 2008

Just curious, do you use a "death grip" while masturbating? A friend of mine had a similar problem if that is the case. If it is, then just barely grip it instead.

Also, if it's medicine related, ginkgo biloba is suppose to work, and that's coming from my friend's psychiatrist.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 8:56 PM on April 5, 2008

No idea if this will actually help, but there's Shatner rapping from "Julius Caesar." They might get a good laugh out of it, at least.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 7:52 PM on April 3, 2008

For SO's parents, you could do the Hank hill thing and refer to them as Mother/Father [last name] (ex. "Hello Mother Smith, I've been looking forward to your delicious meatloaf").

Old fashioned but it works in a way.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 12:39 PM on February 18, 2008

Mine is the "Modern Educator." It's this book from 1912 I got at a library book sale for a buck and it has: verb conjugations for French, German, and Italian; sport and card game rules (such as for base-ball, basket-ball, and shinny [also known as "hockey" to some]), classic American poems, conversion charts, rules of parliamentary procedure, how to operate an auto-mobile, the mechanics of the new aero-plane, etiquette (including etiquette for solo female travelers),... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 11:19 AM on February 16, 2008

You'd probably be interested in the Heritage Index of Economic Freedom. Likewise, Cato Institute puts out the Economic Freedom of the World report and the Fraser Institute puts out a similar report.

I know that at least for Cato, they break down the level of government control over business in several areas and go into detail in what ways the government controls business.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 11:54 AM on February 14, 2008

Duck Soup.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:50 AM on February 7, 2008

There's this book where a journalist retraces the journey taken by Che Guevara in "The Motorcycle Diaries".
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 4:57 PM on December 20, 2007

The second after I posted this, I tried clearing my cookies and that did the trick. Insert Polish joke here.

Thanks for the help, in case this happens to me again.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 11:22 AM on December 15, 2007

I know this sounds awful but you could always set up a website and sell your panties to panties fetishists.

You don't even really have to do anything with them, really. If you just say you've worn them, some guys will pay good money for them.

It may be degrading or empowering, depending on your perspective, but at least you'll be getting rid of some underwear, making some cash, and making some guy happy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 4:36 PM on November 30, 2007

I'm not sure if you consider The Simpsons to be a source of ethicical guidance but the episode Homer versus Lisa and the 8th Commandment addressed this exact question.

Marge and Lisa are shopping and Marge tastes a grape. Lisa says it's stealing and that Marge should really pay for a grape. So she goes to the cash register, asks to be charged for one grape, and the cashier has to do a price check for one grape.

You could argue that, in a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 6:59 PM on November 12, 2007

May I be the first to ask the obvious - are you in the UK?
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 5:21 PM on November 7, 2007

Just to clarify, I've been using Vista for a while and this is the first time I've had any problems like this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 10:29 PM on October 31, 2007

Err, one more clarification - this is happening to ALL my mp3s and videos, not just one unless somehow all of my mp3s and videos became corrupted.

I can't try it now but I'll check the device manager and uninstall and reinstall sound card driver.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 8:58 AM on November 1, 2007

Errgh, I tried updating my sound drivers and now I'm getting no audio at all. Even after I roll it back, got the driver from the official Realtek site, I still get no audio.

Sigh, hopefully I'll get this fixed.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 6:47 PM on November 1, 2007

For economics, I'd say Economics in One Lesson.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 2:22 PM on October 13, 2007

It's been a while since I've been to the public library (though I do frequent my university library), but here are my answers based on the times I frequent it when I'm back home:

1) I have a peculiar system on deciding whether to check out a book from the library or just buy it. Essentially, I check out stuff that is under 500 pages (because I can't read that much in a two week loan period, realistically speaking), stuff I can't find on Amazon or any... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:35 PM on September 29, 2007

From personal experience, I agree with Steven C. Den Beste that "I'd rather not talk about it" is sufficient. I think one person once asked about my scars, said "I'd rather not talk about it" and they were like "Okay."

Long sleeves are also good too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:17 PM on September 29, 2007

If I recall correct, many of the language specific institutes like the Instituto Cervantes (for Spanish), Alliance francaise (for French), Goethe Institut (for German), etc. offer proficiency exams for their respective languages.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:22 PM on September 28, 2007

When I was in Catholic school for k-6, we had a school nurse every other day (she would go between the two Catholic schools in town).

Junior high and high school had a nurse though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 1:44 PM on September 24, 2007

There was an international competition for the best book about elephants.

France submitted a lavishly illustrated volume titled "Love triangles in the elephants' families."

England presented a treatise "Elephants and the World Trade."

Germany submitted 24 volume set under the title "Introduction into elephantology."

The USA furnished one million copies of a leaflet... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 2:05 PM on September 23, 2007

Gus.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 11:25 AM on September 18, 2007

I've had some liver problems and I've found that milk thistle helps improve my liver functions. It's not a food, per say, but still probably helpful in your case.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 1:14 PM on September 2, 2007

Speaking of upstate NY -- I spent two childhood summers peripherally in the circus in the Enchanted Forest in Old Forge, which looks to be every bit what you're looking for. Tiny in winter, tourist explosion in summer; cosmopolitan entertainments included going to the town dump to watch bears.

Ah yes, I was going to add that as an example but I figure the 1000 Islands would be a sufficient example. Yes, I've gone to Old Forge plenty of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 6:28 AM on July 3, 2007

When I was 13 and on a trip to Europe, I got a bottle of wine from my host family. I kept insisting I couldn't take it, since obviously we weren't allowed alcohol, but they insisted and told me it was a gift for my parents instead.

Anyways, I was able to bring it through customs, but I think it may have been because our group leaders told the customs officials it was a gift (I wasn't the only person). This was also way before 9/11 and the liquid ban and such.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 6:21 AM on July 3, 2007

Err, also to add, I doubt it's legal, but the chances you're caught are reasonably low.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 6:23 AM on July 3, 2007

On the lines of what amyms, if you do wear glasses, try giving them a good cleaning. I know it sounds simplistic but one time I had an awful headache that lasted a week or so, it was a matter of just needing my glasses cleaned (to be fair, it was about a few weeks after I started wearing glasses and I was 14 at the time).

So try cleaning your glasses, if that's the case. Still see an optometrist if it continues though (after seeing your doctor, of course).
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 4:05 AM on June 22, 2007

Don't forget Texas toast!
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 6:28 AM on June 11, 2007

Having gone to Mexico in March and spending most of my time in Mexico City, you should be fine. It'd help if you try and brush up on your Spanish, but otherwise you should be okay.

To add to what olinerd was saying, Norte (the major bus station in northern Mexico City - it's right on the Metro) is the station where you can get tickets to the pyramids. It was about $4 each way, if I recall correctly. Just to warn you though, at the pyramids, there are tons of people... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 1:44 PM on June 6, 2007

Oh, and I was fine with street vendor's food. Just look for where everybody is eating. Vendor food is tasty and cheap. Better than stuff I've had at "authentic" Mexican type places.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 1:46 PM on June 6, 2007

While I'm sure it's a great idea, let me be the person who says that a vast majority of restaurants fail their first year.

Someone can provide the exact statistic, I'm sure, but be forewarned that restaurants have a higher rate of failure than most other industries so investors may be leery (at first, at least).

I hate to be the pessimist but I'd figure someone has to say it. But I am still rather curious what answers you get.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:08 PM on May 14, 2007

While I've never really hung out on the message board part, 4chan (NSFW) has some regular boards that, last time I checked, are usually more intelligent than the general image boards.

If you don't mind the image board aspect, /b/, the random image board, can be hilarious though it's far from intelligent, but there are no rules.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:11 AM on May 9, 2007

I recall there was this French comedian in the 18th century who mostly relied on flatulence in his comedy, so it's not that recent or just American.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 6:26 PM on April 29, 2007

"House of Sand and Fog" by Andre Dubus comes to mind for me. It alternates between the Behrani (the "bad" guy), and Kathy (the "good" guy) and halfway through the book, they add Lester, the police officer's narration.

The alternating narration is one of the few things I liked about the book (the other being rather vivid descriptions of scents).
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:23 AM on April 25, 2007

Err, let's just say I know for a fact that if you subscribe to Adam & Eve (UBER NSFW), you get not only their free catalog but a TON of adult video ads and stuff.

Also craichead, last I heard is that you can't send a letter to "Any Soldier" due to security concerns. That might have been just for packages though. I'd recommend someone double check.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 5:53 PM on April 24, 2007

I hear "The Killer Angels" Michael Shaara is good. It won a Pulitzer Prize and the movie "Gettysburg" is based off it. I also recall back in my JROTC days how our instructor, an Air Force Colonel, spoke highly of it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 2:53 PM on April 23, 2007

Cool Papa Bell
I actually did try DisneyWorld when they came to campus, but they were only hiring "fall", "fall advantage", and some other tiny bit of summer and fall program.

Also, in response to the summer housing: I think the deadline for the summer housing employment has passed already, but there is a chance it's still on, so I could try that.

Otherwise, good suggestions so far. A lot of obvious stuff I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:27 PM on April 19, 2007

Maybe it's because I'm a US citizen but they never seem to look at my passport. Customs seems very in-out sort of thing. Then again, that's how I've found in most countries.

Maybe I've just been lucky but I've never been in a situation where a customs officer looked in detail at my passport stamps. Hell, with some of the new passports, all they need to do is swipe it and that's it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:18 PM on April 5, 2007

Thanks mendel.

My only question left though is - would they do some sort of "background check" with a local iman if I was to go through a tour group online?

On a related note, I have often been mistaken for Middle Eastern (also Indian or Hispanic), so I could pull it off maybe...
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 9:10 PM on April 5, 2007

While I find Bawls particularly effective when it comes to drinks, I recommend NoDoz. For about $4, you get 16 tablets with 200 mg each. They keep you awake for about 4 hours at a time. I find them extremely helpful when I'm up late doing a project of sorts or sitting through a presentation or class.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 8:45 PM on March 21, 2007

I second the Kim book.

But to be honest, even though I haven't had the chance to play Go yet, this PDF from the American Go Association does explain the basics and does go a bit into strategy and some ancient proverbs to keep in mind while playing.

Thanks for reminding me too, I wanna get into Go myself but I've been putting it off.
posted to Ask Metafilter by champthom at 11:09 PM on January 15, 2007 marked best answer