Are you looking for more titles to read, or for markets? I assume the latter, based on the phrasing and approach of the question. It's certainly not just a small press phenomenon -- most all of the major SFF publishers have novels on their list that could be categorized as New Weird. Who publishes some of your favorite novels and anthologies in that vein? Are you looking for short fiction markets? If so, I'd recommend Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, Electric Velocipede, Sybil's Garage, and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 9:18 AM on July 7, 2008

Well, this is really work that your agent should be doing on your behalf. Make him earn his 15%! That said, here's a list of US SF/F publishers:

http://sfeditorwatch.com/index.php/Category:US_publishers

Also, from the same wiki, a list of editors from the various houses. You can see some of the books they've brought to market and get a sense for their tastes:

http://sfeditorwatch.com/index.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 12:51 PM on July 7, 2008 marked best answer

Downy Flake donuts. Juice Bar for ice cream. And actually, the Whaling museum is pretty cool. Nantucket is obviously pretty darn flat, so renting bicycles is an excellent idea.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 6:58 PM on June 10, 2008

On a similar note, I think Stephenson's The Diamond Age is a great example of lessons embedded in narrative -- and without the deliberate misinformation of the Baroque Cycle.

There are a number of food-based autobiographies (Ruth Reichl and Julia Child come to mind) that have techniques and recipes sprinkled throughout. I always found those fun, and those two in particular are very good reads.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 2:52 PM on June 2, 2008

From Vermont, family in eastern Pennsylvania. I echo nanojath -- have never said it, and never even heard of it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 11:23 AM on May 14, 2008

I've never had much luck with purely "discount" sites. As you've noticed, the discounts are often not that impressive -- or they are, but the sites are kind of sketchy.

Honestly, hunting the sales at places like ActiveEndeavors.com and Revolveclothing.com and looking for coupon codes yields the best results. Even sales at places like Neimanmarcus.com can bring major shopping coups. I'd haunt a fashion-oriented message board like MakeupAlley's fashion sub-board,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 9:26 AM on May 12, 2008

It is dermatillomania, and from my understanding, it is related to OCD. I have had this habit my whole life, and only in recent years began to piece together that my finger-picking, scab-pulling, callous-fussing, cheek and lip biting, and face-picking were all related and were part of something a bit bigger, rather than just unconnected idle habits. Like you, I've found it hard to address, because I have been a bit ashamed of it.

I've heard that sometimes meds used to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 12:43 PM on April 24, 2008 marked best answer

Caveat: anything I say is only going to be applicable to book publishing, not magazine work or similar.

Here is where pretty much any publishing job that is going to be publicly posted ends up:

http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/jobs/

You may also want to check the websites of the major publishers directly. Many, like Random House, Inc., have a "Careers At X" section.

And yes, it's a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 4:50 AM on April 23, 2008 marked best answer

Depends on the day -- from Thursday on, it can get loud + crowded -- but Under the Volcano is an attractive, calm place to sit for a drink and maybe some slightly-less-pubbish snacks. It's across the street from the Ginger Man.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 1:17 PM on April 15, 2008

Sleep. Drunkenly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:21 AM on April 14, 2008

I have an incredible admiration for talented musicians, but it's not the kind of thing that automatically translates as sexy for me. Your list definitely includes several men who are neither particularly sexy independent of the guitar nor particularly good guitar players.

Caveats about guitar not immediately equaling sexy above, I'm consistently amazed and transfixed by both Ted Leo (Ted Leo + The Pharmacists) and Tad Kubler (The Hold Steady) -- though I don't have the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 5:26 AM on March 26, 2008

Like mostlymartha, I'm warm-toned, but very pale. I found that the Hawaiian Tropic version of the gradual tanner/moisturizer product worked the best for me. Jergens turned out quite yellow on my skin, while the HT turned light browny-toasty. It's hard to tell which one will work best for you -- I had to try a few before I hit a color that worked for me. Given what you've said about your coloring, I think the Dove version might be good for you. I found it not as yellow as the Jergens, but not as... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 12:21 PM on March 24, 2008 marked best answer

Also, AirfareWatchdog has a great (and dangerously tempting) email newsletter that runs down various airfare specials tailored to your home airport every week -- it has a special section just for weekend getaways for the upcoming weekend (i.e., this Friday or Saturday). I believe you can also search the site itself.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:32 PM on March 19, 2008

I know Turtle Arts carries spiral-bound journals/sketchbooks with black paper. I'm not sure of the exact texture of the paper, but perhaps these would work for you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:27 PM on March 19, 2008 marked best answer

Van Gogh's early drawings have always been inspiring to me. He was just not very good to begin with, and made himself into a much more highly skilled artist through sheer diligence and commitment to practice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:53 AM on March 4, 2008

I kind of am Veronica Mars. You'll notice that as softlord says, she actually does break down occasionally -- the difference that you might be noticing is that those breakdowns are brief, generally private, and she recovers by taking action. Being Veronica can have its advantages -- I can power through a crisis like no one's business. And no one is there to witness your "embarrassing" tear-ups.

However, as Solomon points out, you can become somewhat robotic. I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 5:02 PM on March 2, 2008 marked best answer

I highly recommend the Kodansha book Gateway to Japan, edited by June Kinoshita and Nicholas Palevsky. It's old, but provides an extraordinary amount of detailed historical/cultural info. Between that and the latest Rough Guide, I had a really easy time making my way throughout the "middle" of Japan (going in a loop that began in Kyoto, looped around through several of the smaller cities and villages in the Kinki, Chubu and Kanto regions, finishing in Tokyo). I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 5:52 AM on February 22, 2008

The (lady) bartenders at the Patriot are known for their intermittent performances that stretch the boundaries of perhaps requiring a cabaret license in addition to the standard liquor license. It can be fun, but just so's you know.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 4:46 PM on February 21, 2008

I have the (cheaper!) earlier model of this -- I don't believe their new "blue" portable model still has the sunrise alarm feature that mine does (for that you'd need something like this), but I've had it for several years, and it's served me very well. I also like the smaller form factor -- it fits neatly on my bedside table.

I primarily use the sunrise function to help get me up in the mornings without agony, but in the winter I also use it as simple light... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 11:52 AM on February 21, 2008

When my skin is having a sensitive episode or reacting to too much product, I always go for olive oil -- a small amount rubbed between the palms and patted in gently. It absorbs quickly, is very moisturizing, and doesn't sting even a smidge.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 3:09 PM on February 20, 2008 marked best answer

I behaved very much like this as a child. I would pretend to be various animals, talk in accents, start all kinds of conversations with strangers, and generally mug around far past the point where it was believed to be entirely appropriate for my age (probably around 9-10). My mother thought that I was a weird kid, and when I grew up, she told me that she was worried I'd grow up to be the Crazy Cat Lady of the neighborhood. However, I matured into an entirely "normal" person. I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 7:15 AM on February 20, 2008 marked best answer

This IS chatfilter, but I will provide my feedback before this is inevitably deleted. Long division, in the age of calculators, is indeed utterly useless. However, I've found knowing how to work with fractions in my head to be very useful. How? Recipe conversion, mostly -- adjusting ingredient quantities when I increase or decrease the number of servings a recipe is calculated to provide. That's about it, I'm afraid, but it does come in handy in real life.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 5:56 PM on January 30, 2008

Here is a roundabout answer to the real question as I perceive it, which is how to get super-crack coffee.

The answer is cold-coffee brewing. You need a toddy, one of the special filters, a carafe, and a plug. Basically, this. You put in a pound of coffee ground relatively coarsely, pour about 4 cups of cold water in carefully, let it sit for a minute to let the grounds settle down, then pour in 5 more cups of water. Then you let the whole thing sit for about 18 hours.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:17 AM on January 23, 2008 marked best answer

Ah, now I see that you have no real practical interest in this question. Never mind! I hope it helps someone else who is looking for the delicious hum of hypercaffeination and smooth, tasty coffee-crack.

FYI, for those people: espresso has less caffeine than a cup of regular drip coffee. Likewise, dark roasts have less caffeine than lighter roasts -- the more heat the bean is exposed to, the less caffeine there is in the resulting bean. I always had a hell of a time... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:23 AM on January 23, 2008

tigerbelly, according to this FAQ, the cold brewed method (which I still recommend) reduces the caffeine by about 1/3 by volume. FYI. However, because its a concentrate, you could always add more, of course, to create your desired mud.

Well, hell! That noted, brewing it for 18-20 hours as I was taught to do (6+ hours longer than the typically recommended 12 on the various Toddy websites) will deliver more caffeine in the resulting liquid than the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 11:06 AM on January 23, 2008

ethnomethodologist, I must disagree that it does not taste like coffee. It does not taste like espresso or French Roast, but it does taste like coffee. There are those of us who prefer a lighter roast made from less acidic beans, which produces a smoother cup -- and that is coffee as well. Indeed, a dark roast is often used to disguise inferior beans. However, I would never categorically conclude that all dark roasted coffee is shit coffee or not "real.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 1:52 PM on January 23, 2008

I know whereof you speak, OP. I've run into this situation fairly frequently -- I have more male friends than female, often find myself in professional situations that have a higher male-to-female ratio, and have been the recipient of some awkward misunderstandings. When I'm not feeling shy, I'm a very friendly gal, and I've definitely been in situations where my natural friendliness and interest in conversation was taken as flirtatious when it was very much not meant that way.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 12:19 PM on January 16, 2008 marked best answer

I've been here 10 years, and am originally from rural Vermont, so you can imagine the kind of adjustment I had.

I found it difficult, at first, merely to process exactly how big and how crowded the city was. The indifferent hordes on the street were completely overwhelming, and I felt isolated and simultaneously crushed by the weight of all of those people. After a year or so, this really settled out -- I got used to the fact that no one looks at you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 10:23 AM on January 15, 2008

I get a similar pain, also due to stress, near my shoulderblades. The suggestion of heat is right on -- in that area, it might be easier to use something like the adhesive Thermacare patches (which I love so much I should probably buy stock in the company).

I also have a little nubbed rubber ball that's supposed to be for getting muscle knots out -- ideally I would get a massage, but they're expensive and Mr. Tigerbelly is not a big shoulder-rubber. Instead, I put the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 1:36 PM on January 14, 2008

I've gotta agree with zebra3 here. Adam Sandler completely wowed me in Punch Drunk Love, and Cameron Diaz disappeared in Being John Malkovich. And really, a lot of these folks have put in some amazing performances over the years -- which were all the more amazing because they had to battle against such a huge wall in terms of pushing past people's ingrained expectations. As zebra3 says, a lot of this isn't them, it's us. They're so overexposed that all we see when we look at them is That... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 7:53 AM on January 11, 2008

I think there are some details missing in her account. Even the worst cops don't say "arrest the woman just because we can, and let the man go free" while on a domestic violence call.


Mayor Curley, if you read the entry more carefully, you'll see that it notes that (at the time the entry was posted) Marty (the boyfriend) was still in jail. He was arrested as well, but had not yet posted bond.
posted to MetaFilter by tigerbelly at 10:26 AM on January 6, 2008

I feel kind of awkward and self-conscious in these sorts of situations too, and I can understand why it makes you nervous. For me, it's less that I worry that people will think I'm a loser if I'm by myself (really, WTF?), but that I get sort of bored and nervous, all "what do I do with my hands?!" and "what to look at?!" in-between sets.

First, everyone is right, no one cares that much about you and won't really notice -- except... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 10:14 AM on January 6, 2008

You are hung up on this guy's mixed signals (and rehashing your own "mistakes"), experiencing some wicked chemistry that is fucking with your head, and he is playing into every Dramatic College Faux-Relationship cliche ever. Please, let it go, stop thinking you can go back and "fix" this somehow, and force yourself to move on. No matter what your tiny inner voice is whispering to you, or how special it might make you feel, you will not be the magic One To Save Him. There is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 7:05 PM on January 5, 2008 marked best answer

Per your interest in anecdotal godparent stories -- I am not a godparent, but I do have one. I was never actually baptized, but what the hey.

From what I can gather, my relationship with my godmother is atypical per the standard godparent/godchild dynamic, and much closer than most. She is like a second mother to me, and I consider her children to be my quasi-siblings. She did give me gifts on my birthday, holidays, graduation, and also kept an eye out towards watching... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 1:13 PM on January 2, 2008

I heartily second Into Thin Air and The Rope Eater. Both are absolutely gripping, and The Rope Eater has this wonderful, weird style hearkening back to Melville, etc. I loved A Perfect Storm, but I agree that it is not quite a survival story in the sense that you're seeking.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:49 AM on December 30, 2007

ll the websites I've seen just have huge lists of charities with some basic financial data/ratings.

So I'm guessing you've already checked out Charity Navigator? I actually find the efficiency ratings and the breakdowns of how much money is spent on compensation for the directors & recruiting donations vs. how much is directly spent on action benefiting the intended recipients to be pretty helpful. It's a decent good indicator of where the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:44 AM on December 30, 2007

I, for one, am a big fan of fun AND surprise non-gun-rack gifts, both given and received. Sign me up for Secret Quonsar.
posted to MetaTalk by tigerbelly at 8:03 AM on November 26, 2007

I was thinking/wondering if we couldn't move up the date on the one we have started, since we won't find out who we are trading with until two days before the mailing date, and well, doesn't leave much time to ask anonymous questions and maybe personalize the gift a bit. Would help with the problem brautigan and misha noticed as well.

I wholeheartedly second (or is it third?) this. Finding out who your giftee is just two days before the mailing date... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by tigerbelly at 2:52 PM on December 5, 2007

I ordered my Secret Quonsar gift a few days ago, and it finally shipped today...buuuut...I believe my Secret Quonsar identity is completely blown. It appears the otherwise lovely company from which the gift comes automatically prints the sender's name/billing address on the packing slip, and there's not a thing I could do about it. Alas. My secret is out! When it arrives, I must politely request of my giftee that you please do not take this opportunity to send the box of ladybugs back to my... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by tigerbelly at 8:11 PM on December 17, 2007

Does the post office even take packages without a return address?

No, but various solutions in such situations are:
1. order gift, have the company you ordered from send gift
2. have someone else mail gift for you
3. use some form of return address that is not necessarily identifying (office address, apt building address w/out apt #, etc.)

Anyway, I realized the quonsar mystery is preserved... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by tigerbelly at 5:30 AM on December 18, 2007

Hooray! My Secret Quonsar gift arrived yesterday, just in time for a pick-me-up from the exhaustion of family Xmas. Thank you, Secret Quonsar! I am terrifically excited to figure out how best to use all these crazy spices. Unfamiliar foreign foodstuffs, cooking-related, AND exciting experiments! All in one! Clever, clever Secret Quonsar.
posted to MetaTalk by tigerbelly at 8:29 AM on December 27, 2007

Man, you don't seem that bad to me. Quite the beat-down you're getting in this thread. To me, you seem like a neat kid -- a little awkward and a little deaf to how your tone will be heard, but funny and interesting and kind of goofy. My conversational style is in the time-honored tradition of Gozilla? "I'm looking for my Mothra"? That shit cracked me up.

The pros list in this question is the part that really comes off as a bit wanky. We do not care about your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 3:14 PM on December 18, 2007

Keri Hulme's The Bone People is very, very good.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:04 PM on December 14, 2007

Ted Leo, The Thermals, and by god YES The Hold Steady.

You might also want to dig into some of the non-Uncle-Tupelo-influenced alt-country, more along the lines of Drive-By Truckers, Slobberbone, Bottlerockets, etc. Not new, but perhaps new to you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 2:34 PM on December 14, 2007

My in-laws instituted a great new Xmas tradition a few years ago -- it's a secret santa exchange, but with a $50 limit. The twist is that you can spend up to $25 on the present, and then you donate $25 to your favorite charity. At Christmas, you tell people about the charity you've chosen to donate to that year, and why. I think it is very cool, and respects the desires of those that want to exchange traditional gifts while still doing a bit of good.

You may not be able... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 2:06 PM on December 14, 2007

I find breaking idealized goals down into actionable steps ("get to the gym 3 times this week" vs. "exercise more"; "complete one painting" vs "be more artistic") to be helpful. I also find it beneficial to very specifically avoid any sort of phrasing or thought pattern that seems to frame goals as punishments for the kind of person I currently am. Many resolutions focus on the negative, such as "quit smoking" "don't be so lazy" etc.,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 12:09 PM on December 14, 2007

Along the lines of the aforementioned "tiger butter," I've made peppermint bark with a microwave with great success. You just put waxed paper on a cookie sheet and then:

-carefully melt chocolate, spread it on the sheet, put it in fridge to cool.
-carefully melt white chocolate, spread it on the now solid regular chocolate layer.
-throw some peppermint candies in the blender to smash 'em up
-sprinkle said candies over the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 7:31 AM on December 10, 2007

Not exactly a recipe, but following up on your lemon-tea idea...my parents used to make "Special Lemonade" in the winter whenever they were coming down with the sniffles. Just hot lemonade (made from the frozen concentrate, I think, always pulpy) with some rum. Simple, but delicious.

I'm also a fan of the glogg mentioned above.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 8:24 AM on November 30, 2007

There are many, many little moments of kindness and caring and thoughtfulness that make up a loving relationship -- but I would have to say that the major, absolute, sky-breaking moment for me came when my mother had a major health crisis that was precipitated by her own poor choices, was the last in a series of serious crises over several years, completely overturned our lives for the next year-plus and cost us tens of thousands of dollars. My husband was always always ALWAYS on my side. In the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 10:12 AM on November 13, 2007

Junkbox absolutely nailed it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tigerbelly at 11:53 AM on October 26, 2007