Is the dog's coat matted or on its way there? (See the photo on the left, if you don't know what that means - that's an extreme case of matting.) Nails overgrown, such that it has difficulty walking?

Those are also aspects of failure to provide adequate care, which would tip the scales further in the direction of "have the ASPCA pay them a visit".
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 3:32 PM on July 4, 2008

TPS is right in this aspect. (As is Ookseer, on preview.)

You could be busted criminally and/or civilly for the cost of the dog. If your friends know your MeFi username, and their dog actually does get lost while in your care during one of their weekend jaunts, how do you think that'll look?

There are above the board ways of re-homing the dog. If the ASPCA looks into it and sees partial neglect, they will usually tell the owners what needs to be... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 5:18 PM on July 4, 2008

Instead of coming up with a zinger to play along, you could turn their taunts around and make it so they've put their foot in their mouth (feet in mouths?), provided you have no compunction about lying to them.

The next time they make fun of something of yours, look a bit dejected and tell them it was a gift. From a recently deceased relative. Maybe a middle-aged aunt who died of breast cancer. Let the awkwardness build for a few seconds, then excuse yourself and go back... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 10:48 AM on June 28, 2008

Kegel excercises for men.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:06 PM on June 27, 2008

Mythbusters even did a episode where they showed that texting while driving is actually worse than being drunk while driving.

This episode? That was talking on the phone, not texting.

Not to say texting isn't as, if not more, dangerous. Just for the sake of accuracy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 2:04 PM on June 26, 2008

I don't know if or how it differs from regular nail polish, but there is such a thing as jeweler's lacquer.

Rather than laying in with a 16oz bottle of the stuff, ask a local jeweler about it
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 9:36 AM on June 26, 2008

By chronic hand-washers, do you mean people with that particular flavour of OCD?

If so, there's not much of an answer to be had; the obsessions and compulsions, and the limits of them, are largely irrational.

In really bad instances, the contamination obsession can grow and spread to new areas... It can start off with hand-washing, then a spate of news stories about tainted produce can turn them into hand- and fruit-washers. Then they hear that,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 8:36 PM on June 24, 2008

Bookend with a secret hidey-hole.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:51 PM on June 23, 2008 marked best answer

There's a bunch of boating stuff at the Old Port, too:

- Amphibus tours
- Jetboating and/or speedboating

There's also daytime Bateau Mouche tours and more cruiseship-y tours, but they might be a bit more stuffy and not as fun for kids.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 2:32 PM on June 8, 2008

It is common in Canada for landlords to ask for all the year's rent checks up front, postdated by month. This is not done in the US but it is done in Canada.

Landlords can suggest it, and tenants can choose to do so out of convenience, but (pdf - emphasis mine):

"Although the landlord and tenant can agree that the rent will be paid by postdated cheques or automatic payments (such as debits from... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 4:52 PM on June 2, 2008

Have you tried scanning something else to see if the snowiness only occurs with the old photos?
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 6:46 PM on May 26, 2008

Are they matte prints? Google magic turned this up.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:01 PM on May 26, 2008

Is there a vibrator males can wear during intercourse?

I'm thinking of something with a very thin vibrating element about the length and width of a tongue depressor, designed to be worn along the top of the penis and held on by a condom over it

Google around for "vibrating penis extender" or "vibrating penis extension". That's about the closest thing to that.

No idea how well they... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 5:59 PM on May 24, 2008

How can "Store refrigerated, even if unopened" mean "Refrigerate after opening"? They mean precisely the opposite. It might be for reasons of taste or whatever, but taking one to mean the other is some impressive linguistic contortionism.

I don't think hotel A/C at 61F for a week could be considered adequate refrigeration, considering that a properly running fridge is ~40F. That's a long time, at a higher temp, for anything in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 8:54 AM on May 12, 2008

I've heard that Labradoodles (labrador retriever + poodle) can be allergy-friendly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 2:58 PM on May 8, 2008

The easy and convenient pre-cast concrete steps could be against your local building codes. The only way to find out would be to consult your city hall permit office and ask what the requirements are for entryway stairs. Or look it up online if it's available.

Which you should do anyway, regardless of whether you go with wood or concrete.

Suppose the permit office says that poured concrete steps have to extend below ground N... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 6:32 PM on May 5, 2008

Carrot + apple + celery is tasty and refreshing.

Might be good without the carrots too, if you don't want to buy a literal tonne of them for all these recommendations.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 2:36 PM on May 5, 2008

Scorn Andrew LLoyd Weber like he is Idi Amin.

Seconded, with the exception of Phantom.

Walk into any book store. Go to their GLBT section.

Seconded, with one caveat: stick to the non-fiction unless you've read a bunch of good reviews of a particular book. I pretty much gave up on gay fiction after having bought about four disastrously bad novels in a row.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 2:19 PM on May 4, 2008

I don't know about the straight amateur porn sites, but a fair amount of the gay ones have a "Be A Model!!" / "Model For Us!!" application link. Thus they get contacted by people who already are interested in being in porn, which lowers that financial 'tipping point' a great deal.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 3:24 PM on April 28, 2008

As rancidchickn said, if you accidentally swallow those paperclips, toothpicks or staples, you could be in for trouble that could require surgery.

You could also accidentally aspirate them if, for some reason, you sharply inhale while you're sucking/chewing on them. A cough, a gasp caused by a someone startling you, etc., could cause it to go down your trachea and lodge there or further down.

I remember an episode of Untold Stories of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 3:01 PM on April 28, 2008

Something for you to ponder as you try to work this stuff out in your head, because it can easily get muddled together... Who are you upset with, and why?

The kid's mother? From your description, it sounds like she's the one doing the 'abusing': "The ex finds all kinds of excuses so the son will stay with us most days and ex will be free from taking care of him." His being old enough to stay home along wouldn't factor in much if it's his mother that wants to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 5:11 PM on April 6, 2008

Pocari Sweat, Wikipedia thereon.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:51 PM on March 9, 2008

Grr, errant click.

Here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:52 PM on March 9, 2008

Is your friend able to move it around and take more pictures? If he can find any sort of writing or maker's/artist's marks on it, that could help narrow it down a lot.

For what it's worth (which isn't much, since I'm not an asian art dealer) the scene on the front looks Japanese to me. And the figure on the top doesn't look like any representation of the Buddha that I've seen.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 6:37 PM on February 24, 2008

It's not really a cypher, but mirror writing could fit the bill. Once you acquire the skill, there's no need to pause and remember the code, and it'd be as fluent as normal writing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 6:50 PM on February 19, 2008

I don't have any direct links handy, but I've heard of some homeschooling associations/whatevers that bring homeschooled kids from the area together for socializing. That might be one route to look into. Or maybe a young writers' workshop, if there's such a thing.

If you decide to take him to a child psychologist, please abandon the "my son is a genius, he can outwit everybody" angle. Suppose he comes home from a difficult session, complaining about how Dr... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 3:30 PM on February 10, 2008

or a bunch of barely visible SOMETHING on the outer edges of my tongue.

I don't think we're talking about canker sores here. Is it like inflamed taste buds, that always find a way to rub against your teeth? I occasionally get one of those and they resolve themselves in a day or two. I don't know what they are offhand, but I don't think they're canker sores... aren't those usually rather visible ulcerations?

If the pain's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:17 PM on February 6, 2008

[Devil's Advocate]

Against my better judgment i started seeing a guy who is the reason why my long term relationship ended, more or less. ... i feel like hes acting irrational but he seems to try to want to convince me that i need to see it from his perspective

Do you mean he's the 'reason' you broke up with the ex, as in he's the guy that you broke up with your ex in order to date? If so, maybe he thinks that you'll be swept... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 11:15 AM on February 4, 2008

Take a look at the wiki on Mansa Musa, a 14th century Mali king. He has a real Euro-look with his kingly accouterments.

I'd wager that he has a real Euro look because that map was painted by Europeans who had a particular idea of what royal regalia should look like.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:00 PM on January 27, 2008

As others have said, she would have to take French classes. Unless those courses and the tests are run by completely unrealistic people, they won't expect her to be French-as-a-mother-tongue fluent anytime soon.

Based on the time I spent at the Royal Vic and the General (not working there - accompanying and visiting a family member who was getting treatment there), the patients are not mostly anglos. Well, maybe "mostly" in a just-barely-over-50% sense... maybe.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 6:07 PM on January 16, 2008 marked best answer

see Bill 22

And Bill 101, which came after and expanded upon it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 10:17 AM on January 17, 2008

Blazecock: It's the word "Province" that rankles. Quebec has done a lot to excise that word from its public face.

Perhaps, but the postal system isn't under provincial jurisdiction. I don't think Canada Post would have changed its abbreviation system because of sovereignist rumblings.

I'd think it's more likely to be a redundancy issue: including "province" in the space (on forms, for example) that's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 1:57 PM on January 10, 2008

onshi: granted.

I happened to mention this question to my aunt. She took it upon herself to look through her federal tax records, which include an address label generated by the federal gov't. On those, the last year that the provincial postal abbreviation was PQ is 1992. From 1993 onward, it's QC.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 5:58 PM on January 10, 2008

You really don't need to schedule a whole weekend in advance, or eat any special diet pre-anal. As someone else upthread pointing out, a big shift could make you gassy and that totally ruins the mood.

You can't realistically clean out your "entire digestive tract" short of going the route of colonoscopy prepping. This involves a bit of fasting, a couple enemas, and drinking a foul salty drink that gives you nearly-projectile diarrhea for a few hours. Ask anyone... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:49 PM on January 9, 2008

I don't remember asking many questions about the Tooth Fairy... it was more of a "huh? what? I get a quarter? ... OK" thing, I guess.

If there's not going to be many kids for him to argue with over Tooth Fairy lore, you might as well get creative. She collects teeth because she needs them to make special unicorn feed, so they'll have stronger and extra-magical horns. Only the Tooth Fairy knows how to turn teeth into unicorn suppliments, though (so he won't... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:31 PM on December 10, 2007

essexjan: that first one looks about right size-wise; 3' square looks a bit too big. I had my credit card out, ready to buy it... but they're no longer available. Damn.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 3:58 PM on December 8, 2007

zadcat: Awesome. I'll check that out.

essexjan: Yup, I found a bunch of those UK tartan shops last night too. I might go that route if I can't find one in chinatown. Some of those sites say that it can take 4-6 weeks (!) to ship, though. Must do Christmas shopping earlier...
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 12:44 PM on December 9, 2007

A couple thoughts on "afraid she won't be able to breathe"...

Does she have a really sensitive gag reflex?

Do you have really bushy/dense pubic hair, such that she might be freaked out about having to breathe through her nose when it's jammed in there?
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 8:59 PM on December 8, 2007

I don't know how much it would cost... but maybe a gift certificate to some sort of spa/dermatology place? For some sort of 'anti-aging' facial treatment.

He might enjoy it, but it could push the "Oh god, do I look old??" vanity buttons.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 6:52 PM on December 8, 2007

also: does he have an allergies?

That might be going a bit overboard, if you're suggesting his particular allergen as a gift.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:25 PM on December 8, 2007

The only way I can parse your "pos/neg construction" to make it say what you mean (that both ice and snow are cold) would be to turn the negative part into a question that depends on / refers to the positive part. Something like "Ice is cold; and, so, isn't snow?"

As a straightforward declarative statement it doesn't seem right to me either.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 6:30 PM on December 8, 2007

He failed to disclose all information about himself. I feel the need to sue.

On the off chance that you're still reading this...

I'd be very surprised if there's any legal requirement to disclose "all information about [oneself]" in a dating relationship.

Being legally required to disclose one's STD status to partners? Perhaps.

Being legally required to disclose... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 8:21 PM on November 15, 2007

The detector's supposed to be sensitive to carbon monoxide and explosive gases.

Is it installed properly? I'm not sure if it varies by detector type or not... but the one I have had to be installed on a wall at eye-level rather than way up on the ceiling, where I would have otherwise thought was the default detector location.

As I understand it, if it's an eye-level type and it's installed on the ceiling, it won't go off when... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:36 PM on November 14, 2007 marked best answer

oaf & davejay

Don't change its placement solely on account of what I said, as I was only relating my experience of almost incorrectly installing the detector. Which might've been a reason why the OP's boyfriend's detector didn't go off sooner.

Check the manufacturer's instructions, and check if it's expired. If you're shopping for a new one, read the instructions instead of assuming the shiney new detector has to be installed the same way as... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 8:41 AM on November 15, 2007

A relative of mine has a similar problem, and her doctor had her try out some sort of circulation-boosting medication. It worked, but it also gave her a rash. You could ask your doctor about it.

In the short term, why not try the microwaveable booties? If your feet cool them off, you can always re-nuke them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:32 PM on November 13, 2007

I have the first 5 volumes of DeathNote. I don't recall any "adult" scenes, and while flipping through them quickly scanning for nudity I only saw one or two panels in which the main character is perusing girly magazines (of the S.I. Swimsuit Edition variety).
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:17 PM on November 13, 2007

$2000 seems to be rather high for it to be a just a test purchase to see if the card's active, since they could test the activity by making a small purchase from any large online retailer or porn site.

Actually, a porn site would give them almost automatic verification, whereas with an online retailer they'd usually have to wait until the order ships to have proof that the card's active. That could be a delay of a few hours to a few days, depending on how fast the retailer operates.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 4:00 PM on November 4, 2007

You can get to and from the airport by public transit if you want to go on the cheap. One bus fare ($2.75 cash, exact change - unless you have tickets or a pass) each. You'll have to take two buses (don't hand in your transfer until you get to the metro station!) to get to the metro, though. I don't recall the bus numbers off hand, but the public transit website has a "show me how to get there" itinerary tool.

Tourist passes are still available, you just have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:32 PM on November 2, 2007

Ah, here we go.

The 204 bus will take you from the airport to Dorval Station (train and bus, "Park'N'Ride" type of thing). From Dorval Station, you take the 211 to Lionel-Groulx metro station.
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 7:40 PM on November 2, 2007

I have no qualms about the morality part; it's neither right nor wrong to have reactions to outside stimuli that push us in one way or the other

You have no qualms about morality of actions within the context of somewhat serious relationship, yet you asked your question in terms of "what's wrong with me?" and tagged it with infidelity and ethics? You only asked the question out of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by CKmtl at 5:03 PM on October 9, 2007