reiterating... soak water = farts.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 11:16 AM on April 13, 2008

In the late 70's, a lot of people thought that advertisers were subliminally embedding images of genitalia into ads. Whether they really made you more likely to buy the product is probably a great study in junk science, but I guess if you were more apt to linger on the ad for whatever reason, the ad might have had a better impression than one without. On the other hand, a lot of the examples were so bizarre and subtle, it makes you realize that Rorschach isn't only about ink blots.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 10:23 AM on April 11, 2008

Product placement in movies and television shows.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 11:08 PM on February 14, 2008

Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 7:01 PM on February 12, 2008

There are lots of inexpensive engagement rings on eBay.

They are usually being sold at a fraction of their value because the sellers hastily bought them when they probably shouldn't have rushed the relationship, and the poor guy just wants to get the thing away from himself because it reminds him of the deep and tragic mistake he made.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 2:34 PM on August 7, 2007

Yeah, I was gonna suggest looking in the phone book for limousines, which are generally less skeevy than cabs, esp. if her company is paying for it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 12:42 PM on June 26, 2007

When I was a kid, I remember seeing a small scale rotary engine model that you could build, just like an airplane or a car. A search on amazon brings up a couple, though they all seem to be 1/5th scale.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 12:17 PM on June 25, 2007

Yep. La cucaracha. If you see one, there are hundreds of thousands that you don't see. Pleasant dreams!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 7:11 PM on June 12, 2007

Ditto, Aberrant. I was gonna suggest La Taberna, too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 11:13 PM on May 2, 2007

Ok. Thanks. I'm fairly certain that she doesn't do any of the intensive stuff you guys mentioned. I'll tell her to go with a macbook with 2 gigs of memory.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 11:33 AM on April 9, 2007

Jason Kottke recently described his wife's tactic for banishing bad mental imagery so she could sleep.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:26 PM on March 28, 2007

One item of positive credit (which that loan may or may not provide) will not undo years of financial irresponsibility, but one or two missed bill payments certainly will.

Your best way of fixing your credit, aside from little things like paying your bills on time and not overspending your way to bankruptcy, is to get a joint account with someone with good credit. Their good credit score can help buoy your sagging one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 6:46 PM on March 20, 2007

but one or two missed bill payments certainly will...

... Er, affect your score, negatively.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 6:48 PM on March 20, 2007

Google or froogle for "media servers."

One way is to have software on a PC with the content to act as a server, and a device plugged into your TV that is connected either wirelessly or wired to the network. In my experience, it works best with audio, but it also works with video.

And expect to see more and more of this sort of thing. Apple is supposed to be coming out with a simple-to-use product for just this purpose very soon.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:13 PM on March 9, 2007

Thanks all for the advice. Ended up buying a 4gb nano off of ebay. We'll see how that works out.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:52 PM on March 5, 2007

It's interesting that you distinguish between Democrat an liberal but not Republican and conservative. Try taking the Political Compass test.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 5:27 AM on February 27, 2007

Though it's been awhile since I traveled internationally, and even then, it was in Europe, it was my experience that the exchange outlets in airports and train stations charged higher fees than elsewhere. And though they were nominal (like paying a couple extra pennies per gallon at the pump), you end up paying for the convenience of the location.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 9:25 AM on February 26, 2007

If you don't have a copy of photoshop, Picasa2 has some basic photo editing functions, and it's free.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:42 PM on February 23, 2007

Well, I'm glad at least someone isn't bothered about wasting their once-every-two-weeks askme post.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:39 PM on February 23, 2007

If watching the Antiques Roadshow has taught me anything, you need to bring it to a professional appraiser and indicate that you have no intention of selling the coins. That you're looking for both a "fair market value" appraisal as well as an "insurance" appraisal. The insurance appraisal with be about 25-50% higher than the fair market appraisal, presumably because people think it's ok to rip off insurance companies or something.

By taking the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 12:08 PM on February 23, 2007

the enzymes in avocados actually shut down if they get chilled, and they'll stop ripening, but once you have ripened them, putting them in the fridge will stop them from over ripening.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 4:16 PM on February 16, 2007

It's been years since I used it, but there's a utility designed for sys admins that records the changes made to a computer when you install a piece of software called Norton GHOST ... it's marketed as a backup solution now, from what I could tell on Amazon.

It basically takes a snapshot of the system, then you install the new software, and it will create a package of all the changes made in the interim. At least, that's what it used to do. Sounds like exactly what you're looking for.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 8:16 AM on February 13, 2007

I admit that it's been about 5 years since I used Norton Ghost, and they may have completely changed how it works. But when I used it, you could use it for a complete disk image installation (which is how we mostly used it), as well as a specific program install or update. I thought it was a great program when I used it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 4:16 PM on February 13, 2007

Soothing Sounds For Baby: Electronic Music By Raymond Scott, Vol. 3, 12 To 18 Months
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 7:53 AM on February 13, 2007

Not a book, but Rick Seback: Great Old Amusement Parks is available on DVD and VHS from PBS.org
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 7:47 AM on February 13, 2007

Another way to anoint yourself as an expert in a niche subject like this is to become the goto guy for broadcast and print media on a given subject. Make your name as an "expert" in computer security, and pretty soon, that's what you become. It's imperative that you at least sound like you know what you're talking about, though.

You could start by creating a publicity kit, and then send it to local television and radio stations, and once you have a few... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 12:52 PM on February 12, 2007

Are you refuting my advice on experience and knowledge, or is it more a gut feeling of yours? I mean, I've had a little experience in it. I've been interviewed on local news radio as a "computer expert" several times. (In my case, I got my foot in the door because I knew a reporter at the station.) And while I admit becoming one of those talking-head spokespersons on CNN is more than just a longshot, it's as valid as any of the other advice given here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 1:29 PM on February 12, 2007

I've read that you can make a passable version of aquavit by mixing 2 t caraway seeds, 1 t fennel seeds, 2 t dill seeds, 2 star anise, 1 T coriander seeds, 1 whole clove, 1 cinnamon stick, 1-inch long, 2 t cumin seeds, and 1 liter vodka.

You put all of the ingredients into the vodka, and let steep, shaking every 2 or 3 days, for 2 weeks or more. Then strain out the additives and put your infused vodka in the freezer and serve in chilled glasses, an ounce at a time.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 12:27 PM on February 12, 2007

Now that you've turned off global, automatic form filling, you may be able to get back the function of remembering certain things you're ok with by using this add-on. I haven't tested it, but it appears to allow you to remember specific bits of information (like name, address, etc.) and fill them in for you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 5:34 PM on February 10, 2007

It probably hasn't been true for 20 years or more, but when I was in elementary school, instead of xerox handouts, the teachers used mimeograph machines, which produced copies using a chemical process. All the kids would huff the handouts because the papers still contained some of the chemical odor.

And then there were magic markers, too.

But huffing is bad, kids. Don't huff. And stay in school.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:55 PM on February 8, 2007

Oh, and there was more to buidling model airplanes than learning about fuselage construction, iykwIm, aItyd.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:58 PM on February 8, 2007

My mom told me a story that her mom told her when she was very young... Grandma made whipped cream, but she brought it out to the kids to eat it, because a thunderstorm was coming, and the thunder would ruin it otherwise.

(With this topic, you need to take into account that the people receiving the information (young children) may not have completely understood it, and in retrospect, it seems all effed up.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 9:17 AM on February 7, 2007

"Drink your milk. It's good for you."
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 5:45 PM on February 7, 2007

this question isn't a ploy to get Metafilter's own, Adam Savage, out of the woodwork, is it?

According to an episode of Mythbusters, they tested the following remedies for skunk odor removal.

Removing skunk odor with...:
* Tomato juice: plausible
* Beer (MGD): busted
* Douche: busted
* Hydrogen peroxide + baking soda + liquid dish... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 8:57 AM on February 6, 2007

In 1996, University of Delaware researchers Timothy Frick and Douglas Tallamy published a study in the journal Entomological News. They had collected and identified the kills from six bug zappers at various sites throughout suburban Newark, Delaware, during the summer of 1994. Of the nearly 14,000 insects that were electrocuted and counted, only 31 (0.22 percent) were mosquitoes and biting gnats. The largest number (6,670, or 48 percent) were harmless, aquatic insects from nearby... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 8:36 PM on February 5, 2007

do a google search for "savory chocolate recipes" and you'll find listings like this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 8:22 AM on February 5, 2007

box.net
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 8:17 AM on February 5, 2007

quantcast.com
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 9:44 PM on February 4, 2007

Foxwoods is the largest casino in the world, with 7,000 slot and video poker machines, among other things, and is just a short drive, south east, from Hartford.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 4:42 PM on February 4, 2007

Don't be so quick to judge this person who just ate food that others might consider spoiled. Mankind subsisted for hundreds and thousands of years without refrigeration. Your great great grandfather probably ate a few questionable items in his day, something you wouldn't dream of touching. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:32 PM on February 3, 2007

If duffell had written us before he'd taken the first bite, I guess I would agree that urging him not to would be the wisest course. As it was, he wrote it after he'd consumed it. Warning him now is just closing the barn door after the horses had gotten out. Besides, anyone who fearlessly swallows quasi moldy foodstuffs probably doesn't really want our advice on whether to eat it or not. He just wanted to know if he invented a new cheap and legal way to get high.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 6:38 PM on February 3, 2007

And that's about as far as anyone gets reading Gravity's Rainbow, juv3nal. Page 10.

How about a banana cheesecake?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 6:37 AM on February 3, 2007

Is she having trouble meeting her other financial obligations in order to pay for these courses? Is the participation in the group affecting her life in a negative way? Is she missing work or school because of the Avatar courses?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 11:03 AM on January 31, 2007

Well, look. I personally think that managing my own life is complicated enough. I don't presume I can manage someone else's.

If they are happy doing what they're doing; if what they're doing isn't physically harming them; if they can pay their way without resorting to begging or stealing, then who am I to judge it?

I completely understand your pain in watching her do what you have decided is a destructive behavior, and that you have decided you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 1:32 PM on January 31, 2007

On reflection, I've decided I was unfair to say that you are beyond the point of being rational. I don't really know that, and so for that, I apologize and retract the accusation.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 2:26 PM on January 31, 2007

Do you have diabetes? Seems a little to localized to be neuropathy, but...
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 7:50 PM on January 29, 2007

I can't find any indication of contributions on Amazon any more. Around Katrina and the Tsunami, they had a very prominent and easy method of contributing to the Red Cross, but the link is now 404.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 5:08 PM on January 29, 2007

Banks have mechanisms and procedures to catch mistakes like this. By their very nature, banks have checks and balances. Someone, somewhere, will come up with $15 more than they ought to, and since you've alerted them to the problem, they will likely credit your account.

As for making you feel like you're a petty criminal... well, assuming you're sure you're not just feeling hyper defensive, then you might want to discuss the way the teller treated you when you speak with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 3:10 PM on January 29, 2007

My wife used to have a different humidifier, but I imagine one ultrasonic humidifier is like another. She would fill it with regular city-treated tap water, and over time, the thing would get gunked up with a mineral build-up. You might want to consider as an alternative using a service like Peapod and having them deliver bottled spring water or even distilled water. Or just assume you'll either need to scrub the thing every couple of weeks or buy a new one every year or two.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 8:19 PM on January 28, 2007

My very first post-college job has little resemblance to the one for which I interviewed.

I think any reasonable person hiring you would accept that as a perfectly legitimate reason for you not staying in that position. In fact, I bet many would see it as a positive indicator. Just so long as you emphasize that you are a team player, and willing to do some things outside the scope of your job description.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dave Faris at 8:13 PM on January 28, 2007