In Windows XP, I find that folder.jpg is instantly shown as a full-folder image ... I'm not sure exactly how to explain this. Change an image in an MP3/jpg folder to folder.jpg, go "up" and view the folder listing in thumbnails.
Because of this, I tend to rename front cover jpgs to folder.jpg.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 9:34 PM on July 24, 2008

I'm in Los Angeles.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 8:45 PM on July 19, 2008

jetsilver: I'm in Los Angeles.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 8:45 PM on July 19, 2008

Also Shelfari, Anobii, and Books iRead.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 7:49 AM on July 3, 2008

I live in an area where the library system is adequate, but at times they don't have books I want to read. And the closest other library system is a good hour away. This is what I did/do:

I like Bookmooch, but it seems that I'm always late to the game - someone else always beats me to the book. And yes, Paperbackswap does have a wider selection, probably more members too.

I haven't used either service for a while now. These days I buy used books... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 8:54 PM on July 2, 2008

I used to mix canned sardines (the cheap ones in tomato sauce) with chopped up red onions, and then warm them up in a frying pan until less watery. Since your sardines come in water, I guess you could easily add ketchup and oregano. Eat with rice or crackers. Or bread, as sardine sandwiches. Mmm. Time to get some 60-cent sardine cans.

When I was a kid, my mother used to make sardine sandwiches for me, from a paste of red onion/tomato sardines/butter. I thought it was the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 10:04 PM on July 1, 2008

A good amount of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy takes place in ... snowy places. Gah. I can't think. Read anyway!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 11:05 PM on June 17, 2008

I highly recommend high school, especially if it's going to be in a country where students stay in the classroom and the teacher comes to them (Japan, etc.), as opposed to the American system of going to the teacher's classroom. Classmates become like family.

College anywhere in the world (to my knowledge) consists of traveling from classroom to classroom, there's no more one-room classroom.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 11:02 PM on June 15, 2008

I was impressed by Star-Crossed, a first novel about a girl cross-dressing her way out of being a proper, jobless gentlewoman. Seafaring, 18th century, not a single wimpy female character.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 8:41 PM on June 15, 2008

I like Trends in Japan's daily posts.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 8:59 AM on June 15, 2008

Thanks everyone.

DarlingBri, I think the clue book is Masquerade. I'd very much like to know what the three-book series is.

Any other suggestions from anyone else?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 5:43 PM on June 14, 2008

Bake them in your car.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 9:52 PM on June 2, 2008

My childhood piano teacher teacher (who is/was somewhat of a legend in my neck of the woods, and turned out a good amount of legends) started everyone off with the same two books: John Thompson Grade 1, and Edna Mae Burnam's A Dozen a Day.

What we were made to do was to warm up with A Dozen a Day (finger exercises), and then proceed on to John Thompson (songs).

Also, I've heard good things about Bartok's Mikrokosmos, but I've never tried them out... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 7:16 PM on June 2, 2008

Other than those offered by the local community colleges, the cheapest distance courses I've come across are Louisiana State University's distance learning program. I recall that you have nine months to finish each class, and each class runs around $300. There's also the University of Alaska, at a higher cost.

I used to work in a college's recruitment office, and we'd try to get the not-so-great students in by getting them coursework elsewhere. My boss and I spent hours... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 8:53 PM on May 21, 2008 marked best answer

I have a recording by the Hallé Orchestra. Can't seem to find the exact CD, but this one seems to be the same. An extra is the specially-commissioned "Pluto".
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 6:40 PM on May 15, 2008

Not from Hollywood, but a series of Kit Kat ads were the basis of Hana and Alice. (Really good film, by the way.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 2:27 AM on May 5, 2008

Public Speaking, also listed as Speech or Forensics. The first few weeks were borderline painful - it was a small class of 15, and everyone had to give a little speech, once a week, for ten weeks. I was shy, terrified of audiences, and oh God why did I have a scheduling clash with Interpersonal Communication? Why was PS the only non-Underwater Basketweaving class that could pull me up to full-time status?

Eventually I learnt to cope, and learnt how to be a better speaker.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 8:47 PM on April 25, 2008 marked best answer

I say only offer up the praise after knowing for sure (preferably from them volunteering the information) that they haven't been speaking English for very long.

At times, even those who say English is their second language ... they could have picked it up at ten, and be aged forty today. That would be insulting.

And my personal anecdote - I lived and went to school abroad for many years in Asia. When I offer up the information, I'm immediately... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 3:11 AM on April 24, 2008

I've severed ties with my sister. My mother frequently gets on my case to get in touch with her, but I don't care for my sister at all. All my life, she's been toxic to me - and the few times she wasn't, it was only because it was in her benefit.

I say that if it gets to the point where you have to consider it as a real option, then there's no question at all. It has to be done.

I think that if I had other siblings, my mother would bug me less ...... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 3:01 AM on April 24, 2008

Iron & Wine, aka Samuel Beam.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 12:27 AM on April 21, 2008

I'm pretty sure Beirut used to be a one-man band. It's a full-blown band now, with a stageful of members.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 1:02 AM on April 21, 2008

That scene in Ju-on (the original, not that terrible American remake) where no, you're not safe hiding under the sheets. At the end of this trailer, you brave souls.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 12:50 PM on April 16, 2008

Probably the one with Shahrukh Khan.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 4:46 PM on April 13, 2008

The best thing I've overheard a kid say in the dentist's office is, "Will it hurt? It's okay if it does, I just want to know." That's pretty much what I thought as a kid, but just couldn't put into words. Yes, a lot of kids are NOT okay with pain - but still.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 9:51 AM on April 11, 2008

By "My vision now slips out of focus quite often", I actually mean that it's been slipping out of focus for the whole 4 months. Not a recent development.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 4:32 PM on April 9, 2008

Brijit was recently on the blue. Around $5 per accepted post.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 4:09 PM on April 6, 2008

Flip through Neil Campbell's Biology, which will probably be your General Biology textbook anyway. It may or may not be a dry textbook to you - but whatever it is, that's what's coming your way. Used editions run about $50, previous editions are even cheaper.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 6:53 PM on April 4, 2008

Ah, I used to do this. Where I live, not residing in the county gets you out of jury duty. This includes going to college anywhere outside the county, or just having an address outside the county. Every time I received a jury duty summons, I'd flip-flop between my aunt's County A address and my County B address with the DMV, and mail in the form stating that no, I don't live in your county. It was really easy - printed out the form from the DMV website, mailed it out, mailed out the jury duty... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 6:29 PM on April 3, 2008

OMG. OMG. OMG. You must be me, this is the question of my life.

When it comes to the cheeses in everyday grocery stores (the only ones I can afford), yes, Tillamook Extra Sharp rules over all others. Still, my complaint is that it doesn't bite back enough. Land of Lakes has an okay-I-guess extra sharp, but their Monterey Jack is sharper. Or was it Cheddarella? Whatever it was, something not-cheddar by Land of Lakes comes in second to Tillamook's Extra... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 4:32 PM on April 3, 2008

I used to get poke-through all the time. I now machine-wash them in a small laundry mesh bag, and so far so good. It's been four years since my last poke-through. Yes, I know I sound like a bad infomercial for mesh bags.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 11:12 AM on April 1, 2008

Rent a temporary mailbox at one of those private mailbox outfits. It qualifies as a street address, and can accept deliveries from pretty much any delivery outfit... UPS, FedEx, all those "no post boxes" companies.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 11:04 AM on April 1, 2008 marked best answer

Instead of turning away the gifts, you should work with your kids to identity needy people in your community or a food bank that would benefit from the gifts

Just make sure your neighbor never finds out. Giving away received gifts - especially to charity - is unimaginably insulting and rude for SE Asians.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 3:09 PM on March 20, 2008

I'll second wfrgms about the spit-removing. Or any other instrument that requires regular maintenance anytime before, during, or after playing it. I myself have only gone for instruments that require the occasional dusting.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 3:24 PM on March 11, 2008

It's Scala! I had the details all jumbled up, but it's them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 7:03 PM on March 8, 2008

Clip your nails. Probably not as important anymore in this day and age of manicures and extreme nail and under-nail care.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 9:04 AM on March 1, 2008

Here's the advice I have on Malaysia's mobile networks:

It's a lot cheaper to buy a local card than to roam. Thanks to the network wars, calling and SMS prices have been repeatedly slashed. Local calls and SMS, that is. International calls and SMS have pretty much stayed the same price. For international calls, you're better off buying an international phone card from the very same cell phone stores that stock SIM cards.

In Malaysia, this... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 12:27 AM on March 1, 2008

My birthday is in early March, and I've never had any clashes with the holidays. Spring break tends to be in late March or April, so I've never had everyone pack up and leave before my birthday. I wasn't born on a leap year, so no-one ever comments "Oh, you juuuust missed February 29!" I'm a good week away from St Patrick's Day, far away enough to avoid the accompanying jokes.

I get enough time in the newly-arrived year to appreciate the last dregs of my former... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 11:08 PM on February 22, 2008

Five years being the average time period (plus extra time) it would take to get certified for the next level of education. This would usually be a bachelor's degree, but there's a lot of other postsecondary certifications out there.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 10:58 PM on February 22, 2008

Curling the tongue into a U or W shape.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 7:14 AM on February 22, 2008

No, no, do not send the note. DO NOT SEND. Just stop flirting, but continue being friendly. Not sure how that's done, but the Great Hivemind will let you know.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 10:42 PM on February 19, 2008

A compendium of Beatrix Potter stories. When I was too young to read, there were pictures to look at. Then I learnt to read. And now that I'm older, there's the whole Beatrix Potter and Lake District history to delve into. It never ends.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 12:07 PM on February 18, 2008

The Time Traveler's Wife skips back and forth between ... 20 years, maybe? Not much of an expansive timeline there, but the time-leaping happens 2 to 4 times in each chapter.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 11:23 PM on February 17, 2008

My only advice is food. Never eat at a fast food joint (McDonalds, etc.). Always eat local and hawker food. Cheap hawker food. Open air hawker food. The food. Oh, the food. Makes me want to jump on a plane to Singapore.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 8:08 PM on February 15, 2008

The Stuff?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 3:35 AM on February 9, 2008

Check if your motherboard requires a 20 or 24-pin power supply. If it's a 24 pin motherboard and you have 20-pin PSU, some motherboards don't care, while some will refuse to work.

I wanted to get the best video card I could afford, and that would do it for my basic computer stuff: Photoshop, World of Warcraft. Anything in the 7 series would probably have worked fine for me, but I wanted something in the 8 series because of DirectX 10. Just in case. So I went with the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 9:13 PM on January 30, 2008

The epiglottis closes during swallowing. However, sometimes - especially while talking - the epiglottis stays open and food gets in the area, causing a coughing fit.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 7:28 PM on January 29, 2008

My mother got us kids to tell dad that dinner was ready ... about 30 minutes before dinner would be ready. He'd be late anyway, and too bad if there wasn't much food left for him later. And since everyone else started earlier and naturally ended eating well before he did, he'd be left alone at the table, and sometimes alone to the clean-up too. We kids would clean up the dishes that could be cleaned up (just our own and mom's). The serving dishes would be left to him because his share (or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 10:34 PM on January 24, 2008

I used to get that sometimes when lying down on the floor, head propped up against bare wall, reading a book. Have stopped since, after considering what could be going on. Obviously some sort of circulation is getting cut off.

In your case, if there's no obvious head-against-wall explanation and it's not going away, you really ought to get it checked. Now. Could be nothing, could be a stroke.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 11:21 PM on January 22, 2008

I'm not sure what document is being used, will ask my cousin (who is at the center of aforementioned dilemma).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 3:07 PM on January 22, 2008

It turns out that it's passport, visa, university applications. Some forms conveniently have "Suffix", some don't.

Sr. is still alive, and just slashing off Jr. would cause a minor mail mix-up.

So far, it looks like he'll be going for John Jr Smith, with "John Jr" as a first name.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 5:17 PM on January 22, 2008