You can check out the archives of the Secret Museum of the Air from WFMU. Besides having a ton of very interesting music there, they have two episodes entitled "Cowboy." I thought they had a black cowboy episode, but I see it's actually black country, followed by white blues. Which might have some relevance as the roots of the music you're thinking about.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:59 PM on July 15, 2008 marked best answer

Talk about the internet on paper, Norton's Dictionary of Modern Thought is like a paper-bound series of tubes. Here's a sample - you'll get absorbed following the hyperlinks (shown in SMALL CAPS).

And, I'll second printing out a bunch of Harper's Indices. Their "Readings" section would be good, too.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 4:26 AM on July 14, 2008

Wait a second, no one has mentioned slow motion punches to the face yet? Something is dreadfully wrong. The sword slicing the tomato was pretty good, but this was featured on the blue!

Also, seconding Bill Viola's Passions, it's incredibly engrossing.

The Matrix's "Bullet Time" sequence qualifies as well, although it may not be very, uh, inspirational in your case. The appropriate nod has to be given here to John Woo's use of slo-mo... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 4:01 AM on July 14, 2008

I have one just like it that I bought in Kenya. But you know what, the shirt is actually made in Thailand. I saw them for sale in both Kenya and Tanzania. I'm sure you can find them in an African import shop.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:58 AM on July 3, 2008

I've been trying to think about the part where you don't want it to slow you down. I looked around for keyless padlocks that open with a proximity card, but to no avail. I know I always hate fumbling for a key in my pocket, then trying to unlock the lock in whatever position it is, then putting all of those parts back in their respective places. So, I would suggest you get a combination lock of the type that has the four numbers next to each other. Lock it by only... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:43 AM on July 3, 2008

I'd like to quote from Cassell's Colloquial Spanish, which is a delightful little dictionary-like book on Spanish usage around the world.
coche (m) Originally a 'coach' or 'carriage', but now the normal word for 'car' in Spain, and the R/P [River Plate], to some extenet also in Mexico, though the last also shares carro (q.v.)with the rest of the Caribbean region. A 'coach', in the sense of a long-distance bus, is usually... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 12:46 AM on June 20, 2008

Since you asked for metal, there might be something useful from a military surplus store. The Fat 50, German or 81 mm ammo cans on that page might work for you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 6:58 AM on June 12, 2008

I would just point out that magicbus' toast is based on the currency of Spain. To elaborate on it (and make it country-neutral) try: "Por los novios, les deseamos amor, salud, dinero y tiempo para disfrutarlos." You can a "¡Que vivan!" at the end for emphasis - that would be the part the audience could then repeat, kind of like "cheers" or "here, here."

Yahoo answers has some toasts in Spanish if you are looking for something... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 6:34 AM on June 12, 2008

Thirding the European fascination with Native Americans. I've met Germans who proclaimed themselves experts on the subject and a Spaniard who practically thought he was one.

I'd posit that the Europeans enjoy all of the "mystique" of Native Americans without feeling the (perhaps subconscious) guilt of living in the very country where they were murdered and raped by the millions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 7:20 PM on June 10, 2008 marked best answer

Nueve Reinas or the American version Criminal (in English). IMDB has lists of movies based on keywords that you might want to look at, "long con", "surprise ending" e.g.

I'm assuming from your example of "The Village" that I needn't mention "The Sixth Sense.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 5:58 PM on June 9, 2008

You've got the Mexican food trio, I see, which can be spruced up into a variety of meals. Don't forget taco salad served with some chips which is nice when the weather heats up. Speaking of chips, you might want to try making your own salsa. Use a large can of diced tomatoes and add chopped onions, cilantro, hot pepper (take your pick), garlic, salt and lime juice or vinegar. It stores well in the fridge, makes any combo of beans, beef, cheese and tortillas taste like Mexican food and it's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 2:14 AM on June 7, 2008 marked best answer

I can't really tell you about setting up a NPO, as I've never done it. It seems to me that you've got a great idea for how to get some of the things you need. I would follow your gut and start small. Maybe write some letters and make some phone callas and try to get just the toothbrushes. Once you get them, and give the ADA or whoever as much good publicity as you can (at the least, a nice website write-up), then work on the next item or items. The when you contact the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 12:44 AM on June 2, 2008 marked best answer

I think summit's ideas are right on.

When kids in Peru would panhandle they would usually ask for candies and then, their initial request refused, pens. They seemed to be quite happy with them. On a side note, I found that everyone panhandling, selling or touting is a little more aggressive and persistent in Cuzco compared to smaller towns.

I like the idea of bringing food items for your host family. I would think about things in the sauces... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:56 PM on June 1, 2008

Urban Ore in Berkeley? You may have some luck contacting some of these folks in Oakland, who accept musical instrument donations for reuse. Or maybe you could find a listing in Rummaging through Northern California. (who knew?) You could also just try any of the dumpsters in the trombone district.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 8:53 PM on June 1, 2008 marked best answer

What is the What by Dave Eggers. It's the story of one of the Lost Boys of the Sudan. It deals with loss and puts everything in perspective.

As far as simply being life-affirming goes; I found Bill Clinton's Giving to be quite inspiring. And if you really want to be inspired by someone's life, read Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. It's the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, who should be getting the Nobel Peace Prize any day now. I think his struggle is about not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 12:48 AM on June 1, 2008

I think the keyword that you're looking for is "fractional ownership." I'm not sure about No. Cal clubs that rent all sorts of watercraft, but I know that there are some in the Bay Area that rent powered and sail boats. The Berkeley Marina has a fractional ownership program, for instance. I'm not sure what types they offer.

You might see my question previously. One of the responders runs a company that does this and could be a source of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 4:14 PM on May 29, 2008

Coincidentally, I just heard about solar distillation in relation to the Watercone. Unfortunately for you, the maker of the Watercone is not selling individual units. And the makers of the Solar Solutions Aquacone have discontinued it. There is this one for $150, which is a little cheaper than the one bigmusic linked to.

I'd suggest you just build one. You take a black circular tray, a plastic cone and a bundt cake dish and voila! I like the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 12:15 AM on May 27, 2008

For a good example of horrors unspeakable and unknowable and that delicate art of blending the lines between fiction and reality, see Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves. It has many layers and stories interwoven throughout, not all of them are scary, but I think it should count as a work of horror. It certainly leaves you wondering and imagining this untold, mysterious and terrifying world. The word "stairs" has never been as chilling.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:28 PM on April 19, 2008

From this article, interestingly enough about a blind person making campus maps for other blind students, it seems that they get help in the beginning of the semester. Maybe a good solution in the future will be tactile maps?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:23 AM on April 16, 2008

It looks like nobody has mentioned the pear/asparagus c ombination. I had it at the Pizza Research Institute (link mentions further toppings)in Eugene, OR. Absolutely delicious.

Also, there's the Argentine tradition of fainá, a thin, crispy chickpea-based 'crepe' that you eat on top of whatever pizza you make.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 8:08 PM on April 8, 2008

You're going to say, "That guy is soooo not from Ottawa," but working off the wikipedia article on Ottawa, I've got:
Winternudes
Fringe Flickers
FUCKCU (from the CKCU Folk Festival... yeah, I know)
SuperEXIST ('course you could use a MeFi meme and make it [NOT SuperEXIST])
Ankle Rules (sounds nice)
Tales of Beaver, Beaver Tales, or tails
The Heebie... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:28 AM on April 3, 2008

Thanks, Chris, hope it helps.
Oh, and one more, MacKay's Dogs. Or maybe folks have forgotten about that already?
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 12:13 PM on April 3, 2008

Here's info on how to build your own projector (YT) (Instructables)to watch those TIVO'ed shows (and apparently lots of Star Trek) on.

If you've got a good-sized TV, one thing you can do for parties, or really any downtime, is make the Magical LiteBrite-Like Mod. Now, I just made up that title because I have long forgotten where I first saw this idea and what they called it. Basically get a piece of black construction paper (or cardboard or even thin plastic) big... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 9:24 AM on April 3, 2008 marked best answer

I feel I need to mention my friend's blog, Bottom Shelf Books. It's "about" children's books, but mostly he just uses whatever storybook he reads that day as a jumping off point for his absurdist and genuinely funny tangents. Plus, it includes actual personal anecdotes, which are also well-written and droll, such as the time he proposed to his girlfriend. (and his photoshop skills are absolutely whelming)

He used to be very regular... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:06 PM on March 31, 2008

This is not as specific as actual hotels, but here is a map, drawn by Kerouac, of the trajectory of his travels. That blog indicates that wordsareimportant is the source for the map. Look in the "Kerouac Corner" for questions about old Jack answered by an English scholar. He accepts new questions by email and at the least should be able to point you in the right direction. There might be another lead in the rather extensive list of "Kerouac Links" on that site as well.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:38 PM on March 30, 2008 marked best answer

Also, googling "where kerouac sleep 'on the road'" yielded some interesting results. There's a depressingly banal and mundane attempt by a writer for USA Today to recreate Kerouac's journey, but in a rented Mitsubishi Eclipse. I can't tell whether his complaints about the precariously hung towels in the Holiday Inn juxtaposed with quotes from the book are supposed to be humorous or just surreal. While it's possible that there might bve a clue in there, I can't even bear to link to it.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:53 PM on March 30, 2008

To clarify: I don't mean the part where she sings "bohannon." I diligently googled and found the lyrics, although I still didn't understand that part until mike_bling's link. I just picked the title of the post on a fluke. Sorry if that's confusing.

In the long version (which is over five minutes long) there is a sample where a woman (not Tina Weymouth) says some words in Japanese during one of the breaks between choruses. I'm sorry that I don't have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 1:38 PM on March 20, 2008

It's okay billtron. I appreciate the spirit. We're going to get through this, I promise.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 2:09 PM on March 20, 2008

(alice), do you speak Japanese, or are you going off of that page? I don't think it is a very trustworthy source as the Admiral and unSane have pointed out. According to WP, the talk show host uses the Bohannon sample to intro his show sometimes, so, while wrong, it's understandable. Still, I don't see how they could have gotten "oopsie mamacita" out of something that is clearly two less syllables, i.e "upsimama" as other sites have it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 3:12 PM on March 20, 2008

I MeMailed three Mefites who probably speak Icelandic and have asked them to check it out and report back. Unfortunately, two of them live in Reykjavik where it's getting kinda late by now. I should have jumped on that sooner. I also googled around for "icelandic" and "genius of love" to no avail.

I registered for the Tom Tom Club Forum to ask over there, but there is a waiting period to be accepted by the mods. Billtron, did you make an account?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 4:38 PM on March 20, 2008

Thanks to everyone. Maybe tomorrow will bring a new dawn of Tom Tom Club understanding. (Iceland, I'm looking at you.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:46 PM on March 20, 2008

I've emailed the band as per your directions, Admiral.
A grateful, though saddened, takk to you, aldurtregi.

Wait, how many languages are there again? We've knocked out seven so far; it shouldn't take too long by process of elimination.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 9:11 PM on March 21, 2008

Mission accomplished, Admiral!
Everyone, as I commented above, I emailed the band threough the Tom Tom Club forum (tomtomclub.net).
Today I recieved this response from Chris Frantz:
Thanks for your message. The guess of Icelandic is close because Tina and her sisters lived in Iceland for several years in the mid-sixties when their father was stationed there with NATO.

But, no cigar because, in fact, that is not a sample. That is Tina's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:37 PM on March 24, 2008

Not sure if it'll work in your case since you already have the two bottom cabinet pieces, but you could make a replica of you desk and hang it upside down above your desk. This would definitely use up that wasted vertical space wfrgms was talking about. The drawers/ cabinets function in a similar way (flip sliding drawers the right way up) and the bottom surface of the desktop (the deskbottom?) becomes a shelf of sorts. You can mount it to the wall or affix it to the bottom desk. How you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 8:49 PM on February 25, 2008

Rhaomi's pretty much covered it, but note that telling your age and telling the time only take the imperfect when you're talking about the past. You probably knew that already, but I just wanted to make sure.

One way to think about it that might be helpful is to think of the meaning of "imperfect". Things that are perfect are "done." Michealangelo's David is perfect because there's nothing more that can be done to it. The... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 9:21 PM on February 11, 2008 marked best answer

With no context, that's a pretty tall order. Looking for "acueta" on Word Reference gave these alternatives. I'll let you look into whichever ones seem the most likely.
cauta, asceta, cuenta, cuesta, cuneta, acera, acta, careta, caseta, cateta, escueta

In the Italian-to-English dictionary, WR suggests these:
asceta, accetta, Creta, aceto, acuto, creta, accesa, atleta, cauto, acqueo, aculeo

Obviously those that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 7:41 PM on February 8, 2008

Nthing getting out of the house. Prepare for whatever it is you should be doing and go out somewhere and do it. It's its own distraction in a way because you're leaving, but it's more productive because, in the end, even the walk over is part of getting the task done.

I often find myself in the same position, asking myself why I'm reading AskMeFi instead of working. I've found that getting out really helps. Otherwise you can get caught up in a million other... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:19 PM on February 7, 2008

- Buy a bunch of jet-skis. Set up next to the body of water of your choosing. Rent the jet-skis out and work on your tan.
- Being an ESL teacher in a foreign country can be pretty fun. I did it in Spain. A few hours a week talking to professionals from varied backgrounds put enough money in my pocket to pay the rent and buy ample supplies of wine and cheese.
- Open up a campground somewhere beautiful or become the caretaker of an existing one. In the same vein,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 2:57 PM on January 22, 2008

thanks for the input Kisch. The scheduling consideration seems like small fry to me in comparison to the advantages.

Faint of Butt: I haven't seen any. I tried googling "fractional" and "tall ships", "schooners", "brigantine" etc. It's slightly problematic that fractional can also describe rigging.

aeighty: It a shame there hasn't been more answers. Perhaps what we can glean from what you've found and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 6:26 PM on January 17, 2008

Lisbon would make a fine destination indeed. They've got you covered on the castle front, graveyards, architecture, walkability and public transportation. There may be caves nearby. I'm sure that you could make a day trip or two from there into the countryside to find places not touched by (too much) modernity. Portugal has been slow in catching up to the rest of Europe, so folk traditions are still strong. It was recently featured on this list, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 9:54 AM on December 19, 2007 marked best answer

Yes, it is insane. To stay, that is. You're miserable, fix that. If that means packing it in and skipping town, do it. Stay for the four months only if that is going to bring you an advantage that makes the extra time worth it. I would wager that there's no way that you can pay off that credit card debt in four months, financially speaking you're going to be working uphill for a while regardless. (If you can pay that off in four months, do that.) So, figure that you will probably be using... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 9:48 AM on December 16, 2007

This reminds me of the part in the Blair Witch Project when the one character defends throwing away the map because it's "hard to get lost in America these days, and even harder to stay lost." Which is sadly proven false on a regular basis, but usually from exposure to the elements.

35 km can easily be covered in one day, so there's no chance of starvation there. (Kadin2048: Take a look at the walking distances on the Camino de Santiago to see what's easily... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:57 PM on November 20, 2007 marked best answer

You might want to check out this tutorial as well.
Design an Awesome Website

As far as technical limitations go, one always has to remember that it's the web and not print. Viewers of your site will have different connection speeds, browser that render differently, preferences concerning Flash, different window sizes, etc. That said, a clean design should handle many of these issues.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 12:02 AM on November 20, 2007

I wouldn't get the eurail pass. Buses are a great, cheap option for seeing the country, although perhaps a low-cost flight for Madrid-Barcelona. You can go from Madrid to Toledo on the Cercanias, which are the commuter trains around cities. There is also nice high speed trains with sleeper cars that go between Madrid and Granada and Madrid and Barcelona.

Madrid probably has more great art than any other city in the world. The Prado, Reina Sofia and the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 6:47 AM on November 19, 2007

Wow, that helmetcamera site is just oozing testosterone, but I think that's just the ticket. Thanks.

I will make sure to tell him to double-check. However, it seems like they are allowed to carry and use cameras, even if they can't necessarily publish the footage.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 7:05 AM on October 18, 2007

I live in Mt. Pleasant now and found my place on Craigslist. I don't think commuting would be so bad from the Columbia Heights Metro.

I can recommend Habitat Real Estate, which is actually based in MtP. They are a management company, but have been very cool in all my dealing with them.

Also, if you are looking at the aforementioned HousingMaps, or searching certain neighborhoods, you should know that west of Mt. Pleasant Street is where the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 3:31 PM on April 30, 2007

The Bible (or maybe just the juicy bits)
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 2:54 PM on April 23, 2007

Too many heads, not enough hands.
It's short and sweet and the synecdoche extends its meaning to many fields.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:17 AM on April 18, 2007

The Mariner's Revenge Song by The Decemberists? A femal could easily do the mother's part as well as the main character.
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:10 AM on April 18, 2007

or even a female
posted to Ask Metafilter by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:11 AM on April 18, 2007