overall i rekon the chance of getting ripped off, no matter how well informed you are, outweighs any theoretical savings you might get buying jewelry in thailand. i'm no expert, but i believe you really need to have years of experience buying and selling jewels/gold/etc. on top of years of experience doing business in southeast asia, to really make any worthwhile savings buying this sort of thing in thailand. whereas there's a HUGE chance you'll get blatantly ripped off, lose a lot of money,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 7:27 AM on August 28, 2008

i'm with monkeytoes: "Being alone too much can make a baby feel insecure, the repeated need for close physical contact may be inconvenient for many busy parents, but the fact is that a baby’s need for close proximity to his protectors is something that has been programmed into a baby’s instincts during the course of evolution"

i live with several indonesian families with newborns, and a) the babies are in close physical contact with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 12:31 AM on August 25, 2008

i'm a musician living overseas, and i miss the us music scene - if you can record radio to cd or mp3 try recording a few hoursof your friend's favorite radio station (or more if you're decicated/can automate it!) also an mp3 disk with all the best new albums you and your friends have got that he might not have heard yet? customs has yet to object to my parents and friends doing this.

if you can do the same for tv shows that might be a good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 2:55 AM on August 18, 2008

i can't believe no one's mentioned gregory peck and audrey hepburn in "roman holday".

fo tv, there's the britcom "spaced".
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 12:03 AM on August 2, 2008

i second the very wise solomon - it's all that crap you're putting on your face. oatmeal isn't any likelier to fix your problem than oxy-10 or whatever other harsh chemical some pharm company is trying to sell you. stop using ANYTHING to clear your face other than water. i wouldn't even use regular soap, it's probably the most reasonable thing to use of all your options but it tends to dry your skin out, same as all the other stuff really. then your skin tries to even the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 5:30 AM on July 19, 2008

ha ha, "play bali quintet" could work, theres already a store called "hello, bali" though.

keep em coming y'all! :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 2:51 AM on July 17, 2008

unfortunately Djazz is taken, that's a good one. we're not playing in ubud, just jimbaran for the moment.

i'm gonna keep hitting "reload" till i head for my gig in a 10 minutes :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 3:30 AM on July 17, 2008

hey, great ideas so far! i'm considering a few, but keep em coming!

Gamelan-a-ding-dong won't work really, but it made me laugh :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 8:50 AM on July 17, 2008

"There's a coffee pun in there somewhere but I'll be damned if I can think of it."

the java od quintet?
the java jitters?

heh, on the other hand, i'm in bali, a friend of mine in a balinese punk bank has "fuck java" tatooed on his back; it's an old inter-island rivalry thing. but then again, i think everyone in the band is actually javanese.

anyway... wow! good stuff guys! i love it! my band name is in here somewhere.
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:48 AM on July 17, 2008

the bali 5! i just caught that!

blatant drug references. good or not? hmmmmm.

goddamn, you guys rock! great ideas!
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:53 AM on July 17, 2008

flimsy pretext is a great name! for another band, but still.

ok, it's morning, i've thought about it, and i believe we're called "the reformasi jazz quintet"

thanks to everyone for their fantastic ideas, i really had a hard time choosing from all the great suggestions!
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 8:28 PM on July 17, 2008

if you can, find a cd store that will let you sample a huge stack of cd's, then go in with this list (not just mine obviously but all of the above) and see what appeals and what doesn't - it's a massive genre with a zillion styles and sounds etc

that said, my mom's a music teacher, and if you ask me i feel like there *is* a sort of canon of ~10-20 works that are sort of the equivalent of those jazz albums you mentioned, ie. highlights of the genre that pretty much... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 9:24 AM on June 17, 2008

i don't think this is such a bad question. as a few others have pointed out, using "chinese" as the example for your question has thrown people off, for reasons already mentioned. also, i think it's worth noting that, in my experience anyway, the chinese are perhaps more "foodie" than some other cultures, which is reflected in the wide variety of dishes available in each area, and the overall sophistication of each regions cuisine...

anyway the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 1:41 AM on June 13, 2008

4th-ing ian m banks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 9:46 PM on June 4, 2008

for a long time i was considering using snocap - i've seen loads of bands on myspace using it - it's easy to embed it in your site (or on myspace, apparently), they take a flat 30 cents per download, with no rights to your songs if you get signed or decide not to use them etc... if you're only interested in selling your mp3's on your site and your myspace page, it seems like a good way to go. the dude that started napster is one of the founding members of this company, for whatever that's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 8:53 PM on June 4, 2008

seconding gearslutz, there's lots of good advice about soundproofing and whatnot on there. they discuss lots of diy projects you can do to get the room sounding good. with music recording software being so great these days, having a good sounding space makes all the difference for recording live bands.

one quick and easy trick for live drums (the hardest thing to get sounding good in a low-end studio) is to use the digidesign sound replacer or drum rehab... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 1:34 AM on June 1, 2008 marked best answer

the indiefeed podcast is great - each download is for an individual song, the 'caster talks for a sec at the intro, then gives a brief blurb on the band and tells you where to find their album/music at the end of the mp3. it's wildly varied with regards to style (though it's all indie-sorta stuff, obviously) but i've been impressed with the quality of choices/'caster's taste - even stuff i don't like, i usually think "hmm, if i liked (insert name of genre i don't particularly... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 3:25 AM on May 29, 2008

eh, why does everyone assume that the husband is in the wrong? what, no woman has ever cheated on her man when he was out of town? most relationships i've ever been in, visiting the home of someone of the opposite sex, alone, was pretty much a no-no, for either of us. as much in consideration for the other partners feelings as for anything else (but also in light of everyones human failings, avaoiding temptation, etc)

lord knows if i went to some strange... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by messiahwannabe at 10:50 PM on May 26, 2008

depends on the tailor, but $2-500 for a $1000 suit sounds like the better option actually. i used to get stuff tailoered in bangkok regularly, and while they did a very good job for a very reasonable price, there are loads of details you only get from the designers - interesting fabrics and stylish cuts/details you'd never ever think of yourself (and neither will a hong kong tailor, at least not for $150)

just try a bunch of suits in the fitting room till you find one... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 8:06 PM on May 23, 2008 marked best answer

i'm not sure if i agree with a lot of this advice.

i've said it before, i'll say it again, and i'm not the only person to ever say it:

if you are a man, never never never listen to women regarding relationship advice. what women say they want, and what actually makes them attracted to you/stick around, are two very different things. apologies and respect to the females in this board offering their obviously well-intentioned advice, but much of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 1:07 AM on May 23, 2008

i probably shouldn't respond, but

"Wow, I didn't realise you could read all women's brains! You're like a god."

i'm not sure where you got the brain-reader thing, i don't think i said anything even remotely along the lines of "i can read women's minds". i'm just comparing what i've heard in the way of advice, from a wide range of women, to what has actually helped me keep women i like in my life around instead of having them... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:21 AM on May 23, 2008

i get what your saying, and frankly i didn't really expect what i said to go over well with everyone reading this list, so the hostile response didn't exactly surprse me. but

a) while there are lots of people giving similar advice to me, there are also many people saying "don't change, women love guys like this", several of whom prefaced their statement with a reference to their gender (the implication being that they therefore knew firsthand what anonymous... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 6:48 PM on May 23, 2008

i tried to respond before, but my computer crashed mid-answer. anyway thanks for the suggestions guys!
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:37 PM on May 6, 2008

seconding prevailing southwest - yes, you wont always be right in judging a book by it's cover, but reading signals sent by body language, clothes, accent, mannerisms etc is a very useful skill. have you tried looking for books on the subject? i read allen and barbera pease's "the definitive book of body language" which was ok, there may be a better book on the subject.

just being aware of the phenomenon, and paying attention to it, may increase your ability... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 8:25 PM on April 29, 2008

a friends family who are from the ukraine gave me a bottle of vodka for playing tour guide in bali for them a couple days. i would have done it anyway, in fact i probably volunteered my services, and i thought the bottle of vodka was perfectly fine recompense. especially as it was very nice bottle of vodka (though not particularly expensive by us standards, $40 i think they told me?)

that was all a lead in to recommending a good vodka: lex vodka, produced by nemiroff... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 3:48 AM on April 29, 2008

if a) you "hope to do some extensive traveling at some point in China" and are looking for "an edge in the business world" and b) want to learn a language as difficult/different as chinese, i would strongly suggest doing a year of studies overseas in china as part of the process. this will both help the coursework you did really sink in, and give you loads of valuable insight into the culture which would probably prove very valuable in a business setting.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:34 PM on April 25, 2008

i'm actually kinda curious - is a caipirinha girly? in brazil it's not at all, everybody drinks them, and brazilian dudes are generally pretty damn macho. but on the other hand they're totallly sweet and easy to drink, and i always feel a little less-than-completely-manly when i order one (i do anyway, but it's kind of a guilty pleasure) even though if i think about it i've seen lots of dudes ordering them.

my other suggestion: it's a rap cliche (which is part of the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:48 AM on April 25, 2008

too bad you aren't willing to pay for it: the echoes of nature series has just what you're looking for (sounds of a rainstorm) recorded so clearly and realistically that people, upon hearing it in the background, will say "is it raining? it was totally clear just a minute ago!" also i've got/heard many others in the cd series, everything i've tried is of equal (excellent) sonic quality, and all are just the thing to put on in the background to soothe your nerves and wash out more... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 7:18 PM on April 20, 2008

i've got about a million favorite hole in the wall places in sf! i keep thinking of new ones, and i've been sitting here for an hour at least trying to remember them all.

truely med makes fantastic mediteranian food, there are several across the city - i've tried more than one and they're all good. the mission outlet (next to the roxie theater, 16th& valencia) is the very definition of a-hole-in-the-wall-with-amazing-food. most people seem to get the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 2:51 AM on April 19, 2008

oh yeah, i'll chime in on tu lan, i shouldn't have forgotten it. there's this one vietnamese place on OFarrell that's maybe better, but i cant remember the name, so screw it. anyway tu lan is in fact very delicious. but read those yelp reviews so you know what you're getting into, location wise!
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 3:14 AM on April 19, 2008

btw, cats arent bringing you the critters to eat, they're bringing you the critters to prove that they're doing the job they're born and bred to do: killing the animals that eat your stored grain, so you don't starve to death during the winter.

humans are so ungrateful sometimes, sheesh!
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 8:14 PM on April 18, 2008

enthusiastically 2nding the julie london suggestion - smokey torch songs don't get much better than this. every song on her "best of" album is also absolute quality, but round midnight stands out even among the other gems on there.
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 3:35 AM on April 15, 2008 marked best answer

in indonesia "sakit" means "hurt/pain/sick", but if an indonesian stubs their toe or something, most of them seem to make that "ai!"/"ay!" sound.

i never actually say "ow", does anyone? i think i sort of alternate between "ai!" (even before i moved to indonesia) and a sort of harsh, gutteral "ah!" i've travelled a lot, and i think there are learned sounds that change between languages, but when... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 8:55 AM on April 10, 2008

Nthing "safe, comfortable place", a sympathetic, sober babysiter, lots of toys and snacks, 2 days set aside (one for consumption, one for recovery) and also suggesting you (i mean your friend) find another friend or two to actually take the drug with you - it's not a must but it'll probably be more fun that way. oh, and stock up on good, trippy dvd's (more than one in case one of them bugs you out, and dont forget something fun and upbeat like ferris beuller's day off or the muppets... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 8:19 AM on April 10, 2008

why do you have to climax every time? if it's taking too long, just go till you or your partner gets tired, then stop. after a few days (or weeks?) sans orgasm you should probably pop off a fair bit faster.

also, second on the death grip thing, not from personal experience but through repeated warnings from various sex advice columnists. if that's the problem, perhaps this advice from sex columnist dan savage might help?
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 2:39 AM on April 6, 2008

"It's not that his stuff is tremendously insightful. It's largely simple things, but things a lot of people never stop to think about. It sounds a little cliché, but I find it to be quite true."


2nded (or nthed, as this seems to be the general vibe of a lot of comments) i think it's a fantastic book, i don't go for the self help stuff much but this book is genius.

unSane, i had an experience like that with a few of my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 12:48 AM on April 2, 2008

if you're still in school (high school or university), buy a bass and join a band. it's dead easy to play bass, and if you join a reasonably decent band, you get the glory/buzz of getting on stage and playing to a crowd without having to spend years learning your craft (you could probably get up to speed at playing simple stuff in a rock band with 3 months of dedicated practice)

once you're playing bass in a band, if you find you have any musical talent,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:33 AM on March 12, 2008

"I can't find it, but there was a Time article about how (1) Hollywood films, as well as responding to, are a significant driver of popular culture, and so to a large extent define what is cool, (2) Hollywood is really all about box office and merchandise sales (3) The demographic with the most disposable income is the uncool - geeks, nerds, etc. (4) hence the (oft commented) rise of geeks as "the new cool"."

i immediately thought of bruce willis'... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 9:58 AM on March 12, 2008

i've read a dozen murakami novels (probably every one thats been translated to english) but i'm totally drawing a blank about where they take place as well - seems like usually it's either some bland suberb of tokyo, or a slightly bent dream world only distinguishable from the bland suberbs because the corredors form an impenitrable maze populated only by a single waiter carrying a bottle of cutty sark or something. which of course would be hard to take your sister to.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 4:12 AM on March 12, 2008

here's links for the music to 2 of his novels...

http://ribaldschmaltz.blogspot.com/2005/07/novel-soundtracks-kafka-on-shore.html
http://www.amazon.com/Haruki-Murakami-Music/lm/R37R6SJMI5VR9S
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 4:39 AM on March 12, 2008

i spent a lot of time in india (8 months) and a lot of time travelling to other southeast asian countries for much shorter periods of time, and can offer the following suggestions:

everyone has their own pov about whats interesting, what they're visiting india for, etc. so

a) buy a copy of the lonely planet india (or rough guide if you're one of those weird anti-LP people)
b) read it cover to cover (yes, i know it's 800 pages, but... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 5:17 AM on March 11, 2008

"If you're going to the south, go to the state of Kerala and arrange to take a houseboat trip along the backwaters. It would be at least one overnight, and will be a wonderful experience."

i was *this close* to suggesting that as well...

bangalore ->hampi -> kerala? (based at lovely kovalum beach with day trips to the backwaters and trivandum, which is a really nice midsized indian city)
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 6:11 AM on March 11, 2008

i travelled in india with my ex-wife (we actually *were* married at the time) but no one ever really believed we were married as we were fairly young, kind of crazy looking and staying in backpacker places. we certainly didn't carry our marriage liscence with us, and we never had the slightest bit of trouble with sharing a room - i don't believe anyone asked, ever.

we did refer to each other as "my wife" "my husband" and stuff though. hmmm, maybe... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 11:35 AM on March 11, 2008

i was in a similar position in singapore of all places - i didn't like the place at all, but managed to score a recording contract there. i finished the cd, then took off immediately. i eventually discovered a) everywhere has it's drawbacks, and singapore isn't half as bad as i thought it was (i still go there frequently) and b) i totally set back my career quite a bit by leaving when i did. it was a bad idea.

it would have been better to have seen things... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 3:45 AM on March 11, 2008

traktor dj pro by native instruments will do this. it's not cheap though, and quite possibly overkill - though not neccesarily? actually if you're punching/fading in more than one audio track at different points, say on vocal cues from the actors or something, it would be quite good for that. now that i think about it, it might be quite good for lining up, cueing, and punching in sound fx as well - much more timing sensitive than ableton i would think, and it would be easy to cue up a list of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 7:11 AM on March 10, 2008

agree with mr. crash - it's obvious and a bit of a male fantasy, but if you wanted a simple solution that would not upset your boyfriend, but rather thrill him and make him think you're one girlfriend in a million (which you are anyway, of course, but) just include him in your adventures. problem solved (interpersonal messyness aside of course)

if you're not interested in this (understandable if regrettable ;) you're now talking about issues outside of simple... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:40 PM on March 8, 2008

one of my ex's could *only* orgasm via the method mentioned by tiny crocodile, except she prefered if i spread my legs - it kinda seemed to turn into this gender reversal thing for her. i didn't mind, and she got off, so cool.

another ex and i started to have simultanious orgasms almost every time, after about 2 years of great sex (we almost never had them simultaniously before that point). we would generally start with oral, up to the point of near-but-not-quite... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:19 PM on March 8, 2008

ps. this totally started happening without any sort of planning - i'm not actually sure you can make it happen?
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 10:20 PM on March 8, 2008

thanks for all the answers guys!

-mw
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 3:53 AM on March 8, 2008

in an urban environment, i get a kick out of just walking. it's free, it's good excersise without really seeming like exercising, people watching is fun, and if you vary your neighborhoods a bit, you're bound to find funky little spots (gardens, stores, restaurants, art, and various random things) you can check out at the time, or later. i used to do this regularly when i lived in the city, and it was always good fun. if you don't bring too much money with you, i never found it a problem to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe at 6:07 AM on March 6, 2008