Thanks, bradbane - just to clarify: I have two landlines. One has recently been switched over to Sonic.net, so landline A is Sonic.net plus DSL. So my next step is to figure out what to do about landline B.

Thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:09 AM on May 7, 2013

Recycling my previous answer from a few days ago:

The Boglehead forum members tend to recommend the Garrett Planning Network. I know a couple who have used (and been happy with) a Garrett-related planner on the east coast; I don't know anyone who's used one in NYC specifically.

Hope that helps!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 8:17 PM on May 5, 2013

Nthing Pomodoro technique.

I agree with posters above that the web surfing can produce a little chemical boost, which is what makes it so attractive. One way I've dealt with that is to find other very quick tasks that can give me a similar boost. neutralmojo's exercise suggestion is great.

In addition to exercise, you might look for tiny productive tasks you can do when you feel the urge for distraction. Sometimes I'll allow myself a 4-minute... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 12:16 PM on May 4, 2013

I suggest just plain "Conversation".
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 11:20 AM on May 4, 2013

I've seen some stuff I liked at Studio Gallery on Polk Street - I think most of the things I've seen there have been well under $1000, much of it under $400.

You might also find something in that price range at Thomas Reynolds on Pine at Fillmore - especially when they do their Small Treasures shows, which I think tend to be in November and December.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 7:57 PM on April 25, 2013

I would agree with blueplasticfish that you can probably do it yourself, and definitely second acidic's recommendation for the Bogleheads book. Eric Tyson's Personal Finance for Dummies is also really good.

There's a ton of great advice over at bogleheads.org, including both their forums and their excellent wiki pages.

If you'd like to try out a fee-only financial planner, the Boglehead forum members tend to recommend the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:11 PM on April 17, 2013 marked best answer

Note that the Canons tend to require Windows. If you don't use OS X or Linux and have no likelihood of needing to run under those operating systems, that's fine; but if you prefer more flexibility in your OS, the Canon might not work for you.

I have a similar Canon, and it's worked really well for me - but I have to keep a PC available for it, as it won't run under OS X no way no how - it won't even run under Windows in Parallels, and Canon tech support confirmed for me... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 11:01 PM on April 10, 2013

Atkins' Molecules.

Also, The Anchor Atlas of World History (link is to image search results).
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 10:39 PM on April 10, 2013 marked best answer

You might consider Victoria Zenoff - I haven't had any contact with her personally, but two of my colleagues spoke very highly of her.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 11:18 AM on April 4, 2013

Audium

Also, after the Exploratorium re-opens, check out the Tactile Dome.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 11:23 AM on April 1, 2013

San Francisco here: I actually thought the public library might be closed today, but nope, they were open their usual hours.

I haven't noticed anything here being closed for Easter.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 5:32 PM on March 31, 2013

There are dozens of telecourses available at Annenberg Learner. These are mostly (maybe all) full telecourses, developed with various universities and usually shown on college-affiliated broadcast stations. You can watch nearly all of them online.

Just a few highlights:

American Cinema
Art of the Western World
A Biography of America
The Western Tradition
Ethics in America

as... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 5:24 PM on March 31, 2013 marked best answer

These might be a little advanced (I certainly don't understand every word), but I've become a big fan of several programs on Radio France, especially

Les Récits de Loire-Atlantique et de Vendée, which features interviews about sights and history of the Loire-Atlantique region (a cookie factory! the Nantes rail line!)

and

Le monde est un campus, which interviews foreign students who are studying in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 6:41 PM on March 15, 2013

"It's Raining Men" - The Weather Girls (co-written by Paul Shaffer)

Since you already know you like Stevie Wonder:
"Sir Duke"
"I Wish"

"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" - Louis Jordan
"What is Hip" - Tower of Power
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:19 AM on March 12, 2013

I always recommend San Francisco City Guides walking tours. They're run by volunteers affiliated with the Friends of the Public Library, so the tours are free (donations accepted).

There are dozens of tours all over the city, every day of the week.

Friday afternoon, you might enjoy

City Scapes and Public Places
Gold Rush City

Saturday you have a huge range of options, including North... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 2:32 PM on February 27, 2013

Quick update:

I absolutely do read as much in my target languages as possible (most recently, Jules Verne for French and a translation of Good Omens for Spanish; switching to a history of Spain in Spanish next). However, simply reading isn't making much of the vocabulary stick (grammar may be sticking a bit more; not sure).

I want to actually add at least some of these new words to my active speaking vocabulary.

Thanks!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 10:29 AM on February 26, 2013

"I like prog rock ..."

So surely you've got Styx songs on your list, right? "Fooling Yourself" is a must, and "I'm Okay" would work, too. Heck, maybe even "Come Sail Away."

I also like some Todd Rundgren songs for this: "One World", "I Love My Life", "Change Myself", "Second Wind" (for a rather specific antidote-to-depressing-messages kind of thing).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 7:03 PM on February 23, 2013

For your upcoming visit, I strongly recommend walking tours with San Francisco City Guides. The tours are run by an offshoot of Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, and they're free (donations to the organization are gladly accepted).

Walking is a GREAT way to get a feel for San Francisco, and City Guides offers tours all over the place, every day of the week.

Welcome to the city! It's a great place to live.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:58 AM on February 22, 2013

Burns and Allen. I was just listening to the BBC's Great Lives on Gracie Allen, and they pointed out that, while you could perceive their act as making fun of Gracie for being a dumb girl, in fact, she was the driving force behind the act, and there's something about her utter charm and personality that makes her seem at least George's equal.

Also, maybe Stephen Wright? I'm kind of allergic to mean humor, and I love his absurdist take on things.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 11:31 AM on February 18, 2013

If, as mentioned above, he might have periods when he's having trouble concentrating or not quite feeling up to actual reading, may I suggest Calvin and Hobbes collections? Whenever I'm sick or needing to recover from something, Calvin and Hobbes strips always make me feel better, and I can read just a few strips or half a book, depending on how I'm feeling.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 6:16 PM on February 13, 2013

Styx's "I'm Okay" starts out with "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!"
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 2:34 PM on February 11, 2013

Also, have you checked your library? Some libraries subscribe to music services, so that might be an additional source for you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 12:57 PM on February 9, 2013

Wow - grumblebee, that was fantastic!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:45 AM on February 6, 2013

These are all terrific - thank you!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 11:52 AM on February 2, 2013

In addition to Pasadena Heritage, there's also San Marino Heritage.

You might also be able to gather some historical information about the builders and former residents at archive.org and Chronicling America.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:29 AM on January 31, 2013

Great question - I'm often looking for books with the same criteria.

I've really enjoyed books by Lisa Jewell. They include:

Ralph's Party (1999)
Thirtynothing (2000)
One Hit Wonder (2001)
A Friend of the Family (2004)
Vince and Joy (2005)
31 Dream Street (2007)
Roommates Wanted (2008)- alternative title for 31 Dream Street
The... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 11:39 AM on January 26, 2013

These are all great answers - especially RobotHero's suggestion to draw from a different direction and FAMOUS MONSTER's fantastic bunch of ideas.

Thank you all!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 10:56 AM on January 25, 2013

To follow up on lampshade:

I've heard that OmniPage has gotten worse, not better, especially for the Mac. I have an old version and find it fairly good, but every time I think about upgrading I find these horrible reviews ... and it's not a cheap upgrade.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:16 AM on January 16, 2013

"Change Myself" by Todd Rundgren
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 3:21 PM on January 11, 2013

Trillian - REALLY? WOW! THANKS! I'm sending you a MeMail now.

I'm still interested in any other answers anyone else has, so feel free to comment if you have suggestions!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:13 PM on January 8, 2013

Two suggestions, both well-written books about molecules and atoms (neither one is perfume-specific):

Atkins' Molecules - one reviewer called it "the most beautiful chemistry book ever written"; it's out of print and therefore pricy, but check your library (and interlibrary loan if available)

The periodic kingdom : a journey into the land of the chemical elements, also by P. W.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 12:27 PM on January 4, 2013

To riff on flying_trapeze's answer, I have a book called "Talking Back to Poems" that suggests ways to identify various elements in poetry (sounds, imagery, structure) and then write a new poem trying to use some similar elements. It's a nice way to get some prompts and give yourself a starting point for your daily poem.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 8:25 PM on December 30, 2012

For me, these two things help:

1. absolute permission - encouragement, even - to suck
2. a ridiculous deadline that reinforces that permission to suck

I've been able to create those conditions through my own personal Immersion Composition Society. I write songs, but I also draw, and the same concept applies.

Here's the original idea - easily adapted, as you'll see:

Find a few... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 12:30 PM on December 28, 2012

I really like Napoleon - it's about a dog (although he looks more like a pillow) playing in the attic on a rainy afternoon. I love the pictures themselves - he stages a train robbery with his toy train set and decorates an old coat with Christmas lights - but I also love the story of him playing alone, having the best possible time amusing himself with his imagination and whatever's up there in the attic. He's by himself, and he's having tremendous fun. I just find the whole thing charming.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 8:42 AM on December 19, 2012

Just wanted to mention that the Great Courses discs are often available at public libraries, so definitely check there if you're thinking of checking them out.

You might also want to check whether your library has any of the O'Reilly Head First books - lots of them cover programming, but they also have books on physics and statistics and algebra. They incorporate lots of visual elements and lots of quizzes and activities designed to make learning easier.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 3:26 PM on December 15, 2012

The San Francisco Public Library has digitized an unbelievable amount of information and made it available through archive.org - here's a list of the nearly 4000 items the SFPL has added to archive.org so far.

It includes:


oral history
African American materials (lots of overlap with "oral history" but also gets you "Sixty-two Heroes and Pioneers of the Western Addition" and three years of a late... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 7:38 PM on November 24, 2012

For me, it would be more about the frequency than anything. If it happens repeatedly, I would try to respond at least half the time with, "I'd be happy to send you some background - I've done it for you before - but I'm starting to feel like you're asking me to be responsible for how well informed you are. How about if you do some research yourself, and maybe tomorrow or over the weekend we can talk some more about what you've found?"

As for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 2:53 PM on November 6, 2012

I know you said "online", but you might also check your library to see if they have the Teaching Course series on Ulysses.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:43 AM on November 2, 2012

Sorry, I should clarify - definitely not t'ai chi. It's much faster and livelier.

Stepping seems like a distinct possibility, though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:33 AM on October 30, 2012

The Committee of Vigilance was a notorious instance of vigilante justice in San Francisco. As Wikipedia notes, they hanged 8 people.

There are lots of accounts at Gutenberg.org - you can find them by searching for vigilante or vigilance.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:04 PM on October 21, 2012

If you're interested in scary stories for October, may I recommend Neil Gaiman reading The Graveyard Book? It's a great book - it won both a Newbery Medal and a Hugo Award - and he does a wonderful job reading it.

It's available through Audible, but you can also check it out online - Neil did a reading tour where he read the whole book, chapter by chapter, and answered questions afterward. (It might even be fun to listen to both versions - the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 12:25 PM on October 13, 2012 marked best answer

Thanks for all these great suggestions!

Egg Shen, it turns out AllMusic.com is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Being able to go to the Miles Davis page and click the Editors' Rating column to sort - plus the check-marked essential albums - is terrifically useful for focusing on the best of the bunch. Thank you so much!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:48 AM on October 12, 2012

I just learned about Quizlet here on AskMe, and I'm really impressed. I'm pretty sure the app is free, and you can download flashcard sets that others have uploaded (and also use them on the website).
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 10:27 AM on October 8, 2012

Great, great, great answers! Thank you all so much!

theodolite, I'll be stopping in at the Japantown mall to check out what they have these days. I know about the stationery store in the southwest corner near the crepe place - do you remember where the other one is?

xyzzy, that ballpoint pen art is amazing. Thank you for linking to it. Wow.

sprezzy, I'm also a big fan of buying a bunch and seeing which ones work for me ...... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 10:54 AM on October 4, 2012

"Are there any mental hacks you utilize when you feel yourself starting to grump up? Or from past experience, what have you done that made you feel like the best you?"

Get lots of sleep. Seriously. I never used to believe that more sleep could make me feel better and less irritable (I'm a pretty cheery person), but it really makes an amazing difference. Here's my post from a few months ago about feeling better when I got enough sleep.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 10:42 AM on October 4, 2012

Just wanted to point out that Burkhardt's The Civilisation of the Renaissance in Italy is a free download from Project Gutenberg.

A search of the Gutenberg site reveals some other interesting options, as well.

And searches for medieval Italy at archive.org and renaissance Italy at archive.org turns up:

Medieval Italy during a thousand years (305-1313) (or this copy)
Guelphs &... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 3:57 PM on September 22, 2012

A friend of mine just visited the UK and they picked Cambridge over Oxford because they're Douglas Adams fans. Since you're fans of Doctor Who and Monty Python, Adams might also be up your street. I think there might be an online guide to Douglas Adams-related spots in Cambridge, although my quick search didn't find it.

Have fun!
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 8:28 PM on September 17, 2012

I wonder if the BBC's A History of the World in 100 Objects would work?

In addition, there are lots of courses on iTunes U about history and dozens of other subjects - any of which you may find sufficiently boring [grin]. Here's a list of history courses at MIT's OpenCourseWare, but you might find anthropology or economics or poli sci more sleep-inducing.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 9:37 AM on September 12, 2012 marked best answer

I'd like to cast a strong vote in favor of sharing what you know with the people you know.

I disagree with the people who say "all speakers do it, so why bother?" When I consider going to a seminar, I assume that the speakers are representing their experience accurately.

I think information asymetry is a real problem, and you have an opportunity to provide information that will help the potential seminar participants make better... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 12:30 PM on September 8, 2012

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Paperport yet. It comes with a number of scanners and can index your files within its system. They're emphasizing "in the cloud" for the latest version of their software, but as far as I know, you can run it entirely on your own hardware and ignore the cloud features.

Similarly, the Fujitsu Snapscan comes with document organizing software.

You might also find some useful ideas doing a search for free... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by kristi at 5:25 PM on September 2, 2012