You do know that it replays again on different channels tonight, right?
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 9:10 PM on October 7, 2008

Come on guys. We all know someone who has a substance abuse problem. When they are close to hitting the bottom, and you stuff their pockets with money, what do they end up doing?

Do they change their life, or is their behavior reinforced?

Seriously...as much as I want those bastards to be put into prison (I'm talking Leavenworth, not a white collar country club style minimum security prison)...enabling them won't change the way they operate.
posted to MetaFilter by hal_c_on at 6:40 PM on October 7, 2008

If my story doesn't solve your dilemma...you have got some problems.

My freshman year roommate and I decided to bunk our bunkable beds so that we could save space (for what...I don't know). He took the top, I took the bottom; it might have been a totally arbitrary decision.

I woke up every morning at 7:40 and stumbled into my calc class. I'd come back home immediately so I could get more sleep in. I loved sleep after class. I'd lay down in bed,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 9:31 PM on October 6, 2008

Stop being so selfish. You clearly state that you do not want to hurt him, and you equate that with your want to "keep him around".

This dude has a RIGHT to not be hurt (emotionally or physically), and all you have is a want to have him around.

Maybe he only wants to spend time in a situation where there is a possibility for a relationship. Why should YOU get to have your cake and eat it too, while he just waits on the possibility of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 9:13 PM on October 6, 2008

Two words: LICENSED counseling.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 9:07 PM on October 6, 2008

Adam Sandler doing halloween ideas on Weekend update. I remember "newspaper head" and "protractor head man". Nobody here has listed it, and its over 10 years old.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:01 PM on October 4, 2008

Addendum: If you need ANY additional information to do the calculation, just ask it here. I'm sure I, or some black-belted google-fu solitary monks will be able to find it. I betcha they will!
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 12:58 PM on October 4, 2008

It will be very difficult to factor in the effect of top-notch medical help always at hand.

Actually not at all. Thats why they ask for income/savings on insurance applications. The wealthier one is, the better access to health care one has. If McCain does become president, he will have better doctors than say...the governor of a state with less than a million people. But I'd put money on the idea that he wouldn't have better health care than a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 1:09 PM on October 4, 2008

0xFCAF,

Your answer would be totally correct if life insurance companies would say "nope, we can't calculate premiums for individuals". Thanks for the input, though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 1:15 PM on October 4, 2008

aubilenon,

I thought the link was totally awesome until I actually read it. A firm in atlanta is claiming that John Mccain has 8 years of life left (80 years), but Barrack Obama has only 21 years left (68 years)? It seems odd, but could totally be right.

It just seems odd to me, that the SSA tables make it seem as if McCain would have a 30%+ chance of dying before the end of his second term, but this atlanta firm puts it at a quarter.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 1:22 PM on October 4, 2008

0xFCAF,

You're right about the classes. But what other classes must be taken into account to do this calculation?
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 1:24 PM on October 4, 2008

toomuchpete, and i_am_joe's spleet,

thanks. that makes it a BIT more clear to me.INS companies can't predict for an individual, but for an aggregate. Got it.

I am not asking for CERTAINTY, but a percentage (what is the chance, in percentage, that mccain will be 100% dead before he finishes his term?).

Let me rephrase my question:
The SSA table uses 3 factors (american, age, sex) to figure out the table. What... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 2:12 PM on October 4, 2008

operating thetan,

That is EXACTLY what my brother says also (off by a few tenths of a percentage point). Besides the post of aubilenon. You have the most relevant posting here. Thanks for consulting a real source!

So here are the posts I see on here:

1. "There's no way to tell. EVER. We need more presidential data."

2. Well there's always the risk of "X". So you gotta factor... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 5:44 PM on October 4, 2008

Define "fast". Will you be eating ANYTHING? Will you be drinking? Water, other fluids, what?

There is no quick and fast answer to when the body switches from burning fat to burning muscle for everyone. The easy answer is when your body goes into starvation mode: when your body says "hey...i'm not getting food, i better hold onto those fat reserves". When you get physically hungry, your body does that.

If this is a 4-5 day get... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 2:23 PM on October 4, 2008

This is garbage. I also got my post deleted because it "doesnt appeal to someone not immersed in the day-to-day back and forth about USian politicking".

All I did was post a link to the actual copy of the bill which is often referenced but has rarely been read.

http://www.metafilter.com/75241/

Total hogwash.

And yeah...there ARE tons of people posting this. If one was posted and kept up,... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by hal_c_on at 10:34 AM on September 29, 2008

So I'm not really a cheery optimist or a "give them the benefit of the doubt" kinda guy. But are you all seriously arguing about who will get credit if your idea is selected?

People always come up with ideas like pracowity described. Its usually the lower or middle class who come up with those ideas since they are 95%+ of the total population. 95% of the population has a greater number of ideas than 5% of the population.

This gives the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hal_c_on at 12:39 PM on September 25, 2008

Can you separate your religion from your politics? If so, then you can do what you said...and there's no way you can work for the republicans right now.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 3:05 PM on September 24, 2008

Yeah, I remember hearing TONS of "research" stories as a freshman in college. It took about 4 weeks and a few classes of how research is actually done before everyone stopped talking about monkey sex, broccoli feeling pain, and horses preference for a vegan diet.

Except the business majors. They're still motivated by monkey sex...to this day.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 11:08 PM on September 22, 2008

Oh yeah...another term I used to hear lots of was "journals". "I read it in a journal". Yeah, sure. Well if it was a journal, then its DEFINITELY true!
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 11:13 PM on September 22, 2008

I do it LOTS. At first I wanted to use "partner" because I didn't want to use the term "girlfriend". That could mean anything from "second date" to "fiance". I'd always get "oh, so how long have you been dating?".

After a while, I preferred using the term "partner" because it was vague and let me keep my personal life, personal. I wouldn't really use the term "partner" when talking to friends, or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 11:12 PM on September 22, 2008

There are 2 possibilities of why:

1. They lie. That makes them liars. They should have no credibility in your eyes. Everyone can tell the truth about something that makes them look good...but liars come out when push comes to shove.

2. They forgot. In "forgetting", theres the kind of forgetting that happens when you forget to record a show you like because you "forgot", or theres the kind of forgetting one does when one bears... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 4:11 PM on September 22, 2008

I second pdb. Its not whether you're the only other person that "really could afford to pitch anything".

The first priority should be: groom doesn't pay.
Second priority should be:everyone pays equally.

I mean sure some people claim they can't be...but they really won't be limiting their fun or their drinks at a bachelor party. If there's 10 people there, and the cost is $400 (good deal)...$40 per person isn't bad at all.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 10:06 AM on September 19, 2008

Motivational speaker. he could definitely get gigs if he was legally blind.

Also, you should be hired by him to announce him at his speeches.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 3:34 PM on September 18, 2008

There's no real winner here; actually everyone loses.
posted to MetaFilter by hal_c_on at 3:12 PM on September 18, 2008

Worms and other lower on the evolutionary scale organisms mix food and wastes. Thats why they will never rule the earth. Bees on the other hand can totally take over.
posted to MetaFilter by hal_c_on at 3:08 PM on September 18, 2008

Screw SAT prep tutors...you say you work on Wall Street. Do you have any financial certifications, series tests, CFAs or anything on your resume? If so, you can make a hefty killing tutoring for those tests weeks before it is administered.

Also, how did you graduate NYU in 2005 and don't have those loans to worry about while you have time to worry about a smaller 15K loan? Maybe you should do what you did in college to get by. If you got a full ride or huge scholarship,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 2:57 PM on September 18, 2008

I'm GUESSING that its because making commercials isn't a 1-step process. They first have to be filmed, then approved (by the company's own legal team...and maybe the FDA or something). By the time it comes out of that process, so many things have to be changed that they would have to film it over again if they wanted it to be compliant. Its probably easier (and cheaper) to keep the video, and redo the sound.

It makes sense to say "Well why don't they have the script... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 2:50 PM on September 18, 2008

So basically, the rise of marketing has a inverse correlation with approval from a legitimate and trusted medical association. Interesting...
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 2:45 PM on September 18, 2008

How about Wonder Boys?
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 9:48 AM on September 18, 2008

How many times did she tell you the opposite of what was true, and pass it off as the truth? Do you know what that makes her? Do you really want to be involved with that?

You do not want to "win her back". Because she's gone, you have already "won".
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 11:51 PM on September 17, 2008

Certain sleeping aids do cause nightmares and night terrors (esp. melatonin). I suggest seeking a mental health professional. No, you aren't "crazy", but they are way more experienced in this.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 2:07 PM on September 16, 2008

Voters are getting younger (yeah)...but the new tactics are being developed to secure those votes (see MTV).
posted to MetaFilter by hal_c_on at 2:03 PM on September 15, 2008

Moneydance is useless. I already wrote that:
"The commercial programs for Macs (OS X if you want to be anal about it) that I have found only allow one to print the variable information (recipient, amount, date, memo, etc) on the checks. That is NOT what I am looking for."

As for using Word, Filemaker Pro, other software to print checks...umm yeah. I said that I'd rather not use Photoshop. Perhaps I should have been more clear and said "I want... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:31 AM on September 13, 2008

Misanthropicsarah, you're totally right. I DIDNT specifically call out moneydance...BUT I did say I found tons of programs like it which would print the variable info.

My googlefu is "ok" at best, and I couldnt find anything in my 2 week research. Thanks for using your super googlefu just in case I missed anything; I really appreciate it.

To answer your question, I have found that in printing checks (on PCs...sigh), there are 2... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 12:05 PM on September 13, 2008

Hmm. I know the situation. This is what you can do since she WILL reject any and ALL attempts (no matter how genuine and selfless) at giving her money.

You don't have MANY options, but do this.

Friend #1. Request a VERY specific dress for piano. Be kinda crazy about what she is wearing. Buy it for her because "it goes with the decor" or something crazy like that. Also...INSIST that a really nice vase be put on top of the piano, along... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 1:03 PM on September 10, 2008

So nothing from the 20th century would mean you only want stuff written/published on or after Jan 1, 2001, right?

Check out the Philosophy Now Journal. You should be able to find stuff in there that leads you to what you are actually looking for.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 12:49 PM on September 10, 2008 marked best answer

Your money will go a LOT farther (performance wise) the longer you wait. If I were you, I'd wait till NEXT august when Apple offers some phat deals that include a free printer, a free ipod, and a MBP that costs drastically less (or if not, its way more powerful) than anything on the market today.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 9:04 PM on September 9, 2008

Take note of industries/companies that say their products should be used in moderation:

Alcohol, Tobacco, Fast Foods, High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Tell anybody anything?
posted to MetaFilter by hal_c_on at 8:33 PM on September 9, 2008

BAM. Don't get a lawyer that would charge you $300/hour just to listen. A congressman couldn't care less, and small claims court may work...but it would take TONS of time to get your money (and a remedy).

http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSE/

Call the LA office, have them help you file a wage claim, have ALL your materials (past pay stubs), and it would be awesome if you printed out all your emails.

If you need more help...message me. This is what I do.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:58 PM on September 8, 2008

So ummm...who actually converted the tape to digital format and uploaded it onto youtube?
posted to MetaFilter by hal_c_on at 12:31 AM on September 7, 2008

WcityMike...Great thread. I didn't even know it existed till you pointed out the link. Reading through the 9/11 thread, I do agree that most people do pull together. I seem to think that groupthink isn't really about the most logical people or the most popular opinion.

Its the most paranoid, violent, and crazy opinions that get heard. I read more than a few "KILL THEM ALL" comments there.

Messed up.
posted to MetaTalk by hal_c_on at 9:05 AM on September 5, 2008

I am not going to acknowledge any "theory" that has a website with ads for free screensavers.

But I can tell you that if you talk about having sex with women as conquests or "adventures" to other women, they may not want to be on that list...so they can avoid you talking about them to other women.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:49 AM on September 5, 2008

Call up Oprah's show and request a transcript. Ok. Apparently the site is down...and they will be back up after a while to field your request.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:36 PM on September 4, 2008

Is this a BIG store like whole foods or is it a neighborhood store.

If it IS a big store like whole foods, find their customer service number, talk to someone there.

If it IS a neighborhood store, and you STILL are pissed, talk to the manager again, and be honest with him. Tell him that you aren't trying to milk the store for all its worth...you just need to have something to make you feel better. Thats all. Who knows...he may offer you a free... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:34 PM on September 4, 2008

nthing lawyering up. Also, you might want to go see a psychologist. Maybe they could foresee certain problems arising from this situation. After hearing from them, you'd have a WAY better idea of whether you want to do it or not.

How involved do they want you to be? Are you just the donor, or will you be involved in the child's life? Financially?

This is a big commitment. You need to talk to a few professionals before you make a decision.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:28 PM on September 4, 2008

There are some very different reasons that your car's a/c could have "died". Without more information, I'd just be guessing. But from a practical standpoint.

I'm guessing your a/c dying wasn't that big of a deal where you are living because of the climate. If thats the case, go ahead and sell the car in that area. Take the money, and buy a car in SE Cali.

That way, you're trading in a broken a/c in an area that doesn't need a/c for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:18 PM on September 4, 2008

How about telling person A:

"Wow, do you really feel that way or are you just trying to hurt someone's feelings?"

Say it, don't read it. When you actually say it aloud its VERY effective in getting someone to think about what they are doing.

How do I know this?...I was person A.
:-(
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 9:16 PM on September 3, 2008

Contact the NICU, and ask. Maybe even do it at another (larger) hospital so that they give you more ideas.

Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 8:45 PM on September 3, 2008

Thanks for the help, guys. Let me address your answers:

mmascolino: Seriously, THAT is what I thought. I called the wynn, and not even their fairway apartments have kitchens. With the Bellagio, the quoted me prices for their villas which come with their own pools...but no kitchen. I cannot even find a crazy expensive suite with a kitchen. No kitchen!

eatenbyagrue: No you're not confused; I need a casino hotel on or near a strip. It HAS to be a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 11:38 AM on September 3, 2008

Just to address it again...it HAS to be a gaming hotel.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hal_c_on at 11:39 AM on September 3, 2008