No good advice here, but I am so sorry about your situation, and hope that you are okay.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 7:39 AM on October 1, 2007

When the bill is on the table, be fast about picking it up and processing the credit card. Nothing is more annoying than finishing a meal, getting the bill, putting a credit card down, and then waiting 20 minutes for the waiter to come by and process the charge.

Immaculate hands, don't get your thumbs on the top of the plate, make sure your cuffs are also immaculate. Eye contact. Make your customers think that you care that they are really enjoying their experience, but... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 4:08 PM on December 27, 2006

Go to college. But first, consider a year of volunteerism with Geek Corps, the peace corp for geeks, and all around awesome resume builder.

I agree with the other posters, though - college isn't what you think it is - and there is a college out there for everyone. You might not be big rah rah state school material, but there are some great smaller and more flexible colleges out there, you just have to do the work to find them (although there are lots of great links in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 9:19 PM on August 31, 2006

Chicago CoHousing. I know the Prairie Onion people and they are really nice - email me if you want further contact information for them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 7:49 PM on July 24, 2006

I was a 12 year old girl, and all of my 12 year old friends nicked cash from their mum's purses. I don't think it has anything to do with theft, when I look back on it, and the fact that she hasn't spent it makes me think that it might not be so much about stealing and maybe more about being in that stage where you are trying to figure out the dividing line between you and your mother, and part of that is usually done by appropriating her stuff.

I doubt she needs... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 10:42 PM on July 23, 2006

What is disturbing is that she is an actress, playing a role. So one of those roles was an adults only joke, and another role is aimed at kids. How is this any different than any other actress? That NSFW clip isn't her stating her beliefs, that is her, as an actress, playing a part.

So, when Alice Cooper was on the Muppets, that was okay - but this....isn't?
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 2:45 PM on July 22, 2006

I think I have it saved on my home computer - I can email it to you later tonight if you would like.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 11:09 AM on July 19, 2006

oh, ugh. Except in circumstances where you are only known as 'Emma and Leigh's mom", ie, when you meet for the first time the parents of your kid's friends, why, oh why would anyone want to define themselves only in terms of their relationship with their children?

Remove the twee graphics and the "somebody's mommy" tagline, and these are essentially an updated version of social cards, which have been around for decades and are very useful things to have... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 8:03 AM on July 10, 2006

dog food sugar, I guess the big problem with them is that it is really only women that get reduced to being a valid human being by virtue of their relationship to other people, specifically their children. These cards are created by a man that runs his own (home based?) business, but he isn't printing cards for men that define themselves as "Matthew, Susie and Pixie's Dad" - he is specifically targeting women as needing this product.

So the underlying... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 8:31 AM on July 10, 2006

The issue isn't about having a handy way to give someone your contact info - I think everyone here, on both sides of the debate would agree that it is a handy thing, to be able to give someone a condensed list of how to contact you and that there is nothing wrong with using social cards - athought technically, social cards don't have contact information on them, just one's name. Preferably engraved by those nice people at Birks.

The bigger issue is that of context and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 9:10 AM on July 10, 2006

I would forgo sweater and jacket for a pashmina shawl. They come in loads of great colours, and are great for warmth, without being too warm. Plus they are more formal than a jacket or sweater.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 10:04 PM on July 9, 2006

I am in love with my Circa, from Levenger. Lies flat, comes in notebook and 8x11 full size, but the genius of it is, the pages slide in and out so you can rearrange your notes. You can buy circa hole punches as well, so that you can pick the paper you want as your refill and punch it to work.

I am addicted to this notebook, and probably going to shell out for the leather cover and make it official. Right now i have the translucent cover. I have seen people personalize... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 7:55 PM on July 9, 2006

I was a sleepwalker! And still am, but not nearly as frequently as when I was a kid. I also spent some time in sleep disorder clinic for insomnia, and learned there that sleepwalking is a disturbance in pre-REM - that your brainwaves swing out of synch and exhibit both waking and sleeping patterns at the same time, which is why 'waking' behaviour, like avoidance and brief conversation can happen during a sleepwalking episode, when you are at the same time in deep (pre-REM) sleep. Since children... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 7:58 PM on July 3, 2006

I am pretty sure that nearly all American condiments are either ketchup or mayonnaise based! But, have you tried tzatziki? I love dipping fries in this stuff!
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 2:58 PM on July 2, 2006 marked best answer

I picture the moment after it is all over, and how I will be glad then that I did it. If it is something that takes time to heal from, I picture a reasonable amount of time afterwards that I will be glad I went through with it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 9:37 PM on May 30, 2006

She is in my friends list as well. I added her because of her garden/flower pics, and for the same reason I add other strangers - I like people who have an interesting POV, and she does, beyond the 'being famous' stuff.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 11:31 PM on April 28, 2006

I picked up 'like' and 'you know' when I moved to the States - and it drove me nuts when I realized it. I think the only way to get rid of these speech tics is to be conscious of your speech 24/7 - ie, you will get rid of thm from your professional speaking by banning them from all of your speaking. Good luck! i still, like, slip some days, but it gets easier after awhile.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 10:31 AM on April 28, 2006

I am female, and i thought this was great! I think most women don't do self exams precisely because there is that notion of, "Oh, I am probably not doing this right." I've done them, and i have had them done, but I have never seen one done, and it turns out to be very helpful. Plus the model is very cheery, which is always a plus.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 12:48 PM on April 26, 2006

I used to work for one of these big soul-less companies, and you are not in the right just because you don't receive a bill. I used to be the person that you had to call when this issue was finally caught, and I can assure you, there are no free rides.

If you know you are using the service, pay for the service - call them up. Because if they haven't turned the power off, some poor schmuck IS being billed for it, and might not even know it. I used to see that all the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 10:44 AM on April 26, 2006

I don't have a specific bag to recommend, but I would look for a bag that had the following:

* separation in the main bag, so that a laptop could be on one side, and paperwork on the other. Makes it easier to slide the laptop in and out that way.
* two easy to access outside pockets on length side, for wallet, cell phone, PDA, etc, and one large pocket on the width side for your laptop cord and other wires.
* multi strap capability - a shoulder... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 6:33 PM on April 6, 2006

Anything that is lit by sunlight fades at some point. Personally, I love plantation shutters, in wood, but that's me. If fading is a huge concern, sheer drapes under curtains is probably the way to go - sheers are white, generally, and one rule of thumb (there are several) is that curtains are done several shades darker than the wall shade and in the same color family, or in the opposite color of the walls on the color wheel.

but also - its your house. If you like orange,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 9:28 PM on April 2, 2006

I think before you do anything you have to decide what you want the end result to be. Do you want to use this money for your own retirement? Fund your child's college career? Pay off your student loan or other debts?

Once you know that, figuring out exactly what to do with it should follow. For example, paying off your car, your home, might be a really helpful step, but if you don't have a lot of debt you might think about investing it in a way that will benefit your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 9:25 PM on April 2, 2006

It isn't kidnapping. If you find an animal running loose, take it to a shelter - you would do it if you didn't know the owner, so there is no sense in getting worked up about it if you do. The whole point of animal shelters is to shelter animals that are not being cared for. Obviously, look for a no-kill shelter!

If he has tags, they should track down the owners, and they will pay a fine to get him out. The second time it happens, the fine goes up. The third time, the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 8:50 PM on December 21, 2005

I just checked with my DVD reviewer spouse and avowed Godzilla expert ( he speaks at conferences about it!), and according to him, it was supposed to be out by the end of the year, but there is some controversy, and now it is up in the air. I will email you his email address when I get home tonight and you can contact him directly for distribution info, etc.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 12:22 PM on December 14, 2005

When in doubt, jewellry. If the baby was born in August, their birthstone is Peridot, which is really pretty. maybe a pendant of peridot? If you are a family of 3, this neckace is a row of three diamonds, with the main stone peridot, in case you want some number symbolism. This is another pretty Peridot set. To check the baby's birthstone, here is a good link. A history of Peridot is here.

If your budget is a little higher, rings with secret messages are cool. Just make... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 9:18 AM on October 7, 2005

Rich people have their own television channel - something that always boggles my mind, but is true. PlumTv - for your second home lifestyle.

Bespoke cars are very common - lamborghinis don't come with automatic transmisions, but if you have the money, you can get one made that way especially for you. I think either Kobe or Will Smith's wife has an automatic transmission lamborghini or ferrari.

Having a tremendous amount of money means having a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 9:26 AM on August 21, 2005

I have peacefully introduced dogs to cats, dogs to bunnies, bunnies to cats, and cats to bunnies, and have never experienced any real difficulty.

We found kittens under the neighbour's porch and brought them home, which meant introducing them to two 12 year old cats, 2 older dogs, and 2 bunnies.What worked for us was to start out by keeping the kittens in a cage in the living room, while we were there, and letting everyone come over and sniff, and fuss while there were... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 9:04 AM on August 21, 2005

Oh, I totally forgot - when in doubt, get out the laser pointer and get them chasing it. Giving them a 'job' like that can help bond them together quicker.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 9:06 AM on August 21, 2005

If you are truly worried about college, etc, your children will have the same, if not better, chance of getting in to a good school from a bad school district than from a good one. The top tier colleges know all about the school districts, and a great candidate from a crappy school district has a much better shot at an Ivy than the same great candidate from an elite high school, simply by virtue of having to overcome more odds to be a great candidate. The less a school offers, the easier it is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 8:06 PM on July 21, 2005

We are oddly beautiful, inside.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 6:41 AM on July 1, 2005

The best solution I think is to talk to your neighbours - if you have roaches, they have roaches, and if they also have mobility/medical issues, you could be doing them a huge favour if you bait their ktichens and bathrooms as well as your own. Fight as a team! It probably means lots more work for you, but if it eliminates the roaches and makes you a neighbourly person at the same time, everyone wins.

Or, you could go out and get yourself a bushel of common house... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by sperare at 3:26 PM on June 25, 2005

Need blind admissions and schools like Harvard offering free tuition for students whose parents make under $40 000.00 a year tell me that higher education is already changing for the better. Seems to me in 2 years Joe could have lived at home, worked like a dog, and paid off enough of those loans that he could then go forward with his glorious future. Or, he could have chosen a perfectly good education at a less expensive school.

I don't think his financial folly will... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 2:38 PM on March 22, 2004

Yeah! I was a Classics major in University, so this thread makes me very happy! And while there isn't a lot of need for latin in day to day life, it is great training for logical thinking, translating your medical charts, and when listed on a resume gives your interviewer something to talk about.

And there are so many jobs listed in the newspaper for Latin speakers! Just look in the want ads, under 'Restaurant Help needed'.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 8:18 PM on December 1, 2003

Some of the victims were found in Oregon, weren't they - a death penalty state, I think. I am generally not pro-death penalty, but I remember the fear when these women started going missing and part of me hopes he is convicted in Oregon.

I am with Orange Swan - a lot of value judgements that have no place ina murder investigation. And something about the list of Jane Doe victims just brings tears to my eyes.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 1:21 PM on November 5, 2003

silusGROK, my heart goes out to you and your family.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 3:40 PM on November 5, 2003

I want one of these! I am only about 5'9", but I have really long legs, and when the person in front of me reclines their seat, that seat sits on top of my kneecaps.

Frankly, airplane seats do not need to be reclined. Behaviour on airplanes is plenty tacky enough without the rudeness of the reclining people, both the to the ones who sit behind them and the ones sitting next to them.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 12:29 PM on October 25, 2003

I hear he is a bit of adrinker.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 5:49 AM on October 11, 2003

I vote ... seriously uncool. Uncool to disrupt the work of low paid service industry workers just to get one's jollies, and uncool because flash mobs in stores make it really easy for the people who show up to avail themselves of the shoplifting possibilities.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 6:37 AM on July 31, 2003

I was a pretty active 3WA participant back in the day, 2 or 3 years ago - I think I might have been the first member. The board took off, and the membership grew, and between the number of threads started every day, and incessant reloading to participate in 'threaded conversations', along with other popular boards closing down (Hissyfit) and their members migrating en masse to 3WA, the bandwidth costs must be enormous. And for the last few years, the owners of the site have paid for it out of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 2:41 PM on June 3, 2003

Just to clarify - your concern here is, Godforbid Matt die because his death would be an inconvenience for your online activities?

So just to make sure his death doesn't in any way interupt your web surfing, you want him to clarify that someone else, someone who likely would be close enough to him to have things like passwords and access, would, while in the midst of mourning someone they love, stop in here all day and police for trolls and make sure... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by sperare at 9:20 PM on September 4, 2002

If the consensus is that most people know they are gay from a very early age, isn't a nice idea to show kids that being gay is a normal thing to be?
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 7:25 PM on June 18, 2002

Er...most people that are gay know they are gay from a very early age ...
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 7:26 PM on June 18, 2002

I am planning on having a series of tats done on my lower GI tract - inner body tattoo, man, it is the last tat frontier.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 8:14 AM on June 15, 2002

"nice" doesn't equal "doormat". I married the nicest man I ever met, although that isn't really proof against the whole 'nice guys finishing last' thing.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 7:17 PM on June 13, 2002

I think the girl you are referring to is Jacqui Saburido (link found via Pineapple).
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 4:39 PM on June 12, 2002

Fly first class - I had lobster with butter sauce last time I did. You get what you pay for.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 5:15 AM on May 20, 2002

Is this it? Because I have seen pictures of people dying their bichons to look like this. Can't get to the angelfire link.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 8:40 AM on April 5, 2002

Now that the preview has been installed, I cannot post. When I write out a comment and go to post it, the preview shows 2 identical comments, and after I hit post on one of them, I get this:

Error resolving parameter USER_MATCH


ColdFusion was unable to determine the value of the parameter. This problem is very likely due to the fact that either:

You have misspelled the parameter name, or
You... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by sperare at 11:26 AM on June 22, 2000

I love my alma mater! Of course, this doesn't beat the UBC prof who did his ph.d work on the history of beer.
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 7:20 PM on June 14, 2000

I think I want a job at Salon....firing 13 people to save 7 million dollars? Sounds like the salaries are pretty comfortable over there!
posted to MetaFilter by sperare at 3:24 PM on June 8, 2000