I think the OP is asking, what's interesting about Japan, not, what makes it a great country or culture. Which is a pretty broad question, and I'm hoping he'll stop back and clarify or narrow things down.

Anyway. My own experience is a 10-day trip 15 years ago. A few things I thought were great about Japan:
--Food. You can find 'Western" food, but skip it and immerse yourself in the local fare.
--Temples and gardens. Every one is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 7:02 PM on July 23, 2008

There have always been tailgaters, but it's gotten way, way worse since the advent of nationally televised NASCAR, where it's done in races for obvious strategic reasons. Besides aggressiveness and stupidity, I think a lot of tailgaters have fantasies of driving the NASCAR circuit.

weapons-grade pandemonium: It's actually a defensive driving technique that works well as long as you're paying close attention to your driving. If you leave a comfortable gap,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 10:19 AM on July 23, 2008

Take some time to figure out what it is that really interests you about this job: (a) the critters themselves, (b) customer service -- helping people find pets, pet stuff, pet services, etc., (c) sales -- selling stuff to people, helping the store maximize sales, pitching the quality of the goods, etc., or (d) management -- helping to run the store, keeping it organized, purchasing, inventory, scheduling. Think it through, because depending on which factor or factors interest you most, you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:31 AM on July 23, 2008

What kind of snake have you got? A flat tape-type snake ought to get around any corners.
But first, stick a garden hose in there, with a high-pressure nozzle on it (not the pistol kind, but the straight kind). Root around for a while, and the obstruction should get flushed down. If it's leaves, they've probably halfway decomposed so they'll break up and flush down the drain, and won't create a new clog lower down.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 5:54 AM on July 22, 2008

Sorry, I should have noticed you thought of the hose idea. I endorse it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 5:55 AM on July 22, 2008

See also the anonymous comment at the end of this thread. They're talking about a bulbous attachment for the end of your garden hose, essentially a seal around the end of it, so that when you turn the water on, you're creating a lot of downward pressure into the vent. Inquire at a hardware operation with knowledgeable counter guys (ie., not the large orange variety).
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:01 AM on July 22, 2008

Also, if the obstruction you are hitting is actually a bend in the pipe, it's conceivable that there is a horizontal section (not really a good idea in a vent, but sometimes unavoidable), and that that section has sagged somehow so that water is actually trapped in it. You could clear that out but eventually rain would refill it. You'll know, though, when you break through the clog. The water should then drain entirely on its own, and the sinks should empty smoothly. If not, water might be... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 9:35 AM on July 22, 2008

If it's cedar, is much less likely to be pressure-treated than pine, since the whole point of using cedar is that it's pretty rot resistant without any treatment. However, as cedar, it will not make a good fire. It will crackle and spit, and will produce a ton of smoke (meaning you have to keep the flue open all the way which sucks heat out of the room), and it will burn fast so you'll have to chuck more wood on the fire every five minutes. And of course it might still have residual stain or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 3:00 PM on July 21, 2008 marked best answer

If you really only need this once a month for 360 copies, you might want to just farm this out to a print shop with a good digital 11x17 copier. It shouldn't run you more than $100 a month (here, for example), which is probably not much more than what you're spending on paper, toner, time and wear and tear.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 10:25 AM on July 21, 2008

Also check out Johnny's Seeds.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 9:01 AM on July 21, 2008

Seconding that's its part of mine crushing apparatus.
The manufacturer is
RIM-TEC CASTINGS 1340-119N. COMMERCIAL STREET, BELLINGHAM, WA U.S.A. 98227 USA
Does not see to have a web site.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:55 AM on July 21, 2008 marked best answer

Wouldn't using them it 3 meals a day be sufficiently displaying it? If you want to go beyond that, do you have a dining room you don't use except for more formal meals? If so, you could just leave the table set, along with nice china and glassware.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 1:39 PM on July 16, 2008

The thing would have to fit the mission of the particular museum, so you need a place with some kind of literary orientation. Museums don't want to own or display random things any more (as they once did -- a brick from the Great Wall of China might be displayed alongside a piece of fabric from the Wright Brothers' first plane -- but audiences are not interested in that kind of "cabinet of curiosities" approach anymore).

I can't really imagine a museum being... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:45 AM on July 16, 2008 marked best answer

I would go for an alternative ground cover, which ought to provide some good landscaping options. Or, you can dig everything up and channel that spring through a drainage ditch filled with stone, cover that with heavy permeable groundcloth, then soil and reseed grass. The surface will no longer be wet and grass will grow normally.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 3:46 PM on July 15, 2008

The "nicer sheets" demand (yes, it's a demand, not a request) is really over the top and should be reason alone for you to drop out.

Your question is, "how do I explain this to her". Since she seems to be communicating with you by email, compose a rational email explaining, just as you've explained to us, what the problem is. Wait 24 hours before sending, and read it several times during that time to weed out any kind of inflammatory statement;... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 5:25 AM on July 15, 2008

By the way, gwenlister, you are semi-identifiable and this is a public thread in which your "friend" has been dissed all over the place, including by you. Just a word to the wise, by prepared for repercussions once this hits someone who leaks it to the bride.

I repeat my advice above. By your anser to IAmBroom, it appears you have been plenty assertive with her in the past and have not shrunk from an argument if necessary. First, you need to make some... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 7:43 AM on July 15, 2008

lead in paint isn't too bad on adults

Yeah, smoking is not too bad, either. It all depends on how you handle the paint. Dry sanding, scraping, sand blasting, power washing, or torching that paint releases lead into the air, and would expose the person doing it, or anyone around your house, to lead poisoning. Lead can poison adults as well as children (remember the Roman empire?), and this type of project is one of the leading ways they get lead... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:37 PM on July 14, 2008

You are likely to be charged for something ONLY if you made a trade based on information gained in one of the following ways:
a. In the normal course of your job you were privy to the information that became public at the time of the earnings restatement, or to the fact that an earnings restatement was in the works.
b. Somebody in such a position tipped you off in any way that any negative news likely to affect the value of the stock was about to be announced. (You... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:21 PM on July 14, 2008

KenManiac has it, I think. Clearly it's related to the dig, it was not happening before. Garage and other exterior outlet circuits are required to be GFI under most electrical codes, so if it's only 10 years old, it probably is GFI.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 9:07 AM on July 14, 2008

Some GFCIs are at the circuit breaker and may not have a pop-up button on an outlet. It's tripping because somewhere, current is leaking to ground. An electrician should be able to determine which wire it is, and whether you need to dig to find it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 10:36 AM on July 14, 2008 marked best answer

Have you paid the kitchen contractor in full already? Hopefully not.
You should hold back whatever you think is a fair compensation for the damage done. Say, $800, half your refinish cost on the theory that the floors were already kind of half beat up. Or maybe a bit more to provide some negotiating room. Or, the full amount if the floors were really pretty good and you were not planning to do anything to them at this point. Take a few pictures before the floors are refinished,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 5:54 PM on July 11, 2008

Jerome Lettvin, a professor of mine, long ago, in the process of giving up cigarettes, took up chewing on those rawhide dog chews, the ones the size and shape of a cigar. Here he is with a smoke. I don't know if it worked, but he said they tasted OK. (Can't be any worse than tobacco, anyway.) And they're zero calories, or close to it, I would assume. On the other hand, your wife might rather have you chewing tobacco than those things, or make you sleep with the pooch.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 12:24 PM on July 11, 2008

In the wasabi department, there are also wasabi soy nuts, which are high protein, no fat.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 2:04 PM on July 11, 2008

Here's a similar one dated 1795.


And this one, by the same maker as yours, is dated 1785.

Another.

You might want to send a (better) picture to those Dutch dealers. The thing is likely to fetch much more in Holland than Stateside, assuming that's where you are.

Here's one, dated 1820, same maker as yours, that sold at auction for 2600 Euros.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 9:54 AM on July 11, 2008 marked best answer

You really want to get up there close enough to use your elbows. Nothing on a stick is going to give you enough control or force. A ladder is probably the most important part of this. Or even better, a sturdy table.

I disagree. If it's an 8 foot ceiling, figure out a stick approach. Something like, tying a sponge to the swivel-action thing that's used for sanding sheetrock. Or even just a kitchen sponge mop with a squeeze lever. Talk to the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 9:40 AM on July 11, 2008

Here's the very first result from Googling "World.Ventures scam". You can wait for something in a "solid publication", but it's an obvious pyramid scheme.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 7:00 PM on July 10, 2008

The "good news" is that prostate cancer is a very, very slow growing cancer. This means that you don't have to rush the treatment, you can take your time doing research, exploring options, getting second opinions, making decisions about freezing sperm, and the like. During this time, PSA should be tested several more times to determine what the trend line is. (Little known fact: sexual activity up to 3 days prior to a PSA test can increase the reading significantly, so lay off... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 5:49 AM on July 10, 2008

Eaglehound: they remove the prostate, and yes, the cancer may be "encapsulated" in the sense that there is no discernable tumor growth outside the prostate itself, but, the fact is, that's no guarantee there is no cancer at all outside the prostate that survives. It only takes one cancer cell outside the prostate to restart the process. Because it grows very slowly, it can be several years before an indication of recurrence is evident in a gradually increasing set of PSA readings,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 7:50 AM on July 10, 2008

Here's another reference on recurrence. My "50% within 5 years" is an overstatement (it's what my doctor told me 5 years ago), but this study suggests it's 31% within 10 years. So basically, the numbers are all over the lot, but the recurrence rate is very significant, it's not a minor outside chance, and the initial treatment, therefore, IMHO, should be as aggressive as possible. Also note, in this reference, that the 10-year recurrence rate for radiotherapy (which includes... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 7:58 AM on July 10, 2008 marked best answer

vytae, your second comment is more correct. They DO take out the entire prostate, no ifs ands or buts. The prostate produces semen, that's pretty much all it does. The nerves that control sexual function in the penis run right smack next to it, so the trick is to cut the prostate out while leaving the nerves alone to the extent possible. In some cases, they transplant nerves from the leg to graft the nerves back together in the prostate area. Chances of preserving sexual function are pretty... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 8:03 AM on July 10, 2008

I promise to stop now, but here's one more clinical report suggesting specifically that for younger patients, surgery has far better results than radiation:

At 10 years, a 6.7-fold increased risk for prostate cancer–related death was found in younger patients who received radiotherapy vs those who had surgery. Patients with poorly differentiated tumors who received radiotherapy had a 5.2-fold increased risk for mortality vs those who underwent prostatectomy.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 8:13 AM on July 10, 2008

What is the probability of each card being dealt?

The OP really needs to clarify but I don't think the question is what the odds are in any position, 3rd, 8th or whatever, but, what are the odds that any particular value will be among the 8 cards dealt. I think that's the question Flunkie answered.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:45 PM on July 9, 2008

Seconding that you work through your Senator's office (better than representative, unless you have a very senior one). Try especially Sen. Webb, who is married to a native of Vietnam, so his office ought to understand the problem here. Make an appointment to visit a staffer in person. Bring every piece of info that would be needed, including copies of the visa applications, if possible.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 2:39 PM on July 9, 2008 marked best answer

As a followup, be aware that sometimes diplomatic employees and other federal bureaucracts resent Congressional offices trying to do favors for constituents, which can be counterproductive. Webb's office people know that and will be sensitive to the best way to approach this, which may be just to follow the directions on the page. But the staffers can certainly help you navigate the maze, put you in direct touch with the right people, open a few doors, etc.

Good luck!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 3:09 PM on July 9, 2008

It's probably a pinched nerve, and the pinch is at the vertebrae in your neck, not the elbow. There are probably two separate pinches going on, one's causing the pinky-side sensations and one the thumb. See this rundown on C6 and C8 impairments.

If you can't see a doctor for a while, try hot-cold treatments rather than just icing. Five minutes of heat, five minutes of cold, repeat 3 times every couple of hours. And keep up the ibuprofen around the clock for a few... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 7:17 PM on July 8, 2008 marked best answer

Sorry about that, try this link.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 2:43 PM on July 9, 2008

It's counterintuitive and therefore difficult. I've seen tractor trailer drivers who couldn't back their rigs square to a loading dock. I think the answer is the same as how you get to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice. Take your rig out to an empty parking lot on a Sunday afternoon, and work on it for an hour or two, and you'll have it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 12:30 PM on July 9, 2008

I don't know the answer, either, but I've dealt with it by completely deleting the section with bullets, re-entering all that text as plain paragraphs, then selecting the whole section to be bulleted and doing the bullet format. That tends to work because it erases whatever stray code is causing the bad bullets. Same thing with random indentation variations. You should not have to do this, however. Bill Gates should send out another rant about it, that might fix it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 5:36 AM on July 9, 2008

1) Now, is there a statistic in baseball that tracks the percentage of the time a player makes contact with the ball and sends it into the field of play and it results in an out versus a hit?

Kevbo947 wrote: As far as I know there isn't a statistic for this but you can calculate it yourself by subtracting the number of hits and strikeouts a batter has from his total number of at-bats.

You would have to subtract his number of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 8:42 AM on July 8, 2008

Just take care of your own safety and security, ie., good locks, don't be on the street during late night crackhouse business hours, etc. There is nothing "conservative" that you personally, or your neighborhood collectively, can do that will force these people to move. And clearly, anything you might do would open you to possible retaliation and even expose you to arrest yourself. If you and your neighbors talk frequently enough to the cops and to other city authorities, especially... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 8:01 AM on July 8, 2008

You'll find lots of options among the results of these Google Books searches, or modify the search to fit your parameters:
Central Asia
Middle East
You can also search for specific countries, such as:
Afghanistan
Balochistan
These books are generally available as "full view" on GBooks meaning you can read the whole thing there, or you can use the options to download PDF or plain-text versions.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 1:21 PM on July 7, 2008

I'm plain-text and/or back of an envelope. A set of capitalized headings like MONDAY, TUESDAY, 15TH OF THE MONTH, seems to work pretty well. Keep them at the top of the list so that you always scan them before getting to the one-off to-do's.

Also, agreeing with Jessamyn that it's useful to distill the list to just what you need to do today, on a card, printout or whatever. That way, when you've scratched that last item off, you feel like you've been productive, as... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 11:09 AM on July 7, 2008

Another Vermonter here, shocked by that whole affair. More sordid details to be brought out tomorrow, presumably, including the involvement of not only the uncle but the stepfather, and another girl in a "sex ring" for the last four years who watched TV with the victim for a while at the predator's house, then left with her boyfriend after the perp took the victim upstairs. Unbelievable.

Have a look at this post. There's some info and discussion there on... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 7:26 PM on July 2, 2008

Get an artist to draw a reasonable fascimile of a "million dollar bill", ie., faked US currency, poster-sized.
Put a headline above it: "Thanks a Million!"
Put whatever other explanatory and acknowledgment text you want under it.
Have every member of the board of directors and any other important people sign it.
Present this to him at the affair, and give him the option of taking it home or having it permanently hung at the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 2:41 PM on July 2, 2008

Via Google Maps Mania, there's this tool, which gives you directions and expected gasoline cost at the same time. It doesn't take into account the varying conditions along the way, but you can plug in the mpg you expect on that kind of trip.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 12:17 PM on July 2, 2008

There's this at the Met.

If that's not it, try searching the database. Use keywords like Eden and Expulsion, not just Adam and Eve.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 11:31 AM on July 2, 2008

Hotel bathrooms DO have ventilation, there is always a little grill on the ceiling, which connects with ducts that go to the roof. They don't pull air out of the bathrooms with a woosh, but they are pulling a little air out all the time.

At home, if you have a bathroom fan and use it whenever showering and for maybe 10 minutes afterward, you should not have a mildew problem. You should keep the curtain open, not bunched up, and as noted it does need cleaning now and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 9:26 AM on July 2, 2008

Before you revert to "non low flow", check out the venting on the drain. The vent is the pipe that runs from the drain up through the roof. It lets air into the drain to preventyour toilet and sinks from gurgling every time you use them emitting sewer gas into your house. If the vent is blocked, it interferes with the function of the toilet. OR, if the vent has a longish horizontal run before heading up through the roof, you can have the same problem. Sometimes, birds build nests... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:29 AM on July 2, 2008

See also this, for other ideas on how to address the problem without replacement.
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 6:31 AM on July 2, 2008

Seconding that rehab may be the best way, unless you really hate your existing windows. Basically, if you have single-pane glass now, that has an R value of 1. If you replace it with a double-pane, that has an R value of 2. That means it loses half the heat that the single pane does, (but that's still a lot of heat compared to an insulated wall with an R value of 13 or more). You get the same result of R2 by adding a storm window to a single-pane window. Move up to triple-pane and you get... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by beagle at 7:52 AM on July 1, 2008