Why is there so much talk about dependence on "foreign oil"? (Meaning, as opposed to "domestic oil," not alternative energy sources.) Is there really any meaningful distinction between foreign and US oil, given that the oil market is mostly global?
posted to Ask Metafilter by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:27 AM on July 31, 2008 (17 comments)

I'm looking for a single book on exercises I can do at home without any extra equipment that will help me build some muscle mass and definition while (hopefully) losing weight.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mecran01 at 12:34 PM on July 28, 2008 (24 comments)

In search of dark, gory, female-centered, Asian, did I mention dark, comics/graphic novels.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ClaudiaCenter at 8:16 PM on July 27, 2008 (38 comments)

Did a 'dream team' of biblical scholars mislead millions? [Chronicle of Higher Education] You may recall the curfuffle over the gnostic "Gospel of Judas" (previously). The National Geographic's documentary premiere "attracted four million viewers, making it the second-highest-rated program in the channel's history, behind only a documentary on September 11. . . . However, it's a perfect example, critics argue, of what can happen when commercial considerations are allowed to ride roughshod over careful research. What's more, the controversy has strained friendships in this small community of religion scholars — causing some on both sides of the argument to feel, in a word, betrayed."
posted to MetaFilter by spock at 7:48 AM on June 30, 2008 (142 comments)

What is the most interesting* thing you can buy for $30-$50? *(By my definition: non-consumable, long-lasting, functional.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by archagon at 9:26 AM on May 18, 2007 (64 comments)

A remake of the same song by Dead or Alive, only much better! Disclaimer: I was the producer of the album this is off of, not a performer. (MI)
posted to MeFi Music by edgeways at 7:36 PM on July 5, 2006 (29 comments)

TV-Filter: I'd love to get your recommendations for best tv shows on at the moment.
posted to Ask Metafilter by neblina_matinal at 5:25 AM on May 26, 2008 (45 comments)

I want to rip my TV Series DVD's and store the episodes on my computer (Windows 2003 or XP). Can someone tell me what hardware I need to do this? Just a DVD drive in the computer? I've found some software information, including this old AskMe thread, but updated recommendations would be helpful.
posted to Ask Metafilter by youngergirl44 at 11:27 AM on May 22, 2008 (11 comments)

My girlfriend and I are hiking the Appalachian trail for two weeks at the end of the month. We're taking along a Martin Backpacker (guitar) and a small set of bongos. What are some very excellent blues/folk/bluegrass/mountain songs that we should learn before we go?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jofuu at 10:52 AM on May 14, 2008 (17 comments)

I'm looking for a Peace Corps that doesn't suck. Does it exist?
posted to Ask Metafilter by loquacious at 5:39 PM on May 3, 2008 (24 comments)

How do I automatically create a series of images of sequential numbers? ( 01.jpg shows the number '1', 02.jpg the number '2', etc)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Grensgeval at 2:22 AM on April 30, 2008 (5 comments)

What epic fantasy/sci-fi series (think Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire) are only just starting out?
posted to Ask Metafilter by TheOtherGuy at 7:22 AM on April 21, 2008 (15 comments)

ManBagFilter: Looking for recommendations for a canvas/nylon messenger bag which is functional, fashionable and wont blow the bank.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chrisbucks at 11:40 PM on April 16, 2008 (21 comments)

Can we add muxtape to the social apps list on profile pages (and of course to the keen new social explorer)? I'd love to keep track of the mefi-mixes.
posted to MetaTalk by taz at 12:46 AM on April 16, 2008 (62 comments)

Help me choose a hobby?
posted to Ask Metafilter by katala at 5:32 AM on April 14, 2008 (23 comments)

Simply put, I would like to determine which (outgoing) ports are open and which are closed on my company's network. They have a firewall blocking most ports...so far I can only get through port 80 and port 443. I know for example, ports 23, 25, 110 and 6667 are blocked. So I may be over-thinking this, but what I think I need to do is find a way to listen on all ports (or at least a select list) on an external computer, then scan that computer's IP from inside the network to see what connects... The catch: I would like to open these ports for connections without having to install servers that actually use those ports. If we're talking a couple hundred ports, I don't want to install and configure a couple hundred server apps. (or all 65535?) Does anyone know of an app that will open 'fake' ports on a system and respond with some sort of generic server type? I know I've seen such an app before, but I just don't remember what it was called, and my google skillz are not coming through this time. Side note: I originally thought what I was looking for was a "leak tester" ...but this isn't quite right, as it is testing incoming ports, not outgoing ports. Thanks,
posted to Ask Metafilter by AltReality at 8:30 PM on April 10, 2008 (10 comments)

I have a "perfect" MS Vista setup that I need to clone or deploy to another 20 computers. The hardware is identical and it all needs to be done in a hurry.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chairish at 10:11 PM on April 5, 2008 (13 comments)

Grapes in milk... now what?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rinku at 4:57 PM on April 2, 2008 (180 comments)

ApartmentTechnologyFilter: What sorts of fun DIY technology projects can I use to improve the apartment-living experience for my roommates and I?
posted to Ask Metafilter by rlef98 at 2:01 PM on April 2, 2008 (9 comments)

What programming languages exist for Linux (preferably Ubuntu) which create GUI applications with ease? I prefer to avoid the Microsoft Studio route as I don't have a ton of cash lying around, and would like something that abstracts the GUI so I don't have to deal with the nitty-gritty of the OS.
posted to Ask Metafilter by chips ahoy at 3:51 PM on March 31, 2008 (26 comments)

This is a cool game you can download. Here are some rule books for it.
posted to MetaFilter by orthogonality at 2:45 AM on March 28, 2008 (22 comments)

Need recommendations for an everyman's guide to the DNS system thats readable yet thorough.
posted to Ask Metafilter by whoojemaflip at 6:39 AM on March 27, 2008 (3 comments)

Techno-classical recommendations, please!!!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Planet F at 6:49 PM on March 21, 2008 (36 comments)

What are your favorite songs featuring piano?
posted to Ask Metafilter by nuclear_soup at 11:23 AM on March 5, 2008 (80 comments)

Half-Life 2 rocks my world. What should I play next? Note: my PC cannot handle much more than Half-Life 2.
posted to Ask Metafilter by jbickers at 5:57 PM on March 1, 2008 (39 comments)

Help me not spend $70 on Nero. What is a good piece of free stuff or more moderately priced program that will effectively help me convert stuff I download from the web (avi, torrent stuff) to a DVD or VCD so I can play it on my TV?
posted to Ask Metafilter by skepticallypleased at 5:20 AM on June 20, 2007 (21 comments)

What's good, easy-to-use, backup software for Windows?
posted to Ask Metafilter by kindall at 11:25 PM on February 24, 2008 (15 comments)

I've been a Windows user since 3.1; I'm comfortable with it, I know enough keyboard shortcuts to do without a mouse. Basically, I'm fluent. So why, when copying a large number of files(moving my music collection to a different external hard drive) can't I figure out how to tell Windows to copy only the new files, and skip the files already on the target drive?
posted to Ask Metafilter by pipesplus at 4:18 AM on February 22, 2008 (21 comments)

The Wikimedia Commons Picture(s) of the Year 2007.
posted to MetaFilter by stbalbach at 6:42 PM on February 9, 2008 (45 comments)

I need help setting up email addresses and DNS service for a business.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lazaruslong at 10:09 AM on February 5, 2008 (19 comments)

How can I remotely track my home computer's IP (which lacks a static IP address) when away?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Auden at 5:08 AM on February 5, 2008 (11 comments)

I'm a 26-year old straight male, and for a variety of reasons I have never been on a date. I would like this to change, but I'm at a loss for where to start. I'm particularly nervous about what to do on a date, especially given my absolute lack of experience. What should I expect, and how can I get over my fears of coming across as romantically/sexually naive?
posted to Ask Metafilter by philosophygeek at 7:14 PM on February 3, 2008 (64 comments)

I am a computer illiterate person trying to understand the information from Wireshark. Help!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brandon1600 at 4:12 PM on February 3, 2008 (6 comments)

We need to buy two rackmount servers that will play nice with Xen (and Linux). Budget: approx $10k. Can you suggest a configuration, brand, and/or vendor?
posted to Ask Metafilter by fishfucker at 1:16 PM on January 28, 2008 (30 comments)

I'll be building a computer in a few months, and I have a few questions about aesthetics, case mods, and power supplies.
posted to Ask Metafilter by fvox13 at 9:58 AM on January 25, 2008 (13 comments)

What's the easiest way for me to host files for friends to download directly off my computer? I'm running Ubuntu 7.10.
posted to Ask Metafilter by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:47 PM on January 23, 2008 (29 comments)

Does my dream job exist?
posted to Ask Metafilter by I_Love_Bananas at 6:53 AM on January 18, 2008 (12 comments)

Wall-of-sheep type network monitor for user-configurable interesting traffic (URLs, IM conversations)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by datacenter refugee at 9:30 PM on January 17, 2008 (3 comments)

Best forums/groups/resources for windows administrators?
posted to Ask Metafilter by the ghost of Ken Lay at 5:00 PM on January 17, 2008 (8 comments)

The bastard offspring of New Age, Techno, Industrial and Acid House, trance is one of the most popular and most maligned musical genres of the 21st century. Trance can be bombastic or delicate, psychedelic or rock and roll, spacey or deep, euphoric or dark, commercial or underground, lush or funky, melodic or monotone, hard or laid back. You can try making some yourself with this toy, or go in depth with this tutorial. You can find it online, but if you want to really experience it, you need to hear it at a club.
posted to MetaFilter by empath at 7:42 PM on January 16, 2008 (184 comments)

I'd like to have a log file of everything an application does to my Windows (XP) system. All files added/removed, all changes to the registry, and everything else it does to the disk. Can this be done free or cheaply?
posted to Ask Metafilter by DarkForest at 7:23 PM on January 14, 2008 (8 comments)

What's the best software to monitor internet usage on specific desktop computers?
posted to Ask Metafilter by miqueltegler at 8:52 AM on January 9, 2008 (8 comments)

The Metafilter Music Collaboration, as described here and here.
posted to MeFi Music by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:58 PM on December 30, 2007 (54 comments)

What are the best online financial resources?
posted to Ask Metafilter by meghanmiller at 9:59 AM on December 30, 2007 (17 comments)

As part of my work for a client I've begun researching online privacy, cryptography, and other sundry ways of protecting oneself online. And I'm now completely creeped out and must switch NOW to uncrackable passwords, multiple email accounts, encrypting the crap out of everything I do, and generally making sure that only the things I want public on the internet are publicly accessible. But we run into the question - how do I do that without driving myself nuts trying to remember my passwords, convince everyone I know to use encrypted communication, and maintain a reasonable amount of privacy in my web surfing? And how do I do that after 8 years of webwhorage where I wasn't too concerned who knew what about me?
posted to Ask Metafilter by saysthis at 7:29 AM on December 28, 2007 (15 comments)

I'm a junior in college currently pursuing a chemical engineering degree...but what can I do that won't have me working for evil companies or make me part of Big Pharma or the military-industrial complex?
posted to Ask Metafilter by liesbyomission at 7:21 AM on December 28, 2007 (21 comments)

How can I get the most out of my Wii (without mods or hacks)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by explosion at 1:51 PM on December 23, 2007 (6 comments)

Love my 5.1 sound system. Hate the subwoofer. Should I by a standalone subwoofer, or replace the whole system?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Gordion Knott at 3:14 AM on December 11, 2007 (11 comments)

"DVD sales are in free fall. Audiences are flocking to pornographic knockoffs of YouTube [NSFW], especially a secretive site called YouPorn [NSFW]. And the amateurs [NSFW]are taking over. What’s happening to the adult-entertainment industry is exactly what’s happening to its Hollywood counterpart—only worse."
posted to MetaFilter by bigmusic at 12:12 AM on November 30, 2007 (92 comments)

Rails of War is a terrific flash game, where you equip a train with ever-increasing combinations of weapons and guide it through various missions. It is a representative of the growing number of Defense-style flash strategy games started by Tower Defense and friends, which we discussed before. Now you can try Age of War, where you try to destroy an opponents base through five distinct eras; Invasion Tactical Defense where you must manage a nuclear missile plant and its anti-aircraft defenses; the inevitable and previously mentioned zombie defense games; StarCraft FA5, where you are the Zerg defending your base; and the lovely and abstract Red. These is a particularly addictive class of games, so be warned...
posted to MetaFilter by blahblahblah at 10:53 PM on November 29, 2007 (19 comments)