Keith Law's Ten Common Home Cooking Mistakes. Law, better known for his sports writing, lists ten pitfalls the home chef can fall into and how to avoid them.
posted to MetaFilter by robocop is bleeding at 9:17 AM on June 17, 2008 (75 comments)

Is there any shampoo + conditioner product that will help my hair not be so crappy after swimming?
posted to Ask Metafilter by loudguitars at 3:39 PM on May 7, 2008 (16 comments)

What is a young couple supposed to do when 6 months after purchasing their first home a landslide occurs in their back yard?
posted to Ask Metafilter by slowtree at 5:25 PM on April 19, 2008 (14 comments)

Doing More With Less: In Defense of Creative Loafing I’ve been on unemployment three times in the past six years. Each time was better than the last, and each time I stayed on until the last cent was exhausted. I didn’t even try to get a job; it was a paid vacation. This is somewhat unusual from what I can tell. There’s a deep vein of antipathy in this country toward collecting checks from the government, especially in precincts that tend to skew rightward. Politicians imply that it’s un-American for an individual to milk the government, all while jacking up corporate welfare for their campaign contributors. And your uncle who cheered at the end of Easy Rider? He insists that if he had to obliterate 40 years of his life punching a clock, why should you goddamn hippies have it any better?
posted to MetaFilter by jason's_planet at 11:36 AM on March 11, 2008 (107 comments)

I've never given Bob Dylan a fair shake, and I'm starting to feel like I'm missing out. If there were one album (or two, if need be) that you consider to be an excellent primer or introduction to his music, what would it be?
posted to Ask Metafilter by inkedmn at 12:21 PM on February 8, 2008 (55 comments)

Gumbo. Recipes, tips and tricks, please.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Cyrano at 9:38 PM on January 27, 2008 (17 comments)

In 1968, three sisters from Fremont, New Hampshire -- Dot, Helen, and Betty Wiggin -- started a band, under the encouragement, support, and management of their father, Austin. Dot recalls that the girls would rise late, practice for two hours, then work on their home-schooling. Then they did their calisthenics, rigidly prescribed by their father, and rehearsed two more hours in the evenings when Austin was home. Over the next 8 years, Austin would rent out the Fremont Town Hall many Saturday nights for a dance; the sisters, known collectively as "The Shaggs," would play their music, while their mother, Annie, would collect tickets and sell sodas (with help from more of the Wiggin siblings). In 1975, Austin Wiggins died; the sisters, without their father to spur them on, laid down their instruments and got on with the rest of their lives.
posted to MetaFilter by not_on_display at 9:22 PM on January 20, 2008 (79 comments)

Into the Night Films through the ages. "What’s an into-the-night movie? It’s essentially about one anxious character (or group of characters) embarking on an illicit adventure and emerging transformed. Most often, the stories take place at night, but not always. Sometimes they happen over a whole summer, in the blazing light of day. Sometimes they’re comedies, and sometimes mysteries. But what they have in common is an acknowledgment that somewhere, lurking in the shadows of polite society, there are people getting ridiculously freaky." With much...
posted to MetaFilter by Navelgazer at 5:59 PM on January 4, 2008 (44 comments)

How do you deal with the anxiety around the economic and global clusterfcuk? It's been keeping me awake for years, and increasingly so. I recycle, I write my representatives. I eat local, organic, take public transport.. I just can't not feel trapped and sometimes just completely terrified.
posted to Ask Metafilter by onanon at 2:07 AM on November 26, 2007 (35 comments)

Help me find a tequila I'll enjoy more.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ikkyu2 at 4:52 PM on October 23, 2007 (33 comments)

I need ideas on how to use up the overabundance of mint in my garden.
posted to Ask Metafilter by LN at 6:02 AM on October 9, 2007 (32 comments)

So I'm preparing a paranoid "keep 24 people warm and happy for two weeks" kit in case of emergency. The kicker is that I'm lazy - so I want the kit to be usable anytime within the next 10 years. (None of that "rotating supplies in and out" for me, nosiree.) But I'm stuck on a few problems.
posted to Ask Metafilter by jytsai at 6:03 AM on October 9, 2007 (30 comments)

Shoegazer 101 Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze or shoegazer; practitioners referred to as shoegazers) is a genre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted until the mid 1990s, peaking circa 1990 to 1991. The British music press (notably NME and Melody Maker) called this genre "shoegazing" because the musicians in these bands often maintained a motionless performing style, standing on stage and staring at the floor while playing their instruments; hence, the idea that they were gazing at their shoes. The shoegazing sound featured extensive use of guitar effects, and indistinguishable vocal melodies that blended into the creative noise of the guitars. Some notable bands are Ride, Lush, Swervedriver, Slowdive, Curve, and American bands Lilys and the Swirlies.
posted to MetaFilter by psmealey at 7:41 AM on October 3, 2007 (113 comments)

I'm completely baffled by Nikon's DSLR strategy and I'd like to understand a few things better: first they create the DX line and seem to indicate that cropped is there to stay, now they go full frame. What should a serious film photographer who wants to go DSLR and already owns a bunch of excellent manual focus Nikon lenses do now? I also find baffling that they're not teling who manufactures their full-frame sensors -- don't potential customers have the right to know who makes the heart of the really expensive camera they may buy? Thanks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by matteo at 9:40 AM on August 29, 2007 (24 comments)

Help me make a playlist of cheesy, synth-heavy tracks from the 80's & early 90's.
posted to Ask Metafilter by inactivist at 7:49 PM on August 28, 2007 (48 comments)

Do you know your French actors? Well then tell me, who is this man?
posted to Ask Metafilter by miss lynnster at 2:40 PM on July 31, 2007 (19 comments)

I installed a clear glass shower enclosure in November 2005. After showering, I use Tilex Fresh Shower on the glass. Now, after nearly 20 months, the glass has something that looks like "build-up" (see picture) that I cannot get rid of. I've used Windex and all its equivalents, white vinegar, Tilex Tub and Tile cleaner, The Works, Kaboom, CLR, lime remover, and even bleach on a small section. I also used a razor blade thinking it might be able to be scraped off but there does not seem to be build up on the surface; it is smooth to the touch. Any idea how I can clean this so that the glass is clear again?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ampang701 at 7:57 PM on July 23, 2007 (27 comments)

We're looking into building a swimming a pool in Northern Virginia and could use the advice and assistance of the hive mind.
posted to Ask Metafilter by flyingrock at 9:10 AM on June 19, 2007 (8 comments)

It began with an innocent-looking Valentine's Day card in 2005. Inside the card were several slips of paper, a hastily cut-up printout of names of 550 secret detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The human rights lawyer who received "this weird valentine" handed it over to authorities, and this week the court martial begins for JAG LtCmdr Matthew Diaz, facing 36 years for divulging state secrets.
Whither goest thou, American Jurisprudence?
posted to MetaFilter by planetkyoto at 7:50 AM on May 15, 2007 (47 comments)

An amazing collection of classic American television commercials. Sorted by category: Eat, Drink, Smoke, Clean, Groom, Shop and Travel. Includes descriptions and historical background. The commercials can be viewed in either RealPlayer or MediaPlayer format, and newer ones will work in both IE and Firefox.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:01 PM on April 10, 2007 (7 comments)

Is hacking just to find out the identity of someone illegal? The short story is I'm being harassed via email, have IP addresses, headers, all that, but not enough stuff that comes off as threatening enough to get anyone in authority to care. I downloaded and tried to use BO2k and realized I'm in over my head. I contacted a few "public" hackers and asked for help, but they claimed they don't do that sort of thing. I just want to know who this person is who knows my name and details about my family. I don't want credit card numbers, passwords, etc. Is what I want illegal? Is it _how_ I want it that's the problem? Public replies or emails welcome: painted_nails_20@yahoo.com
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 1:21 PM on March 10, 2007 (16 comments)

It's official, we're taking a trip to Greece this June. Specifically to the Greek Islands. Help me plan an itinerary!
posted to Ask Metafilter by donguanella at 8:57 AM on February 14, 2007 (17 comments)

How do I set the desktop background of my Mac to be pitch black? I'm running Mac OS 10.4.8. This would really help for when I watch DVDs on my laptop, but I can't figure out the answer to what seems like such a simple question.
posted to Ask Metafilter by invisible ink at 8:52 PM on February 12, 2007 (16 comments)

Does anyone have experience with allergies causing fatigue?
posted to Ask Metafilter by dino terror at 3:07 PM on February 9, 2007 (14 comments)

My wife and I are Buddhist. We have a four year old daughter who we would like to see get a great education. In our area/county, some of the better (academics, arts, and athletics) schools are Catholic schools. Would it be a good idea to send my daughter to a Catholic school?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jasonspaceman at 11:04 AM on February 3, 2007 (68 comments)

Everyone’s got one. From the boys and girls who go to school, to the working women and men of India, who depend on the Dabba Wallahs to bring them their meals. The margin of error for these tiffin carriers has been clocked at an astonishing 99.9999999%, which has earned them the Sigma 6 rating, and has made them popular in other parts of the world.
posted to MetaFilter by hadjiboy at 1:50 AM on February 2, 2007 (68 comments)

Long before 2006 you could probably make a convincing argument that the music video has outlived its purpose; however, musicblogger docopenhagen's list of the top 50 music videos of 2006 has some excellent inclusions, and hopefully something for even the most jaded viewer. My threefavorites.
posted to MetaFilter by jonson at 11:33 PM on December 7, 2006 (19 comments)

I've been having muscle twitches for the past two months.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 10:51 PM on October 13, 2006 (15 comments)