Ask MetaFilter posts by blahblahblah

Good party venues in Anaheim?

blahblahblah — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:39:05 -0800

I have to organize a party for academics in Anaheim. Can anyone suggest some fun bars or restaurants by the convention center/Disneyland? We are looking to host about 100 people for food and drinks for a couple hours, and to keep prices reasonable. So I am looking for a place that would do appetizers and drinks and offer a pleasant or fun atmosphere. If it matters, this would be in August....

Help me dedicate my book!

blahblahblah — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:15:26 -0800

Help me dedicate my book! I am dedicating my upcoming book to my wife and baby daughter, and am searching for inspiration. What are the most memorable dedications that you have seen? As background, the book (written with a coauthor) will be published later this year by a large business publisher. It is an examination of video games and the influence they have on the business world. My wife and daughter have little or no interest in video games, so it is hard to come up with a topical dedication, and I don't really want to go with something that is too much of an inside joke between my wife and myself. Basically, I am looking for something short and sweet that anyone would understand upon reading it.

After writing tens of thousands of work, I find myself completely stuck on this little detail. Anyone got any inspiration?

Games not being used as games?

blahblahblah — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:34:19 -0800

What's the coolest non-traditional use of games (especially video games) that you have ever heard of? I am thinking of things like using games to distract burn patients, games to generate ideas on how to deal with an oil crisis, or using game-like interfaces to make work more enjoyable.

I am especially interested in games used for idea generation or innovation...

Do you know of any interesting examples?

Babies at the keyboard

blahblahblah — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:52:39 -0800

My 18 month old baby loves to pound on the computer keyboard in imitation of her mom and dad. Does anyone have any experience with programs that would both prevent her from deleting all of our files while providing an entertaining experience? She has already gotten bored with the "disconnected keyboard" trick, and has succeeding in hitting key combinations that have turned on some previously unknown Windows features, so I am looking for an application that might be of help.

For the record, I am not expecting it to be educational, to be used unsupervised, or to be a replacement for honest-to-goodness parenting, but simply a way to let her play with the computer a bit.

The only program I have seen is called Giggles, does anyone have any experience with it? Or any freeware alternatives or other good suggestions for those baby-meets-computer moments?

Help me create a visualization of a corporate family tree

blahblahblah — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 06:00:44 -0800

I need help putting some data in a pleasing graphical form. In short, it is a history of a particular industry, with all of the companies, their founders and where they came from. I would like to build some sort of corporate family tree like this famous one. Does anyone know any good tools for this?

A ringtone for someone who hates ringtones

blahblahblah — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:41:57 -0800

A need a ringtones, but I hate ringtones: My iPhone's built-in ringtones aren't very good, so I'll have to buy one off iTunes. The problem is that I want something I can use in a business setting, and that is discrete, pleasant, and loud enough to hear. Can you suggest a song I should buy as a ringtone?

Anybody ever played a game for their job?

blahblahblah — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:34:48 -0800

I am working on a book on the use of games and simulations for training by businesses - have any of you played or seen a game like this? I am thinking of anything from the Beer Game to the Virtual University sim to a specific game built for your company. (If you have in-depth experience and wouldn't mind being interviewed about your adventures, let me know in your response.)

Low-cost transcription services.

blahblahblah — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:28:09 -0800

Anyone have good experiences with any inexpensive transcription services? I am looking to send digital files of interviews out to be transcribed. The material is not too technical, and accuracy needs to be very good, but doesn't need to be legal-document perfect. I am mostly looking for low cost and decent quality. Any thoughts?

Give me an amazing 12 hours with an audio book.

blahblahblah — Mon, 21 May 2007 07:05:37 -0800

Audible.com rocks. I have listened to two books a month on various devices for the past six years, and the well of known winners is getting a bit dry. Help me (and anyone else who is interested) find some great new finds from Audible's collections, especially in nonfiction or science fiction/fantasy. A few conditions (and my suggestions) inside... Here are the conditions:
-Audible gives you book credits each month, so the cost of each book doesn't matter. Listening time does, however. I won't listen to a book that is less than 6 hours long - its not worth the use of a credit.
-Unabridged books are preferable to abridged.
-I have listened to most of the big nonfiction standards that everyone agrees are great: Bill Bryson, Ruth Reichel, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gladwell, and David Rakoff. All are very good, btw.
-I have listened to a lot of science fiction/fantasy, including most everything by Terry Pratchett, Garth Nix, the Neils (Stephenson and Gaiman), and Loius McMaster Bujold, who have excellent audio books.

So, what have you listened to that is incredible?

Help me find a good ebook in a forest of mediocrity!

blahblahblah — Thu, 10 May 2007 07:36:56 -0800

I love to read ebooks (especially science fiction or fantasy) but I need some help finding good ones. The existing ebook sites like Fictionwise are terribly organized, and tend to have more obscure titles, rather than standard favorites. So, hive-mind, any good ebook sites you would suggest? Any good ebook finds in the science fiction and fantasy genre you would recommend? A few more details: Authors who have works in ebook format that I have read and enjoyed: Dan Simmons (Ilium), Peter Hamilton (Night's Dawn, etc.), Naomi Novik (His Majesty's Dragon), Charlie Stross (Glass House), and Dave Duncan (Handful of Men). I am flexible on format, but since I read on my phone, PDF and Sony format are out, but Mobipocket, Palm Reader, and Microsoft Reader are all fine.