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>what would you recommend as "Starter James"

I think I actually first really got into his travel essays about Italy, which are beautiful. For novels, I'd say start with The Ambassadors and then maybe The Portrait of a Lady. His books just got increasingly complex the older he got, and I think it helps to get a feel for his writing and themes before diving into the later works (and I say this as an English major who likes complex works).
posted to Ask MetaFilter by occhiblu at 11:06 PM on February 21, 2006 marked best answer

Speaking as a johnnie, I'd suggest that you pick a primary focus—for example dramatic narrative or philosophy—and then use that as a filter through which you select books to read from one of the various "Great Books" lists.

I strongly disagree with maxreax's insistence that you read annotated versions and follow the notes; doing so will fill you with various dogmatic readings of the texts. Sometimes previous books provide a great deal of context, other times... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Ethereal Bligh at 11:04 PM on February 21, 2006 marked best answer

I would say Daisy Miller and Washington Square are starter James, but he has to be read without any distractions (no music, no grinding bathroom vents, no ranting psychotic neighbor next door....which was the case when I was reading Wings of the Dove). Don't bother with the Jennifer Jason Leigh-Ben Chaplin version of Washington Square--The Heiress is much better. Aunt Penniman is supposed to be a goose, but not evil.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brujita at 11:01 PM on February 21, 2006 marked best answer

The problem with the St John's College Reading List is the problem with Oxford in general: it's a dilettante's paradise. You read everything and understand -- I mean, really understand, very little. Although it IS good to have read everything.

A couple of things that have been missed:

George Eliot: Middlemarch < -- fucking greatbr>
Richard Feynman: QED < -- read in an afternoon, change your view of the universe for... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by unSane at 11:00 PM on February 21, 2006 marked best answer

You seek enlightenment, grasshopper, so let's cut the crap.

Machiavelli, absolutely.

The Old Testament, esp. Genesis, Ecclesiastes

The New Testament, esp. John & revelations

St Augustine

Aristotle: poetics, Plato: republic

William Blake, esp. Songs of Innocence & Songs of Experience

Shakespeare: Hamlet, Coriolanus.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by unSane at 10:40 PM on February 21, 2006 marked best answer

Rhino Records has a great Stepping grooves album, here.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by soiled cowboy at 8:35 AM on March 1, 2006 marked best answer

There is a whole bunch of Chicago stepping in the video for "Happy People," which you can see here.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by purplemonkie at 6:31 AM on March 1, 2006 marked best answer

R's talking about the much less well known Chicago Stepping, which is more of a swing dance kind of thing. From this dance club's website:

"And in 2003, a great explosion of interest in Stepping took us by storm when the arrival of R. Kelly's mega-hit "Step In The Name Of Love" hit the airwaves. This allowed many perpetrators to taint the market by misguiding and wrongfully teaching those interested in learning to Step, Chicago-style.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by MsMolly at 5:38 AM on March 1, 2006 marked best answer

I just don't think that's what he's talking about.

I think in R Kelly's case step dancing is a bit of a metaphor for proving yourself in a context where status and showmanship is important. Spike Lee has a step show in context in his movie School Daze done by actual fratenity members, I'm not sure what the background is on the step show from Drumline. Step dances are real battles on the dance floor, in the same way you see freestyling battles between... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jessamyn at 5:05 AM on March 1, 2006 marked best answer

There's a Yiddish response to counterfactual 'if': "Az der bubbe vot gehat baytzim vot zie geven mein zayde." (If my grandmother had balls she'd be my grandfather.) Disclaimer: IANA Yiddish speaker. I read this one years ago, probably in Leo Rosten's The Joys of Yiddish, and have never had the, um, baytzim to use it in public.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by eritain at 12:49 AM on March 23, 2006 marked best answer

Okay, I've created a new (typoed) subdirectory where I'm placing sample songs. I don't know if these are what you're after, though.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jdroth at 9:11 AM on April 29, 2006 marked best answer

I feel like I might be able to help you if you could provide a better example of what you're looking for. I have quite a collection (and a little knowledge) of American popular music, but I don't know what you mean by "megaphone crooner"; it sounds like a modern label applied to some old style of singing. I'm googling, and coming it with Rudy Vallee, but no actual definitions of the genre. I see that the wikipedia article on Vallee talks about his megaphone, but... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jdroth at 8:53 AM on April 29, 2006 marked best answer

This was a real style:

I'm not convinced.

I finally found a page that sheds some light on this whole topic (I've bolded a couple bits):
Born Hubert Prior Vallee, Rudy Vallee was born on July 28, 1901 in Island Pond, Vermont. He became one of the most popular vocalists of the 20's and 30's. With his megaphone, Vallee is generally regarded as the first "crooner" and one of the first entertainers to create... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jdroth at 5:37 PM on April 29, 2006 marked best answer

Mr. Show is doing a takeoff on Rudy Vallee, who used a megaphone in an age where microphones weren't always available. The crowd scenes are real stock footage, but the singing scenes are all Bob and David.

This was a real style: Max Raabe has a minor career covering modern songs in the megaphone-crooner style, most notably Britney Spears' "Oops I Did It Again." But the idea of improvising the songs in a short rap-style is an invention of Mr. Show.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by commander_cool at 2:57 PM on April 29, 2006 marked best answer

Forgot, there's a video too. Select "Shorts" on the remote, then scroll down in the TV Guide.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by attercoppe at 1:12 PM on April 29, 2006

Another vote here for "made up". The Mr. Show thing wasn't a tribute to a real genre, it was a spoof. A lot of music from the 1920s and 1930s sounds like that, mostly due to the quality of the sound recording and reproduction equipment.

For a recent example of someone else spoofing this kind of music, check out Da Vinci's Notebook's song The Ballad of the Sneak (link to download page at Homestar Runner site). You'll even hear them do the same stereotyped thing... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by attercoppe at 1:05 PM on April 29, 2006 marked best answer

jdroth-no, they were definitely paying tribute to something that did exist. They had real footage interspersed with their own stuff.

I think that "real" footage was created for/by Mr. Show. I base this on the fact that Dave and Bob are the singers in all of the clips.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by agropyron at 12:52 PM on April 29, 2006 marked best answer

It's okay evariste -- you don't have to like it. My wife doesn't! And it probably is an acquired taste. It reminds me of the music my grandparents used to sing to each other. And I know that my father used to sing some of the songs from the twenties (Vernon Dalhart's "The Prisoner's Song" was a favorite). I just like the simple arrangements and pleasing melodies. I know it sounds antiquated, but for some of us, it's nice. Feel free to dislike it. My broken heart will mend.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jdroth at 12:47 PM on April 29, 2006

That stuff is pretty terrible, interrobang.

You're breaking my heart! I love this music! I'd listen to "Come Josephine in my Flying Machine" a hundred times before I'd listen to junk like "My Humps". Ah well... To each his own.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jdroth at 12:40 PM on April 29, 2006

I don't actually know him -- he left a message on my blog with the info because he didn't want to spend $5 on a MetaFilter account. It appears I'm the only one participating in the thread with any way for non-members to get in touch with him, is all.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by kindall at 9:04 PM on June 8, 2006

Mike from Ensimismada says: e-mail him at mcfrank squiggly-thing mit dotty-thing edu. :)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by kindall at 8:18 AM on June 8, 2006 marked best answer

More on YouBoob
posted to Ask MetaFilter by growabrain at 6:17 PM on October 14, 2006 marked best answer

nakedcodemonkey-as far as tape trading goes, tape traders always seem touchy about people who aren't into the "scene" and just want to buy a particular set tapes without having anything to trade in kind. I'm scared of those people.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by evariste at 9:48 AM on September 14, 2006

ps spams.length does not 'calculate' the length, it accesses the pre-calculated length

No, you're right, it doesn't calculate the length, but it has to access an object property. The less property accessing that is done off of objects (or objects of objects of objects), the better. For example:

for (x=0; x < 100; x++) {
  yo = document.forms[0].elements[1].value *... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Civil_Disobedient at 8:40 PM on September 23, 2006 marked best answer

Javascript code (for pages) rarely needs to be optimized.

This is absolutely not true. Since JavaScript is not compiled, there are dozens and dozens of optimization routines that can speed up script execution. Just for example, take this loop in the code you quote:

for (var i=0; i < spams.length; i++) {br> ...

You're calculating the length of the spams array every time you iterate through the loop.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Civil_Disobedient at 4:24 PM on September 23, 2006 marked best answer

Hi, I'm a Safari developer and I'd love it if you could file this bug at http://bugzilla.opendarwin.org/ in product WebKit. Even if "compile" is not a standard RegExp method, we prefer to support common extensions of other browsers.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by maciej at 4:04 PM on September 23, 2006 marked best answer

Freezer seems kind of close.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by stefanie at 10:02 PM on October 21, 2006 marked best answer

I think it is clearly hand-drawn. This gif compares the two versions of "cent" from the note. They are the same style as "Gutschein". You can see they aren't similar enough to be from a pre-computer typeface. Note especially the width of the "C" and the diagonal of the "N":


posted to Ask MetaFilter by smackfu at 1:32 PM on October 21, 2006 marked best answer

I don't know the answer, but I have a friend, Andrei Codrescu, that often does pieces for NPR. I'll ask him tomorrow.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by nedpwolf at 7:19 PM on November 14, 2007 marked best answer

What everyone else has said. Unless they said someone other than Andrei Codrescu.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by rtha at 6:34 PM on November 14, 2007 marked best answer

Does he talk about Watergate a lot? And is the Slavic accent so light as to be almost imperceptible?

I think it may be Daniel Schorr.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by YoungAmerican at 6:25 PM on November 14, 2007

jessamyn's response regarding mental energy is what gets me to do a lot of nagging tasks, like taking out the trash or fixing a squeaky hinge. If I don't, I think about *that thing* every time I walk by it, and I'd rather spend my mental energy elsewhere.

Guilt prevents me from running late. I'm punctual because I feel bad when I think of people waiting around for me.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by craven_morhead at 3:49 PM on October 6, 2011

I sort of try to do the math to make sure that the sum total of everyone's expended energy--even if it's other people's energy wondering where I am if I'm ten minutes late because I didn't want to rush--is in my calculations.

Yes, do this. When you do something late, your convenience is most likely somebody else's inconvenience.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by oinopaponton at 1:10 PM on October 5, 2011

Update: should have bought the iPhone and ditched the motherfucker.
posted to MetaTalk by spitbull at 6:07 PM on June 4, 2013

On Chrome 27.0.1453.116 (Official Build 206485), Windows 7 64-bit. Same issue -- doesn't save history. On Opera and Firefox, it does. Looks like Chrome is optimizing its own cache based on the URL. Would assigning a random number to the link help, e.g. instead of: http://www.metafilter.com/random, do http://www.metafilter.com/random?foo=12934524
posted to MetaTalk by spiderskull at 12:39 AM on June 21, 2013

I see it in Safari 6.0.5 on Mac OS 10.8.4 as well.
posted to MetaTalk by JiBB at 12:18 AM on June 21, 2013

I think maybe it's this issue. MeFi's Random link seems, like Wikipedia's, to use a 302 redirect, and according to a StackOverflow article linked at the bottom of that bug report, Chrome is 'strict' about wanting a 303. I haven't tested whether a 303 would fix this, and apparently there've been bugs related to that too (although that one in particular seems to do with POSTs that get a 303--probably not relevant in this case).

But in short, I'd suggest trying a 303.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Monsieur Caution at 12:42 AM on June 21, 2013

Okay, so I just did a test. If I append "?" then a random number to the URL, Chrome saves the history for multiple attempts. If I do not (even if it's just a single "?" and a 1-digit number), it does not save the history.

(Incidentally, I ran across this old post during these tests -- that post just wouldn't fly today)
posted to MetaTalk by spiderskull at 12:42 AM on June 21, 2013

Step Right Up (1977 performance, lyrics) by Tom Waits? Probably not, but you should know it anyway.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by evariste at 6:03 AM on October 28, 2011 marked best answer

I disagree with a lot of the advice on here. I think ignoring somebody without giving them closure beforehand is exactly what encourages stalker behavior.

I once had a boyfriend vanish on me without explanation and it sent me into a crazy spiral trying to contact him and find out what happened. In another case where someone made it clear that they wanted no contact when a relationship ended and we actually had a final conversation, I never had that urge.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by timsneezed at 9:40 PM on June 14, 2013

Time, resolve and determination. Here's what worked for me:

Pick one thing, like a band for instance. Tell yourself "he will not take this away from me. This band has value to me beyond him. I want to and I will appreciate this and he will not intrude;" Every time you remember that particular band or have some lyrics come into your head, remind yourself of that resolution: this thing is yours and goddammit, it will remain... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by griphus at 3:17 PM on December 12, 2010

Okay, sister.

1. Your girlfriend's ex is a drama queen and a beast and a hot mess. That's not going to change. Fortunately, not your problem!

2. Your girlfriend is a bit of a drama queen, maybe a bit of a victim, and sounds a wee bit codependent. (Example: When normal people suggest that everyone get together and get to know each other, as you did, and someone refuses, normal people shun the refuser for being a drama queen and... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by RJ Reynolds at 4:00 PM on December 21, 2011

Don't listen to the old codgers (said very lovingly!) here telling you to play it safe.

Get off my lawn, kid. And pull your damn pants up. (Said lovingly.)

I don't think we're telling him to play it safe; we're suggesting that there are ways to come out here without it being unnecessarily difficult. This is coming from someone who spent a good chunk of her adult life moving... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by scody at 10:17 PM on November 28, 2011

I found this question weirdly hard to answer even though I work in pediatrics, which means I am around kids of all ages all day long when they are way less than at their best. Even if it's a well visit, they're still nervous because, well, who isn't on the exam table?

The thing is, I am passionate about the field of pediatrics because this population (generally) recovers well, even from serious illness, don't typically make themselves unwell (and if there is a health... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by rumposinc at 7:22 PM on November 2, 2011

timsneezed, there is a secret question hidden inside your post, here. You never actually come out with it, but it's in every line, every doubt, every expression of pain. And this secret question is this: "Is this the best I can do?"

The answer is this: NO!

You can do better. You can. There are men out there who will love you and cuddle you and make you laugh and smile at you and tickle you and annoy you with their dirty dishes... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by meese at 6:17 PM on October 25, 2011

A lot of his behavior reminds me terribly of the guy my friend had to nearly get a restraining order against, right down to the not sleeping thing. People who start out this way usually don't improve much.

Let me share a realization that has helped me with all kinds of relationships, romantic or otherwise: if someone is cruel to you or unfairly blames you or takes things out on you, you leave no matter what the reason. You are clearly a very caring person, and like... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Nattie at 4:26 PM on October 25, 2011

the energy expended in adapting to consequences is often less than the energy expended in being completely responsible from the beginning.

When you're counting up energy here, are you considering yours as well as the people who are influenced by your decisions? I'm not quite as adaptable but I also hang out with people sometimes hwo are not very adaptable at all [other times I'm with "roll with the punches" people] and I sort of try to do... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jessamyn at 1:04 PM on October 5, 2011

Maybe his furniture is the price of admission.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by southern_sky at 8:48 PM on September 16, 2011

I first read about Komarov's death many years ago in James Bamford's The Puzzle Palace, and the following passage from that book has haunted me ever since:

"Another high-priority target for the signal chasers at Karamursel [Turkey] is the Soviet space program. On April 23, 1967, a number of analysts were routinely copying the return of Soyuz I, bringing Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov back from twenty-six hours in space, when problems suddenly developed... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by twoleftfeet at 9:58 PM on March 18, 2011

Send her the card. i don't think there's any way she won't appreciate it. chances are even if she is over you, it took her time and was hard -- it's always nice to get a note of regard from a loved (if formerly loved) one. you'll regret it in the future if you don't.

besides -- by sending her the card, you're at least making a future friendship possible. if you don't, it's gone. i wish i had kept in touch with some of my exes...so much time has passed now it'd be totally... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by custard heart at 9:09 PM on November 15, 2010