MetaFilter

fuck this, I'm gonna go work on my 1991 honda. you all suck!

can we have our $25,000 back then ?
posted to MetaTalk by sgt.serenity at 4:54 PM on September 29, 2006

pretty error pages are for metafilter pussies.

fuck this, I'm gonna go work on my 1991 honda. you all suck!
posted to MetaTalk by mathowie at 4:44 PM on September 29, 2006

Not to derail, but you can order pretty good ones, like your Dad used to buy, from Amazon.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by paulsc at 1:01 PM on September 30, 2006

King Walnut, I hope you're still checking this thread.

As maxwelton notes, I have made vague disclosures about the revenue from my various sites (of which GRS is by far the most important). I do make several hundred dollars a month total from a variety of sources. Google is one of them. But it's not the most important one, not by a long shot.

Whether or not Adsense is a viable business model will depend completely on your site, your content, and... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jdroth at 6:46 PM on September 28, 2006

Recently, a guy I was being introduced to took my hand like so, bent down as if to kiss the back, but instead gently pressed his forehead to it.

I was touched. So I'd recommend that if you can pull it off.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by granted at 11:25 PM on September 28, 2006

Ouch.

(a) One of the tires on my bicycle just went flat. I was going to do a twenty-mile ride tomorrow. Does the hive mind have any tips for riding on a flat tire?

(b) I just locked myself out of my house. Does anybody know where I can find a cheap bulldozer rental?

(c) [fr0zen's original question]

Do you see the point of commonality between the two hypotheticals and the actual question?... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by The Confessor at 4:07 PM on September 28, 2006

its never worked. after all, i just know hundreds of people have favorited thousands of my deep and insightful comments, yet a mere 140 show up on the page...
posted to MetaTalk by quonsar at 6:45 AM on September 28, 2006

Ah, what the hell...

A very good friend of mine worked on the Space Shuttle about 12 years ago, when he toiled for a Very Large Government Contractor. They tried to compartmentalize everyone's jobs, so no one knew what the other was doing, but he did chat with the oldster NASA engineers over lunch. His answer? Yes. (And officially.) As you can imagine, it was cumbersome and unromantic -- though apparently, also hilarious.

But then again, this is... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by turducken at 2:06 PM on September 22, 2006

xteraco is an anagram for "a cortex".

Well, you caught me. I may as well come clean. The guilt has honestly been keeping me up at night and ruining my health. I coughed up blood this morning, so, you know, fuck it.

Look. I've engineered this whole thing from the ground up, as setup for a massive guerilla marketing campaign. I'm employed by the Marketing Technology division of Hasbro, Inc; they've recently been... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by cortex at 3:08 PM on September 27, 2006

The Ballad of fr0zen and xteraco

Standing in the Shaws in Manchester,
Trying to show some MeFite my moves,
The man in the Green said, "You're really obscene,
You know you haven't got no credit to lose"

Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me

Finally got a chance to... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by languagehat at 5:05 PM on September 27, 2006

Dear xteraco,

If you actually take one of the GED tests that are offered in your area in the upcoming month, I will personally send you the $13 to cover the cost, via PayPal or US Mail or how ever else you want to recive the reimbursement. No, scratch that, I'll send you $20, and the extra $7 can be a graduation present -- presuming you pass.

All you have to do is provide us with proof that you have taken the GED test. You can do this by... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Asparagirl at 8:14 PM on September 26, 2006

I followed this thread, xteraco, determined to keep an open mind and give you the benefit of the doubt. Then you wrote things like this:all i'd have to do is say something like "i dont feel like doing it"and this:i shouldnt have to get a job if i dont want one!and especially this:fuck you all, metafilter pussiesIt's no accident that you chose a traditional insult to manliness—calling someone a pussy. This is... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Ethereal Bligh at 12:22 AM on September 27, 2006

I love this:



PERFORMANCE BLADES, MOTHERFUCKER. DO YOU HAVE THEM?
posted to MetaTalk by Civil_Disobedient at 6:33 PM on September 26, 2006

Too fast, too spurious.
posted to MetaTalk by loquacious at 6:36 PM on September 26, 2006

What about a Mefi layer in Google Earth?
posted to MetaTalk by DenOfSizer at 2:56 PM on September 26, 2006

And yeah, I figure I'm codependent and I was diagnosed with depression at 14. I understand what you all are saying and I thank you for it. I can't talk to my mom because I do no right in her eyes when it comes to relationships/money - not that she can talk (divorced 4 times, seemingly on her way to marriage 5).

For once in my life, I'm going to make someone else stick to a plan I made. I'm not gonna wuss out. If he can't take it, then he will have to leave.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by fr0zen at 5:32 AM on September 26, 2006

Woah, hold the phone.

This is the guy? This guy?

A few of the people responding to this thread—myself included—are probably feeling at least somewhat sympathetic to your boyfriend (though clearly the minority). I've been in that boat before, and it sucks not having a job and feeling like you're never going to get one, but at the same time feeling like any 8-5 McJob is going to completely sap any energy you might put towards finding... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Civil_Disobedient at 9:28 PM on September 25, 2006

You're apparently dating my old friend Sam. Sam was a great friend, back when. Always around during the day, always up for fun, always had a little extra money. Rarely had a job. Always dreaming of how he was going to get rich.

(Get this, he wanted to program video games. So he signed up for an ITT/Peterson class [loaned money, of course]. I found a note in his car he wrote to his then enabler, and it went something like "I've been here for hours and we haven't... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by maxwelton at 9:02 PM on September 25, 2006

I don't think he knows how scary this stuff is for me.

Red Flag #1: Why not? Have you told him? If you haven't told him, why not? And if you have told him, what's his response? Does he dismiss your feelings, tell you not to worry, and/or turn it around as if you're attacking him?

I don't think he really means to be taking advantage of my credit either.

Red Flag #2: He's been... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by scody at 8:12 PM on September 25, 2006

The landlords in Chinatown, Flushing prefer asians because they do not have a culture of litigation. Many of the rentals there have shortcomings that could be exploited by a legal-minded tenant. Chinese renters are less likely, for instance, to deduct rent for days the water heater doesn't work.

For this reason the Flushing landlords also prefer east Indian tenants.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by StickyCarpet at 12:19 PM on August 7, 2006

In Unix, in cases like that, the files are listed in the order that they're linked in the inode chain, which has to do with the order in which they're added to the directory. I don't know if Apple changed that in the process of adapting Next's OS, but I bet it hasn't.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Steven C. Den Beste at 10:29 PM on September 24, 2006

Apparently Huxley had not read We (which is a stunningly brilliant novel, for its words as much as for its ideas), despite the obvious similarities of both books. But there is a short story/essay by Jerome K. Jerome which is thought to have been an inpiration for both We and Brave New World.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jb at 7:59 AM on September 23, 2006

Since the question has been answered: did you also read Zamyatin's We, often considered the source of the idea for the later two books?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by languagehat at 6:52 AM on September 23, 2006

Yes, the juices absolutely count. The difference between the juice and the whole thing is the fiber, as sugarfish said. Sometimes I make what's called Energy Soup, and some call it Live Salad. Basically you puree the vegetables you want to eat with some water, just a little to get it going in the blender. Then you warm it in a saucepot until it's just warm, not hot. My favorite combination is avocado, kale, dulse (seaweed flakes), and red bell pepper. It's pretty orgasmic. And I get the fiber... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by iconomy at 9:59 AM on September 23, 2006

Green lotion. I'm not kidding. It's a make-up artists' trick for roseacea, pimples, sunburn...any unwanted skin redness. The green counteracts the redness and makes it look more like a normal skin tone... albeit quite tan.

I've always just mixed up a little moisturizer with green food coloring. But you can buy Eucerin Redness Relief Tone Perfecting Cream, which has a green tint. Not sure how transparent it is. Also, there is a Solarcaine Aloe gel with a green tint. This... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by wryly at 11:20 PM on September 21, 2006 marked best answer

Wal-Mart = nearly incomprehensibly ginormous in nearly all aspects, most of all probably (tapped if not owned) supply chain.

A family t-shirt manufacturing company I worked for supplied for them briefly. They nearly killed us. They tapped 110% and more of our not-lackluster operating capacity for months on end, and we were suppling some insane fraction of their T-shirt supply - not even including any other garment segments in the tally. Heck, we went triple-shift for a... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by loquacious at 12:11 PM on September 21, 2006

Ooh Ooh (raises hand) I have the answer for this one!

What you are looking for is the wisdom of India, in the form of Vedic Mathematics. You may have heard of this for things like multiplication, division, etc. And for that stuff it is fantastic. It literally takes long division to a level of joy that is unspeakable.

But, its for much more than that. Allow me to sample the table of contents:

9.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by zhivota at 3:10 PM on September 20, 2006

You really should automate some of it. Answering http requests by hand sucks once you get more than a couple users.

Haha. My real advice is don't host off of your home internet connection, rent server space somewhere. Best to find someone that does backups and stuff for you; most hosting companies will do that.

Unless you're going to do a lot more with this server than just a web page, any of the hundred million web hosting companies out... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by aubilenon at 8:15 PM on September 19, 2006

It is extremely common for rootkits to replace ps with their own version of ps which does not show rootkit processes running, even when they are.

The fact that ps has stopped working twice for you should be a BIG RED FLAG. I would assume that some foreign software on your machine is replacing ps with a hacked version (which happens not to work at all - stupid hackers), and proceed from there.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jellicle at 5:03 PM on September 19, 2006

Many electronic devices have an average failure rate described by the bathtub curve-- tending to fail either shortly after manufacturer or remaining usable for an extended period of time before failing due to component wear-out. Since the manufacturer has some control over component quality and replacements cost the manufacturer money, they are willing to increase manufacturing costs to move the right side of the bathtub outside the warranty, but do not have an ecomonic incentive to increase it... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by justkevin at 5:58 AM on September 18, 2006

This is a tariffic thread, but I have to wonder how Hawley feels about all this...
posted to MetaFilter by stenseng at 2:38 AM on September 10, 2006

I don't know about a whole barrel, and I don't know where you are located, but something very unique is happening in the Hudson Valley of New York. The Tuthilltown Gristmill is making small batch whiskey from locally grown corn. This is the first small business distillery awarded the right to make spirits in the state of New York since pre-prohibition. This is a good opportunity to try hand crafted spirits (they have vodka made from Hudson Valley apples too). Might make an interesting gift.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by spicynuts at 8:37 AM on September 8, 2006

what does ruby on rails and digg have to do with information systems? isnt rails just an application framework that got some press because its so easy to pick up for people who dont know anything about programming? and isnt digg just sort of like a slashdot site for 14 year olds? correct me if im wrong..
posted to Ask MetaFilter by petsounds at 12:48 PM on September 7, 2006

Transfer to English Lit. They love it when you act smarter than they are. It's like a Sith Lord's apprentice doing something horrible even the master couldn't think of. They tent their fingers and smile.

(But seriously, just regurgitate the material covered in class.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by cowbellemoo at 11:44 AM on September 7, 2006

Theorietically you're only supposed to change the name on your SSN records when you've already changed it legally. They probably assume that since many people change their names when they get married, that this is what you did and didn't require you to jump through crazy hoops. So yes the SSN change is not legal, it's presumed to be something you do after you change your name legally.

Also, this was a while ago but when I got a new passport, they asked for how I would... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jessamyn at 10:35 AM on September 5, 2006

It's the salted fish/meat and picked vegetables that makes for higher rates of stomach cancer in countries like Korea (and Japan).

I was raised on the American meat/potatoes/sugar diet but these days I think Tabasco's too bland to bother with and I make sloppy joes with habaneros so I can taste it. I befriend Chinese people so when I go to Asian restaurants with them they'll take my order for "5 STAR SPICY" seriously. I use Mace instead of Listerine. My... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by kcm at 8:02 AM on September 5, 2006

It actually came with three default songs. I fired up an old copy of the ROM and outputted the songs, then I converted them to MP3 for you. I don't have any file hosting available at the moment, so I used YouSendIt. If the files aren't available when you want them, let me know.

Link to songs
posted to Ask MetaFilter by cacophony at 5:42 PM on September 5, 2006 marked best answer

I just saw this license plate yesterday, so perhaps it's your lucky day...
posted to MetaTalk by jessamyn at 5:32 PM on September 3, 2006

It's illegal to make up your kid's name, in Iceland. Icelandic children must legally be named an already-existing recognized Icelandic name. There is a big book, the Nafnabokin, that lists all of the permissible names.

This means it's possible to brute-force the problem. If you live near a big or university library, you could see if they have a copy of the Nafnabokin and look up all the permissible girls' names that start with Bjorn.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by LobsterMitten at 1:10 PM on August 31, 2006

Basically, all cars today have:
- multiple air bags
- air conditioning
- bigger engines (bigger radiators, more fluids)
- side impact beams
- lots of heavy sound deadening insulation
- more glass from sleeker contours

Honestly, I share your concern about the overweight cars. It's frustrating to me. For example, when the new 350Z came out, they talked up its carbon fiber drive shaft, lightweight... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by knave at 11:10 AM on August 31, 2006 marked best answer

A lot of it is extra goodies. Stuff like indash cd players, navigation systems, OnStar, extra sound deadening, power mirrors/windows/locks, alarm systems plus the larger battery and charging system to handle that stuff. More comfortable seats (especially in the rear), 3 point rear seat belts, child anchors and LATCH anchors, more powerful A/C systems that cool the car quicker etc. etc. all add a pound or two each. Next thing you know you've increased the mass by 10-15%.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Mitheral at 11:44 AM on August 31, 2006

My inner picture of a year:

Cool days (September); brisk, falling leaf days (October); wet, leafless days (late October to early December); white snow (mid-December to mid January); dirty, graying snow (mid-January to mid-February); moist, cool, muddy days (mid-February through March); windy, flowering days (April to early June); hot, green days (some of June to July and August).

Eight seasons of inequal length, based around the particulars of... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Iridic at 7:09 PM on August 27, 2006

Are you sure he isn't time-travelling in his sleep? It's possible that he was lightly whipped for insubordination aboard an 18th century ship he was gangpressed onto while you were sleeping soundly in your 21st century bed.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by cmonkey at 11:01 AM on August 26, 2006 marked best answer

If you're looking at making lower calorie BLTs, Alton Brown pointed out on his show that a good BLT is really all about the tomatoes. You can get by with little bacon, because it goes a long way. The tomatoes, on the other hand, are critical, and in my opinion, if you don't have good tomatoes, you would be better off just skipping the sandwich.

(On the other hand, if you want a higher calorie sandwich, try my personal invention, the "kung... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by IvyMike at 3:39 PM on August 26, 2006 marked best answer

I don't think magnetism is something that's misunderstood that way.
1) classically magnetism is very well explain by Maxwell's Equations
2) quantum mechanically it's nigh-on perfectly by quantum electrodynamics
3) special relativity gives you magnetism as soon as you have an electrostatic force - the whole of magnetism is fundamentally relativistic
4) there is no mismatch between special relativity and quantum mechanics, only... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by edd at 1:33 PM on August 25, 2006 marked best answer

The university paths are also mentioned in How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by kirkaracha at 7:01 AM on August 25, 2006

I think the term "desire paths" is used for these, but only when made by pedestrians. I've seen especially impressive versions of them in highly "planned" cities like Brasilia, and on lots of college campuses, as mentioned. Here's a Flickr set.
Performance and theatre people, as well as obviously landscape architects and planners, seem really taken by the term. I saw this great itinerant performance/audio tour in Singapore. There's also a play by Graeme... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Mngo at 7:39 AM on August 25, 2006 marked best answer

That's a fascinating anecdote, Rock Steady; if one function of milk is to program the immune system of nursing young, we could speculate that the programming meant for a calf, which will have a very different relationship with the plant world than we do, involving lots of to us inedible weeds and some problems of detoxification, might do some weird things to the human immune system.

This is especially interesting since a new view of IgE (the mediator of allergies) is... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jamjam at 10:40 AM on August 24, 2006

Your question is a variant of a question that mathematicians have to deal with all of their lives. Someone asks you to explain what it is you're working on and you do a better or worse job of explaining what it is, either way. Then, usually, comes the question "but why?"; "what is it good for?".

It isn't always good for something, and some of the time it will never be good for anything, at least not in the sense that the askers of such questions... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by louigi at 12:50 PM on August 24, 2006 marked best answer

IIRC, the hard panning on some of the US releases was an accident, caused by the delivery of the master tapes in a 2-track mode, meant to be mixed to mono and released.

Well, someone just dumped the masters into repro and now we've got a whole continent that thinks it was intentional.

Best mistake ever, as far as I'm concerned. I learned more about arrangement and instrumentation by listening to one channel, then the other, than I did from just... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Aquaman at 9:39 PM on August 23, 2006