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bad grammar: "I learned later that the USPS regards packages wrapped with duct tape as possibly containing drugs."

That doesn't make any sense. If the post office won't accept them then how can it indicate anything. More likely the post office doesn't accept it because duct tape is a shitty packaging tape because it tears so easy. And the adhesive is really sticky therefor when a piece tears off it gums up whatever machine it is in at the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mitheral at 9:37 PM on January 9, 2014

You may be looking at cringe comedy or "embarrassment humor" to describe what you don't like. I can't stand it myself - as you say, it's excruciating.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by restless_nomad at 8:48 PM on January 8, 2014

Spanish tortilla; basically a potato omelet. Slice it like pizza and eat it cold/room temperature. And you can toss in other vegetables if you wish.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Mr.Know-it-some at 9:06 AM on January 8, 2014 marked best answer

Anecdata from TX...

We were on COBRA from my previous employer. Monthly premiums were $1,960. We moved from Cigna to BC/BS and kept all our doctors with essentially the same coverage, co-pays, and deductibles. Our new premium is just over $800. Plus, I'm a cancer patient and the chance of getting insurance on our own prior to ACA was nonexistent.
posted to MetaFilter by ElDiabloConQueso at 7:14 AM on January 8, 2014

As a Libertarian hack I'm totally opposed to the ACA and I'm still predicting that it will be the ruin of our country but on a personal level it's been working rather smoothly for me.

It took me about 30 minutes on the Friday before the deadline to purchase a policy on the Healthcare.gov exchange. I called my local multi-doctor family practice clinic on Monday and got a new patient intake appointment for Thursday. Now I'll be able to get back on much-needed... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Jacqueline at 10:43 PM on January 7, 2014

If I remember correctly, this is considered a feature already, so as to discourage people from waiting and posting the first instant they are able to.
posted to MetaTalk by Jahaza at 12:42 PM on January 6, 2014

FWIW I worked at my last job for five years. There were a lot of young people there and there were near-constant happy hours, birthdays, softball games, potluck dinners, etc. I was friends with a lot of these folks on Facebook (still am) and I had stayed friends with a lot of people who quit so I thought it would be totally reasonable to keep hanging out after I quit.

It didn't happen. No happy hour or lunch invites and my new job is less than a mile away. Occasional... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by kat518 at 9:34 PM on January 6, 2014

Lately, I've felt I'm invisible in some way.

Oh boy howdy do I know that feeling.

But, I don't think I have depression - I'm not suicidal or feeling down most of the time - just sporadic times like this

Suicidal ideation is often a feature of Major Depressive Disorder, but it's not a defining characteristic, nor is it (I think) a required symptom for diagnosis.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:18 PM on January 6, 2014

This is exactly why dog crates were invented!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by masquesoporfavor at 3:41 AM on January 6, 2014

This gentleman is emotionally abusive.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by squirbel at 6:40 PM on January 5, 2014

I'm no native speaker, but I'm pretty sure this is unrelated to taqiyya (which is not "a concept of lying to non-Muslims" but a legal dispensation whereby Muslims—usually Shi'ite, because of their history of oppression and different legal system—can deny their faith while they are at risk of significant persecution) but a mistake for a form like ﺘﮐﺬب; i.e., a form of كذب k-dh-b '(tell a) lie, deceive' with the... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by languagehat at 2:19 PM on January 3, 2014

One possible issue with this research is that we don't know that the task that subjects are engaging in is the same across languages. In English, for example, the question "what smell is this?" is not felicitously answered by "acrid" or "fruity" or whatever -- the only proper answer is the source of the smell. Inversely, "what color is this?" is not felicitously answered by "fire truck" -- the answer is red. In English, these are different... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by dendrochronologizer at 9:03 PM on January 3, 2014

You are using the same kind of logic and justifications that a predator would.

Let's not mince words here. You are being a predator. What other word is there for someone who sees another person's desperation and crisis, and thinks "hmm, here's my opportunity to use them for my own gratification"? You didn't come here asking whether this is a good idea -- I just realized that! -- you just wanted help with the logistics.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jayder at 9:20 AM on January 3, 2014

It never ceases to amaze me how willing otherwise intelligent people are to handwave away genuine complexity on the grounds that the solution to some obvious non-edge-case problem is obvious.
posted to MetaFilter by flabdablet at 9:33 PM on January 1, 2014

You are using the same kind of logic and justifications that a predator would. I urge you to reconsider your decision to pursue this woman. She deserves better -- do not abuse her further by forcing yourself on her, even if you think it's going to be gradual and consensual. You are taking advantage of someone who needs friends and support, not someone who ultimately wants to replace the already lousy man in her life.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by These Birds of a Feather at 12:28 AM on January 2, 2014

I have done this. I consulted the ACS database.

Then congratulations: you have done exactly as the video ultimately recommends and let someone else cope with the hideous complexity for you. Except that instead of experiencing gratitude that you're able to do this, as the video recommends, you seem to want to pretend that the fact that someone else is dealing with the complexity means that it isn't there, and that the narrator's attempt at explaining... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by baf at 9:30 PM on December 31, 2013

Understand that San Jose is the armpit of Costa Rica. Apart from the gold museum, which is okay, you'll do best to get out of the city, because there is little to do or see.

If you don't want to take a brief local flight to somewhere more interesting for your short stay, then I recommend taking the day-long Highlights Tour, because then you'll get to experience some of the range of micro-climates that Costa Rica is famous for. It's done at a relaxed pace in a modern... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Short Attention Sp at 6:09 AM on December 31, 2013

"Within NYC there is no more unifying sentiment than "fucking tourists""

Ya, they are only spending ~35 billion-55 billion annually in your city, why not treat that revenue stream with contempt.

Getting treated with contempt is part of what they come for, after all.
posted to MetaFilter by Flunkie at 11:22 AM on December 30, 2013

de Blasio hasn't even been inaugurated yet and he's already been a massive disappointment.

man at least wait for them to put the goalposts up
posted to MetaFilter by griphus at 10:38 AM on December 30, 2013

It will ruin your trip if you get a call saying "I let Fluffy outside and now I can't find him." Much better to keep him inside. It's only a week, sheesh. He's not going to go insane or start making ennui-filled YouTube videos in poorly-spoken French.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by desjardins at 11:58 AM on December 30, 2013

Firstly, totally give yourself permission to sometimes just make jarred sauce and pasta or frozen meals. If you and your husband both work, it's too much to ask for your family to also be eating sumptuous three-course meals every night.

My favorite really easy dish to make is shakshuka- basically just heat up tomato sauce in a pan, with sausage if you feel like it, or with frozen spinach, or both, and then crack eggs in, two or three per person. Cover with a lid and cook... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by showbiz_liz at 9:17 AM on December 30, 2013

His pet peeve is that "people act like science is their new religion." He constantly says, "People should realize simply by looking at the history of science that science gets things wrong all the time."

Completely accurate statements by your friend. However, the takeaway from such statements is not, "since science gets it wrong all the time, I can safely believe whatever I want and act as if it comports with reality because... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Tanizaki at 8:38 AM on December 30, 2013

I figured it out: Nick Land 1 is a 50 year old philosopher connected to speculative realism who blogged a lot when that was a thing. He went to China and doesn't blog anymore. Aurora showed up cuz he has a Google Alert on his name or something and tried to defend him before he saw the picture of this Nick Land 2, and realized this is just some tech world dingus wannabe Leo Strauss with a bachelors degree in Comp Lit so now he's outta here. Derail over, back to the facekicks.
posted to MetaFilter by Potomac Avenue at 9:28 PM on December 29, 2013

flushed by some shitty stuff I should have read closer. 

You are nick land, and I claim my 0.005 BTC.
posted to MetaFilter by the man of twists and turns at 9:21 PM on December 29, 2013

Can someone who isn't a Vampire:Masquerade character explain what's going on here and what it has to do with paraphysics or something?
posted to MetaFilter by Potomac Avenue at 8:59 PM on December 29, 2013

Honestly, I understand how you feel about wanting to be home, but it is clearly not an environment that is going to help you feel better. Either limit your stays there or stay away entirely. Part of the problem is that you're in your 20s and are still allowing your parents to treat you like a child. That needs to stop if the relationship is ever to mature.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by xingcat at 8:14 PM on December 29, 2013

Okay - I understand now why you can't get whatever appliance fixed, if it's a sublet.

But - could you update just one more time (mods, I hope you will allow that) to answer the following questions:

Do you have a working refrigerator?
Do you have a working oven?
Do you have a microwave?
Do you have a toaster or toaster oven?

Knowing the answers to those specific questions will help a lot of us help you. Thank you.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by EmpressCallipygos at 6:51 PM on December 29, 2013

Well in winter AC should not be a problem? At this point it sounds as if peanut butter sandwiches, trail mix, shelf stable fruit and vegetables are your only options for eating in if electricity is also out. Eat out more making sensible choices both in terms of nutrition and budget? Sorry but you'd probably get more useful answers if your updates actually answered the questions people have raised.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by koahiatamadl at 2:31 PM on December 29, 2013

7.8 William Cobbett in his Rural Rides wrote on 22nd October of seeking to repeal the law under which he had seen two men hanged earlier. It seems as good a fit as any.
posted to MetaFilter by Erzsebet at 10:15 AM on December 29, 2013

I can't overstate the positive impact Scarlett has had on me.

Just now, I've written several sentences and erased them all because they sounded like hyperbole.

Seeing someone like myself cheered, celebrated, beloved... That's a completely new thing for me. I didn't realize how starved I was for it. I still watch that Bomber clip a few times a week, because ... well, I've spent a lifetime internalizing how unspeakably cruely trans women have been... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by probu at 6:33 AM on December 29, 2013

Wow. I was trying to be charitable OP by assuming you were a nice person inspired by a true desire to help. But that scenario doesn't jibe with a person who asks a question like this and PERSISTS despite an overwhelming response presenting concrete evidence that this is a really bad idea.

I can relate to every word Soccermom describes in her story. And going through the system I saw many other women do the same thing, get away from the abuser and flee to anyone who... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by WalkerWestridge at 10:20 AM on December 27, 2013

Is this the same man you have described in your previous questions? If so, since he is nearly 20 years your senior, you are probably closer to his daughter's age than him and that is a problem. He might feel uncomfortable when directly confronted with the fact that he is dating a much younger woman. Or his daughter might be uncomfortable with this and told her father so.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by moiraine at 11:51 PM on December 26, 2013

Whether people like to accept it or not, relationships are largely transactional. You don´t develop an intimate relationship with another person motivated by altruism.

Setting aside the maelstrom of argument you are about to get on this point, let me ask you this - if you do honestly believe that relationships are indeed transactional, then consider that what she needs now is mental, emotional, and financial support only while she heals, and then... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by EmpressCallipygos at 11:11 AM on December 26, 2013

I have a hard time accepting the idea that one should avoid battered women at least until they are completely recovered from their trauma

I guess that's not the main point of what the message here should be. Which is, instead, that it's much less important what you accept, it should all about what she decides that needs to happen. Nor is it interesting what other men would be doing in your position. "I... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Namlit at 11:32 AM on December 26, 2013

My answer: You should expect to wait 28,779 coin flips before your run of 14 or more heads begins.

My tediously long explanation: Your raw data is a sequence of heads and tails, which might look like this

H H H T H T H T H T T T

Each of these 12 events is a single coin flip, each of which is an independent sample from a Bernoulli distribution. But that's not the best way to think about it. To calculate the answer, you... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mixing at 2:52 PM on December 25, 2013 marked best answer

Reza Aslan has some nice succinct comments on this topic as well.
posted to MetaFilter by George_Spiggott at 8:33 PM on December 25, 2013

I really don't understand why people find it so hard to control their damned selves.

Yes, dear, you're very clever.
posted to MetaFilter by en forme de poire at 4:38 PM on December 25, 2013

Dr. Richard Fuisz does not appear to be a particularly credible source based on the biographical information published on wikipedia and his alleged prior accusations.
posted to MetaFilter by humanfont at 5:59 PM on December 24, 2013

humanfront Suddenly everyone is a packaging expert.

Not a packaging engineer, but I've spent 10 years doing packaging prepress, including corrugated cartons. If I were at work I'd have proper tools to figure out the most compact nesting for this dieline. But I did a quick 4-out mockup in Illustrator, nested as tightly as I could and scaled it up to fit on a 60"x65.125" sheet. That results in a box that folds into a 9.75" cube.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by nathan_teske at 1:34 PM on December 24, 2013

I just want to echo empath. I know a lot of people will touch on your suicide attempt, but if I'm reading your question correctly, the worst "sin" you've committed is DARING to have male friends, some of whom were exes, and to have engaged sexually with other men in the very, very early stages of this current relationship, before the two of you were exclusive.

I have no doubt you truly believe you are in love with this guy, but if, after only three months, he... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Brittanie at 12:30 PM on December 24, 2013

There's a difference between saying, "Here's what works for me" and "This will work for you."

There's no privilege being wielded when you're talking about your own experience in a way that acknowledges it may not be universal ("Running outside really helps my depression"). Talking about your own experience in a way that claims it's universal and therefore either explicitly or implicitly blaming any one who's still suffering of just not... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by jaguar at 11:25 AM on December 22, 2013

It's not impossible that you may one day be in a position to get to know this woman romantically. Just not now. So step away, put this thing out of your mind, and revisit your feelings two or three years from now. If by then she's in a stable, happy, single situation and you're sure that you're interested in her for all the right (i.e. non-chivalrous) reasons, then by all means ask her on a date. Just a date.

I suspect, however, that by then life will have moved on for both of you.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by pipeski at 2:00 AM on December 22, 2013

I realized that object oriented programmed reifies normative subject object theory. This led me to wonder what a feminist programming language would look like, one that might allow you to create entanglements (Karen Barad Posthumanist Performativity).

Object Oriented Programming

The Smalltalk language, which was developed at Xerox PARC in the 1970s, introduced the term object-oriented programming to represent the pervasive use... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by L.P. Hatecraft at 8:33 PM on December 20, 2013

1) She's not honest with you. It's over.

2) Forcing someone into having sex they don't want is called rape. It's over.

3) You--everyone--deserves better than this shit. It's over.

4) "She believed it was ok to be in touch with an ex." - of course it's okay to be in touch with an ex. Why not? Why would you want to be with someone who cuts of all... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:21 AM on December 20, 2013

I think a lot of the pushback is not because programmers think that current programming languages are the necessary logical consequences of objective reality, but because they think that most programming languages are non-ideological, and they are confused by the attempt to apply social theories to what they see as basically mechanical systems. That is, that the idea of a feminist programming language is like the idea of a feminist steam engine or a feminist type of masonry.
posted to MetaFilter by Pyry at 2:57 AM on December 19, 2013

If the defamatory material isn't in the public domain then how can it be libel?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by laukf at 2:20 PM on December 18, 2013

Yep, that was pretty much the master class in diminishing returns that I expected it to be.
posted to MetaFilter by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 5:22 PM on December 17, 2013

I'd do a weekend in San Luis Obispo. Stay at The Masonna Inn. See Hearst Castle. Mmmmm.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Ruthless Bunny at 3:29 PM on December 14, 2013

An urgent care appointment with a doctor who has never seen you before is not the time to be making pop science demands about pain meds. The amount of acetaminophen combined with prescription painkillers is only enough to be dangerous if a) you take it with alcohol and/or b) you take an overdose and/or c) you combine it with other products containing acetaminophen (this is the same as option b). Urgent care sees a lot of drug seekers and if I were you -- in legitimate pain... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by telegraph at 7:06 AM on December 14, 2013

Contrast with Apple, just sitting uselessly on their money like they're trying for a high score.

Incorruptible robot soldiers are going to be a lot more useful than fistfuls of cash when the platform wars turn hot.
posted to MetaFilter by zjacreman at 12:44 AM on December 14, 2013