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So much for negative reinforcement...

frankly mister — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:13:29 -0800

Why do creepy/obnoxious guys (talked about at great length in a couple fantastic recent threads) keep hitting on girls if they never have any success?

This is inspired by this recent, amazing thread, and its MetaTalk spinoff.

(First: though I've spent a few hours reading both those threads, I haven't nearly read everything, so forgive me if this is answered in there at some point.)

I don't understand: what drives the creepy/obnoxious guys to continually hit on girls in the creepy/obnoxious manner? If they and their technique are so universally loathed by girls, as seems to be to the case, then it should follow that these guys NEVER have success. Sure, sometimes a girl is a little friendly in return, just to be nice. But presumably it never goes anywhere, so these guys never have any success with the routine. Why, then, do they keep doing it?

straight from the source.

the NATURAL — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:13:57 -0800

Just curious: What DVD commentaries absolutely enhance the movie they're attached to?

Thanks for your concern, but I've already seen these two previouslys.

As an aspiring screenwriter (maybe, one day, filmmaker? -- but then, who isn't?), I'm particularly interested in the craft of storytelling and the art of filming (how shots are composed, chosen, etc.). So, while I can't lie that it's funny that X and Y tell hilarious jokes in Z's commentary, I'm more curious from a technical standpoint.

Since this was last done in 2004, maybe skewing this towards DVDs released since then would make this a more timely question, as well.

Thanks, MeFi <4

Looking for information on PAYG cell phone (NY state), inflatable mattress, All-In-One scanner, fax, photocopier and printer

zaxour — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:22:56 -0800

Moved to NY (NOT NYC) from Sweden, need information on PAYG cell phone, inflatable mattress, All-in-One scanner, fax, photocopier and printer.

I moved to NY state from Sweden and my job will involve moving from one place to the other every 3 months or so. Hence, would like to maintain as little belongings as possible.

Since I haven't got my SSN yet, I have to go with PAYG phone. I am checking all cellphone carriers I am aware of but feel like very little information is offered on the web. Going to the stores isn't helping either. I am curious which carrier has best coverage in NY state? Also, do I have to use carrier's phone to be able to use their SIM?
I considered delaying buying PAYG phone and use cellswapper later but I am not too sure how good is this idea.

I am looking for king/queen size inflatable mattress, which brand is good to go with? A previous thread on me-fi directs me to Aerobed. Any other recommendation? (or if you didn't like Aerobed, why?)

I am also interested in All-In-One Scanner, Photocopier, Fax and Printer. I checked cnet.com reviews but there is a conflict between editor's ratings and user's ratings so not too sure how much I should rely on them. I wonder if its a good idea to have such All-In-One equipment and if yes, any recommendation?

Where can I find a good secondhand record store in Hong Kong?

The Card Cheat — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:17:22 -0800

Can anyone suggest any good secondhand record (i.e. vinyl) stores in Hong Kong?

I'm in HK until this Saturday and I'd like to check out a record store or two, but I'm having trouble finding anything aside from HMV and other chains. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Can we store our van for a year?

saturn~jupiter — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:40:47 -0800

We want to store our van for a year in California while we go back to Australia. Can this be done? Specifics inside.

My man and I bought a camper van in America, which we have lived in and traveled in for many months. We are going back to Australia (where we are from) in December, to live, but we want to come back in a year or so's time and do some more traveling for some more months.

We have been thinking of storing our van in a storage facility somewhere in southern California - because we fly out of L.A.

We've been told there are various problems with this plan - tyres going flat, wheels getting ruined, battery going flat, etc.

-Are there storage facilities for housing vans where they will take care of these things?
-Do you know of any in southern California?
-Any idea of how much money we are looking at paying?
-We don't really mind if it's outdoors, unless it's a security issue.

The van is the size of a small (class b) motorhome. its between 7-8 feet high, and maybe 20 feet long.

Don't know if it's a crazy idea - it seems more simple just to sell it, but we are rather attached to it...

Any advice appreciated.

Who's the big flying head w/ Dr Doom?

Rash — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:12:09 -0800

MarvelFilter: please identify the angry head with the tiny arms and legs flying behind Dr Doom in this Fall of the Hulks poster.

It's just the left side, their opponents. Who are they? In the back, is that Karl Rove? The guys around him are vaguely familiar from early Fantastic Four, but who's that green-skinned guy?

Need help fixing a roll up shade

kbar1 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:27:22 -0800

Please help me to repair a roll up matchstick shade or refer me to a web site with directions in plain English.

I bought an 8ft. matchstick shade and spent hours just installing the 3 hooks and hanging it, then discovered the drawstring on the right side had pulled loose from the pulley mechanism.

Obviously, I'm not mechanically inclined, but I'd rather try to fix it than return it to the store and start over. The problem string attaches at the top-back of the blind and should loop down under the bottom, and up to the pulley. The string is attached as it should be at the back, but just hangs straight down. I've tried feeding it through the pulley, but there doesn't seem to be room - and even if it did fit, it seems like it must need to attach to something - but what?

I know this is a longshot, but I'm hoping it will make sense to someone with experience fixing roll up blinds. Thanks!

Wireless possible, or no?

BlahLaLa — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:37:12 -0800

Did the Apple salesperson do me wrong? I bought an AirPort Express to go wireless with my Mac Mini but now I think I got screwed.

Okay, it's embarrassing to admit this on Metafilter, where almost everyone seems to be very computer savvy, but I DON'T KNOW ABOUT COMPUTERS. I use 'em, but I don't know how they work.

I have an older Mac Mini. I've had it for two years, but it was used by someone else previously and I don't know precisely how old it is. I want to set up a wireless network in my home, and I called the Apple Store to see if that would be possible with my model. The phone rep talked me through looking at my computer. I have a new-enough OS. I do not have an AirPort card. I do have firewire. She said I can connect through firewire.

But the AirPort Express arrived, and when I looked at the documentation, it says I must have the AirPort card installed.

So...is that true about this alleged firewire? Can I connect wirelessly, or am I out of luck? If not, can I keep my Mac Mini wired to the modem, and hook up the AirPort Express so my husband can use his laptop elsewhere in the house?

If I need to return this thing: Have you had experience with the Apple Store? Are they going to easily accept the explanation that I only bought this because the salesperson said it would work with my computer?

Please speak to me as if I am your mentally challenged great aunt. I really need it step by step, spelled out.

Help me make my computer backup checklist

Elminster24 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:21:00 -0800

BackupFilter: My new replacement laptop arrives tomorrow--help me make sure I don't forget anything critical in my backup process when I transfer everything to the new computer because I have to ship the old one back to Dell (hard drive as well).

So here's the situation...I have a Dell XPS m1730 that is being replaced by Dell with an Alienware m17x since my graphics cards fried. The m1730 runs Vista 32-bit and the new one (which arrives tomorrow!!!) will come with Vista 64-bit and a Windows 7 upgrade disc. After doing a little research I've decided I'd like to try doing a clean install of Windows 7 on the new machine (versus just the upgrade option) and I have a laplink cable which will hopefully help facilitate data transfer from the old machine to the new one, although if I need to I can temporarily move things to my 1Tb external Lacie drive.

Now on to the question...

I'd consider myself pretty good with computers but I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to making sure I have a backup of everything I need to and that I've transferred things over the right way. Below are a list of key things that I plan on backing up and the specifics that I think I've got covered in terms of how to transfer the data but I'd love some additional opinions to make sure I am not missing anything important that I wish I'll have later. The reason for this is that once I am completely finished, I need to do a complete HDD wipe and send the old machine (including the HDD) back to Dell to complete the exchange and thus will no longer have access to the machine or data. I considered making a disc image of the drive but I'm not sure how useful that would be for recovery purposes if I won't have a similarly configured machine available to load the image onto.

Also, just a general note...the vast majority of the software I have on there, unless specifically noted otherwise, was...*ahem* "acquired" via Bittorrent. So I will most likely have to redownload everything as I did not save the installers.

1. Web Development
Right now I build my websites in Dreamweaver and have several site profiles setup that I need to transfer...not quite sure how to do that. I also have a local server setup via XAMPP.

A. How do I backup my Dreamweaver sites properly so that all the site logins and file paths aren't completely messed up?

B. How do I properly transfer my XAMPP server which houses several several databases from Wordpress installs and multiple sites?

2. Design
I have Photoshop CS3 installed currently. Since I need to redownload it I'll most likely just grab CS4. However I have several brush packs, fonts, patterns, filters, etc. on the current machine. What is the best way to back this up?

3. Internet
I use Firefox 3.0.12 and have a TON of addons and themes. I successfully used FEBE to transfer my bookmarks, profile, addons, themes etc. between machines in the past but I'm worried that it won't work if I try to load the backup into a newer version of FF.

A. Anybody know if FEBE can load a backup from an older version of FF into a new one?

4. Media
I don't have any music I've purchased off of the ITMS or anything but I have a ton of MP3s and iTunes is music software of choice. My photos are stored in my documents and I use Picasa to manage them.

A. Do I need to do anything with my iPod and iTunes on my old machine like deauthorize or anything?

B. Is backing up photos as simple as copying them all and then putting them on the new machine and just importing them into Picasa again?

Aside from those four things, I think the rest of the files on there are fairly straightforward things to copy/transfer--mainly MS Office files and some user data/preferences from games like Savage 2 and Battlefield. Is there anything else I'm forgetting about here that is crucial? I feel like I'm forgetting some important things that I'm going to really be pissed about once I wipe the drive... And speaking of wiping the drive, I don't want anybody getting a refurbished machine with my old HDD in it and accessing my data. What is a FREE guaranteed way to completely wipe the drive?

I understand this is a pretty meaty AskMeFi question so if you're able to provide answers to all the parts you're a rockstar, and even if you can only provide some, I'll take any advice I can get on this as I only get one shot at this and need to do it right. Happy to answer any additional questions anybody has.

Can you help me find this essay?

codacorolla — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:18:01 -0800

I'm looking for a World War 2 essay that may be titled "Missing the War", which is about the difference in perception between how the Second World War was portrayed in the media and how it was for the soldiers involved.

I remember reading it in a best-of essay collection that might've been published in 2006 or 2007. Google searching for that title doesn't bring up anything similar. It's a really great essay, and probably some of the best war writing I've ever read.

Best Irish Booze?

mtstover — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:02:30 -0800

Heading to a themed dinner event. We each represent a country and bring food / drink from the country. I am Ireland. I'm going to bring booze. What whiskey or other hard alcohol should I bring?

How do I get out of this emotional hole and get things done?

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:33:48 -0800

Seeking short-term coping mechanisms for being productive in school during a devastating breakup, and for comedy TV I can watch to help me through it. Long story inside.

My partner of, let's say 4-8 years and I broke up about 5 weeks ago. We got together when we were both freshmen at our university and had an instant strong bond. It was a mutual breakup due to some relationship dysfunction that was related to a sexual health problem I have and anxiety/depression we each have. We have lived together for several years and while we're in the process of finding some way to move out, we are still roommates for now.
The first few days we were broken up, we both had a terrible time and cried a lot. We have remained friends with little drama, other than both having some crying spells, up until this weekend.
Due to some events this weekend, it really started to sink in that I may really be losing him for good and I began to panic. Things came to a head and in the middle of the night I told him how I felt and it was very emotional for both of us. We ended up having sex. I didn't realize, but at the time, he was drunk (I was exhausted from crying and not sleeping). While we were having sex (which was his move), we were talking about things we wanted to do sexually in the future. The next morning, though, we kissed again (again his move) and said sexual things toward me. Not an hour later, we talked about what we wanted to do relationship-wise. Basically he said he doesn't think it's a good idea for us to get back together right now.
I'm totally crushed. I told him he betrayed me, fucked with my head, and that I just wanted to know why he would so something like that to me after normally treating me well. He says he was stupid to do those things last night and this morning, and he did them because he was confused about how he felt and thought maybe we could get back together. I feel so betrayed, used, and just hopeless. We're part of each others families. Before the breakup, we often talked of concrete life plans like marriage and kids. When we technically "broke up," it didn't feel so real or permanent and we've continued to live life as normal, hanging out just with no romantic contact.
Making matters worse, I'm a first-year law student in the throes of finals studying time. This weekend I have done nothing for school. I don't even think I can get through classes without bursting into tears randomly. Missing much class is not really an option, but I know I can't go tomorrow. I can't get out of bed right now. I don't know how I can get through the semester. There are counseling services that I plan to utilize, but until I can get in, I am in a wandering panic.
I have no friends to talk to about this. All of my friends are either friends with him, too, or friends who live out of state and I haven't been in close contact with recently enough to call up with my problems. I'm don't really talk to my parents or siblings about personal stuff like this.
I don't like dating or the whole game of trying to meet people. He and I became friends and were very close before any romance occurred. I don't feel like that kind of connection will be easy to find again any time soon.
I've read tons of breakup related AskMes, and some of the things in there have been helpful, especially the thing about "existential panic"

1. Are there any general suggestions for what I can do to get through the day(s) until I can get some counseling?
2. One thing that does help calm me is watching DVDs of The Office. I've seen them all so many times in the past month that it's almost not working anymore. Any other shows like this, such as ones about people with run of the mill lives with comedy and some realistic life sadness would probably help, too.
3. What can I do to try to be productive and not keep breaking down while studying? I can't leave the house, which usually helps, because I will probably start crying randomly, and at home, all I can do is zone out playing solitaire and watching The Office to keep from bawling constantly.

Sorry for such a long story, but I really felt I needed to give all the details for this to make sense, and my mind isn't so clear for editing.
If you have any advice you don't want to put here, you can email heartbrokenmefite@gmail.com

What is this mystery gunk that bleached my pants?

lalalana — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:29:00 -0800

What is this mystery gunk that bleached my pants?

Last week, I noticed some weird stuff on the back of my black polyblend H&M pants... It looked like lipgloss, a little bit pink and similar in texture except maybe a little less thick. When I wiped it off, I found that the spots where it had been were bleached out to a purpley-pink shade. Sad. Anyway, what could this stuff have been? I didn't go or do anything out of the ordinary-- a college campus, a coffee shop, my car... I really can't think of anything I would have come in contact with (no cleaning products, etc, what I know of?) that could have caused it... Any thoughts?

Do I need to get a multiple entry visa for Spain/Andorra travel as a US citizen?

anarchivist — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:21:55 -0800

I'm going to Spain (Barcelona) for 10 days, and I'm a US citizen, which in my understanding grants me a de facto 90-day single entry Schengen visa. I've been thinking about going to Andorra, a non-Schengen country, which suggests to me that I would therefore require a multiple entry Visa. Preliminary research confirms this. Stupid question: do I need to do this before I leave? Can anyone else who has gone to Andorra from Spain attest to the strictness or laxity of the immigration controls?

Dustbuster recommendations?

leesh — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:48:36 -0800

I'd like to get a dustbuster or similar cordless small vacuum device. Can you awesome people recommend some brands/models?

I saw this thread but it's a couple years old and I figured dustbuster technology has advanced some since then, plus I really do want a cordless one. Currently Amazon has a good deal on one of those Kone things, but the recent reviews seem mixed. Have any of you used one, and would you recommend it? Or is there some other awesome dustbuster I should know about?

Looking for cheap DVD shops in Paris (Left Bank)

lahersedor — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:37:49 -0800

While I'm in Paris (for a short stop) I plan to buy DVDs (movies) by french new wave directors like truffaut. I have heard that there are cheap DVD shops in Paris. Do you know of any good ones in the Left Bank ? I will be staying in Montparnasse.

thunder road cover mp3?

headnsouth — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:35:30 -0800

Please help me find an mp3 (mp4?) of Badly Drawn Boy's cover of Thunder Road.

There is a youtube video but I'd like to get a copy of it as an mp3 if possible. Amazon and itunes don't have it, I'd like to actually purchase it rather than just find it wherever it if it's available, as mp3 or cd (preferable but it's not on any of BDB's albums as far as I know) or whatever.

Stabbing myself in the eye with a letter opener doesn't seem to be an appropriate reaction to this problem.

sugarfish — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:28:54 -0800

I just spent another hour going through giant stacks of mail and shredding crap and I swear I can't take it anymore.

All of our bills are paid online so half the time stuff never even gets opened. This leads to problems like letters from our HOA getting missed when like a month later I break down and go through stuff. And then what do we do after the bills are paid? What should we keep (paystubs, etc)? What's fine to get rid of? How long should we keep receipts for things like home or car repairs? Why do these mysterious statements keep coming from the retirement account?

We have no system whatsoever. I feel like I missed that day in learning-to-be-an-adult class. (Well, I missed a lot of days, but this is the most pressing one.) What does your filing cabinet look like? I need a filing cabinet, right?

I know some of the basic things we can do -- opt out of paper mail, etc, but is that okay for everything? Isn't it better that I have a hard copy of my credit card statement to compare just in case it changes down the line, or am I being a conspiracy theorist?

What about regular, day-to-day receipts? Do you just take time once a week to shred them, or what?

We are intelligent people but unfortunately neither of us is detail-oriented. We work long schedules and when we get home at midnight the last thing we want to do is go through another pile of mail that turns out to be usurious credit card "checks." (Seriously, I just shredded like a dozen envelopes' worth.)

Please hope me.

Was I ripped off by the graduate school admissions committee at a top 10 university?

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:25:51 -0800

Was I ripped off by the graduate school admissions committee at a top 10 university?

I applied to a CS master's program at a top 10 US university a few months ago. I had still not received any sort of answer from the school (mail, email, or otherwise) the weekend before the term (I had applied for) began. I called the program that Friday, but nobody answered. I emailed three different addresses; only one person answered, the director of the program. He emailed me on Sunday morning, the day before the term started. His email said that my application was rejected because I haven't had any math since high school, and because the admissions committee could not determine my mathematics background. In reality, I have taken five math courses in college, including an entire Calculus sequence, and I got A's in all of these.

These math courses were on my undergraduate transcripts; the university's "application status" website indicated that these transcripts had been received, so the program should've been aware that I had taken these courses. I emailed the director back, but he dodged my questions and became argumentative. He's now ignoring my email messages to him.

I feel that my application wasn't taken seriously, that the admissions committee made mistakes in evaluating my application (and is refusing to admit that they did), and that it was wrong of the school to inform me of my admission status the day before the term I applied for was to begin (if I wouldn't have emailed them, I probably would've have never known if I had been admitted or rejected--they have never sent me an official rejection letter). In short, I feel ripped off.

I paid nearly $100 to apply to this program, and I am far from rich. Am I entitled to refund? What would you do if you were me? I emailed the president of the university, explaining my situation, but my emails have been ignored.

Never had a nightmare

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:25:29 -0800

I've never had a nightmare.

Why? Is this normal? I can't fully account for when I was a small child, but in recent memory I cannot remember ever having had a nightmare, or even a truly disturbing dream. I've had exceptionally vivid dreams as well as the usual anxiety dreams of being naked or falling on rare occassions, but never anything close to nightmarish. Amongst my friends and family I can't find anyone else who has never had a nightmare. It feels weird.

Googling "never had a nightmare" shows I am not alone, I just wonder if there might be a cause, or an article or some sort of insight into this. I've had a normal-to-difficult life including problems with depression and anxiety and a fair share of waking problems, I can't think why I might be immune to having nightmares. Is there a cause, or am I just lucky? Any tips for inducing a nightmare? I guess I am coming from a view of nightmares being an accepted part of everyone's life, perhaps they aren't?

FWIW I'm not on any medications or diet, I drink moderately, no drugs, exercise daily, eat healthily. Slept in all sorts of environments home and abroad and no other sleep issues. Mid 30's.

Early Chinese History

shothotbot — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:19:07 -0800

What are some good books about the history of China, up to say the Qing dynasty? I am particularly interested in the Warring States period up to the first empire. Extra credit for discussions of the spread of Buddhism.

Best video codec for embedding into PowerPoint?

limon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:51:55 -0800

I'd like to embed video clips in a PowerPoint presentation. It would need to play correctly on both Windows and OS X. What codec is ideal? My first attempt won't play on Macs.

Where can I find jacket like Number 6's in NYC?

Godbert — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:46:22 -0800

Where in the New York City area can I find a jacket like the one Number 6 (Patrick McGoohan) wore in the original The Prisoner series?

In particular, I mean the black jacket with white piping. Since this is probably a one-time thing, I'm not looking to spend a lot of money on it, and am not opposed to second-hand.

Bonus points for also being able to recommend somewhere to find/have made a 'number 6' button with The Village's penny-farthing bicycle.

Ascii-art app for OS X?

Wild_Eep — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:43:45 -0800

What is the name of this obscure Mac text editor that draws ASCII art boxes and lines by dragging them out?

I last used this app about three years ago, on OS X.

It was a simple text editor, that had a unique feature. You could drag a rectangle and it would create a BBS-style ASCII box. It would also do straight lines. (It may have done more).

Freely downloadable, at no cost. Ran in English.

sydney cost of living

neworder7 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:24:25 -0800

CostOfLivingFilter in Sydney: I am 35 year old, professional in Sydney with a salary around AU$100K. I have no dependents, leading a normal modest life with no extravagant expenses. Why do I still feel the life is out of my reach?

I am 35 and I think I am old enough to settle, stop living like a student. Maybe buy a property. I know mine is not a huge salary and I also think it is not very little either for a single person. I realized it seems that it does not look possible to buy a decent house/apartment closer to city without having to go "out west". Also, saving for a deposit is very hard while paying a rent even for an average place in the city.

I am not originally from Australia, been here for couple of years only, so please help me realize where I am placed financially in this society?

Thank you

How can I get my laptop to boot up properly?

AngryTypingGuy — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:36:05 -0800

Was in the process of system restore but now I can't boot up my PC. How can I get it to start up correctly?

I was in the middle of cleaning up (defrag, viruses, spyware, etc.) someone else's laptop when I ran into a problem. There was some spyware I was trying to get rid of using a few antispyware programs but none of them seemed to work. So I went to my last resort and used system restore.

The laptop was never able to boot up correctly. It got to the F8 screen and listed the alternative bootup options (Last Known Configuration, Safe Mode, etc.). I tried them all but none of them had any effect. A blue screen would appear for a second and then it would shut down and try starting up again. It just does this in an endless loop.

By the way, I don't have the Windows XP installation CD.

The only other thing I can get into is the BIOS setup utility.

Any other ideas to get it to startup correctly? I really hope I can get the laptop back to the owner without screwing it up any morewhen I took it.

Thanks for your help.

Palenque Package? Cabins? Ayudame!

Admira — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:17:06 -0800

I am going on a trip to Mexico next year and I'd love to go to Palenque. Friends of mine from Mexico recommend getting a package tour. I generally dislike package tours but I'm not sure how to find the best flight price, accommodation in VillaHermosa, trip to Palenque, and accommodation there. Anyone have any tips for how to get there, how to book, how long to stay, where to stay etc?

A friend recommended staying on a cabin in Palenque but googling shows every one having extreme reviews of either "Loved it, best place in MY LIFE" or "Never stay here, terrible!".

We've also heard varying advice for how long to stay in Palenque, from 2 days to 7 days.

So I thought I'd ask the hive mind for Palenque travel tips!

History of Copyright Symbol

cinemafiend — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:25:35 -0800

Can anyone point me to the origins/history of the © symbol? I've read that the symbol was first called for in U.S. Copyright Law in the 19th Century - but where does the symbol come from?

My google fu is in "you suck" mode today.

I'm searching for information/articles on the origins of the copyright symbol (©) - and please don't tell me the answer is in the latest Dan Brown novel.

I'll accept answers that suggest databases and journals that I should research for this kind of information!

SantaFilter: The Naughty List of the Film, TV,

Unsomnambulist — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:09:07 -0800

SantaFilter: I'm trying to make a list of the worst of the worst kids from film and TV, etc., that would end up on Santa's naughty list, year after year. Any suggestions come to mind?

Names that immediately come to mind: Adrian Mole, Lucy (of Peanuts fame), Scut Farcus from "A Christmas Story." Bullies and other kids whose purpose on life seems to be making the lives of other kids miserable.

Bonus points for any links to articles about actual real life naughty kids.

(I'm casting a wide net, but mainly looking for kids whose awfulness, however dark, inspires laughter... perhaps in fellow naughty listers).

Ima let ya finish but what kind of guitar are you playing?

cazoo — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:51:08 -0800

Taylor Swift Filter: Did anyone catch Taylor Swift on last nights SNL?

I'd like to know what kind of acoustic guitar she was playing. I believe she used it twice, in the opening monologue and then for her musical numbers.

It looked like it was made of Hawaiian Koa wood. I didn't get a good look at the headstock to see the manufacturers name but maybe someone else caught it. Thanks.

Sorry, I don't have any pics.

Earphones for a person with sensitive skin who travels on a bus

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:50:49 -0800

How can I keep listening to music on the bus without exacerbating my easily irritable skin with earbuds, or causing hearing loss?

The skin in the bowl of my ear and ear canal is easily irritable, which leads to flaking and ear infections. I had this under control, and then I got an iPod Shuffle. Being able to listen to music on my many bus trips makes me much happier, but it is surely irritating my skin. Also, trying to keep the music audible on a loud bus means I have to turn the volume up probably more than is healthy.

I'm planning to get a iPod Shuffle remote-replacement dongle so that I can replace the earbuds. I have some Sennheiser PXC-250 noise-canceling supraural earphones that work pretty well. They avoid the skin irritation that earbuds cause and the noise cancellation means I don't have to turn them up too loud. But they only work when I have a bag with me to store them in. One of the key advantages of the iPod Shuffle was that I could just put them in my jeans pocket and use them even when I didn't have a bag with me. So I'm looking for something more compact if possible. Even if I can't fit them in my pants, something I could more easily fit in my jacket pocket would be good. Something inexpensive would also be ideal I you can't always keep my jacket within view and expensive stuff might get stolen.

I've heard of bone conduction headphones (Outi, Audio Bone), but they seem to get poor reviews, and are apparently loud enough for others nearby to hear (not so great on the bus).

Thus far I have avoided canalphones (which seem apppealing for their noise-isolating characteristics) for fear that they will irritate my skin further, much as earplugs do.

Anonymous because, hey, not everyone needs to identify me with my health issues.

graphing implicit/3d/whatever (multiple plots) in maple/other software

isoman2kx — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:21:51 -0800

graphing implicit/3d/whatever (multiple plots) in maple/other software

how would I graph this? I'm getting killed by the boundaries on these triple integrals and trying to visualize these graphs without a calculator or any sort of help. for example, how would you get the boundaries from this problem with a graphing software such as maple?

:::Problem::::

evaluate the triple integral where E is bounded by the cylinder y^2 + z^2 = 16, and the planes x = 0, y = (4/3) x , and z = 0.

I see graphs like this for the problem above that look like my first attachment. The closest I've come is entering it in maple like I've shown in my 2nd attachment for this problem, but why doesn't my graph look like the random professors graph from attachment #1? Mine doesn't have any curves or contours, it's just rigid useless lines. What is their secret?

I take back the maple only request but if you guys know ANY software where I can successfully enter problems like the above in to visualize them would greatly help me out. In a way I'm looking at larger picture because I want to know how to graph any set of equations, planes, functions in one graph regardless of if there's a x, y, z etc, but this problem would certainly help in getting there.

attachment 1 (not mine) :

http://tinyurl.com/y9qrlo8

attachment 2 (mine, in maple):

http://tinyurl.com/y98ngn4

please help lol :(

-travis

Why can I use PING but not HTTP on a yet-to-be-activated DSL account?

j0hnpaul — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:15:09 -0800

Why can I PING with my new DSL modem on an inactive account, but nothing else?

Hi! My new modem arrived for Verizon DSL service, but my "service ready date" hasn't arrived yet, giving me some time to muse and experiment.

I noticed that when I set up the modem and connected my Mac via an Ethernet cable, my Network Diagnostics show that the computer is connected to the internet and the connection is working properly. I noticed I can also PING google.com, verizon.com, or any other website from the Terminal with zero packet loss.

On the other hand, everything useful about the internet is closed. I can't access anything in a web browser, and attempting to run the software Verizon sent me to "activate my account" or "troubleshoot my connection" fails. I surmise this is related to trying this before the "service ready date".

But the fact that PING works from the command line, and I'm able to send and receive data across the internet, makes me wonder how real the "service ready date" is. If it's possible to communicate with sites via PING, why not through HTTP? What's really going on?

We are trying as hard as possible not to be noisy

marble — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:53:11 -0800

How best to handle noise complaints against us, when I feel we are being reasonable? Since the first complaints we have been dialing down the noise in every way we can think of, but apparently it's not enough and we don't even know which neighbor is complaining, so we can't speak to them directly.

Several months ago, we got a formal written noise complaint from the landlord. We couldn't figure out what we were doing to cause it, and there were no specifics. It made a reference to stuff being done after 10:00 pm. I can't tell from the wording if it's *just* whatever they heard after 10:00 pm, or if we were being admonished for stuff prior to that hour or not.

We do not have parties or anything like that, we don't play loud music, and we live on the ground floor. We play videogames and watch tv and movies, and at a volume such that no one has complained until recently. (I have lived here for four years now).

Then a couple months ago we're playing SingStar, and a knock at the door reveals a policeman. They called the cops on us. For singing. Sigh. Really? The police? Anyway, I was pleasant and polite to the cop but I felt rather bewildered by the whole situation. I admit we do tend to turn up the sound on the tv when we play that game, because neither one of us likes how our voice sounds so we can drown it out with the actual artists singing. Okay, well, I guess it was too loud even though we never had trouble with it before. We haven't even touched that game since that encounter with the cop. It saddens me greatly, we used to have a great time playing it, but I can't figure out if the problem was that it was after 10 or just that we were playing it at all.

Overall we made an effort to make sure things were quieter, especially after 10. I'm talking things like headphones used for playing games and music, a quieter volume on the tv, and just plain going to bed earlier.

But then we got *another* formal written noise complaint from the landlord, on Wednesday.

What the hell? I am really frustrated with this. I don't know what to do. I don't know how many complaints before they try to evict us. I feel really powerless and upset. I honestly don't want to offend anyone with noise, but I think this person is being hypersensitive and at this point they may just be making bogus complaints to fuck with us (maybe they want us to be evicted so they can have the ground floor apartment? my mind is reeling). It's not like they have to provide proof. The landlord doesn't even have anyone on the property to corroborate a noise complaint past like 3pm, and we are at work til 5. So they can complain as much as they want, and they will be believed even if we are in bed at the time.

Our apartment is in a small block of eight. We have no idea which neighbor lodged the complaints, so we can't try to talk to them about exactly what they heard and when, and try to work with them to make sure we don't bother them. We are not assholes, we just want to be able to enjoy our entertainment.

This whole thing is making us paranoid. We watched Desperado last night, the last 40 minutes of which were after 10. I thought we shouldn't because I don't want any chance of them hearing anything, even on a weekend night. But we watched it so quietly that we could barely hear the dialogue, and turned it way down for every gunfight.

This is crazy. I hate living in fear like this, feeling so uncomfortable in my own home. If this person really is out to get us evicted, then there's nothing I can do anyway.

I thought about maybe writing a formal letter to the landlord explaining that we are surprised that our noise level has bothered anyone, but we are genuinely making a sincere effort not to offend (since the very first complaint), and would appreciate it if they could tell us when they actually hear noise so that we could figure out which thing it is that is causing the problem.

I'd like to talk to the neighbor directly, but I have this fear that the person is going to construe me even talking to them as harassment or something, and I'm rather pissed off at this point and am not sure if I could keep a lid on my obvious resentment coming through in tone of voice and facial expression. Also, I hate confrontation. I'd much rather write a letter if I could. But this is all moot since I don't even know which neighbor it is and the landlord likely won't tell me.

The landlord's latest note referenced paragraph 20 of my lease, and I think the part they refer to is (excerpted): "You and your occupants or guests may not engage in the following activities: [...] behaving in a loud or obnoxious manner; disturbing or threatening the rights, comfort, health, safety, or convenience of others (including our agents and employees) in or near the apartment community [...]". This is a standard Texas Apartment Association lease, and I live in Austin.

I'd really like to communicate in writing as calmly and reasonably as I can, but I'm scared even that will blow up in my face somehow. I'm supposed to sign my new lease soon but I haven't talked to the landlord since the last complaint so I'm not sure how pissed off they might be at me right now, or if they consider the complaints minor. I'm scared to even bring up the lease with them. New lease would be starting January 1st.

Anyway, I'm looking for advice as to how to approach this. I'd like to be able to enjoy my usual activities at home without feeling like I'm going to be evicted for it. And we have already gotten two levels quieter and it hasn't helped. Argh!

Help me choose a host

Iteki — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:47:58 -0800

Help me choose a webhost for my small business. Details on the inside.

Drowning slightly in the choices available to me. I have a teeny tiny business "doing sites" and will be hosting my clients under my own package. The sites are tiny enough (online brochures in principle) that a reseller account would be over the top.

On the "need to have" end of things I guess that means:
- multiple domains on one account
- handling of hosting and mail for those domains
- handy WP integration
- cheap but established (really max $20 a month I think)

and "nice to have" would be:
- easy ecommerce solution
- environmentally friendly/carbon neutral
- free wp templates

I am probably leaning towards Dreamhost based on their being so well established and correctly priced. I just heard of GreenReseller hosting today, so I have no real opinion on them, anyone know of them or similar companies?

What are other need/nice to haves I should consider?
Which company do you recommend for the most bang for my buck?

What is best for my 9 year old dog? Should I bring him with me when I transfer colleges?

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:37:28 -0800

What is best for my 9 year old dog? Should I bring him with me when I transfer colleges?

I was accepted to a college across the country, and I am planning to go.

All of the *logistics* of bringing him are settled (I will have adequate housing for us, I'll be able to support both of us, I'll have time for him, I've visited the area several times before, etc.)

The only focus of this question is whether being taken away from the rest of my family and his familiar environment would be too hard on him, or unfair to him.

Background info.

He's officially the family dog, but I've always liked and wanted him the most. My other family members think he's okay but they aren't that into him. They mainly just ignore him.

But, he LOVES everyone in the family, especially my brother, and he's always trying to get their attention while they usually (70% of the time) ignore him.

When it comes to his care, my mom and I each feed him and walk him about half the time. My brother walks him occasionally. I play with him and entertain him the most; my brother does that occasionally, too.

Even though he is in his later years, he's still very active and has a ton of energy.

A couple months ago, he had health problems which could have become dire if he hadn't received an unpleasant-and-difficult-to-administer treatment. I was the only one willing to administer this treatment, and I'm worried if I left him here, he just wouldn't get it if it happened again.

I'm also worried if I left him here, he'd just spend his days sitting around the house being bored and mostly ignored by everyone, except for an occasional short daily walk or two.

On the other hand, if I took him, I'm really worried that he would miss my family and wonder where they were and why he was taken away. I'm also worried he would be stressed out to be away from his familiar surroundings that he's seen his whole life, like the house, the neighborhood, etc. I'm worried it wouldn't be fair to do to him at his age.

What should I do?

Looking for book

kemah201 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:30:21 -0800

I am looking for a book that was used as a textbook for an english composition course at Northeastern University in 1999. The book was a compilation of nature essays including Kerouac. I believe the professor was an adjunct at the time who used the book.

Examples, real of fictional, of food being framed as elitist or snobby?

loping — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:25:27 -0800

I'm working on a video project about the backlash to Obama mentioning the price of arugula at Whole Foods. Can you think of any other examples, real of fictional, of food being framed as elitist or snobby?

I'm putting together a video project about the ways certain foods get framed as elitist/liberal/snobby. I've thought of some examples:

The faux Whole Foods in Baby Mama
John Kerry getting called a snob for asking for a cheesestake with swiss cheese
Obama getting attacked for making a comment about the price of arugula.

I'm looking for more, particularly ones that are audio / video.

Help me find this old school game...

chump — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:09:02 -0800

I'm trying to find this outdoor game I played back in the 70's. Basically, the game consisted of 2 ropes with handles and a swimming pool float. The float would zip back and forth when a player spread his arms quickly to "shoot" the float back to the other player. Can't remember the name of the game or where to buy it today.

Where can we go for a Tuesday night getaway near Boston?

david1230 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:03:45 -0800

Where can we go for a Tuesday night getaway near Boston?

Veteran's day is Wednesday and I'd love to take my wife somewhere to escape Boston on Tuesday night. By the ocean, in the woods, in the mountains, or in a city in Western MA would all work. It doesn't need to be fancy (but we'd rather rustic charm than Days Inn). Within a 2 hr drive, and under $150 would be great (< $100 even better). Anyone know of such a place?

I need to leave Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems

jragon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:33:05 -0800

I signed up for a "pay half your mortgage twice a month" thing and now Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS) is a little too involved for my liking. Help me leave them.

I got a funny feeling about MERS so I started doing some research. While not 100% scam, they seem to get between a homeowner and their mortgage provider, which can lead to all sorts of trouble. (wikipedia info)

A few days ago, I got an Appointment of Successor Trustee and a Deed of Reconveyance, which I've never seen after 6 years of my loans being sold to people willy nilly.

So now I want to leave, but have to wait until tomorrow when they're open. My concern is that I'll call and they'll basically say I can't leave and dare me to press the issue. And then I'll call MetLife, who I originally got the loan from, who will say it doesn't concern them. At that point I'm not sure what I'll do, so I wonder if anyone has any suggestions.

Thanks.

Is it cheating?

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:19:18 -0800

I'm not sure if I've been cheated on, and I don't know how to feel. What should I do?

My boyfriend and I have been together for 4 years. We've been talking quite a lot about the future. He'll be moving in with me when he finishes up school. (I've already graduated.) I was basically under the assumption we were going to get married and live happily ever after.

Tonight he calls me and tells me about a party he went to last night. My 2 best friends from college, a couple with whom the boy and I went on many a double date, hosted a party at their apartment. Long story short, the boyfriend got completely smashed, blacked out, and this morning woke up naked next to the couple, who were also naked. He said the other guy said that nothing happened. I haven't been able to get a hold of my two friends yet to ask what happened.

But I can't help but feel a little betrayed. (Or maybe jealous? I'm so confused.) At first I was just stunned and emotionless, but as the evening has progressed, I've been feeling more and more upset. I can't really articulate my emotions beyond that.

I guess I just don't know if it constitutes cheating or not, and if it does...well what am I supposed to do?

Throwaway mail: leftoutofathreesome@gmail.com

Thinking my way to recovery from an ED

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:19:16 -0800

Help me take control of thoughts that make me feel like an ugly giant.

I'm recovering from an eating disorder and I'm really struggling. I've been referred to a psychologist and had my first appointment yesterday (after a long wait), and I know it's going to take quite a long time to make any real progress there. In the mean time, I'm looking for any help I can get.

I've gained 7kg and am now at a "healthy weight" but sometimes I feel disgustingly huge, even though I can rationally tell myself that at my old weight I didn't have periods, my hair was falling out etc, despite the fact that I didn't feel that thin. Some days I look at myself and I look quite pretty and healthy and I feel great, other days I look absolutely massive and awful and feel embarrassed to go out, and then of course I can't bring myself to eat since I'm "already so big" and then I start getting physically weak and realise that I have to eat even though I don't feel hungry, but get really anxious about actually eating and don't want to do it, or feel really guilty when I do, like I'm a fat kid stuffing her face with cake, even though I'm only eating natural, whole foods. Often I regret having eaten and try to burn it off with excessive exercise.

Obviously my appearance can't be changing that dramatically from day to day, so I know it's got to be in my head, but it's hard to keep that in perspective when with my own eyes I'm seeing someone very large and lumpy. I've been trying to fill a blank book with resources to help me when I get stuck in that bad mental headspace. For example, last time I was too emaciated to get out of bed, I wrote a list of all the things I like doing that I can't do when I'm skinny, but can do even when i'm fat, so that's in the book, (as is that "fantasy of being thin" article), which I try to flick through when I start feeling yuck. I guess I'm looking to crowd out my unhelpful thoughts with other ideas so that sensible logic wins out and I can enjoy my life. When I cut down my eating my hormones go all funny and I get hot flushes and night sweats and disturbed sleep, and feel too exhausted to socialise/go to work etc - I don't want to live my life like this anymore!

Any suggestions for things I can tell myself, or that I can write down/print out for my book, would be much appreciated. In particular I'm looking for help in breaking the "you're disgustingly huge, why would you be needing all those calories?" line of thinking and help to see my appearance more consistently every day but anything you think would be helpful would be welcomed.

whirr click click whirr click click

bunnytricks — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:52:27 -0800

My four track recorder is making an odd mechanical noise at all times. What gives?

There's a weird sound coming from the cassette deck of my Tascam four track. It's a very faint whirring sound with two louder ticks occurring fairly rhythmically back to back every second. The recorder itself seems to be working perfectly, but it sounds like some mechanism inside is activated whenever it is powered on and makes me think that the whole shebang is about to die any moment. What could it be?

Bamboozled by Google

londongeezer — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:49:49 -0800

Why does Google Alerts add stuff like this to the end of the URLs it sends me every day by email: &ct=ga&cd=eOGlPN9EEgs&usg=AFNjCNGPR1lLrp7KJVpHt-2HktLYhtBMQg

I guess Google has its reasons. So what I really mean is, why does Google do this when most of the time it breaks the link? The result is that, whenever I click on such a link, 90% of the time I get a "page not found" result and I then have to reload the page with the gibberish stripped away. I know that's not a huge chore, but it still seems daft. Can I put a stop to this? No illumination on wikipedia, from Google, or anywhere else that I could find.

How can I get my hands -- and ears -- on old Planet Money podcasts?

hungrytiger — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:47:01 -0800

I just fell in love with NPR's Planet Money podcast but can't figure out how to access back episodes.

I just started listening to Planet Money and I'm excited about it. I'd like to go back and listen to the whole hundred-plus of them, but as far as I can tell they only have the last seven or so available on the NPR website.

Do any of you know another place where these podcasts might be archived/available? It seems odd that they're inaccessible...

Humana Medicare Supplemental Insurance--is it any good?

I'm Brian and so's my wife! — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:07:34 -0800

Has anyone here had any experiences with Humana's Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance for seniors?

My mother-in-law currently is paying $400 a month for her supplemental insurance with another insurance company. She recently called Humana and got a quote of $98 a month. Sounds a little too good to be true. Any folks out there have the supplemental health insurance with Humana? Have your experiences been good or bad?

She resides in Tennessee and is in her 80s.

I like pretty pictures to LOOK pretty!

miss lynnster — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:27:48 -0800

Most awesome, pretty and easy to figure out Flickr image gallery plug-in for Word Press?

I'm having some photographers and artists provide content for my LA site, and I want to make sure they're displayed in the most graphically appealing and easy (to navigate as well as to set up) way. I'm not a programmer so I tend to like the plugins that have all sorts of cool features without me having to create them.

Up until now I've been using Picasna for Picasa, and I liked the Lightboxy gallery that it uses but I really am not thrilled with the way the image gallery shows up in the post before you click on it to view the images up close.

Thanks in advance for all of your advice. :)

Should I pursue a Masters of Science Degree in Biomedical Informatics?

speedoavenger — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:00:31 -0800

Should I pursue a Masters of Science Degree in Biomedical Informatics?

I graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Management Information Systems back in May 2008. I've spent the past two years working for a Fortune 100 company as a Systems Administrator.

I enjoy my current work, but I'd like to use my IT skills to work in a more meaningful industry that has a lot of room for improvement and that deeply impacts people's lives, like healthcare!

I was randomly looking at Masters Degree programs one day when I came across the Biomedical Informatics Degree program.

I have a few questions that I feel I should attempt to answer before I apply for the program.

1. Do I get to choose what I want to research as a graduate student, or do I research what my professors want me to research? Does it depend on whether or not I get a Research Assistantship? Are those difficult to get?

2. How much Biological/Physiological/Chemical knowledge should I have to be successful in this program? I'm planning on taking a General Biology class to learn more about the "Biomedical" part of "Biomedical Informatics." I got A's in Biology and Chemistry in HS. :)

3. What are some potential job opportunities once I graduate, preferably in the Phoenix area? Companies? Titles? Earnings potential?

4. What are the greatest opportunities for computer applications in the health care field? To borrow a description of Biomedical Informatics, I would like to "develop novel information technology, computer science and knowledge management methodologies for disease prevention, treatment, more efficient and safer patient care delivery, and knowledge access."

The main point is that I want to help people with my IT skills, and this seems like a great way to do it. Should I do more research before I make a decision like this, or should I just do it! What are some good resources to learn more about the field?

Thanks!

Knit one, purl one, turn the plastic handle?

sabotagerabbit — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:48:10 -0800

My grandmother just gave me some of her old knitting and sewing supplies, including what appears to be some sort of plastic knitting machine. Tell me more about it and how to use it!

I'm pretty sure it's a knitting machine/toy of some sort, but my Nana's not verbal enough these days for me to ask her how to use it. I've googled a bit, but I don't really know what to call it. I want to know if it's worth me keeping for my crafty pursuits!

How do you fix a fried laptop?

Bobby Bittman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:20:31 -0800

How badly have I fried my laptop?

I went to a friend's house last night to watch a perfectly legally downloaded movie, and planned to hook my laptop up to his TV with an S-Video cable. Well, something wasn't grounded - when I touched the S-Video cable to the jack on his TV, there was a spark and my laptop shut off.

Now it's a brick. No power lights, no response at all.

I'm going to find all of this out on Monday when I take it in to the repair shop, but I'm anxious: how badly have I damaged it? Is this the kind of thing that can be repaired? How much does it cost? And most importantly - is all my data recoverable?

If it matters, it's a 4-year-old Gateway laptop. All educated guesses welcome. Thank you!

Park City ski schools?

MattD — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:40:22 -0800

Can you suggest the best ski school in Park City, UT for my wife and kids (age 4 and 7) who are all first-timers? Obviously can be different programs for each, but needs to be on the same mountain. 2-3 days would be ideal, to leave some time for getting out on our own thereafter.

Help me be more sensuous.

Pineapplicious — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:28:33 -0800

What suggestions do you have to help me be more sensuous?

My sense perceptions are less refined than I would like. Some things I'd like to be able to do are to identify specific ingredients in the foods I am eating through taste, to distinguish one instrument from another in the music I am listening to, to judge distance more accurately by sight. As it is now, my perceptions are blunt. I taste food enough to know if I like it or not and can identify spiceness and can identify an overwhelming ingredient, but anything more subtle is lost on me. The same is true in music, distance, etc. I should mention that this lack of refinement is not due to a lack of experience nor any disfunction of my sense organs. What suggestions do you have?

Is Medicare going to hurt my Mom?

amanda — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:16:19 -0800

My mom is TERRIFIED about the recent Health Care Reform Bill. She is on Medicare and is certain that she will no longer have the access to health coverage that she feels she needs. It sounds like changes to Medicare could have consequences for her... what might those be?

I tried searching around for real answers but, of course, some of those answers lay in what the market will do when faced with these changes. She watches a lot of Fox news and Fox news is absolutely drumming the beat that Obama is going to kill your grandma. But, sorry news orgs, having trouble finding an equally compelling (so hard to beat FEAR) news source who is explaining things in way that could reassure her.

any idea where i can get an out-of-warranty ipod dock repaired?

camdan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:51:57 -0800

i purchased a specktone retro ii a couple years back, basically this thing. unfortunately, i got it at a bargain bin reduced price from an ebay mass seller, with a very short warranty.

sure enough, right at the end of the warranty the thing started wigging out. the original seller wouldn't take it back, of course, and the manufacturer won't take it either; they said to return it to the seller. a perfect feedback loop of screwed.

you might tell me to cut my losses and buy a new dock. and i do have another dock. but i like this thing. the sound is great, it looks cool, and it takes up very little space. it's just sitting around and i hate to waste it. every few months i'll start it up again, and i get a nice 15 minutes of brigadoon before the thing starts flipping out. i'd like to work it out. i need to work it out.

oh the problem - it plays fine for the first 15 minutes or so, then the audio cuts in and out continually in split second bursts. your only option is to unplug it, let it sit for awhile, then start over again. (if left plugged in the problem will continue without the ipod docked - the speakers cut in and out continually without cessation.)

if anyone knows anywhere i could send this thing to get it fixed, that would be great. if it's someplace in the atlanta area that would be even better. what would be THE BEST, if it's a simple solution that i can fix myself, and someone could tell me how to do it. it's got to have something to do with the power, and not the docking mechanism itself.
thank you! come again.

Please don't explode computer.

sepsis — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:38:49 -0800

US visiting UK, do I need an adapter or a converter for my laptop?

I just want to double check because I'd really rather not have my laptop explode when I visit the UK next month. The AC adapter for my laptop gives the following specs:

65W, 20V
INPUT: 100-240V~1.5A 50/60Hz
OUTPUT: 20V . . . 3.25A

My understanding is that I would only need an adapter for the plug and not a power converter. Am I correct? Thanks for the help.

How to account for stock merger in MS Money?

Sweetie Darling — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:04:55 -0800

Looking for a Microsoft Money/ Quicken expert - or any smart accounting/finance person, really - to help me figure out how to document the recent Pfizer-Wyeth merger in MS Money.

Pfizer merged with (acquired) Wyeth on Oct. 15. Eligible shareholders received $33 cash and .985 shares of Pfizer for every share of Wyeth we held, plus a cash payout for any fractional shares.

In MS Money, do I

- Sell Wyeth and Buy Pfizer? If so, at what prices - the closing prices on 10/15 ($17.66 PFI, $50.39 WYE)?

or, do I

- Remove Shares of Wyeth and Add Shares of Pfizer? If so, how do I account for the $33/share of cash?

Also, how do I document the fractional share payout?

I found these FAQs on the Pfizer webpage http://media.pfizer.com/files/investors/shareholder/Pfizer_Wyeth_FAQ.pdf and this question-and-answer on a different forum http://www.rockryno.com/quicken/How-do-I-handle-the-recent-merger-of-Pfizer-and-Wyeth-19406-.htm, but I'm still not sure I understand the mechanics of recording this in Money.

Thanks in advance for your help. This is making my head hurt.

Web template for cleaning business?

zeikka — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:39:17 -0800

Where can I find simple, yet professional and elegant web template/ Wordpress theme for cleaning business?

I'm helping someone who's starting a small scale residential/ business cleaning service. I have domain and cheap hosting for her, but would like to find nice web template to use.

Wordpress theme would be ideal as I'm not very experience web designer or don't have experience with complex publishing system. Free would be great this as is very small scale.

Help save my hair!?!

gilsonal — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:24:35 -0800

Post-surgery hair loss? Anybody have experience with this? How long does it last? Does it grow back on its own? Do I need to see a doctor?

I'm female, 25 years old. I had surgery about three months ago, and my hair has started falling out rapidly. To the point that I'm losing more hair in a day than I would naturally over the course of a couple weeks. My ponytail is already smaller. I don't see any spots, but I do have long hair.

My surgery removed part of my small intestine, but my vitamin levels are okay and I'm injecting those that I can no longer absorb naturally. So i don't think deficiencies are at fault. It appears that the stress from surgery can cause hair loss, and I'm pretty sure that is the case here. They say it happens 3 to 4 months after, and that's pretty much on schedule with what I'm experiencing.

I'd really love to hear some personal experiences about this. I'm trying not to worry or be too self-conscious, but I'm losing what seems like tons of hair and I'm starting to panic lol. What was your experience? How much hair did you lose? How long did it last and is there anything I can do to make it stop sooner? Is a doctor needed or is this just going to resolve on its own?

Springform pan recipes wanted.

emd3737 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:11:21 -0800

What else besides cheesecake can I make in an springform pan?

I recently purchased three springform pans of different sizes, and now I'd like to start using them. I made a pumpkin cheesecake this morning, but I'm wondering what other sorts of things (desserts, casseroles, breads, etc) can be made in a springform pan? I'm looking for recipes that don't include chocolate (I'm allergic). Thanks!

OUR BARKING DOGS vs. My SANITY

mickeefynn — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:58:15 -0800

What other things can we do to stop Our relentlessly Barking Big Dogs from yapping constantly! HELP!

I'm losing it here. I hate having to yell at our barking dogs all the time! We've tried EVERYthing! NOTHING works! collars of all sorts... doggie-speak techniques...a fake bird house that emits high pitched sounds when they bark... they're even bad inside this week... I am so bummed. We have a 3 yr old Great Pyrenees neutered male and a 2 yr old neutered Newfoundland female. All of these things have helped for a while but then these two just get used to them and carry on as if nothing had been done. These dogs can be and are sweethearts but the barking is making me very irritable and tense.

How can I improve my in game basketball shooting?

ben5757 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:46:14 -0800

How can I improve my in game basketball shooting? I have a pretty good shot when I'm just shooting around, but it drastically falls off in in-game situations. How can I practice in-game shooting when I mostly practice by myself?

Please recommend some accordion music to practice.

singingfish — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:40:35 -0800

Some interesting music to learn to play on the chromatic a. Accordion? I've started with fiddling around with chord combinations, "He's a Pirate", "La Valise de Amelie" and playing some pentatonic improv stuff. And a little bit of reggae. I'd like some suggestions for pieces to learn that will help with technique - left hand fingering and two handed playing.

I just got myself a new (to me) chromatic (c system) 96 button chromatic accordion, and I really like the way that it's geometric layout makes sense of a lot of music theory that I kind of half know. It's a crappy chinese accordion that's been extensively rebuilt with italian reeds added, the key actions improved and a home made pick up system added. I couldn't afford it, but I knew it was a once in a decade opportunity!

So I've started learning a couple of obvious tunes, and I'm thinking about Bach's Toccata and Fuge in D minor to get some right hand dexterity going, but I'm interested in recommendations of pieces to learn or exercises to improve technique.

Home (not broke) for Xmas.

nicoleincanada — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:20:45 -0800

Please help me get from Europe to Canada for the Xmas holidays without having to live out of a cardboard box.

This is my first time living abroad, and I've rather naively discovered that holy crap, airfare to North America is super expensive from mid-December to early January. I've managed to get a bit of wiggle room on my travel dates from my employers (I work at a school and the holidays are pre-scheduled), but the reasonable/cheap airfare is still a day or two out of reach and I don't want to push my luck much further.

This isn't a make or break thing - I've promised the family I'll go home either way - but if there's a way to get from Paris to Winnipeg without spending $1800 Cdn after tax, I'd be appreciative. Especially considering $1800 is the price I managed by wiggling the dates.

Is finding reasonable airfare at peak travel time in December a total pipe dream? Am I just booking too late, or too early? Are there any genuinely useful sites for this sort of thing? I've tried both Expedia and Travelocity and find them pretty useless when the destination isn't a major hub - they seem to miss a lot of cheap fares I can find by checking airlines myself.

My holidays are from Dec. 19 to Jan. 3 (like the rest of the Xmas-celebrating world). Employers are willing to let me leave the Wednesday before and return the Wednesday after, which is how I managed the price above. I'd like to be home for Xmas day but I'd be willing to leave pre-NY if that generally makes a difference. I'm also willing to fly to other European centres or take the train to get a better price.

FYI, I've checked other threads on this site and, oddly, can't find a similar question, but my AskMF skills might be lacking. So if you find the same question previously, by all means share.

Thanks much in advance.