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Showed this question to a friend. He offers two possibilities.

1. He asks, does the cat's meowing seem to match up with the syllables of your name, like he's trying to say it? (This explanation amuses me, but I don't know how likely it is.)

2. Maybe he just wants to play?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 8:52 PM on November 22, 2014

I too am in B&PC withdrawal, to the point of annoying friends with it and drawing up a reasonably good pixel art Bee. I can mostly vouch for the comics, they are very slice-of-life-y. #4 is the best so far that I've seen, with the standout stories being four-pagers about racing to the post office before it closes and getting houseplants. But #s 1 and 2 have a two-parter written by Allegri herself, which feels very much like an episode of the show.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 9:32 AM on November 18, 2014

I picked up comic #5 today, it's okay, and deals more with temp adventures. I think #4 is superior generally, and it's only $1.99 now. If you're going to try one of the comics to start out, I suggest #4.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:45 PM on November 18, 2014

Another thing to consider: if you can get a 360 for $100, you're not out much if you decide to get a One later, and the price on an Xbox One might go down by $100 by the time you decide to get one. Note that there is no backwards compatibility between the two, but this way, you have access to the 360's earlier library (including XBLA, which includes the great Spelunky), and later the One's too.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:36 PM on November 16, 2014

(But also note, game consoles these days are rarely just their stated price, no matter what you get, you may end up getting additional game controllers, memory cards, hard drives, wires, adaptors, etc.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:38 PM on November 16, 2014

I'd also like to suggest going with the Playstation 3 if your kids have any desire to play multiplayer online

If we're suggesting things not in the FPP, there's the Wii-U too, which has the excellent Lego City Undercover, unavailable for other systems. Disney Infinity is also available for it, and you might even be able to find it on discount or in a bundle: I got mine last year $50 off at Target.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 8:27 PM on November 16, 2014

I had this problem a couple of years ago. It's strange that so many people have had this kind of thing, my passwords are not composed of dictionary words. I wonder if Twitter might have a long-standing security flaw they don't know about, or maybe had one once they never mention to people....
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:29 PM on November 16, 2014

I wouldn't be so quick to claim phishing, either. I am extra suspicious about any emails I receive with clickable links. I really don't think my account info was phished out of me.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 7:17 PM on November 16, 2014

Some random ideas:

freecipes, or recifrees

pasttheexpirationdate.com

culinarytimemachine

publicptomaine (okay skip that one)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:14 AM on November 14, 2014

Also, if you can bear the capacity hit you should really consider SSD for your replacement drive, it'll make that 3 year old machine feel like you gave it a big shot of adrenaline.

Caveat to this: SSDs can also fail, and sooner than you expect if you're used to long hard drive lives, and surprisingly suddenly. Be extra sure to make backups of important files if you do this.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:08 AM on November 14, 2014 marked best answer

I personally like Horace.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 11:29 AM on November 5, 2014

Food names are actually FANTASTIC suggestions because the other cat's name is Potato.

Or, how about Carrot? Carrot and Potato, the two primary vegetable ingredients in beef stew.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 11:32 AM on November 5, 2014

How about Kittykitty? Doubled names are cool.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 3:02 PM on November 5, 2014

Actually I just FPP'd one I'd offer, Baman and Piderman, which has actually been around for a few years now.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 3:17 PM on November 2, 2014

(Well, it is all videos. Hmm, may not be what you're looking for really, although I find it difficult to imagine it becoming popular anywhere except the internet.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 3:18 PM on November 2, 2014

In the past when I've tried to use Ubuntu like this, I discovered that 11.04 works better than somewhat more recent versions. Don't know if this applies to Mint too, but it might be worth trying an older version.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 11:31 AM on November 2, 2014

If you really really like Android, you can run it native.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 7:17 PM on October 16, 2014

Well, I'll tell you my little insight into creativity. Make of it what you want.

Creativity isn't the production of ideas from nothing. It's the combination of other ideas in novel ways.

A person who really prizes creativity will naturally shy away from repeating old ideas. So, it might be possible that you're having trouble being creative because you haven't had new things to combine. So, maybe try cultivating an interest in something new?… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 9:57 PM on October 6, 2014

Seconding Twizzlers. Just, why?

I've not really been a big candy eater since childhood (with the exception of Gummy Sweetarts), but I remember building up a dislike for both those wax tubes with colored liquid in them and circus peanuts.

I had a piece of Japanese seaweed candy some years ago. Puh peh pluh peh take that taste out of my mouth.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:00 PM on September 17, 2014

And, ^the Whelk, the thought of someone saying unprompted "Mmmm, Sucrets!" is laugh-out-loud funny to me right now.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:04 PM on September 17, 2014

Horpsnauser Snigglebottom. You're welcome.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 8:44 PM on September 16, 2014

See if Threes will work.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 12:25 PM on August 6, 2014

Oops, missed that you've already played it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 12:25 PM on August 6, 2014

Every so often, maybe every few months in fact, I end up posting a list of mobile games I particularly like. Well here we go again, many of these I've mentioned before I'm sure. I don't know which of these are iOS 7/iPad only, this is intended to be a list to explore from....

BOARD GAMES (in order from easiest to lean/simple to hardest to learn/complex):
Hey That's My Fish HD - Made for kids, but still a pretty good game.
Carcassonne - Probably… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 11:31 PM on August 7, 2014

Oh, I missed a couple:
In my opinion one of the great secrets of the App Store is PuzzleManiak HD, which is nothing less than an iOS port of Simon Tatham's Puzzle Collection. Many kinds of randomly generated puzzles to play, including Sokoban. Highly recommended.

And of course Frotz is free, and plays Infocom-style text adventures that it can obtain over the internet.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 11:33 PM on August 7, 2014

Ah, it's gone, is it? Shame. Maybe they were re-appropriating something they shouldn't have. At least you can get it in some form.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 8:27 PM on August 22, 2014

The podcast client I use is Doggcatcher. It, too, isn't free, but is great. Its UI is slightly harder to learn, but it's also powerful; you can do things with it like time compress playback so you can fit more podcasts into the same time.

Anyway, pretty much any podcast client can subscribe to any podcast, you just have to get its RSS feed into the software.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 5:29 PM on August 18, 2014

In addition to overheating, the problem could be malfunctioning graphics drivers. See if you can update them through Windows Update, check the optional install section.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 3:38 PM on July 16, 2014

One of the more esoteric forms of fanfiction is the MSTing, or mocking of other fanfic (or other written thing) through interspersed comments presented by other characters who are supposedly being forced to read the original.

Let's be clear. This is fanfiction. No matter how bad the original or how good the jokes (and often they're not good), it's still of a certain minimum level of nerdery.

That said, if… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 7:40 PM on May 13, 2014

Seconding flabdablet. Computers are not nearly so quick to go obsolete now as they used to be. If you're not interested in gaming, you might be able to go with an OS upgrade and more memory. If it takes 45 minutes to start up, something out of the ordinary is wrong. At the very least you might want to try making backups of important files then restoring your hard drive to factory state, a trick you can do with many many models of computer although the details vary by manufacturer and model.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:44 PM on April 25, 2014

Windows 7 and 8 store desktop files in C:\Users\[username]\Desktop by default. This can be changed by a knowledgeable user, but it's rare. Previous versions stored it under "Documents & Settings", or I think "User Accounts".

Some versions of Windows mark Desktop as System and/or Hidden. The option to make those files visible is likely under Control Panel > Folder Options > View. See if that helps you find the Desktop folder.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 3:13 AM on April 23, 2014

The answer I found, for both iOS and Android, is a Bluetooth keyboard. For making Metafilter comments and posts, manually entering tags (oh like I'm supposed to be satisfied with those buttons?) is way too frustrating with an onscreen keyboard.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:48 PM on March 19, 2014

Also, depending on the capabilities of your device, you might be able to use an adapter to connect a USB keyboard, or even a mouse if you need one. Android is surprisingly supportive of USB devices.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:50 PM on March 19, 2014

Argh, I'm so stupid --

Amazon's App Store gave away a number of paid apps for free last weekend. If I had thought about it, I could have tipped you off and you could have gotten Swype for free and tried it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 4:44 PM on March 27, 2014

Your macaroons would give Cookie Monster an identity crisis.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:36 AM on March 22, 2014

So I guess it's safe to assume that you don't, in fact, know the muffin man.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:47 AM on March 22, 2014

Your sweetcakes could use a little more sweet and a little less urinal.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:51 AM on March 22, 2014

Why they taste just like Aunt Petuna use to make. It's why they sent her to the home, you know.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:53 AM on March 22, 2014

Your chocolate frosting reminds me of something else, that has an unfortunate resemblance to chocolate.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:56 AM on March 22, 2014

It's like hardtack without the flavor.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:10 AM on March 22, 2014

How on earth did you manage to bake them freshly stale?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 4:25 AM on March 22, 2014

(I might be getting too malicious with these.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 4:26 AM on March 22, 2014

It goes at least as far back as Spike Jones, who frequently used that riff as a song ender. (And it's off the topic, but I suggest going back to the beginning of that and hearing/seeing the whole thing. Spike Jones and his band were awesome.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 3:05 PM on March 13, 2014

I don't have a lot of personal DVDs, but I have Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns, about They Might Be Giants on my shelf. Among other charms, it's got a number of famous funny people, among them Jon Stewart and Andy Richter, very seriously reading TMBG song lyrics to camera.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:33 PM on March 12, 2014

It seems that, on the Wii, the record of purchases comes in the form of signed license files in the system's Flash memory. I remember reading that, if you jailbroke the system to access the NAND and constructed a valid license file in the appropriate place, a later visit to the Wii store would show you as having purchased the title. So, the transfer process to the Wii U basically involves transferring these licenses, in addition of course to the saves and game data on the system.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:13 AM on February 17, 2014

Something that's great for hunting these up, I think, is Robert M. Price's informative podcast The Human Bible, which comes from someone who's pretty damn knowledgable about the Bible and is a recovering Christian himself. He is politically conservative, which comes out once in a while, but he doesn't seem interested in using the Bible to push opinions; in fact, he seeks to un-deify the Bible, so that we can look at it using typical tools of literary examination. He frequently shows how the… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:00 AM on February 17, 2014

If the Human Bible doesn't update often enough for you, Price has another podcast, The Bible Geek, which updates typically several times a week, and is much much longer, and in which he answers questions from all comers. It's very interesting, and maybe you could send this in as a question for him to answer?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 2:03 AM on February 17, 2014

A weird thing--

I had the same problem when I upgraded to iOS 7, my Notes list was empty. But a few days ago I noticed that they were back. It was very weird, and I don't know what happened to the notes since then. They might have been restored, perhaps, by an iTunes tethered backup and restore operation I performed prior to jailbreaking. I have no idea if that's what it was, but maybe it couldn't hurt?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:50 AM on February 17, 2014

(That is, try backing up then restoring from that backup. I'm not suggesting jailbreaking. For the record, my device is an iPad 2.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 1:50 AM on February 17, 2014

"Wifi travels down not up?" What? Is this a thing? I have never heard this before, it sounds like something made up to demonstrate his technical superiority. What do radio signals care about orientation to gravity?

I agree about the router, it sounds like they gave you a crappy one. I think Poldo has this one covered.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JHarris at 9:57 AM on February 15, 2014