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The Portland Saturday Market may be a good place to shop for something like this. It's full of unique and interesting (and often handmade) items.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:23 AM on November 28, 2013

I don't know the book, but I have known this song literally my entire life thanks to the Peter Paul & Mommy album. You mention a lot of verses / iterations which aren't in the version I know, but it's definitely the same song.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 10:40 PM on November 3, 2013 marked best answer

Yeah, really not interested in spray-in color or hair chalk or mascara-type coloring. I'm okay with the color lasting longer than 5 days; don't want to have to reapply it every day and don't like the fake "cover-up" look of things like chalk or spray.

Still specifically looking for advice or insight from people who have used food coloring to dye their hair. How long to leave it in, what medium was mixed with the dye as a carrier, things that went wrong that I… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 10:28 AM on September 15, 2013

He's best known for his long SF and Fantasy series, but Stephen R. Donaldson has published two collections of short stories I highly recommend.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:34 AM on September 14, 2013 marked best answer

Well, I feel like a good portion of my face is missing now, but I trimmed the beard. Here's me fresh out of the shower having trimmed up just before this comment.

I may have another go at the moustache tomorrow morning. I've never worn my moustache short and thought I'd trimmed it down, but the photos show it's longer than I thought.

Thanks for your input, everyone. I look forward to locking the clippers in the closet for another few years now.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:50 PM on August 12, 2012

Is that photo showing up sideways for anyone else? That's just peculiar.

This one appears to be oriented correctly.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 9:05 PM on August 12, 2012

So, in a bit of a follow-up to this before this thread closes.

I'm a bit unkempt right now (I see my barber on Saturday), but here is basically a year's growth of beard on my face. Since the trim I did during this thread a year ago, all I've had done is my barber shape it a little as it grew out.

Not quite sure where it's all headed at this point, but I've told myself I'm going to keep it through the end of the year. We'll see what happens then.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:07 PM on August 7, 2013

I recall loving an old MST3K with giant bunnies

I think that's probably Night Of The Lepus.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:22 AM on July 12, 2013 marked best answer

All of the (I think they're now Hasbro but used to be Milton Bradley) games like Boggle, Scrabble, The Game Of Life, Yahtzee, etc can be played offline. If you like that sort of thing, they are all well done and a lot of fun to play, even against computer opponents.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:28 PM on May 22, 2013

Bump it up to naproxen (brand name: Aleve), take two or three at a time, twice a day. The label will tell you that 2 is the max, but you can take more. Warning: a side effect of naproxen can be loose stools or diarrhea. You probably won't experience that with 2-3 pills a day, but it should be noted.

Okay, after that, I ruptured a disk (L5S1) about 15 years ago which nearly ruined my life. Horrible sciatic pain, a burning sensation which would originate in my… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:16 PM on May 8, 2013

A bottle cutter and some really fine sandpaper meant for glass will let you make not only drinking glasses, but also you can cut glass rings to hang into wind chimes or make other decorations.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:33 AM on April 25, 2013

I can't recommend The Choir highly enough. [fairly spoiler-free wikipedia page, it seemed to me] It's going to be a bit outside for you, but it is a documentary series, "reality television" done the way the Brits do it best. No competitions, no elimination rounds, instead it's a group of people pushing forward toward a common goal. Great stuff, I highly recommend it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:58 PM on March 6, 2013 marked best answer

Spokane, WA = Spokanites.

(Remember, there is no long-a sound in Spokane)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:47 PM on February 13, 2013

Las Cruces, NM = Las Crusans.

(remember, the second "c" in Cruces is a soft c)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:56 PM on February 13, 2013

Is your computer covered by AppleCare? If it is, pick up the phone and call them and make it their problem that it is not working. They should even have access to the work ticket from your visit to the Genius Bar.

If it's not, try calling the Apple Store where you took the computer and telling them that you thought your visit to the Genius Bar fixed your problem but it actually did not. They may have a follow-up window in which you can get further service without having to pay more.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 4:48 PM on January 1, 2013

Seconding nearly everything about LN's comment.

Tenderloin has a sexy name, but as far as doing roast beef goes, you want marbling that will turn to gelatin while it cooks and make the rest of the meat juicy and succulent.

Some eye round roasts might have that kind of marbling, but they wouldn't be common. Still, if you're looking for real beef flavor to work with your horseradish, I'd pick one of those over a tenderloin any day.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:27 PM on December 27, 2012

A bit outside the question, but in parallel with the topic and the wife's expressed interests --

Torchwood is a great series which is a Doctor Who spinoff that was created specifically as a more adult, more dark set of stories in the Whoniverse. She might truly enjoy that. It hangs together really well as a series, it's pretty limited in scope (so not a huge committment overall), it's fun and dark and adult and might be a doorway into Doctor Who if she can get into the… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:07 AM on December 27, 2012

It's not really a solo, as it's a duet with Sandra Crouch, but I really love Jon Anderson (ex-lead singer of Yes) doing this song on his 3 Ships album.

(It's one of my favorite Christmas albums ever, and I listen to it year round -- it's THAT GOOD.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 10:27 PM on December 18, 2012

I don't know how available these things are in Canada, but if you don't already know about Apple Refurbished Units, it's something worth keeping an eye on. They are generally discounted from retail prices and they qualify for AppleCare (you absolutely MUST buy the AppleCare plan for whatever computer you buy -- it's Cadillac extended warranty service which gives you 3 years of full coverage and 3 years of phone support, best in the biz and always worth the money).

You… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 9:19 AM on December 16, 2012

Also, if the unit has user-upgradable RAM capability, putting in your own memory does not violate the warranty at all. Apple isn't that much of an asshole corporation.

I'd even go so far as to say that if the unit you purchase can be user-upgraded with RAM, you should buy a unit with the minimum possible RAM from Apple and get compatible RAM from a 3rd party, because paying Apple to install RAM is just throwing money away.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 9:21 AM on December 16, 2012

I know you say you're not a fan of the Beat Poets, but damn if Ferlinghetti isn't completely amazing.

I'd suggest maybe picking up a copy of this CD [iTunes, also available on Rhapsody and probably through other services], which is a nicely modern yet retro reading of A Coney Island Of The Mind by the poet with musical backing, along with a few of his other poems. It might give you a better grasp on why people like his stuff, and would help his poetry come alive for… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:17 PM on November 23, 2012

One of my cats likes to eat a lot and then come curl up on my lap and look up at me with squinty loving eyes and then burp in my face.

Somehow, coming from him, it's charming.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 12:03 PM on November 11, 2012

My pee ranges in color from pale to dark, depending on whether I've had a lot of liquid, been working hard in hot weather, had coffee, taken multi-vitamins, or whatever else.

I've never noted anything unusual with the color of my urine.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:03 PM on November 7, 2012

It does happen when I sit down to pee. (I just don't pee sitting that often.)

This particular sensation of bottoms of feet getting hot is ONLY connected with the release of urine. It doesn't happen before or after I'm peeing, it happens WHILE I'm peeing, and usually starts faint and then builds during the duration of the session.

It's not every time I pee, but it's certain to happen at least once a day, often more.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:18 PM on November 7, 2012

I'm not sure what you mean by distended. This isn't something which only occurs if I've been holding it for a long time and thus would have a bladder more full than normal.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:26 PM on November 7, 2012

I can't even imagine what pee shivers are. So I guess I don't get them.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 11:02 PM on November 7, 2012

I don't know how "creepy" it is, but the Nine Inch Nails ARG for Year Zero has a lot of pretty great "freak you out if you actually think about it for any length of time" stuff going on. I know it certainly freaked me the fuck out when I was participating in it while it was unfolding.

One of my favorite bits of that is this website. Load it up, enter your name and phone number and pay attention to what the password is. I've freaked a couple of… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 1:31 PM on October 24, 2012

As far as being gay in your setting is concerned:

You need to keep going back to those gay groups. Make them a part of your life. You aren't going to meet someone there on the first or even fourth try, but the point is to make yourself into part of the community. Gay communities in places like yours are full of support and friendship and help for people like you, and there's a lot more you can find there than just shopping for a partner. Ultimately, if you place… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:34 AM on October 21, 2012

I could envision a slide which has all six pages laid out on it, with a kind of "magnifying" circle over a portion of the tables which shows column and row headings and examples of the data in the table cells large enough to read, to give someone looking at the slide the idea of what the tables contain and that there's a lot of data there.

This might be better done as two slides... One with the magnified view and the second with all the pages and the same… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:20 PM on October 20, 2012

Yeah, I find the PP presentations I have enjoyed the most have had a lot of slides each with minimal information and presented in swift succession, rather than few information-dense slides of which there are only a small number. PP slides have minimal cost to create. Making 100 of them to use during a talk which go by quickly and each are individually more interesting and illustrative may be a better strategy than making 10 of them which each linger for a longer time and have a lot of stuff… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:48 PM on October 20, 2012

Whatever you do, don't use a power washer. Those drive water into cracks, not only in the siding but cracks in the building itself, and the water which gets in will cause problems over time. Stick to using a garden hose with your thumb over the stream to create a spray or even using a spray nozzle would be fine. Anything with more force will be bad in the long run.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 9:32 AM on October 13, 2012

Everyone I know who has refinanced with Quicken Loans has said it was the most painless, fastest, and most inexpensive processes they have ever gone through. Might be worth looking at, if you haven't already.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:47 AM on October 4, 2012

It's not exactly rock, but I think just about everyone would recognize the bass line to Birdland, which has become a bit of a jazz/fusion standard across the centuries. Here's a more big-bandy performance of it, and also the Manhattan Transfer doing their vocal version.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:08 AM on October 4, 2012

Yeah, what straw said.

One thing to look for... when you first start up your engine in the morning after sitting overnight, do you get smoke out of your exhaust? If so, what color is it? If it's blue smoke, then you're burning oil.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:03 PM on October 2, 2012

Would this potentially be a symptom of something costly to repair?

If you're burning oil, it means there's something going on inside the engine itself, like in the cylinders or whatnot, and yes, this is costly to repair. At the very least, if you have to get your rings replaced, you're still looking at someone tearing apart your entire engine, which will involve a lot of labor costs. If it's something that involves having your engine rebored, the… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:55 PM on October 2, 2012

This isn't a direct answer to the question, but if you use iTunes, you can click on "Radio" in the left-hand sidebar (under the Library at the top), and then go to the "International/World" heading to have over 700 choices of radio from all over the world. It's a fun way to sample this kind of thing without having to visit a zillion separate websites.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 5:21 PM on September 28, 2012

Fuck Me by KFMDM and Pig
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:19 AM on September 24, 2012

Livestrong.com has this list of possibilities. Not sure if any of those will work for you.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:43 PM on September 19, 2012

As a desktop user, I have no idea how this wifi thing works with a tablet. How does one know one has found a wifi spot? Does it turn another color or go ding ding ding or something? Is there an indicator on the opening page?

Nearly all wifi networks require that you actually connect to them, at least for your first connect.

I don't know how it works on this tablet, but on the iPad, I have to go into Settings and select an… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:55 PM on August 28, 2012

I wouldn't use the Google tablet at home because I use the desktop.

You say that now... But you'll be sitting on the couch watching some old movie and wonder who that actor is and you'll reach for the tablet to access imdb. Or you'll find a recipe online and will take the tablet into the kitchen rather than printing out the recipe or running back and forth to your desktop. Or... Or... Or...

Tablets are wonderful satellite devices even if you do love your desktop.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:34 AM on August 29, 2012

If you're going to get a prepaid phone, I suggest going with Tracfone. They have pretty good deals on decent (not fancy) phones, you can get phones that have features like "lifetime double minutes" (meaning you buy 100 minutes, you get 200 credited to your account), and the thing is: Tracfone uses any tower it can reach, and you never pay roaming charges on anything.

The only drawback I can see to something like Tracfone is that they… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:45 PM on August 28, 2012

There's not that much of it available online, but I find the 1990s New Golden Era WB cartoons (Animaniacs, Freakazoid!) to be pretty excellent bits of funny that works on a lot of levels.

It's not a short text, but Duck Soup should be seen by everyone.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:44 PM on August 21, 2012

Here's a multi-textual snippet of Animaniacs, from Woodstock Slappy... Who's On Stage.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:13 PM on August 21, 2012

Oh, and much to my surprise, here is the entire cartoon, Woodstock Slappy.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:15 PM on August 21, 2012

Here is some information about the process and how long it takes (eviction is not an instant process, requires a court order, etc) from Tenants Union. There are many links there which may be helpful. It also has resources at the end for where you might be able to turn for rent assistance.

Here is information from another source which lays out the process a bit more clearly, especially the steps which landlords need to take before they can start the eviction process.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 8:13 PM on August 14, 2012

Stop being so worried about being perfect with what you say. Often the best blogs are the ones which are the most conversational rather than the most formal. Establish a tone for your blog which is chatty and informative and you'll find it's less of a burden to make the perfect post.

I agree that establishing a schedule for posting and sticking to it is a good way to motivate yourself toward actually making a post. I also think that deliciae has the perfect approach… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 2:45 PM on August 12, 2012

Take some time off work and find a sports bar to hang out in for a couple of hours.

The Davis Grad says they are open at 9am and will be showing that particular game. Might be worth a call to see if they will be running it live or not.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:13 PM on July 24, 2012

I'd say there's a bit of a "fake it until you make it" which you can exercise.

Basically, if you start ACTING like you have confidence and swagger and can confront any bad stuff that comes your way, you will find that 1) bad stuff doesn't come your way as often, and 2) when it does, your act will allow you to be the confident person you want to be even if you don't feel you own that confidence on your own behalf.

How you create this… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 5:47 PM on July 20, 2012

If this is a serious relationship that you're planning on keeping going for a long time, I think that the best way for you to get over this feeling you're having would be to have a conversation with your partner about how you are feeling and ask his help in getting over it.

Tell him everything you've explained here in this thread, do it as best you can without making it about him, and make it clear that this is you needing to clear this off the slate so you can move… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 6:15 PM on July 4, 2012 marked best answer

Anyway, if the table lamp needs to be rewired, it's a pretty basic process. Here's a quick online tutorial about how to do it. You can probably get everything you need at a big box home improvement store.

Rewiring a hanging fixture is pretty much the same, except you end up with bare-wire ends instead of a plug, and those bare-wire ends are twisted and screw-capped onto the wires coming out of the ceiling during the installation process.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hippybear at 4:45 PM on July 1, 2012