Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tricks Questions tagged with 'tricks' at Ask MetaFilter. Fri, 02 Oct 2015 14:46:20 -0800 Fri, 02 Oct 2015 14:46:20 -0800 en-us 60 Make me a better camper by telling me your favorite backpacking hacks. I'm looking to up my backpacking game. What tricks, strategies, and indispensable-but-overlooked items do you take with you into the backcountry? I'm looking for little things that cost little or nothing in terms of weight or money, but which make life easier in camp or on the trail. What are some of your most clever solutions? I'm getting back into camping and backpacking (White Mountains style) on a regular basis after something of a hiatus. I'm having an absolute <em>ton</em> of fun (it helps finally living close to some good backcountry) and one of the things that is the most fun to me is working on what I think of as my "camping skills," i.e. the little bag of tricks that help to make trips go more smoothly and pleasantly. I'm talking about the word-of-mouth stuff that generally gets passed from parent to child, Scout Leader to Scout, or between camping buddies, the stuff you won't always find in a manual or handbook.<br> <br> I'd like to up my game and have some fun by trying out some new tricks, so I'm asking you to share some of your favorites with me. I'll provide some examples to help give a more concrete idea of what I'm asking about. For instance, when I'm hiking and I'm getting close to my campsite, I like to gather a little bit of firewood as I walk along so that I don't have to do as much wood-gathering once I get there. Or for a different kind of example, I always bring a few cotton bandanas in my pack; they're cheap, they weigh next to nothing, and they're endlessly useful. A final example would be that if it's cold out you can stick tomorrow's clothes inside your sleeping bag with you at night so that they'll be warm when you put them on in the morning.<br> <br> That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about: stuff that is simple, costs little or nothing, and which makes things easier by saving weight, time, or labor or which solves a problem in a clever way. Help make my camping and backpacking trips more fun and pleasant by sharing your wisdom.,2015:site.286591 Fri, 02 Oct 2015 14:46:20 -0800 Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The Finally getting an iMac, after a bajillion years. Lead me? So four years ago, I wrote <a href="">this love letter</a> to Steve Jobs when he died. I admired that man, but the major thing missing was that I didn't own anything made by Apple, apart from an old generation iPod. I said, someday. Well that day has finally arrived. Any tips to make my transition easier? What other accessories/necessities should I buy? I have been using Windows my entire life. Currently using an HP desktop + HP Pavilion dv4 laptop. Both running on Windows 7. Once I buy an iMac I will be giving up the desktop, but probably keep the laptop. I also bought an iPhone 5S last year. That's about the extent of my Apple knowledge.<br> <br> Key things I use everyday: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, MS Office, Google Chrome, Dropbox. For entertainment I use VLC player and MediaMonkey. I also use Western Digital external hard drives and Transcend thumbdrives. I am a writer and graphic designer.<br> <br> Would I still be able to use these on a Mac? <strong>What are some of the things I should consider/ask before making the purchase?</strong><br> <br> More things that I am still not clear on:<br> - Do Macs still have a CD/DVD drive? How about USB ports?<br> - Do I need to buy antivirus software stuff or no need anymore?<br> - Would the mouse/keyboard combo be enough or should I also get the trackpad?<br> - I should get Apple Care, right?<br> <br> I already read this <a href="">ask</a>, but the OP was thinking of a laptop. I'm getting a desktop, so if there are other tips and tricks (especially from those who are also designers and writers) that you think might be useful, please do send them my way!,2015:site.275038 Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:58:04 -0800 pleasebekind Colour-blind to study aids? Do you study similarly to me? What else works for you? So, I'm in college, Medieval Languages major. As I go through semesters, I understand more and more about which study techniques actually work to keep information in my brain. But some stuff really doesn't work at all.<br> <br> For instance, I might have a 10 page article to read/understand/remember key info from. If I write out a summary of each paragraph (in blue or black pen only), the article stays in my head forever. But, if I then apply different colour highlighters to parts of my handwritten summary, it's like I can't 'see' the text and I've a really hard time even reading back over what I've written. I feel, once colour is applied or if the page is 'pretty-fied' in any way, the notes are somehow useless. Mindmaps are similarly impossible to concentrate on. This feels weird because I can design my own knitting patterns and have no problem with colour or charts then.<br> <br> Also, listening to a lecture or its recording is close to useless as well (never could get into podcasts or audiobooks either, which is a shame). I think just physically writing things down (but not colouring them any?) works best for me. I get an enormous amount of satisfaction and calmness from knowing an article is all summarised in my own way.<br> <br> What other study methods work if the above applies to you? Is there some kind of name or distinction for this type of study? I have a feeling there's a right/left brain thing going on when it comes to colour + words, but don't know anything more about it.<br> <br> [[NB: highlighters are applied to notes in an ordered manner. Like, yellow for key names/dates, blue for direct phrases from the article, pink for stuff to check out later. So, there was a method to my madness]],2014:site.256681 Thu, 06 Feb 2014 13:05:48 -0800 Chorus How I learned to stop worrying and love the workaday life Any tricks, hacks, tips to get yourself out of bed and to work each day? Like thousands of others on the planet, I hate to go to work in the morning. Unlike thousands of others, my job is not horrible. Yet, I am finding it really, really hard to motivate myself each and every morning to get up and go into work. It's like my entire work ethic has been smashed to pieces. Whereas I used to pride myself on being the first person in (albeit I had a different job and no kids) and strove to succeed, I can barely manage to get out of bed, take a shower and get on the train. I know my feelings stem, in part, from the daily grind. After being a stay at home parent for over 8 years and just doing part-time work, I'm now a single parent in a fulltime job which means that I need to be totally organized each and every day (which does not come easily to me), e.g., lunches all need to be made, bags packed, laundry done, kitchen clean each night in order to get out the door in the morning. I'm not in a position at the moment to look for another job and I really don't hate this job; it's simply just getting there every day and starting work that is the problem. I don't think it would be different with a different job. I have to plead with myself each morning just to get motivated to start the process of going to work. <br> Have you ever had a similar problem? What did you do? Any suggestions appreciated.,2014:site.256101 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 08:01:05 -0800 notcomputersavvy06 No business like snow business What are your go-to "talents" that don't require any actual talent? My extended family has decided to resurrect an old holiday tradition: the Christmas talent show. Unlike our cousins, my sibling and I did not have musical or physical talents as kids, and, what do you know, we still don't. We want to participate but are stumped. <br> <br> I mean it: we can't sing, play instruments, balance on anything, contort ourselves, or act convincingly. We'd be willing to use cheap, easily found props. Corny is fine, but clever would be better. Something that could involve three people (me, sibling, sibling's partner) would be ideal.,2013:site.253810 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 17:54:36 -0800 oinopaponton A Broad, Abroad, Alone In a month, I'll be traveling abroad for the first time, all by my lonesome. Looking for helpful tips for a first-time international traveler. I'll be headed to Paris, but I'm not looking for Paris tips (AskMe has already provided those in spades). I'd like more general "how to avoid being a clueless dolt while outside your native land" tips, e.g. "buy a preloaded SIM card when you arrive", "don't walk around with your damned fool head buried in a map", "don't attempt to catch that vagrant woman's 'baby' when she tosses it at you!", and "greet shop owners politely rather than barging in like the big dumb American you are".<br> <br> Snowflakey details: I'm a thirtysomething woman. I am the least-finicky, lowest-maintenance traveler alive. My sole mode of transport will be walkin' (I've already mink-oiled my boots for the occasion). I'll be staying in a boring chain hotel. I'll have one piece of luggage, an old reliable backpack. I do not intend to visit any tourist-centric attractions.<br> <br> Thanks, my beloved Hive!,2013:site.251873 Wed, 13 Nov 2013 11:47:17 -0800 julthumbscrew Low-Carb Tips and Tricks How did you ease into a low-carb lifestyle? Hey mefi, after my last question on managing my appetite, a lot of people have suggested eating low-carb. I am trying to do this but really struggling! I don't really know what is realistic or how to go about eating low carb and eating mindfully at the same time!<br> <br> So here are some questions for people who have successfully lost weight following some form of the low-carb diet:<br> 1) What helped you to ease into it?<br> 2) How many grams of carbs did you eat per day? Did you make allowances for fruits and 'sanity carbs'?<br> 3) What are some unexpected difficulties you face and how did you overcome them?<br> 4) How did you balance 'low-carb' from the philosophy of 'eat what you want when you want mindfully'?<br> 5) How did you deal with munchies/cravings?<br> 6) How did you deal with emotional eating?<br> 7) Did you take any supplements, and if so were they helpful?<br> 8) How did you explain your low-carb eating in social situations (e.g. when confronted with the dessert menu) and what did you do about alcohol?<br> 9) What did you do about your carb intake once you lost the weight? Did you up to moderate levels? Did you manage to maintain the weight loss?<br> <br> Sorry for the long post!,2013:site.247337 Mon, 26 Aug 2013 10:33:18 -0800 dinosaurprincess How easy is to to cheat with dice? Rolling a standard six sided dice, how easy would it be for someone to roll it in a way that makes sixes (or any number) come up more frequently? Would it be obvious if someone was doing it?,2013:site.242873 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:19:00 -0800 Cannon Fodder F'ing gas stoves, how do they work? After burning my second pot and almost poisoning myself by not quite turning the knob off, it's clear that I need remedial gas stove cooking classes. <a href="">This question</a> is a great start but I need more tips for Gas Stove Cooking 101. Stuff like how it's different from cooking on an electric stovetop, rules of thumb, science facts, safety tips (I'm a klutz), etc.,2013:site.232983 Sat, 12 Jan 2013 08:02:22 -0800 Neneh Tips and Tricks for playing concerts? I have a big important concert that I'm playing coming up sort of soon. I'm not even sure what to ask... but here goes. I have a big important concert that I'm playing coming up sort of soon. I'm not even sure what to ask... but here goes - what happens during soundcheck? Between soundcheck and playing, especially when it's hours between? Do places ever let you go over your allotted time slot if you are the headliner? Is there anything I should do with regard to the venue management or anything? What's the best practice for selling things like CDs and posters outside after the show? What's an acceptable price per song for a demo EP? What about bracelets? 8x11 posters? How can I put on the best show (I have things down musically) possible, sell things outside the best possible, make the best impression on the crowd and the venue? What should I bring that I might forget - capos, cords, wires, water, picks, what else? As my last question, what's the best way to attempt to get good video and audio of this show on one singular device - i.e. no boom mics will be happening. Like camera, videocamera, iSomething. Help please? Thank you much.,2013:site.232707 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 10:08:12 -0800 Anonymous Old dog, new tricks? What sorts of things should we be considering to keep an older dog amused and happy? The new addition to our family is a large breed neutered male, aged 10-13 years (not sure; got him second-hand). We are concerned that he doesn't get enough mental stimulation and want to make sure his golden years are as pleasant as possible.<br> <br> I'm looking for suggestions for techniques, tricks, tips, and products that might help in this regard.<br> <br> He is dog-agressive, so can't go to off-leash parks or have play dates. He doesn't have any interest in toys and really only gets playful once in a blue moon; the only kind of play is wrestling with humans (no tug of war or anything like that will interest him). He gives up easily on Kong-style toys despite being highly food-motivated.<br> <br> He usually sleeps most of the day while the family is at work, sleeps through the night, and also sleeps some of the time while everyone is around in the evenings. He's a little overweight from too many table scraps and a very healthy apetite, but doesn't seem to enjoy walks longer than 30 minutes or so (will put the brakes on mid-block). I don't think it's from any kind of physical pain: he seems to be hale and hearty, just mostly lazy.<br> <br> So, I guess my question is: is this dog actually happy sleeping that often? Should we force a more vigorous exercise regime and hope he learns to like it? Are there any products that we could use during the day to give him something interesting to do, given that he doesn't like toys? Is it a good idea to leave the windows open so he can see the world and bark at things (don't worry, no neighbours) or does that stress a dog out? Are there any tricks I should be teaching (besides the basics already learned -- sit, leave it, stay, lie down, roll over, shake paw) that won't wear out the old joints? Maybe he could be trained to run a vacuum so we're not constantly picking black fur off ourselves?<br> <br> It's a pretty broad question because we're willing to consider all sorts of suggestions. Just let me know if more detail would be helpful.,2012:site.229811 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:51:59 -0800 Pomo Day-drinking hacks: Would like to avoid 1) passing out at 5, or 2) feeling suicidal the next day. Tell me what I haven't thought of... I know how to treat a hangover but am trying to do one better--how do you PREVENT a hangover (when you get them really easily and know that a day of fun might make it inevitable)? I am getting together with some old friends this weekend--we are meeting up in the morning and there will inevitably be drinking and merriment throughout the day. We are friends from college so when we get a rare reunion we often fall back into old habits as far as imbibing, but were now in our late 20's and definitely can't handle our booze like we used to. SO, while we plan on doing our best to keep the drinking to an absolute minimum, knowing that enthusiasm and friendly peer pressure might take over at some point I am looking for any strategies, tips, or strange I-never-would-have-thought-of-that tricks you might have discovered at some point in your life to avoid 1) passing out by 5 o'clock, and/or 2) feeling suicidal the next day in this scenario.<br> <br> We plan on starting with brunch, which will likely include mimosas and/or bloody marys. For the rest of the day we're going to various events around the city and probably bar-hopping in between (so alternately walking around and sitting for long periods).<br> <br> The only two I can really think of are drinking water in between drinks and 'don't mix', but I'm also looking for stuff along the lines of (totally making these up here) "Eat bacon at brunch instead of something carby" or "Eat some toast with peanut butter and bananas before drinking" or "Have a bloody mary instead of mimosas, it will be easier to move to liquor later in the day" or "Try to sit for a while after you finish a drink instead of getting up and walking around, you won't get drunk as fast" or "Drink room temperature water in between instead of ice water" or "Avoid coffee" "Avoid spicy food" or "Drink a quart of pineapple juice and do 30 jumping-jacks halfway through the day" or "Keep your body warm" OR "Keep your body cool"....haha, I'm not sure, I may be asking the impossible here but at least I'm thinking ahead, right?<br> <br> I'm not looking for answers to the tune of "Don't drink at all". This is a special occasion and that would be totally unreasonable. We're all healthy, intelligent, responsible adults and are by no means lushes--it's just a rare occasion where you get to spend the whole day with old friends and cut loose a bit, so I'd like to make the most of it but am really trying to minimize damage, you know? I'd like to somehow outsmart that little goblin that seems to take up residence in everyone's livers around their 25th birthday and henceforth causes them to get hangovers after 2 beers (which is basically what happens to me at this point). :/ Many thanks in advance.,2012:site.228523 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:41:10 -0800 lovableiago Winning At Life! What are some simple changes you made to your day to day life that had big results? I'm looking for your best tips and tricks to make your practical life a little less hectic and a little more efficient. Did you rearrange your morning routine and fix a big time suck? Did you find a way to make a daunting task less annoying and integrate it into your life easier? Tell me your secrets to making your day a little less needlessly fill with inefficient junk. I don't have a specific area in mind - I'd rather hear brilliant ideas from across the spectrum!,2012:site.227940 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:42:32 -0800 amycup What's the quickest way to code this data? I have an Excel spreadsheet with just over 3000 sentences in column A. I need to go through looking at each one and entering some data into columns B-F. The first thing I have to enter is whether the sentence is in the past tense or present tense. If it is past tense, I can ignore it and not have to enter anything in columns C-F. I just move on to the next sentence. Is it going to be quicker if I go through the whole spreadsheet filling out column B first (past/present) and then do a second pass to fill out the rest of the details for the present tense sentences, or quicker to do it all at once for each sentence? Or is it a wash? The features in the other columns are each things that can take a second's thought to decide on, but no more than that. For example "Is the subject a pronoun?"; "Is the verb a form of the verb<em> to be</em>?", etc.<br> <br> Any other tips for speeding this up would be appreciated. I've already arranged my columns in optimum order, I think, through a bit of trial and error. <br> <br> <small>(Incidentally, this needs to be extremely accurate, so I can't just program in an algorithm to reduce my sentences by weeding out anything with e.g. "he" followed by a word ending in "-ed". I tried various more complicated versions of this - they all had too many errors - both false positives and false negatives. And the language is a non-standard dialect, conversational and colloquial, so I'm not having luck with automating things like subject identification either. I'd appreciate it if this doesn't turn into a discussion about that sort of automation and just assumes I'm going to be doing it all by hand.)</small>,2012:site.226772 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 06:32:20 -0800 lollusc How to train a dog to come, stay, and heel on command? I want to train my dog to stay, come, and heel (or, "come in closer, but you don't have to come right up to me"). How do I do this? Those are the only commands that I care about at the moment.<br> <br> One priority is that I want the dog to truly understand the command word, not learn how to guess according to context what will get a treat ("OK, when he does this, see if sitting is what he wants, and then when he says something else in the command tone of voice go to him, and get a treat!"). <br> <br> In other words, if I say "pumpkin" and "come" in the exact same tone of voice, I only want the dog to react to "come."<br> <br> I'd also like solid responsiveness, so that even if there's a cat or person or dog or whatever that the dog wants to chase or greet, stay means stay and come means come.<br> <br> The training will almost certainly have to be just me and the animal most days.<br> <br> How long should every training session last?<br> <br> How frequent should the sessions come? Twice a day? Daily?<br> <br> Once the commands are "learned," how often should time be taken to reinforce them?<br> <br> What precise steps should I take to train the dog?<br> <br> Not particularly interested in theory, but I do want to utilize only positive reinforcement. <br> <br> Discrete steps or processes that are valid would be more of a help than recommending a large book filled with theory that I don't particularly want to read or have to understand to get results.<br> <br> The dog is a long-haired dachshund.,2012:site.225211 Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:05:12 -0800 jsturgill Penn Jillette without the politics I can juggle three balls, walk on stilts, and eat fire. What are some good books/resources on learning more? I'd like recommendations specifically on advancing these skills, especially juggling, but I'm also interested in other "circus skills" I haven't tried or don't know about. Strong man tricks? Sword swallowing? Geekery? Unicycle riding?<br> <br> On preview of previous questions there is such a thing as circus classes. Any experience with that, or recommendations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area?,2012:site.224704 Mon, 17 Sep 2012 09:08:19 -0800 cmoj Help me finish a PhD in 6 weeks Help me to make a great leap forward in my PhD in the next six weeks. I am in the last year of my PhD (philosophy) so the thesis has to be finished by December, however, I am also full time university lecturer, so when the term starts my ability to write every day is drastically compromised. By selling part of my soul I negotiated almost complete freedom for the next six weeks and I want to use them to make massive progress with writing the thesis. I already have about 40,000 words written and I am hoping to write another 40,000 over the next 6 weeks. The challenge is to stick to the daily quota of 1,000 words, as some days it is possible, even fun, other days it is very very hard. My question is what can I do to maximize my chances of finishing a rough draft in the next 6 weeks by doing 1,000 words a day? How do I keep motivated, energized, not giving in to "I'll never get there" kind of thoughts and not wasting too much time while at the same time not loosing the will to live. I need advise regarding tricks that keep one motivated, food supplements or anything else that helped you with a similar task. Are there any vitamins / amino-acids that might help? I do a bit of mindfulness meditation now and then to manage stress. So any help, and particularly personal experience of finishing something like this is very welcome. Thank you everyone.,2012:site.221225 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:46:34 -0800 slimeline Is there a trick of your trade that you always do, even if the results are not noticed? In your given field, is there one thing that you always do that may be overlooked but you consider it important? It may not be obvious, but it makes your work higher quality and/or more efficient and you can't imagine being happy with the work if you didn't do it. Example: A friend that works at a bike shop always cleans the tires before the customer picks it up, because it makes the bike look nicer.,2012:site.215620 Thu, 17 May 2012 12:31:12 -0800 monkeystronghold Windows Speed Demon I need to be as efficient as possible when using Windows 7, using Office, browsing with Firefox / Chrome, working with files, etc. etc. What are your best tips for being a Windows speed demon? Answers to this question will include keyboard shortcuts, utilities, how you use your taskbar, command-line, whatever. I am looking for how you get the most out of Windows.,2012:site.212482 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:54:05 -0800 jasondigitized New to the iPhone ... We need some iHelp! I just bought a second hand iphone 3Gs for my wife due to her old phone missing some texts. What are some great tips/tricks and apps/games we should install on it? Both of us are new to iPhone and the Apple ecosystem generally. I own a Android phone and a tablet, but my wife didn't like Android and her friends have iPhones and she likes them, so we got one.<br> <br> It did have Cydia preinstalled on it, so its jailbroken already... is there anything I should look out for to uninstall or remove from the phone that might have been left there for nefarious reasons?<br> <br> My wife isn't really into "always online" apps (in fact we turned off mobile internet as she is on a pre paid system here in the Philippines and data is very expensive) but it is hooked up to our wifi at home.<br> <br> I already installed Skype and also XE currency exchange (how exciting!)<br> <br> Thanks for your help!,2012:site.211383 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:46:55 -0800 Admira What's the best way to think about mathematics? What's the best way to think about mathematics? What's the best advice you have ever received about learning math and approaching math problems? Ok, so I'm terrible at math. Not just terrible, but atrocious. I'm one of those people who proves that innate intelligence doesn't correlate well with all subject areas. In high school and college, I was a great student in almost all subject areas, from biology to English language and literature. However, when it came time to do math, anything with symbols and numbers, I was just atrocious at it. Not just atrocious but almost learning disabled bad. <br><br> I think that my stupidity in math isn't something innate however. At some point, I was never able to grasp just how to approach math theory and math problem solving. I am certain this is the case because there were subjects as a youngster that I was terrible at until I taught myself to look at them differently or learn them in a unique way. Let me give you some examples so you'll see what I mean. <br><br> 1. I was a horrible speller in third grade. Just terrible. One day, I tried a new approach. I looked at any word I needed to spell and I would sound it out emphasizing every single syllable. So for example, if I needed to memorize "automatically" I would say outloud "AU-TO-MA-TEE-CALL-EEE"" and that one simple trick really attuned my mind to spelling in a way that all previous methods didn't. <br><br> 2. When learning bio, I realized that a good to think of molecular was to conceptualize it as though the whole system was like a <a href="">Rube Goldberg machine</a>. I would imagine in my head one process X causing Y which result in Z occurring and so on. It wasn't the best approach but it certainly changed how i thought about molecular biology and immunology. Plus, I did well in those classes, becoming one of the best students in that subject matter.<br><br> 3. This doesn't have to do with scholastic subject matter but it's still worth relating to show how powerful a simple conceptual change can have in our ability to perform tasks. As a kid, I read this book called <a href="">The Einstein Factor</a> and in it the author related a story about how a kid he knew drastically improved his batting average. The advice the kid received was to imagine a small speck or dot on the ball that was being pitched to him and try to aim for that dot when hitting the ball. As I was playing little league at the time, I tried this technique and the result was miraculous. I started hitting balls that had previously eluded. What was more incredible is that somehow by imagining this small speck or dot, I also learned to lay off the poorly pitched balls and thus build the patience to hit the best pitches to me. <br><br> These examples changed my life in one way or another and it taught me the power of concceputalization as a tool for learning and understanding. Does anybody have anything like this to offer me? Some sort of advice or perspective that will help me finally understand the basics of math and be able to solve the math problems. I know I am overlooking something in approaching math and I am certain that it's right there but I am somehow unable to see it. <br><br> So the hive mind: Please tell me of any tricks or advice you know about how to approach math (by math I mean <a href="">GRE Level math</a>),2012:site.206727 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:32:26 -0800 lackadaisical Fitbit hacks? I got a Fitbit for Christmas! Do you have one? What should I know about it? Any tips/tricks/hacks for getting the most out of it?,2011:site.204234 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:36:23 -0800 exceptinsects Tell me what I need to know about living in LA Moving back to LA. What do I need to know? Moving back in January after a 20 year absence and looking for insider's perspectives. Tips, what to avoid, what to take advantage of, etc.<br> <br> A few things to know:<br> <br> I will be living in Hollywood<br> I will be carless (I know it's better to have a car, but I don't and won't)<br> I will be looking for work, and am an arts critic<br> I like adventures<br> I am gluten free and a vegetarian, or, as I call it, the most obnoxious diet in the world<br> I like well-made cocktails<br> <br> <br> Tell me what you would tell anybody who is about to move. Except: Don't move to LA. If you dislike it, consider moving away, but I have always loved LA, and miss is, and will be glad to be back.,2011:site.199318 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:31:20 -0800 Bunny Ultramod Help me get the best deal setting up the internet How do I get the best price from my ISP? I just moved into a new apartment. I don't have internet set up yet but I've been slightly frozen because I'd like to get the best deal for the price Apparently Comcast has special 'online-only' deals but I don't know if they really are online only or even if I can get a better deal over the phone.<br> <br> So:<br> Should I set it up over the phone or online?<br> Are there key words or phrases I should say if I do talk to a real person?<br> What's the best I can expect as an entirely new customer? (the account at my last place wasn't in my name)<br> Anything that I'm not considering?<br> <br> Tips, tricks and advice are most welcome. I'm in Chicago if it matters and it looks like my options are Comcast, ATT and Time Warner.,2011:site.196980 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:20:39 -0800 Carillon Is this your card? Did you know you had a coin in your ear? Is this your card? Did you know you had a coin in your ear? After watching a few episodes of Penn &amp; Teller's "Fool Us" (great show worth trying to get if you aren't in the UK, fwiw) I would like to learn some magic tricks. HOWEVER, I don't want to buy a magic 'kit' that is intended for kids (or maybe I do?).<br> <br> I would like to learn some tricks that either use every day objects (so I could impress my friends in a pinch) or utilize a deck that has not been tampered with (so that I could pick up any deck and use it for a trick). <br> <br> I don't know if I should be looking at buying individual tricks, or if I should be buying a book on card tricks, or maybe both?<br> <br> I'm an absolute beginner, so I would need stuff that is either for beginners or could be learned through enough practice. Ideally I would like to pay around $30. I do not want to carry a rubber chicken around in my pants.<br> <br> Thank you in advance!,2011:site.191652 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:39:24 -0800 darkgroove