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My brain is entirely the layman’s, so keep that in mind when offering me guidance. Here is where I always, inevitably get stuck: every article or book I’ve ever read that addresses quantum mechanics offers a description that reads to me only as “our math must be probabilistic because we actually can’t observe a quantum system without disrupting it” but nonetheless that description always stands right next to the flat declaration that “reality itself is actually probabilistic”. When and how did scientific consensus go from “our math cannot be definitive” to “reality is not definitive”?
posted by bixfrankonis at 10:18 PM PST - 16 comments

Can you recommend a good restaurant in Nashville that would sell me a gift certificate over the phone and mail it to the recipient? [more inside]
posted by Ollie at 4:41 PM PST - 7 comments

I would love to get a recommendation for a memoir you've read in your life that had you panting for air. I am writing a memoir about psychotic illness, and I need to know how to "grab someone by the throat" with my narrative. I want to see an example of someone recounting their interior experiences in a way that had you relating because it was compelling.
posted by shirhashirim at 4:28 PM PST - 20 comments

In September 2011 while online searching for off-white sofas (probably sectional and probably leather), I found a particular image and want to find it again. It was a living room with walls painted a softer green like olive or sage. Off-white sofa with what looked like Mongolian lamb throw pillows, also off-white. Industrial metal coffee table, maybe on wheels. There was a sculpture or painting of a horse's head in the room. [more inside]
posted by Majorita at 4:28 PM PST - 8 comments

YANMD, but perhaps you are someone who does inversions and can shed some light on what is happening during mine? I regularly do headstands as a part of my yoga practice, and after recovering from a cold, I have had nosebleeds the two times I’ve done them since. What might be causing this? [more inside]
posted by nancynickerson at 4:08 PM PST - 6 comments

I've been watching Columbo lately and really enjoying it. What books would scratch that same itch? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:22 PM PST - 20 comments

I'm far from a professional photographer--and I don't intend to become one--but there are some scenic views around here, and I've hit the limit of what I can do with the camera on my Pixel. [more inside]
posted by queen anne's remorse at 12:45 PM PST - 15 comments

I've been searching for a loveseat for a while, and came across this beauty in a gallery of staged apartments (the burnt orange piece at the bottom left). I'm in love! [more inside]
posted by hydra77 at 12:37 PM PST - 7 comments

doc’s recommended “split prep” seems extreme, [more inside]
posted by bitterkitten at 12:34 PM PST - 12 comments

Accounts of the opioid epidemic describing the pharmaceutical marketing mention a CD that was distributed to doctors titled "Get in the Swing With OxyContin." What was on this disk? So far all I can find is '1950s dance music.' [more inside]
posted by Rash at 10:33 AM PST - 2 comments

I would love to do some baking with almond flour, such as making cookies or something similar to banana bread. Are there any recipes that you recommend, and which are ideally a bit forgiving? Recipes that require exact measuring are not ideal for this. Thanks!
posted by mortaddams at 10:16 AM PST - 14 comments

I have a few very specific criteria (measurements etc.). Even though what I want sounds quite standard (no weird measurements!) nevertheless it's been impossible for me to find this notebook! Can you help? [more inside]
posted by MiraK at 9:42 AM PST - 22 comments

I am seeking help recalling an unusual philosophy of mind project. In my foggy recollection, the project involved two male philosophy professors with opposing views on consciousness some time in the last 15 years regularly interviewing a young female student about her recollections of the past week in order to ascertain if she was truly conscious. In my memory, a book length work on the project was published and perhaps even discussed on Metafiler or Arts and Letters Daily. [more inside]
posted by reren at 9:37 AM PST - 4 comments

I like plants. I also recently acquired a rescue kitten that likes plants. I'd like to put some of my plants in an enclosed plant cabinet, but can't find anything made-to-order that would work. I've found some DIY projects online but none of them fit what I need. More inside. [more inside]
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 9:32 AM PST - 11 comments

Looking for a good PC game that I can play in my very limited free time. Must be suitable for gaming sessions anywhere from 30 minutes to an afternoon, single-player (will not do online multi-player), preferably open world, and something that is easy to get into a "flow" state with. More inside. [more inside]
posted by jzb at 9:08 AM PST - 13 comments

I'd like to better understand the science underpinning my current gym routine. Can anyone recommend good resources that explain what goes on when I perform, e.g., a pull up or a bicep curl? Pop science tomes, YT explainers or academic reviews all welcome. [more inside]
posted by lovelyzoo at 8:18 AM PST - 5 comments

A friend asked me what this is. I have no clue. Looks like a tripod but what's the attachment thingy?
posted by storybored at 7:00 AM PST - 8 comments

How do you identify good, evidence-based re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated people that also can provide guidance to friends, family, and the people who are interested in volunteering in that area? Specific program recommendations also welcome--this is for the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. More complexities inside. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:54 AM PST - 3 comments

I am trying to remember the title and author of a book I read as a child about a group of teenagers who compete to live on a space station. Read on for the details I remember. [more inside]
posted by janepanic at 3:04 AM PST - 7 comments

My 3-year-old loves TV and movies, but almost everything is too scary for him. We are ok with some screen time, but are struggling with what to show him. Sunny Bunnies are scary because there is a scary wolf, Winnie the Pooh is scary because he gets a loose thread and loses stuffing, Shaun the sheep is too scary because there are evil animals. More below the fold. [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 8:47 PM PST - 45 comments

What factor do you use to convert power settings on a Vitamix to classic cookbooks? [more inside]
posted by hwyengr at 7:50 PM PST - 1 comment

(Asking for a friend.) Do you know any good text or online-based therapy options? The person asking would like to see someone as soon as possible, but will not be able to do it in person because of their current life circumstances. They don't want to talk on the phone but would probably do a zoom. They are based in NYC if you have local options. Thank you!
posted by ferret branca at 6:58 PM PST - 13 comments

Why do they say "Following guest" at major U.S. retail shops instead of "Next in line"? [more inside]
posted by war wrath of wraith at 4:24 PM PST - 29 comments

I went for a lung function test a month ago to check for asthma after a few decades of periodic coughing/wheezing, explained below. Everything including spirometry has come back fine, but the DLco showed mild to moderate gas transfer impairment. I'm going for further testing this week including a CT scan, but am freaking out about what this could mean. The doctor did say infection can cause low DLCo and I'm wondering if anyone could shed light on what infections, and any other non scary things might cause this. [more inside]
posted by cultureclash82 at 4:17 PM PST - 2 comments

Oxford Street, McDonald's side, late 1990s, there was a shop that sold cheap Matalan quality clothes. Does anyone remember it? [more inside]
posted by popcassady at 2:43 PM PST - 13 comments

OK, I feel stupid, but nothing I find online is working. Google says look for "save" under file. Nothing under file includes the word "save," not is there anything for closing the document. Google says use "save button in right hand corner." If it exists, I can't see it. More within. [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 1:47 PM PST - 7 comments

I've finally, after all this time, become someone who regularly listens to podcasts when I'm doing stuff around the house or driving long distances. However, my own pickiness is getting in my way and I'd like some suggestions for things I might like based on what I've already enjoyed. [more inside]
posted by jessamyn at 12:18 PM PST - 50 comments

My mother is in her 60s and would like to put her two houses in my name (or most importantly - get them out of her name). What are the main ways we can do that? E.g. different types of trusts (what types?), putting the properties in my name directly, putting the properties in a business entity I/we control, anything else? I will 100% absolutely positively get a lawyer, I'm just here to understand big-picture options going into that conversation. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:44 AM PST - 11 comments

I recently upgraded from a Native Instruments Komplete 6 Gen 1 audio interface to a MOTU M4, on the strength of my experience with older MOTU hardware, on macs. The M4’s Windows drivers leave a little something to be desired — they frequently don’t bloody work. What’s my next step? [more inside]
posted by Alterscape at 11:09 AM PST - 12 comments

I get chronic pain and often bloat. What are your favorite leggings to accommodate? With specifics of course. [more inside]
posted by Crystalinne at 10:13 AM PST - 8 comments

Besides "Operation Varsity Blues," can anyone suggest documentaries about the college admissions process? [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 10:12 AM PST - 1 comment

I live in Toronto, where we are not fully out of lockdown. My very long marriage ended early in the pandemic. I am craving opportunities to have party-like experiences: To be in places where it's possible to meet new people, in contexts where there’s at least some of that energy that comes from sexual/romantic possibility. I feel like there were lots of opportunities for that in the pre-pandemic world, but so few now. Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit at 9:48 AM PST - 8 comments

How do I find my Brother printer's email address? [more inside]
posted by cozenedindigo at 9:46 AM PST - 4 comments

What is a better title than "This or That!" for puzzles/quizzes of the type: "I'm going to read you a word/phrase - you tell me if it actually belongs in category X or category Y!" These are often seen online, heard on radio shows and podcasts, and are usually meant to be humorous - for example I am doing these ones on a radio show... "Daft Punk Song or Brand of RV" and "Song By Moby or Self-Help Book Title". I'm looking for a general puzzle title like "It's time to play... GUESS MY CATEGORY!" - but better.
posted by chr1sb0y at 9:06 AM PST - 7 comments

I am currently having severe anxiety after finding out that my job contract has ended. [more inside]
posted by sheepishchiffon at 7:48 AM PST - 4 comments

Can I get some delightful family movie suggestions? Mom and Dad and thirteen-year-old. Halloween themed is nice but not at all required. [more inside]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:07 AM PST - 19 comments

I need to know if my guilt is leading me astray here - I feel awful that I never warned my ex's new partner about him. She's now pregnant and he's still stepping outside of his relationship. Am I too late? Am I being a coward? What is the moral, ethical choice? [more inside]
posted by keep it under cover at 2:18 AM PST - 35 comments

My wife wants to hand out pencils, erasers, playdoh and notepads with a Hallowe'en theme to kids who can't have candy. They've been sitting in our basement for about four years and it feels a bit weird to me to hand them out. She disagrees. Is it weird? [more inside]
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 11:37 PM PST - 37 comments

When I’m in a context where I (suspect I) have more skill with something than others, I tend to hold back significantly. This is a pattern I’ve had for a long time, but it’s creating some professional and personal problems and I’d love to learn how to not. [more inside]
posted by Sock Meets Body at 7:49 PM PST - 10 comments

We're driving into Canada to catch a flight to Europe, on a Tuesday. Canada requires we get a Covid test within 72 hours of applying to enter at the border. I'm kind of stuck on the 72-hour requirement and how to comply. [more inside]
posted by Capri at 6:56 PM PST - 12 comments

I've been seeing the same dentist practically since birth. I'm tired of seeing him and I want to find a new dentist. How does one going about finding a GOOD dentist? [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 6:19 PM PST - 7 comments

Up until now I have successfully avoided the need to use LinkedIn. Alas, the time has come. I know nothing about it. Please give me all the advice, or point me to it elsewhere.
posted by HotToddy at 6:01 PM PST - 10 comments

Is there any lag time between the time one receives a Moderna booster shot and when it is considered as ‘active’? Elderly relative is scheduled for Moderna booster on the 11th and would like to go to dinner on Thanksgiving. Would they be considered as receiving all of any protection that a booster provides by then? We will also evaluate with more info on vax status of other guests once I get that too. Thanks.
posted by calgirl at 5:27 PM PST - 6 comments

Do you like your shower chair, and if so what kind do you use? [more inside]
posted by colorblock sock at 5:08 PM PST - 8 comments

My son is writing an essay, and asked for help editing. His opening paragraph The Handmaid’s Tale Culminating Essay When looking at stories everyone can be labeled as either a brave person or a cowardly person such as in any of the Harry Potter novels. Most people would call people like Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley brave. People would also call characters like Peter Petigrew, Gildoroy Lockhart, and Draco Malfoy as more cowardly....The character of Offred in Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” demonstrates how people in your life affect how brave or how cowardly you are. He talks about Neveille Longbottom at the .... [more inside]
posted by Ftsqg at 1:51 PM PST - 12 comments

I finally brought home my adorable 8 week old mini goldendoodle puppy 4 weeks ago. I had been on a waitlist for over a year, and had a name picked out long before I met her, or even knew the gender. I love her name as a concept, others do too, but... I'm just not feeling it for her specifically. Is it weird if i rename her? [more inside]
posted by cgg at 1:36 PM PST - 22 comments

You live outside the US. You have a US checking account, but no US mobile phone number.* Your bank account doesn't charge maintenance fees, which is important because you're not keeping very much in it. You've been happy with its service. What is this bank? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:32 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm looking for a pair of vegan boots that will last a loooooooong time. Bootflakes within! [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 1:29 PM PST - 8 comments

I have had a higher resting heart rate my whole life that spikes in doctor's offices. Should I be more concerned about it? [more inside]
posted by Amy93 at 12:39 PM PST - 9 comments

Can Vessi shoes keep up with avid walkers? I have orthotics but am curious to know if Vessi shoes are a good choice for somebody who walks 2500km a year (to date). Looking for something stylish and supportive. Not Merrell. [more inside]
posted by Juniper Toast at 12:08 PM PST - 3 comments

If one chooses to display the "most recent" messages are we then bypassing Facebook algorithms? [more inside]
posted by elf27 at 11:09 AM PST - 5 comments

Do you have a Calcium Citrate that you have trained yourself to take every day and stick with it? I know there are all those delicious gummies, but I want to take Calcium Citrate, NOT Calcium Carbonate. [more inside]
posted by oxisos at 10:50 AM PST - 4 comments

I need some kind of guideline to determine when a mostly-full IBC needs to be emptied before a freeze in order to prevent damage. [more inside]
posted by Spathe Cadet at 10:11 AM PST - 11 comments

I am currently in the beginning stages of having a custom drum set built for me. It can be 4 pieces without a snare or they can include a share. I notice a lot of drummers use a snare of a different brand from the rest of their kit. Is there a reason for this? If so - what’s a great snare recommendation? Does anyone know anything about SJC snares? That’s the company I’m going through.
posted by jitterbug perfume at 10:06 AM PST - 6 comments

8 year old and 10 year old want to watch a Slightly Scary Movie. Nightmare Before Christmas has been watched too often and is not scary enough. Coraline is too scary. (The original Jurassic Park was not bad in terms of fear/excitement factor.) Can you help?
posted by Omnomnom at 8:26 AM PST - 33 comments

My office recently added can-crushing machines to all our recycling areas, and I need a good punny name for ours. [more inside]
posted by box at 8:25 AM PST - 45 comments

Hello; On my car side mirror I have this thing that looks like a mini speaker,lol,but I have no clue what it is-perhaps somebody here could tell me what it is? Its a 2009 Hyundai Sonata,if that helps. Here is a link to a photo. https://ibb.co/X5VjQJy Thank you :-)
posted by LOOKING at 8:02 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm interested in making a sort of "best of" list of folks who do really great covid vaccine explainers on social media. [more inside]
posted by forkisbetter at 6:43 AM PST - 8 comments

Minipangolin convinced me to impulse-buy some chestnuts at the grocery store. They've been sitting on the counter for 2 weeks now, waiting for me to do something with them. How should I prepare them? Savory and sweet are both fine. I have about a pound. I've never cooked with chestnuts before and I just need one good recipe/inspiration/instruction.
posted by juliapangolin at 6:14 AM PST - 20 comments

My husband left the refrigerator door open last night. I had a package of bacon and a whole chicken on the bottom shelf, which I keep pretty cold. This morning, there’s condensation on the outside of the chicken and the bacon, but they were both cold to my touch. Can we still eat those, or do I need to give them the old heave ho? The fridge was open for around six hours, maybe a bit more.
posted by holborne at 5:51 AM PST - 13 comments

I want to choose among Messages' large attachments (images -- photos and videos) to clear out some iCloud space. The large images are mostly on my Mac, not my other devices. But when I delete Messages images from my Mac, it doesn't free up any iCloud space. Deleting them from Top Conversations on my iPhone doesn't free up space, either. How can I see the large Messages images that are on iCloud, and delete the ones I select? [more inside]
posted by daisyace at 5:47 AM PST - 8 comments

I would like to let my cat out into our yard, which is fenced in but does get some visiting birds. What are my options for collars which will hopefully help to make sure she doesn't attack the birds, but are also not dangerous or inhumane to my cat? [more inside]
posted by kinddieserzeit at 11:29 PM PST - 15 comments

I'm struggling a bit with my 8 year old daughter who is heinously bad at cleaning/tidying up after herself and it causes me heaps of stress. Do I need to wait this out, or are there other techniques to explore? [more inside]
posted by sxtrumpeto at 9:59 PM PST - 39 comments

Hey, I’ll be in Denver this Sunday and am looking for a good bar to watch the game. Anywhere within a reasonable Uber drive of downtown would work. Thanks!
posted by docgonzo at 8:16 PM PST - 2 comments

Hi - I'm commuting by bike (or hope I will continue to be) as the weather gets colder. I commute in to work on the subway and will (citi-)bike home for approx 45 minutes. So...I need clothing that will keep me warm, but also is either work friendly, or can be carried in a bag to work. [more inside]
posted by bquarters at 6:02 PM PST - 14 comments

I posted a question re: some Gmail/Weebly problems I was having. Some got solved. Some are persisting. Weebly is telling me something and I'm not sure if I believe them. Can you help me, a totally non-tech person, sort out my next steps? [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:55 PM PST - 6 comments

YANMD. Over the last few years I have noticed that my period symptoms vary from month to month, and I never know what to expect. Some months (like this one) I have severe cramping, mood swings and lethargy. Other months I have zero pain and feel emotionally fine. If you are a menstruating person, have you experienced this, and if so what are factors that influence your symptoms month to month? [more inside]
posted by rogerroger at 5:16 PM PST - 21 comments

Looking for a 2-4 hour course or activity that can be brought into school for a special event for 8th graders who are already interested in engineering / coding careers but may not have had much hands-on activity. We're trying to find something special that would not be easily achievable by the students on their own. [more inside]
posted by Mchelly at 5:09 PM PST - 2 comments

What song is traditionally sung in your family, friend group, organization, or country to mark birthdays? I'm looking for songs to mark friends' birthdays that they might not have heard before . [more inside]
posted by QuakerMel at 4:08 PM PST - 25 comments

My 9yo really enjoys making stop animation videos and would like to work with some slicker tools. The reviews on all the "best" kits are making me nervous. Do you have a set up to recommend? [more inside]
posted by LKWorking at 1:49 PM PST - 7 comments

I have a paid subscription to Carrot weather, and it will notify me when it's about to rain. But it's late October in Vancouver, BC and it rains here a lot. The default is that it is always raining - I would like to know when it's stopped so I can quickly take the puppy out! [more inside]
posted by cgg at 1:07 PM PST - 8 comments

My workplace is having a book character costume contest. I bought an inflatable shark costume on Amazon and found a children's book called Clark the Shark, so I'm ready to go, EXCEPT I don't know what to do after I am in the costume. [more inside]
posted by JXM368 at 12:30 PM PST - 26 comments

I'm taking my 10 year old grandson to Washington DC next spring/early summer for a week-long visit. We want to be able to walk to museums and be in a nice area close to public transportation. Which neighborhood would you recommend? Looking for hotel, not AirBnB or vrbo.
posted by lois1950 at 11:57 AM PST - 16 comments

When it's with a brand new person, I often enjoy having sex. When it's not, I reliably don't. What is this called? (A previous partner called me 'aromantic', but when I googled, it seemed as though most aromantic people are also ace?) What do most people who are this way do about it? [more inside]
posted by wattle at 11:32 AM PST - 20 comments

I'm an experienced skier living in Seattle, and my partner is interested in learning this year. What's the best place/package for lessons for someone who's brand new? [more inside]
posted by Cogito at 11:10 AM PST - 6 comments

1) What are some good guides on how use/produce Tiktok videos that are oldster friendly? 2) What are some people on Tiktok who produce content about civil rights, human rights, race relations in the US, or other social justice topics?
posted by bq at 10:46 AM PST - 4 comments

Person A sends an email to me (and the group) with an attachment. I read the email, view the attachment no problem. [more inside]
posted by jtexman1 at 10:42 AM PST - 6 comments

I would like to get my 9 year old niece, who is quite talented and also quite into fairly grown-up art supplies, an art supply subscription box. I am considering Sketchbox, Artsnacks or Paletteful Packs -- do you know much about these boxes and whether any one is better than the others? [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 9:59 AM PST - 4 comments

I foolishly put a sealed plastic bag of raw potatoes in my freezer on Monday. I retrieved them this morning, but now they've defrosted I find they've gone soft and spongy. I hate wasting food, so is there anything I can do to salvage them? Assuming I boil them in the normal way, will they be safe to eat? Thank you.
posted by Paul Slade at 9:23 AM PST - 13 comments

How to access a window with a desk in front? [more inside]
posted by artdrectr at 8:54 AM PST - 10 comments

I've been trying to download an .mp4 video file from archive.org to my Mac AirBook with little success. [more inside]
posted by pxe2000 at 8:36 AM PST - 2 comments

Looking for smart writing (journalistic, think piece, academic, you tell me) about the "friendification" of corporate social media. [more inside]
posted by athirstforsalt at 7:21 AM PST - 5 comments

I really loved the Aerie Real Me bras from around 2017-2019, but they don't sell them anymore and the new bras are way less comfortable. Help me find something similar! [more inside]
posted by ikea_femme at 7:14 AM PST - 4 comments

Minor flirtation, on and off, all plausibly deniable. Then we hugged, a nice, tight, warm hug, and he was rubbing my back up and down, around the level of my bra strap. Does this sound like more of a platonic hug or does it sound more intimate/flirtatious to you? [more inside]
posted by MarnieSrpings at 6:05 AM PST - 41 comments

I was using Hetzner to experiment with K3s, Terraform and Ansible. It was cheap, barebones and great, I never really ran anything on it except 'whoami' servers to make sure it all worked, I was recently banned due to "sus;icious" activity with no resolution, I do not need HA or any managed K8s infrastructure and would like to keep costs down to a minimum. Hetzner seemed the best value and had some good servers but I cannot work with a provider that just shuts me down without warning and no resolution. Any alternatives especially with a strong github community or similar? Again the idea is to keep costs down and have this be a playground to teach me.
posted by geoff. at 5:55 AM PST - 7 comments

We bought a house that came with a cat, and so far she hates all the pets we brought with us. Details of our intro plan inside; is this normal or should we change up our strategy? [more inside]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:54 AM PST - 6 comments

Trying to help a friend who's mother is having some rapid decline in the situation with her Alzheimers. They have had a great homecare person, but her mobility and continence issues are increasing, and after a trip to the emergency room, my friend and his elderly father are coming with the fact that they need a lot more help, and it might be time for assisted living. They're also looking into a visiting nurse service, so looking into those options too. [more inside]
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:58 PM PST - 7 comments

Do you have any exquisite holiday card (or shop or maker) recommendations? [more inside]
posted by this-apoptosis at 6:54 PM PST - 10 comments

Should I replace my failing gas dryer with a ventless one? I'm intrigued by ventless dryers because of their supposed efficiency and ability to be run without gas. My current gas dryer is on its last legs and I'd really like to replace it with a stackable unit that matches my newish washer. [more inside]
posted by stripesandplaid at 6:10 PM PST - 14 comments

How to live my life and feel safe while a group of people are angry with me and will be for the foreseeable future? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:55 PM PST - 9 comments

I can't believe I'm asking strangers on the internet, but we need help deciding whether we want to adopt a child or be a family of 3. Details inside. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:16 PM PST - 41 comments

Where can one race in a third gender division? Specifically, I was thinking of road running, but trail running and cycling are of interest as well. [more inside]
posted by politicalmachineshop at 4:51 PM PST - 11 comments

I am part of a local organization. An old friend of mine, someone who I fell out of touch for about 3 years, emailed the organization, with a message directed to me, asking me to not contact him or his family members, and stating that we are not friends. I am completely baffled by this. I am also a bit hurt by my friend, who forwarded me the message. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 4:29 PM PST - 24 comments

What are other small-run, responsible menswear manufacturers like Vollebak and Outlier? [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 3:59 PM PST - 3 comments

Small house in the Midwest, built in the 1950s, concrete slab and cement block walls. A few years ago, I had drain tile (where the floor meets the wall) and a sump pump installed. This apparatus does what it says on the tin, collecting water that rises up through the foundation. However, the system intentionally leaves a small gap between the floor and the walls, such that water which might trickle in down the walls is caught by the drain tile. I need to seal the system so it is airtight. Special snowflake details inside. [more inside]
posted by 4midori at 3:14 PM PST - 4 comments

What are the pros and cons of bringing a 2yo male neutered golden retriever, to live for January through May in a flat just west of Paddington station, with hybrid work hours, some travel within what's left of the UK, some theatre-going and restaurant dining? [more inside]
posted by Mngo at 3:04 PM PST - 9 comments

Is it ok to wrap pipe protection electrical cable? [more inside]
posted by miles1972 at 2:46 PM PST - 5 comments

I may have an opportunity to make what would essentially be the same job I am doing now but at a different company. I'm a bit dissatisfied with my current role, but I am not sure if a lateral move makes sense. How do I make this decision? Long-ish details inside. [more inside]
posted by synecdoche at 2:09 PM PST - 11 comments

I was so excited for this gig! My first job at the executive level but three days in, I knew it was a mistake. A month later, I'm trying to figure out what to say to future employers as I search. Can you help? [more inside]
posted by simonelikenina at 2:08 PM PST - 7 comments

I am in love with Postmodern Jukebox, and I am trying to find more covers of recent songs in older jazz/blues styles. Especially if their vocalists are as excellent as some of the PJ covers can be. Do you know of similar artists or producers? I suppose I could even look for muzak-style elevator jazz covers of modern songs. How do I search for these, where do I begin? [more inside]
posted by panhopticon at 11:52 AM PST - 17 comments

Remember when Lifehacker was useful and not a bunch of weird, random listicles? Me too! If you have found alternative or new sources of similar information, what are they?
posted by po822000 at 11:32 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm pretty sure I know the song "I don't wanna get over you" from a movie or tv show or something, but I can't figure out where. So first off, anyone know of a work of pop culture that uses this song? Secondly, is there a website where I can look up a song to find out what other works it's been featured in?
posted by skewed at 11:12 AM PST - 8 comments

I was just wondering if anyone here is ACCA qualified and what kind of careers you have gone into? I am due to pass all my ACCA exams by Spring 2022 and am currently working as a FInance Officer. I'm not really doing finance work, it's more HR and admin with a little bit of monitoring budgets thrown in. My previous role was in Accounts Payable (Finance Assistant). I've really enjoyed studying Tax and am thinking I might possibly go down this avenue. What kind of jobs should I be applying for once I've passed all the exams? I haven't got signed off on all my experience though (PER), so keep in mind I won't be a fully qualified accountant.
posted by Sunflower88 at 11:11 AM PST - 2 comments

I need homemade chicken soup recipes I can make in an hour or so, instead of overnight. I like to flavor with garlic, throw some carrots in, simple and straightforward stuff like that. My housemate can run out for ingredients. Soup me?
posted by Archipelago at 10:42 AM PST - 21 comments

I'd like to convert 1.5-lb. packages of ground pork into chorizo. Serious Eats's Easy Fresh Mexican Chorizo was a pretty good experiment (too salty, needed more smoke). Please give me your favorite recipe! [more inside]
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:31 AM PST - 3 comments

We will have exactly one trick-or-treater this year. He's 10 and will be dressed as James Bond. What can we do on a short time frame and that won't generate a lot of waste? So no plastic single-use stuff, Amazon junk, Halloween Store junk, etc. He's coming Friday evening. [more inside]
posted by MonsieurBon at 9:58 AM PST - 12 comments

A while ago I was turned onto the "rice water as hair treatment" craze. What worked really well for me was using it as an after-shampoo rinse: I'd squirt it onto my head after I shampooed, and leave it there. But that stuff rots after a couple of days. Help me create and preserve 1-2 weeks supply at a time so it doesn't need to be refrigerated. [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:53 AM PST - 11 comments

My body is falling apart at the seams. Halp! What specialists do I seek, what magic words do I say to get evaluated properly, and what sort of treatments are available? Are there any comorbidities or differential diagnoses I need to watch out for? [more inside]
posted by lloquat at 9:37 AM PST - 12 comments

I have a bunch of footage from a tom tom bandit. It seems to have attached data that I can use in an app, but can't extract. [more inside]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 9:25 AM PST - 4 comments

How do I import a single, but very long, thread of texts from my Samsung Galaxy 7 to my PC? [more inside]
posted by Crystal Fox at 8:48 AM PST - 4 comments

I am the only working spouse in my marriage, my partner is totally disabled (as said by doctors). Recently things have taken a turn for the worse and it seems like the best route would be for me to quit work and take care of the spouse full time. Do I need to establish some type of trust or fund for others to contribute money to cover household expenses? We are in the United States, specifically the state of Georgia. [more inside]
posted by clocksock at 7:31 AM PST - 10 comments

I have a 1-pound package of sweet Italian ground chicken sausage meat -- and by "ground" I mean it's not in patties or links or anything, it's like ground hamburger meat. I need ideas for what to do with it, and all the recipes I keep finding assume I'll be slicing up links or using whole giant sausages or something. I'm not an instinctive cook and mostly don't cook with meat (though not an actual vegetarian), so I'm stuck. Any ideas? All ingredients welcome.
posted by JanetLand at 7:13 AM PST - 22 comments

Seeking reputable links/resources. A couple people in my social circles have been touting some new cryptocurrencies as being environmentally and socially responsible. My gut tells me that while they may not have the energy usage of bitcoin mining, this claim is likely more along the lines of “clean coal” or other forms of green capitalism. [more inside]
posted by eviemath at 6:45 AM PST - 12 comments

Someone I'm very close to (and over twice as old as), consistently speaks up for others and advocates for people's rights, privacy, equality, etc. I'm very proud and supportive. This same person is, oddly, very demanding of "celebrities". Should I point out that celebrities deserve the same rights and privacy they're advocating for everyone else? [more inside]
posted by racersix6 at 4:54 AM PST - 32 comments

I keep a travel sketchbook and a few friends I have made here in France have asked for copies of a page or two. What's the best way to do this? [more inside]
posted by mkuhnell at 4:47 AM PST - 1 comment

I want my very unwieldy offline Photos library to become a regular file structure of image files so I can open what I want, instead of the whole thing each time. I also want to be able to back it up regularly from my iphone Photos library. I also need to be able to get that iphone library back under control by bulk deleting pictures once backed up (Photos can't do this, on either the Macbook or iphone). What software do I need? [more inside]
posted by chappell, ambrose at 4:18 AM PST - 4 comments

My husband and I love each other a ton and have a happy relationship, but we consistently seem to get in one argument a month. If we miss a month, we get into two arguments the next month! It feels like we almost "need" this. Why? [more inside]
posted by artisthatithaca at 3:07 AM PST - 24 comments

Is anyone aware of a podcast/mp3 player that will automatically take an mp3 file and then either skip/ignore (or delete) spoken-word/conversation in that mp3 and only play the music. Or, alternatively, a sound editor that could convert the file to a “just music” mp3. The player must work on android. The editor could work on either android or MacOS. [more inside]
posted by lalochezia at 8:41 PM PST - 6 comments

My wife and I play Spite & Malice, both at home and when traveling. We need a new card game. What should we play? [more inside]
posted by fedward at 8:08 PM PST - 25 comments

Have you flown from the U.S. to another country that requires travelers to have received a COVID vaccination? If so, did you have to present proof of vaccination before boarding your plane, or upon arrival at your destination? And were you flying a U.S. carrier or a foreign airline? If you'd like to share any other information that might be useful (including airports and airlines), we'd be grateful. [more inside]
posted by DavidNYC at 7:58 PM PST - 19 comments

I need a new comforter. Or some equivalent item(s) to keep me warm in bed. For various reasons, I do not want down or wool. I am also not thrilled about synthetic fillings, so that leaves...basically cotton? [more inside]
posted by gueneverey at 7:01 PM PST - 17 comments

Recent news coverage of the marriage of Princess Mako of Japan states that she lost her royal status because "she married a commoner". But who could she marry who wasn't a commoner? From what I can tell, the Kazoku (Japanese Nobles) were abolished in 1947. I can't imagine she'd be expected to marry a member of the Imperial Household. But who else counts as "not a commoner" in Japan these days?
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:00 PM PST - 13 comments

Our junior high student has decided for their science project to compare different methods of treating/altering clay soil for better gardening. We could use some help deciding on: factors we could test; treatments we could compare; and how we might measure success. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:40 PM PST - 20 comments

A popular cleaning solution is to mix vinegar with baking soda. But combining sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid gives carbon dioxide, water and sodium acetate, right? Which of those is going to help clean a surface? Is it the CO2 bubbles we're after here? But how effective are bubbles anyway?
posted by storybored at 3:47 PM PST - 14 comments

I’m new to running (just finished couch to 5k) and having some trouble with my running shoes. I've got a new pair of Brooks Ghost 14's that I put Superfeet running insoles in. The left shoe fits perfectly and feels great, but my right foot and ankle moves around in the shoe a bit -- enough that during runs my right foot cramps up and feels sore in the arch and outside of the foot. I tried the next size down just for my right foot, but it was definitely too small. I do heel lock lacing and try to tighten up the lacing through the rest of the shoe, but my foot still moves around and if I tighten it up too much, it makes my foot ache and my arch hurt even worse. [more inside]
posted by imalaowai at 3:33 PM PST - 8 comments

I splurged on a pair of AirPod pros and like everything about them except the uncomfortably loud ding they make in my ears every time they connect/disconnect to my laptop or phone. How can I make this stop? [more inside]
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 3:11 PM PST - 2 comments

Every once in a while I see dumpling recipes with Chinese-style cooking directions, where instead of timing by minutes you add cold water to the cooking water N times and wait for it to come back to the boil each time. So ok, noob question: the size of the cooking pot and water bowl would make a big difference, right? What are the right sizes? [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:06 PM PST - 11 comments

I like my job but I’m afraid I am no longer good at it. [more inside]
posted by koucha at 3:04 PM PST - 17 comments

I'd like to get my to-be-7-year-old nephew a Star Wars graphic novel for his birthday but have no idea where to begin! [more inside]
posted by orrnyereg at 1:36 PM PST - 4 comments

What are some good resources for choosing colors that 'work' together? I feel like I'm looking for the Flavor Bible, but for colors. Bonus points if they provide those hexadecimal codes. [more inside]
posted by asimplemouse at 12:23 PM PST - 14 comments

We have a car we want to sell and put the cash towards the down payment on a new vehicle. We were about to trade it in to the dealership but based on Autotrader listings we think we can get a good deal more via a private sale. [more inside]
posted by rbf1138 at 10:56 AM PST - 18 comments

My husband and I will be traveling to Canada this weekend, and have to input our arrival time into the ArriveCAN app. It asks for a time of arrival at the border. We'll be driving, so I don't have an exact estimate, depends on traffic etc. How exact does that estimate have to be?
posted by cozenedindigo at 10:53 AM PST - 8 comments

I met Fabian online through a short work project about a year ago (I work independently). We never actually met in person thanks to covid and barely interacted during the project but ended up texting each other about work. Our conversations quickly became what I can now only describe as a stupidly exhilarating, intellectually stimulating situationship. We have a lot of interests in common and would text each other everyday, multiple times a day and this continued for, well, until recently. He's definitely started to pull away, and I can understand why: we never ended up meeting up and this form of emotional investment cannot continue forever. My long term partner who I live with and who has been aware of everything (I've discussed my messages with Fabian with my partner multiple times) and now I feel bereft. It actually feels like a breakup. At present, I am giving Fabian the space he wants, I don't text him out of turn, I'm increasing the gaps between our texting. I don't want to be annoying, but I miss him incredibly. What can I do to move on? I am still struggling a lot. More below [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:36 AM PST - 9 comments

I live in a small flat with several other humans. If we leave the windows closed, CO2 builds up and I get headachy and stupid(*). If we open the windows, cold air comes in and we waste energy heating it up. What is the most environmentally-friendly way of ventilating a flat? [more inside]
posted by yankeefog at 10:25 AM PST - 21 comments

I have recently discovered and devoured Jean Rhys’ grim early novels (Good Morning, Midnight; Quartet; Voyage in the Dark; After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie). What I like about these novels is the dark, gritty atmosphere, the writing that still feels fresh a century later, and the female perspective. Who else should I read? Primarily looking for books by and/or about women.
posted by vanitas at 9:38 AM PST - 29 comments

I have been trying to help an elderly friend navigate the SNAP system. How do I do my best to assist them in an ethical manner that will not jeopardize their benefits? [more inside]
posted by domo at 8:57 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm looking for non-animated videos for my five year old that are calm and well-made, like the original Mr Rogers episodes but shorter. [more inside]
posted by splitpeasoup at 8:45 AM PST - 8 comments

Academics of MetaFilter! I'm working on a paper and am hoping to put some meat behind the received wisdom that the Internet is a visual space where images perform better than text. It's almost a "water is wet" problem where it's so understood that few people have bothered to prove it. [more inside]
posted by Shepherd at 7:06 AM PST - 7 comments

Hi MetaFilmers! What book do you currently recommend as an introduction to film theory? I need to recommend one to someone today, but school was a long time ago now--I'm wondering what more modern basic (starter level) work you might suggest for a novice these days. Thanks!
posted by theatro at 5:44 AM PST - 13 comments

I have had two connections in the past year that had that time-melts-away, talk-about-anything-and-nothing-for-hours, laugh-my-butt-off vibe and both of them have been with men who are emotionally stunted, bad at communicating and ride over boundaries like they're road markings. I want to set standards for how people treat me but if I let go of the connection with the latest guy, who knows when I'll experience this kind of forget-everything fun again - part of me says, maybe never because maybe it's specifically emotional 6 year olds I connect with in this way? I feel so silly writing this question, but basically - do I just ignore the bad and continue on with a fun friendship? [more inside]
posted by fantasticbotanical at 4:52 AM PST - 17 comments

We need to break our lease urgently and we’re not sure how to both communicate this to our landlord, keeping them as a reference for the new rental applications we’re making, and also minimize the negative impact being lease-breakers will have on those new applications with new landlords, for new places. Please help us with a script to navigate this tricky balancing act. COVID accommodation snowstorm inside. [more inside]
posted by t0astie at 4:49 AM PST - 12 comments

I’ve reread Leila Slimani’s Adele and Lullaby several times over the last couple of years. More recently I’ve enjoyed Nina Bouraoui’s novels. I’m looking for contemporary French literature set in and around Paris, novels focussing on daily lives, romance, work. Essentially a 21st century Francoise Sagan. Anything that will make me feel like I’m in Paris/France. I can read French so happy with recommendations in the original French and English translation.
posted by bigyellowtaxi at 3:47 AM PST - 2 comments

I've always wanted to take ice skating lessons. For the first time in my life I can afford them. The catch: I have osteoporosis due to cancer treatment. Is this a terrible idea? [more inside]
posted by CancerSucks at 1:29 AM PST - 21 comments

I need perspective on something that happened to me when I was a teenager. I feel like it was a traumatic incident that I can't recognize as abuse, and I would like to get some outside opinions on it, to see if it can be made to feel more real. There are numerous issues I have to this day based on my families attitudes to health services, and I feel like this event contains the kernel of it. [more inside]
posted by chiorlemas at 12:40 AM PST - 16 comments

What are some things you give (or receive!) as stocking stuffers every year that don't get old? Consumable or not. [more inside]
posted by potrzebie at 10:10 PM PST - 46 comments

Really enjoying using the Tuned app but hate that it’s feeding more data to Facebook. Are there any alternatives? Possibly encrypted? I’m on iOS
posted by gzimmer at 9:14 PM PST - 0 comments

What is this shiny, heavy, only-faintly-magnetic metal widget I found in a box of junk treasure? [more inside]
posted by bethnull at 9:03 PM PST - 6 comments

I know lots of other goods and technologies (and a shit ton of gold) were transferred to the India and China by the west in the spice trade, but specifically were any spices traded to the east? [more inside]
posted by furnace.heart at 7:47 PM PST - 6 comments

We made a pandemic move within California to become homeowners with elbow room. Turns out our new community is not vaccinated. [more inside]
posted by gillianr at 7:23 PM PST - 13 comments

This is from The Moon and Sixpence. There are two sentences. 1] The woman where I get my bread recommended me...2] he got his commission through the baker from whom he bought his bread...The woman is the baker.My question is the difference between 'where' and 'from whom'. How can I use them differently?
posted by mizukko at 6:50 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm currently staying in a place with a electric keyboard. I have almost no musical education. I'm enjoying noodling around on it, but I'd have more fun if I had a wider range of things I could do. What are fun ways that I can broaden the set of things I can play? [more inside]
posted by wesleyac at 6:37 PM PST - 6 comments

I found a gloriously large and heavy set of elk antlers - not attached to anything, just shed in their seasonal cycle. I'd like to mount them on the living room wall of my Cobb-mud house, but the mud is fragile so I'd like to make as few holes as possible, and not destroy the wall with giant chunks taken out of it if I mess up. What are my best options for mounting it? [more inside]
posted by egeanin at 5:43 PM PST - 9 comments

Ideas and suggestions welcome, from buying a new computer to just working around this! I have the tip of a 3.5mm/1/8" headphone jack stuck in the headphone jack(??) (port??) of my laptop. It's stuck all the way in. How can I get it out? [more inside]
posted by Snowishberlin at 5:36 PM PST - 8 comments

There's a style of proverb or expression which has two clauses, one of which is a play on words (but not a reversal) of the other. Is there a name for this kind of construction? [more inside]
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:29 PM PST - 4 comments

What are some ways to disentangle yourself from a harmful and even dangerous friendship without alienating your mutual friends? [more inside]
posted by armadillo1224 at 4:12 PM PST - 8 comments

We're headed up to Great Barrington, MA in the Berkshires this weekend and would love any and all ideas on things to do/see, shops to check out, places to eat, etc. Special Halloween events particularly welcome. Couple in early/mid-40s, no kids, but open to anything. Thank you!
posted by DavidNYC at 3:17 PM PST - 5 comments

After avoiding them for years, I've found in the past 18 months that I actually can enjoy podcasts, and I like to listen to them in the morning when I'm getting ready. However, I've run out of stuff to listen to that doesn't drive me nuts--my faves (You're Wrong About, Maintenance Phase) don't update regularly lately, but other stuff I've tried, the hosts constantly misuse or mispronounce words. [more inside]
posted by kitten kaboodle at 3:15 PM PST - 35 comments

Which is correct: "None of the contracts is exclusive" or "None of the contracts are exclusive" ...?
posted by cmcmcm at 2:42 PM PST - 10 comments

In the bottom of my chest freezer I have 3 whole chickens, a package of beef stew meat and a chuck roast that I bought in the spring of 2018. Can I eat them? [more inside]
posted by Sabby at 12:48 PM PST - 8 comments

I got a deal on my new condo because it is not renovated. I’m not allowed to do the renovations until I get board approval. That might take a while. What can I do to spruce things up in the meantime? [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 11:39 AM PST - 18 comments

I have a "2010 Chevy Cobalt SS" and I've been thinking what I could do to the exterior and the interior to make it look more fancy/sleek. I don't know much about car stuff. I was thinking maybe a body kit of sorts? I like the look of most BMW's. [more inside]
posted by audio at 11:12 AM PST - 10 comments

Is the new season of Locke and Key a complete departure from the plotline of the book series, or does it revisit some of the minor characters/subplots that Season 1 did not include? I want to know if it's helpful to re-read the series before watching. (I tried Googling this but the first links I clicked on had prominent spoiler warnings and I didn't want to risk reading further down in the results.) [more inside]
posted by rogerroger at 10:06 AM PST - 2 comments

I am so, so well off and happy. I don't need another penny. I perform at par with work. This year, they only gave me a 3% salary increase. How can I mentally envision my salary, in a way that doesn't make me sad? [more inside]
posted by bbqturtle at 8:56 AM PST - 72 comments

I want to get a 7 year old girl a couple of gifts in the next two months: 1. Something small (under $20) that's fun and classy for Halloween 2. A larger gift (under $100) for the holidays Knowing nothing about toys and games for that age group, I turn to you! [more inside]
posted by redlines at 8:48 AM PST - 7 comments

According to the tracker at covidvax.live,[1] Illinois was reporting about 25,000 new doses of vaccine administered per day from late July until October 13, when the number suddenly dropped to about 950 / day. It seems unlikely that Illinoisans collectively decided to stop getting vaccinated on October 13, so where is the drop in numbers coming from? [more inside]
posted by Spathe Cadet at 8:45 AM PST - 5 comments

I just need a super really totally basic photo collage app for my iphone. I'm willing to pay like $5 for it, but they all seem to have monthly $5ish subscriptions, even when they say "Free!" in the app store. Googling "free iphone collage app" just gave me more of the same - not really free or even cheap. Heck, photoshop itself is only $10 a month... cmon now. Help?
posted by bluesky78987 at 7:47 AM PST - 5 comments

A local restaurant serves an awesome bowl of butternut squash soup. It's very flavorful. They drizzle it with some kind of spiced oil. [more inside]
posted by akk2014 at 6:51 AM PST - 13 comments

Why is my FICO so much higher than my individual credit scores? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 6:26 AM PST - 5 comments

Can anyone recommend a guidebook to historic Maya sites, such as Tikal or Copán? [more inside]
posted by gimonca at 4:35 AM PST - 3 comments

I am in the process of evaluating a job offer for an individual contributor role working directly for an executive. I am happy with the offer, but would like to have a training budget for myself to support knowledge development without having to ask for approval every time. Have you done this? Do you have this perk? What should I ask for and think about? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:01 AM PST - 5 comments

My brand-new dentist showed me a picture of my 20-year old cavity and the tooth around it had a crack. She recommended a ceramic onlay. I have struggled to find reliable information on when an onlay should be performed - do you have any insight? [more inside]
posted by librarylis at 10:29 PM PST - 5 comments

I want this jacket but it is only available in children's sizes. Can you point me toward a similar one that can fit an adult? The things I like about it: It is relatively heavy and structured, not like a regular sweatshirt material hoodie. It is fuzzy/furry. It has a pattern.
posted by cmoj at 8:22 PM PST - 10 comments

Unfortunately I have to drive for work sometimes. How should I track this? Have tried a notebook in the car but often forget to complete it. Do you have an app you like or some other system? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 8:06 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm trying to figure out if it's even possible to view St Louis Blues hockey games in the St Louis area without having to subscribe to DirectTV or cable. Can it be done? [more inside]
posted by possibilityleft at 6:11 PM PST - 7 comments

I have the now-discontinued IKEA HURDAL Wardrobe. It opens with a key, which has broken off in the lock. I have already ordered a replacement key from IKEA, which should arrive within 2 weeks. How can we open it in the meantime?
posted by grouse at 6:04 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm playing the Echoes of the Eye DLC for the Outer Wilds and have made good progress, but there is one bit I'm stuck on that I would like help with without having to resort to an online guide which might get too spoilery. Details inside. [more inside]
posted by jzed at 5:55 PM PST - 2 comments

I want to use WhatsApp temporarily for travel. ISO of a workaround to use WhatsApp for phone calls without granting WhatsApp permission to access ALL my phone contacts. [more inside]
posted by jointhedance at 3:34 PM PST - 5 comments

Compiling pointers for a friend whose 3rd grade daughter has executive function issues. Snowflake details inside. Are there any good resources available (preferably free) for how to help their daughter? [more inside]
posted by rednikki at 2:35 PM PST - 13 comments

I’ve been given a 'backup' key, and the key undoes the lock in the garage door, and then…. I am to do something else to get the door open, without breaking someone’s garage door lift system. I don't know what that something is. [more inside]
posted by armoir from antproof case at 2:22 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm looking for the name of a feel of music that I want to turn on in certain situations (mostly getting stoned and playing games, or getting stoned and watching a camp fire, or getting stoned and riding bikes). I have a few example songs linked inside, and I'm hoping my dreams will come true and will discover some great music! [more inside]
posted by rebent at 1:38 PM PST - 47 comments

My head measures 24 inches, and this means almost all winter hats are too small, don't cover my ears, pull themselves off, and cause headaches. Which is too bad, because I love hats! I found one site last year that sold hats in actual sizes, but otherwise my google-shopping-fu is failing me. Please help me find a wool or cashmere hat in size XL! Simple skull cap style preferred, but still need my ears covered. Thanks in advance.
posted by Dashy at 12:34 PM PST - 13 comments

Please recommend any nonfiction or news stories that have a surprise twist or ending (think: real-life O. Henry situations). The more dramatic the better. This is for a high school literature class. Thank you!
posted by WaspEnterprises at 12:01 PM PST - 10 comments

Cho Sang-woo wears a minimalist watch in Squid Game, seen briefly when he checks the time. Image here. Anyone know what watch it is, or where I can find something similar? [more inside]
posted by osmond_nash at 7:33 AM PST - 5 comments

What is this semi-antiquated illustration *layout style* called? To be clear, I'm looking to identify the placement and structure of the images on the page in a regular and usually symmetrical fashion, rather than the style of the illustrations themselves. Is there a term for this type of layout structure? Catalog Style or something seems close, but I can't find any clear answers via the googles.
posted by FatherDagon at 3:52 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm interested in learning more about tantra, tantric yoga and breathing with the ultimate goal of exploring if it might be useful in healing from sexual trauma. I am not looking for a guide to how to have fun tantric sexy times, rather, what I am after is understandable but substantial intro material on what tantra is, some basic history/philosophy, how it is practiced, tantric yoga and breathing practices for beginners, etc. I already practice Pranayama and have some rudimentary experience of yoga/yogic breathing. I'm also curious if there are any known, credible practitioners with an online presence that I might look up. If anyone has used tantric practices in healing from sexual trauma (solo or with a partner) I would also be very interested to know. Thank you!
posted by cultureclash82 at 12:17 AM PST - 2 comments

For the first time in more than a decade I am a part-time college student again, with a student ID and a college email. I remember getting some nice disounts on software packages last time I was enrolled. What are your suggestions for the best discounts available only to students?
posted by hworth at 8:47 PM PST - 18 comments

We bought our house in March, 2021 and moved here from 1000 miles away. The value has gone up 35%. We know we don't want to stay here long term. Do we take the money and run? What is our sanity worth? [more inside]
posted by getawaysticks at 8:30 PM PST - 18 comments

What’s a great set of clear food prep bowls for the picky home cook to pretend they’re a sous chef on a tv show? [more inside]
posted by Bunglegirl at 8:16 PM PST - 17 comments

Back when I was working in theater, the crew used headphones with mics, and crew voices from around the theater sounded like they were right there next to you. It was amazing, very comfortable on the brain. Is there a way to get this with handheld FRS, GMRS, or ham radios? Their included headsets don't sound so great. Or should I look at some other portable audio source? Thinking of using w/ passengers inside a loud vehicle while on the road, for example. Not sure if it's the mic, headset, chipset, or what. Thanks!
posted by circular at 7:26 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm looking for a source of downloadable stock market data. I'm a software developer and my father-in-law has asked me if I can help him with a simple project. He's retired from a successful career in the financial world but still dabbles in the stock market. [more inside]
posted by tetranz at 6:49 PM PST - 5 comments

I wish I could just plant Spanish lavender -- what plant would be in that 2-3' height range with long-blooming flowers in the purple to dark purple range that could tolerate partial shade? I'm planning to plant a row of 3-5 between rows of grasses: low mounding blue fescues in the front and tall pale green / yellow needlegrass in the back. (The fescues are doing okay -- only the one furthest into the shade died. I don't know how the taller grass will find this location.)
posted by slidell at 6:11 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm doing a little contracting and am wondering if there is a lightweight turnkey solution for creating/logging contracts, tracking work, and generating invoices. Obviously this is doable through a mix of tools but I'm wondering if there are good packages already out there.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:56 PM PST - 5 comments

Taking a road trip next weekend to set foot in the one state I've never been to, the Peace Garden State, North Dakota. Will be hitting Fargo or somewhere south of Fargo as it's the closest by car to home (Madison.) We'll be there just one day, so we really don't want to spend it driving; the closer to the Minnesota border and the farther south the better. Relevant factor: I'll be traveling with a photography-loving teen whose main goal is to take cool pictures. Good food, Midwestern history, nature all good, stuff that can be done outside in autumn a plus.
posted by escabeche at 12:13 PM PST - 10 comments

Let's say I decided to throw myself a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy–themed 42nd birthday party. What might that look like? [more inside]
posted by babelfish at 11:31 AM PST - 37 comments

My iPad crashed a long while back and all the photos were lost. I didn't have backups. I just want to recover the photos if it can still be done. [more inside]
posted by ziggly at 10:53 AM PST - 6 comments

My cat recently lept off my 4th floor balcony. He was saved by his vet. His vet is one who works in three different offices (small vet chain) and all of them - from the receptionists to the techs to the vet need to understand how profoundly grateful I am for all they have done. I want to thank them but I don't know what's practical or appropriate and I need suggestions, please. Details inside. [more inside]
posted by susandennis at 10:47 AM PST - 8 comments

I’m looking for a list of DDOS attacks that show the date or date range, the targeted site or network, and the volume of the attack (bandwidth per second or total bandwidth.) It doesn’t need to be presented in any special way so long as the data is there. No interest in the identity or location of the attacker. I’ve been searching and have only been able to find aggregate reports. I have a small budget for this but probably can’t afford an enterprise-y data service.
posted by michaelh at 10:23 AM PST - 2 comments

My mom maintains the website for the Friends of the Library in her area. It's currently on wordpress.com and she finds the interface rather frustrating. I suspect she would be happier maintaining something via a static site generator rather than a CMS. Is it even plausible I could get her up and running in such a set up? Do I need to teach her to use git? [more inside]
posted by hoyland at 10:23 AM PST - 20 comments

Tchozz the Younger, age 11, is getting pretty frustrated with trying to play Hollow Knight. There are some good life lessons being learned about dealing with such frustrations, the right mindset for games, persistence, when to be persistent, etc., but the Parents Tchozz and Tchozz the Younger also agree that maybe we should have a few other games to try. Can you recommend Nintendo Switch platformers that aren't quite so difficult and frustrating as Hollow Knight? Or maybe that have adjustable difficulty settings? [more inside]
posted by Tchozz at 10:15 AM PST - 15 comments

It seems like my coworkers have permanently deleted a major project of mine. What to do? [more inside]
posted by oywiththepoodles at 8:56 AM PST - 30 comments

What can I do to help prepare my dog for when she goes blind? [more inside]
posted by meese at 8:23 AM PST - 9 comments

In the Lost soundtrack, Michael Giacchino uses a recurring motif of a solo plucked(?) low string note (example) to generate tension & suspense. What instrument is this, a harp? I always assumed it was one note but now I think it's an octave, C2+C3 in this clip. Is that the case?
posted by Otto Franz Joseph Leopold von Soxen-Puppetten at 7:08 AM PST - 15 comments

Let's say I search the on the job board Indeed for a position as a widget maker where I can make $60,000 per year. The site shows me a listing from Acme Co. that doesn't explicitly say the pay. But by returning that listing, Indeed is indicating that the salary is $60K. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 9:25 PM PST - 14 comments

Are there particular search terms that will get me to where I can buy a bunch of different kinds of foam? [more inside]
posted by umbú at 9:23 PM PST - 4 comments

To my delight, all the resident physicians at the children’s hospital where I’m working this month are dressing up as fruits and vegetables for Halloween festivities for the kids at the hospital. I have decided to be rhubarb. Give me your best ideas for how I can comfortably and amusingly embody rhubarb for a workday. [more inside]
posted by ocherdraco at 6:11 PM PST - 15 comments

We have a good friend (our nanny currently) who is moving to a new work from home role. Seeking ideas for a WFH gift pack for her. More details inside. [more inside]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 6:01 PM PST - 8 comments

There was a bad event with an extension cord today. [more inside]
posted by Mom at 3:42 PM PST - 8 comments

I just saw Gully Boy and I loved it! Please recommend more excellent Bollywood (Hindi) movies that (1) Are new (last five years or so) (2) Have singing and dancing (3) Feature working-class or middle-class people living semi-realistic lives, not fabulously wealthy folks. Thanks!
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 3:35 PM PST - 0 comments

Taking Covid exposure concerns out of the equation…how can I learn to accept the risks and give more social activity independence to my child? Snowflakes ahead! [more inside]
posted by gryphonlover at 3:24 PM PST - 7 comments

You have a 1998 Honda Civic with 210,000 miles that now stalls at intersections and some days won't start at all. It's been reliable around town but you haven't trusted it for any longer trips for years, which kinda sucks. New Mechanic You Like just did a comprehensive look and explained the many large and small repairs your car needs. You trust them. Do you repair it, or put that 3K in a pile with another 3-4K towards a newer used car in the current seller's market? [more inside]
posted by mediareport at 3:23 PM PST - 29 comments

I've been "addicted" to the internet since I was a young teen and browsing and scrolling are my go-to activities. I really want to change this. It's hard! [more inside]
posted by Balthamos at 2:37 PM PST - 34 comments

Pop-Tarts used to be filled with "Smuckers real fruit." Now they're not? When did that happen? [more inside]
posted by General Malaise at 2:14 PM PST - 4 comments

My spouse and I are planning a trip. We'd like to take a leisurely train route from the Netherlands to Portugal. We'd like to do that by train as well. I'm not super familiar with Schengen Zone protocol -- what types of border control stuff can we expect? [more inside]
posted by lazaruslong at 1:47 PM PST - 12 comments

I recently replaced my old iPhone with a new-to-me one. Now, iCloud is almost full. It's almost all Messages, and I want to select and delete large attachments, but it seems really screwy. Also, I think I got an almost-full warning the last time I got a new device, too, but I don't remember what fixed it. [more inside]
posted by daisyace at 12:18 PM PST - 8 comments

I have been tasked with finding a few mailable party favors for our volunteer appreciation party. I will probably be assembly 75-100 of these. Help! [more inside]
posted by assenav at 11:41 AM PST - 6 comments

I need a reality check over my family's holiday gatherings and COVID. My family is treating my wife and I like we are being totally unreasonable because we don't want to have Christmas with all of them because none of them are vaccinated and we are. [more inside]
posted by Lutoslawski at 11:28 AM PST - 61 comments

I am getting anxious over a trip I arranged for me and my cranky mom. You are not my therapist/psychiatrist.counseler. [more inside]
posted by intrepid_simpleton at 10:53 AM PST - 15 comments

I have the biggest boobs I've seen in real life (ok, an odd reality star might have walked part me, but I bet she didn't grow them all by herself. These magnificent but middle-aged mammories have pores on the underside just wishing they were pimples. They are tiny and hard to squeeze: because they are tiny and I am not an acrobat. Other than sandpaper (which I don't think will work, thank you pert-breasted Anja), how do I rid myself of these tiny little annoyances. I have recently had my breasts squished for free (thank you Australian Gov who now wants a stool sample) and they reassured me 2 (!) pairs of eyes thought my books were cancer-free [more inside]
posted by b33j at 10:20 AM PST - 21 comments

I recently quit a software engineering 'lead' job and left in acrimony. I was performing quite well, but due to the structure of the engagement (I was a sub-sub contractor), there were completely misaligned incentives and direction, and I was struggling to get the 'powers that be' to communicate with me about a recent forced increase in job scope and associated compensation concerns. I'd like to know how to approach this now that I am looking for a 'next thing'. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:58 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm in search of a two-person sleeping bag for late spring, summer, and early fall camping in a tent while car camping in state and national campgrounds. Can you recommend one? [more inside]
posted by msbrauer at 9:52 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm trying to re-discover a 'visual essay' I saw years ago, on an internet forum. The body of it was hundreds of logo images, for things like women's health clinics, feminist non-profits and think tanks, charities aimed at women, and so on. [more inside]
posted by panhopticon at 8:49 AM PST - 2 comments

I would like to stretch to a different video each day for the week, no longer than 10-15 minutes a day, alternating stretches for different parts of the body so I know that my whole body has been effectively stretched over the week. My ideal video would be slow with a deep, mindful focus on an area. [more inside]
posted by cardamom at 8:40 AM PST - 4 comments

I JUST qualify for the CDC's recommendation for a booster for 18-64. Being a Moderna haver, the news from yesterday prompted making an appointment at Walgreens for the half-dose booster. But they've been giving these low doses probably just since opening today. Would it be better to wait for my county health dept. to start offering boosters from real nurses, or letting a few days go by so that the pharmacy techs are more accustomed to giving the half-dose? [more inside]
posted by hwyengr at 6:59 AM PST - 6 comments

I grind my teeth at night, badly enough that I've given myself cavities and put holes through properly dentist-fitted night guards. I continue to use the night guard, but I want to stop or at least minimize the severity of the grind. [more inside]
posted by pised at 6:38 AM PST - 18 comments

I use an iphone and a laptop that runs Ubuntu and have Firefox and Chrome/Chromium on both, as well as Safari on the iphone. The password syncing between these has been terrible for the past many months--I think Chromium stopped being able to sync with Chrome? and Firefox never seems to autofill on my iphone or sync well. Plz send (free) solutions/suggestions.
posted by needs more cowbell at 5:17 AM PST - 15 comments

I know this is an obnoxiously first world problem. I know YANMD. But I'm wondering if anyone else has any thoughts more informed than my own about whether to add a Moderna as my booster, as opposed to a third Pfizer. [more inside]
posted by these are my travel socks at 3:43 AM PST - 12 comments

I have a plan and am ready to put it into place, a whole series of questions related to it. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:33 AM PST - 7 comments

I am looking for advice on which tablet (iPad or Android and which model) to buy for both work and play. For play, I have some questions about emulators (nothing illegal; I'm emulating games I already own). I'm wanting to emulate perhaps even up to PS3 games. Price range is $750 or under. [more inside]
posted by ggp88 at 11:40 PM PST - 10 comments

Articles, books, media, thoughts about boundaries. Specifically, how to identify your own boundaries and what are "reasonable" boundaries. [more inside]
posted by aaabbbccc at 10:49 PM PST - 18 comments

… or that feel soft and/or natural while doing so. Are there leggings that don’t feel either 1) cheap and baggy or 2) engineered to wrap me up like Spanx? [more inside]
posted by stoneandstar at 4:26 PM PST - 12 comments

Your nerdy, semi-jaded, politically active Asian friends who enjoy the occasional club night are in town. Where do you take them? [more inside]
posted by paimapi at 3:56 PM PST - 9 comments

A skip-the-line tour with someone who can answer my many questions sounds attractive. If I book for only two persons, though, how many others will be with that same guide?
posted by John Borrowman at 2:37 PM PST - 1 comment

I just watched the Velvet Underground documentary, which got me to thinking about which bands or solo artists hold the same place in 2020s culture that the Velvet Underground did to 1980s/90s college rock. Who are the artists and bands of the 1990s that are inspiring up-and-coming musicians? [more inside]
posted by pxe2000 at 2:34 PM PST - 34 comments

Is the adjustment used for computing "real dollars" in econometric datasets the same as compensating for inflation, or is it something different? For example, if I look up real median US household income on FRED, I see that the value for 1984 is $53,337 in 2020 USD. If I then use an inflation calculator, I see this has an equivalent buying power as $21,068 in 1984 USD. Am I correct in understanding that the median household income in 1984, represented in 1984 dollars, is $21,068?
posted by biogeo at 1:30 PM PST - 7 comments

Next June I'll be flying from Montreal to Seattle. The single non-stop flight is an evening flight, and I need to take a morning flight. Route #1 is: Air Canada to Vancouver, 1 hour 9 minute layover, Jazz to Seattle. Route#2 is: WestJet to Calgary, 1 hour 39 minute layover, Alaska Air to Seattle. Which should I choose? [more inside]
posted by ShooBoo at 1:00 PM PST - 12 comments

I'm looking for poems about makers, about building, about working with your hands, about creating things. Do you have any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by not_the_water at 12:56 PM PST - 16 comments

This is a followup to this earlier question, which, I now see, was pretty confused. Thanks to everyone for putting me on the right track! My question now is about AB60 licenses in California. In particular, what sort of ID do I need to apply for one, and what are my options as a Brit? More inside. [more inside]
posted by ectopus at 12:48 PM PST - 2 comments

I recently bought ten rewritable CDs in order to make myself some mix music CDs. However, I can't seem to burn them in a way that makes them usable, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. [more inside]
posted by orange swan at 11:56 AM PST - 10 comments

How do I reassure my wife that her health isn't making other people angry or resentful? [more inside]
posted by pdb at 11:42 AM PST - 22 comments

I am trying to make crab apple jelly. Have tried this a few times (using this recipe from BBC Good Food and this slightly different one from AllRecipes. In both cases I'm boiling up the apples for a while, filtering them overnight - adding an equal weight of sugar to the resulting mixture and boiling that again. But the resulting mixture is not setting properly. I understand crab apples have their own pectin - but it seems like there is some kind of sweet spot for making the resulting mixture set. How do I find that spot and come up with something that is not a liquid?
posted by rongorongo at 11:05 AM PST - 12 comments

What is the simplest, most turnkey solution for a games-capable Windows machine we can stick in a corner and stream games to a Mac using Steam Link or similar? I'm also open to a cloud-based solution that allows you to install arbitrary Steam games. [more inside]
posted by jedicus at 10:52 AM PST - 11 comments

We use the water filter that you screw into your fridge. We go through one per year. I have been saving them to mail to this company for recyling, as they are big chunks of plastic that I would prefer to not throw away. Do you think this company is legit? If yes, do you think it is worth the carbon of shipping them a heavy box of filters? [more inside]
posted by cgs at 10:51 AM PST - 6 comments

I have a chronic problem with the pillows I buy in that they go flat so quickly -- usually within a year. I bought a pair of bamboo pillows in July and they are already half their original thickness. It's so expensive and wasteful to keep replacing my pillows so often. Is there a particular type or a brand of pillows that will reliably stay plump and fluffy for several years? [more inside]
posted by orange swan at 10:06 AM PST - 19 comments

My HVAC guy, the father and son who take care of my lawn, the guy who details my car: they all say 'God Bless You' or 'Jesus Loves You' or something similar at the end of every text, email, and face to face encounter. I'm not sure how to feel about this, or how to respond because as a Jew I know that anyone who invokes Christ instead of saying "take it easy" thinks I'm going to burn in Hell. [more inside]
posted by BadgerDoctor at 9:49 AM PST - 36 comments

Just what it says: I’m looking for a tax lawyer who can help me, an individual taxpayer, with a problem with IRS. (Specifically, they’re saying that one of the organizations I did freelance work for WAY overreported my income. As in, overreported by a factor of 100. Yeah.) I have an appointment with the IRS tomorrow to try to get it ironed out, but if they make any noises at all about not correcting the error on the spot, I’m not going to fool around — I’ll let an experienced professional deal with it. Thanks in advance.
posted by O Sock My Sock at 9:19 AM PST - 6 comments

I am looking for inspiring quotes about the power and importance of the natural world, but all I can find are Emerson, Thoreau, Muir, apocryphal Native American quotes, and assorted cliches. What are some good quotes from modern-day environmentalists from historically excluded groups?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 8:26 AM PST - 9 comments

Is an oven with bricks ok for cooking things that aren't pizza? [more inside]
posted by conifer at 7:46 AM PST - 9 comments

Please recommend long, relaxing videos for meditative zoning out - bees, clouds, oceanscapes, aviary cams. [more inside]
posted by kristi at 7:19 AM PST - 9 comments

Driving teacher was inappropriate a long time ago. Should I do anything today? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:56 AM PST - 11 comments

Where can I find reasonably cute wool or wool-lined women's shoes that will fit a high instep? [more inside]
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 6:45 AM PST - 3 comments

Suggestions sought for getting work that can be done remotely, for 25-35 hours a week, at $15-20 an hour. Where do I look and how quickly could I start? [more inside]
posted by clocksock at 1:34 AM PST - 15 comments

Within the past several years, there was a week of NYT crosswords that all had novel tricks to them, similar to the Schrödinger’s puzzle (it wasn’t that). Shortz did something like ask constructors to submit puzzles with tricks that they felt like were too “out there” for normal submission. I can’t find it, or I’m googling poorly. (SEO for crosswords is a mess.) This has been gnawing at the back of my mind, and I just tried to describe it to someone, then find it, and came up blank. Help? [more inside]
posted by supercres at 11:27 PM PST - 11 comments

I would like to add historical events (example: "Aunt Betty born" to the date October 21, 1921 ) to Google Calendar using it in my web browser (Firefox). I added a 'test event' and it seemed to work, but then when I go to that month to look, the event is not there. Does Google Calendar limit how far back you can create an event? I did search previous questions, and found this but it's not quite the same.
posted by TimHare at 9:25 PM PST - 3 comments

I’m having surgery in a few weeks to repair an inguinal hernia and I’m worried about how bad the recovery will be. Would love to hear from others who had the procedure done - how painful were the first few days and how much were you about to move around? I know YMMV but even anecdotal info will help me know what to expect. [more inside]
posted by kdern at 9:11 PM PST - 6 comments

My son has a sensory issue around liquid soaps, sunblocks, creams etc. I know this is not unusual for some kids (and even adults!), and the creams and sunblocks we can work around, but the liquid soap is a no go - he must wash his hands. If you or someone you love has had similar issues with creams, gels and liquid soaps, what have you used for hand washing?
posted by Toddles at 8:18 PM PST - 33 comments

I don't know if this intern is genuinely not doing a great job, or I am losing my patience. [more inside]
posted by antihistameme at 8:02 PM PST - 31 comments

Can anyone recommend a barber in Providence, RI or environs that could cut my hair and give me a beard trim outside? [more inside]
posted by degoao at 7:55 PM PST - 2 comments

The linkedin profile-editing UI is weirdly different for me and my wife. We're on the exact same membership tier, so that's not the issue. She needs to list that she's available for remote work, but that option isn't available to her--only me. Why? How can she fix this? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee at 3:58 PM PST - 10 comments

Hildegard Gideon Catt is clever, easily bored, and highly food-motivated. I would like to get her a couple of puzzle feeders for her entertainment and mine. Does your cat have a favorite? Anything that needs to roll around on a hard surface is a bit difficult because my apartment has wall-to-wall carpeting.
posted by Jeanne at 2:39 PM PST - 12 comments

I'm just annoyed that I can't seem to get by with 3 meals a day and I need to "waste" time by organising healthy snacks for work and then figuring out when my energy is flagging because I need a snack (rather than the million potential other reasons I'm not being productive). I just want to know if this is normal or if I'm doing something wrong? [more inside]
posted by Omnomnom at 9:29 AM PST - 44 comments

I have approximately 20 bids from different companies to move the contents of my storage unit from LA to Boston. I have no idea how to judge who is good. Someone told me they are all franchises anyway so you have to find out if the local company they contract to is good...and I have no idea how to figure that out either. Any advice, besides picking the cheapest and hoping for the best? (More inside) [more inside]
posted by rednikki at 8:24 AM PST - 15 comments

I'm seeking advice and information about using a professional matchmaking service. Asking for my friend with her blessing. [more inside]
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 8:23 AM PST - 15 comments

We want to paint the inside of our vacant house before we move in. How do we coordinate this in 2021 when we don't live there? We have two weeks between when the current sellers move out of our house and when we move in. We will be living 4 hours away in that interim. Do you hire agents to deal with this? What is this called? What does it cost? [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 7:44 AM PST - 7 comments

Can you help me get from San Diego North County to the J.Paul Getty Museum in LA? Due to driving license mixups, I won't have a car and cannot rent one. Please help me LA-savvy mefites! [more inside]
posted by vacapinta at 7:32 AM PST - 15 comments

What are some covid-safe (outdoors, not large groups) things to do in Charleston, SC? [more inside]
posted by mr_bovis at 9:27 PM PST - 8 comments

The room-width (144") sliding door to the balcony is delightful in summer, a nightmare in winter. Details below the fold. [more inside]
posted by cyndigo at 6:49 PM PST - 21 comments

A friend I respect is running a campaign to raise money for civic engagement and transparency in political process. I got the "Campaign ends today, and we're at 97%" email. I could just afford the amount they needed to meet their goal. So I donated, and saw the page reload with "100% funded". I reloaded a few minutes later, and saw that the goal was now $500 higher and back at 98.5%. Am I right to feel disappointed that I was lied to, or am I just another rube whole fell for an fundraising "engagement" trick? [more inside]
posted by scruss at 6:30 PM PST - 33 comments

I'm a former librarian, and I miss doing reference work. Brainstorming ideas about how I might be able to draw on these skills and put a bit of good into my community as a volunteer? [more inside]
posted by verity kindle at 4:52 PM PST - 15 comments

My daughter, Tiny Croft (five years old now, can you believe it??) went to the local farmer's market this Saturday, and was given a helium balloon. And now I have a question. [more inside]
posted by Naberius at 4:30 PM PST - 12 comments

I’ve had one form or another of Fitbit for years. My current one, a Charge 3, is starting to die and I’m pondering the replacement. What do you recommend? I'm in the US. [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:11 PM PST - 18 comments

I booted up my 2015 iMac in Windows using Bootcamp. I installed some Windows software. I did not receive any indication that anything was happening outside of my Windows partition. But when I rebooted in MacOS, I discovered that my main Mac partition was gone, replaced with a partition labeled "diskOs2". I believe I have most of the contents of my partition backed up, but if I could recover the partition whole, that would save me a lot of time. Is it possible to recover it? [more inside]
posted by yankeefog at 2:09 PM PST - 8 comments

TL;DR - is there a docking station that will allow me to use my two monitors, external keyboard, and mouse, with both my work Dell laptop (currently connecting to a Dell WD15 docking station using USB-C) and one of the new M1 Mac minis? [more inside]
posted by ralan at 12:37 PM PST - 13 comments

I lost my mom 9 days ago and the only thing that makes me feel anything right now is music. I’m obsessed with All Eyes On Me because it’s haunting and sonically beautiful and painful and chant-y and real. I love the distortion and the Brandon Urie-style voice. What’s more beautiful chanting distorted stuff that might help me right now? [more inside]
posted by tatiana wishbone at 12:09 PM PST - 23 comments

Okay this is probably a dumb question but I've been wondering... when I go grocery shopping about once a week, I'll buy the half gallon carton of silk soy milk and then sometimes will run out before my next shopping trip. I'll also buy maybe two small cups of non dairy yogurt, like coconut or almond. Is it okay to buy multiples of these products, as long as they are well before the best by date? Basically, is there a difference between them sitting in the fridge at the store vs my fridge?
posted by massofintuition at 11:58 AM PST - 11 comments

Can anyone recommend some upscale dining spots in Philly? My sister is coming to visit this weekend and I'd love to make a reservation at a nice spot. We'll be based in South Philly but happy to travel. Thanks!
posted by catcafe at 11:29 AM PST - 14 comments

I recently bought a nice watch, and I've been incredibly careful with it. Part of the case is made from polished titanium. A few days ago, I decided to clean the polished surfaces with a microfiber glasses cloth and no solvents. To my surprise, when viewed under a harsh LED light, this cleaning attempt clearly left a number of very fine hairline scratches on the metal. [more inside]
posted by archagon at 11:25 AM PST - 4 comments

Any suggestions on erasing stains on leather furniture? [more inside]
posted by HonestAsian at 11:17 AM PST - 3 comments

I have a weird house. It currently has a thermostat for the pellet stove, a thermostat for the heat pump (combined a/c and heat) for the bedrooms and bathroom and a thermostat for the OTHER heat pump for the dining room and kitchen. Is there any way to unify all of my thermostats with one controller/one device?
posted by arnicae at 9:40 AM PST - 6 comments

Randomly. Some sites are ok, google searches are ok - but when I click on a link that's the message I receive. These are the things I've tried and done, with more info: [more inside]
posted by watercarrier at 9:08 AM PST - 10 comments

Please bear with me because I'm not a tech person, but I'm having a Gmail problem related to my work and it's making me scared and unhappy. Can you help me troubleshoot it? [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:02 AM PST - 15 comments

My son has severe eczema but it’s manageable during day time.but he wakes up around 2am (almost every day), itches like crazy for almost an hour and then sleeps .Somedays I give him homeopathy medicine when he itches in the night.That helps but not all the time.somedays the itchiness stops after some time by itself.Somedays he is so sweaty when he’s up,he changes his top ,itches and then sleeps again.There is no one thing or a pattern that we could find out that triggers. [more inside]
posted by SunPower at 8:28 AM PST - 32 comments

Super frustrated with job and it's seeping into my life. However, I have to keep doing it to live--so how can I do this with a modicum of grace? [more inside]
posted by kingdead at 8:25 AM PST - 10 comments

Another day another road trip :) Does anyone have any recommendations on sights to see or places to visit (including restaurants, cafes, bars, etc) between Santa Barbara and Las Vegas (not spending any time in LV, just flying from there)? Is south through Palmdale the way to go or north through Bakersfield (time isn't a factor)? I am definitely planning to drive through Death Valley and would love some good spots to hit there too. Thanks all!
posted by matt755811 at 8:15 AM PST - 7 comments

I have some nice hats (a black felt fedora, a straw Panama) but I don't wear them often, for two primary reasons: I am afraid the hat will blow off and I get wildly self-conscious. So, firstly, how does one keep one's hat on head while navigating (e.g.) a windy downtown? And secondly, how do you get comfortable with being the only person walking around wearing a hat? [more inside]
posted by mskyle at 6:57 AM PST - 21 comments

I think I need to bury about 80m of ethernet cable, in order to extend Internet access from an old house to an even-older barn. We have a tractor and willing hands. What else do we need, and how do we do it? [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 6:45 AM PST - 24 comments

Spouse and I enjoy cycling enough when we're traveling that we're considering buying a collapsible bike to bring with us instead of renting shitty bikes when we get to our destination. The problem I keep running into, though, is one that I hope has been solved - what do you do with the bike box when you arrive? Oh, and we would be buying a tandem which probably makes things more complicated. [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot at 6:03 AM PST - 16 comments

My seating assignment in our open office was making me miserable, and sick. My manager's attempt to fix this by moving me actually made it worse. Now they're offering another situation that would help in many ways, but be incredibly isolating and I already feel like I don't fit in. [more inside]
posted by goreycat at 5:23 AM PST - 19 comments

I would be especially interested in practical books on professional development that are sensitive to the realities of students that do not have a lot of money. Some books erroneously assume that doing a lot of unpaid work is an option, but not everyone can be financially supported by family after they are an adult. Other books tend to focus on following dreams, without attention paid to how to do that on a practical level. Still other books tend to assume that the reader is mid-career with a lot of work experience already. I would love to learn about some books that avoid these pitfalls, and which would be relevant to people that are 18-22. Getting from College to Career used to be good, but since it is now pushing a decade old it feels dated to young people. I would love to learn about books like What Color is Your Parachute, but aimed at young people rather than people of all ages. Bonus points if the books are actually enjoyable to read.
posted by mortaddams at 5:21 AM PST - 3 comments

I contract with them through another agency and neither has a policy on this. I was out for 3 days for a seizure and was largely quiet during that time as I was well sick. They’re asking for a doctor’s note “given the circumstances” … I actually didn’t go to the doctor and feel bad about missing. I don’t need the job. I have another project. They’re mean people anyway, I missed 3 days… didn’t get paid… so what. Sorry I didn’t plan it or tell you I was having a seizure. What do I say?
posted by geoff. at 4:57 AM PST - 9 comments

I live in NYC and have a tiny place with limited storage so multifunctional and compact is best for me. Lightweight/compact is also good because I feel like I end up carrying outerwear a lot on subway platforms, etc. [more inside]
posted by Salamandrous at 4:09 AM PST - 9 comments

I've just got through a re-read of the whole Earthsea Cycle (thanks Earthsea club for the inspiration!) and its gentle melancholy in an SFF setting has really hit the spot for me. What should I read next? [more inside]
posted by threecheesetrees at 2:51 AM PST - 17 comments

I'm a tenure-track professor in the humanities. I'm quitting my toxic job and am overjoyed. But I'm not sure what I want to do next, and don't want it to have anything to do with what I currently do or, indeed, my professional life pre-grad school. Please help. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:09 AM PST - 19 comments

Question: how to go about learning something I really want to do, without giving in to negative self-talk that impedes my efforts like a rope tied around my ankles. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:09 AM PST - 6 comments

I don't have social awkwardness - I might be an introvert but I can work a party, speak to a room of 500 etc. I am not at all afraid of talking or performing or demanding or asking for things in most circumstances. But if I have a phone-related chore I will avoid it until bad things happen. How do I stop doing this? [more inside]
posted by AFII at 12:56 AM PST - 19 comments

I am having difficulty getting my manager to confirm my annual leave entitlement. [more inside]
posted by charlen at 11:01 PM PST - 9 comments

I wrote a reference letter for a grant application for a plate of beans someone I think highly of, am not in a position of power over, and hope to be friends with. I'd like to offer to share it with her if she wants to see it, but I genuinely don't know if that's okay! [more inside]
posted by babelfish at 9:04 PM PST - 18 comments

The title sums it up. Often after we do laundry, our clothing will get these weird oil-looking stains. They ruin shirts :(. We haven't washed a chapstick or anything like that. We use liquid arm and hammer detergent. Any ideas?
posted by bookworm4125 at 7:34 PM PST - 17 comments

*Trigger Warning* *Feminist Melodrama Ahead* I'm hyper-offended about a rude action performed despite my explicit refusal. I had a date with someone I thought I very much could trust. (DETAILS AHEAD) [more inside]
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 7:27 PM PST - 33 comments

I'm having trouble making yogurt in my instant pot and wondering if anyone can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong. [more inside]
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 6:27 PM PST - 12 comments

TLDR: I'm a 32 year old man who is struggling to cope with getting older SPECIFICALLY due to grey hairs, especially in light of some traumatic life baggage I carry. [more inside]
posted by 6spd at 6:22 PM PST - 20 comments

Trying to recall a PC game that was some sort of Ancient Egyptian (?) themed life sim / board game / gambling hybrid based on a rotating wheel. [more inside]
posted by dusty potato at 6:04 PM PST - 4 comments

I was driving home this evening and not in a terrific mood for a variety of reasons. I was on a three-lane highway, in the middle lane. The pickup truck in front of me, also in the middle lane, was going 70 (in a 65); I wanted to go 72. No traffic in the left lane, the entire freeway was relatively clear. I got over to the left lane and the pickup truck immediately sped up. I could literally hear their engine roar as they floored it. OK, I thought, and went a little faster. They kept going faster. This continued until we were both going over 80 mph, at which point I realized what an idiot I was being and gave up. Got back behind them, they dropped back down to 70. [more inside]
posted by whistle pig at 5:28 PM PST - 41 comments

The highlight of my twitter existence was when a certain celebrity shared an article I wrote. I know this wasn't a dream. But I can't find the link. [more inside]
posted by gottabefunky at 2:13 PM PST - 2 comments

Do you have any recommendations for books like the Bosch series by Michael Connelly? [more inside]
posted by dianeF at 1:55 PM PST - 18 comments

What is the best approach for updating the wiring/lighting in this small craft project? Resources for getting started with LED's? [more inside]
posted by pilibeen at 1:26 PM PST - 18 comments

I am looking for a beginner gardening book aimed at people with a city garden. More details inside! [more inside]
posted by hepta at 1:21 PM PST - 4 comments

What is the deal with replacement filters for the very popular Coway AirMega air purifier? Prices are all over the place, from $32 at Walmart to $70 at BBB, with many, many reports of stinky chemical fumes. The ones sold directly by Coway are $57 which seems outrageous for a machine that I paid $150 for but maybe that's the only safe way to replace the filter? Help please!
posted by HotToddy at 12:55 PM PST - 7 comments

I would like suggestions please for songs that I will enjoy singing and people will enjoying listening to even though I'm not good at singing. Thank you! [more inside]
posted by an octopus IRL at 12:54 PM PST - 34 comments

I'm deeply curious about horror written for children, young adults, and teens. Does anyone have any specific recommendations for books? [more inside]
posted by Paper rabies at 12:18 PM PST - 19 comments

I took your advice to get some external feedback on interview skills. It seems that when I have a problem, I explain away and avoid taking responsibility. I come across arrogant. Any short-term tactics to correct this? More long-term advice? I’m doing something about this, finally. [more inside]
posted by Che boludo! at 12:17 PM PST - 12 comments

What is the most popular brand/service review site in Spain? I've heard of TrustedShops in Germany, Yelp in the US and Trustpilot in the UK. What's Spain's favourite place to spill the beans?
posted by socky_puppy at 11:37 AM PST - 1 comment

There has been so much back and forth with the climate portions of the US Infrastructure/reconciliation bill(s) lately, I'm having trouble finding info that gives both the big picture (briefly) and up-to-date bulleted list of what is and is not on the table. In addition, it's unclear to me if there is any more complex political calculus beyond "it's all down to Manchin"? (Which would mean there's nothing, as a non-West Virginian, I can do to try to move the needle?)
posted by gwint at 11:26 AM PST - 2 comments

I have an appointment in downtown Toronto next week, and for security reasons I can't bring my phone, a backpack or other bag larger than a small purse, any food, etc. I am coming on the train from out of town with a six-year-old child, and I would like to try to find a way to store some belongings for a couple of hours. [more inside]
posted by number9dream at 10:45 AM PST - 14 comments

My parents will be away for 2 months, they asked for my help disconnecting the battery on their Toyota Rav 4. I have no idea what I'm doing, please help. [more inside]
posted by signal at 10:27 AM PST - 14 comments

We live in a virtually uninsulated 1905 Chicago worker's cottage (if you aren't familiar, think of a brick Cape Cod with the doors on the short end). We'd like to investigate insulating the roof with rigid foam sheets above the roof deck, but we're having trouble finding contractors who will even talk to us about it. [more inside]
posted by pullayup at 10:17 AM PST - 12 comments

I got my ears pierced many, many moons ago. I wore earrings with no problem for 25 years. Now, though, I have issues. [more inside]
posted by swheatie at 9:37 AM PST - 21 comments

My beloved 13 and one half year old, black Labrador Retriever, has in the space of three months, lost most of her hearing. In all other respects she is healthy and, in spurts, very active. Looking for best practices for living with a pet that has lost their hearing. [more inside]
posted by Xurando at 9:25 AM PST - 8 comments

How do I get a stain out after it's been dried? The offender: A new orange towel. The victim: my cotton duvet cover. [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 8:45 AM PST - 8 comments

There's been a terrible, unexpected death, and I need pointers for creating a Facebook memorial page. [more inside]
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:20 AM PST - 10 comments

After 7 years, my beloved "fur"-lined crocs finally blew through the lining and I bought an identical replacement. Unfortunately, I either managed to stretch the old pair or they changed sizing because the new pair is uncomfortably tight. And Crocs have discontinued this particular line, although they have some other lined models. But maybe I should get something else? [more inside]
posted by Kyol at 8:09 AM PST - 14 comments

Does Moe Szyslak call it a car hole or a car hold? [more inside]
posted by phunniemee at 7:58 AM PST - 13 comments

ISO a category name for a Q&A interview series (video, synchronous, very friendly, with - and for - experts from US higher ed academic administration). I am bored by the terms Fireside Chat, Campfire Chat, and Spotlight. It's not a Roundtable, as it's usually 1:1... but occasionally we may have more guests. The vibe is informal, focusing on giving viewers access to participate in interesting conversations with their peers at other universities. Probably 1x month. MeFi, what can I call this thing?
posted by nkknkk at 7:34 AM PST - 14 comments

In the last few days, my version of Chrome has been behaving oddly. I keep getting the Chrome warning that tells me not to go to a site called albumsiwishexisted.blogspot.com because there it is insecure. However, I am always trying to go to a different site, like Gmail. This blogspot site is vaguely familiar (in fact, I think I may have visited it from Metafilter?) but I haven't gone there recently. [more inside]
posted by johnasdf at 7:11 AM PST - 3 comments

My daughter is back in real life high school, and she's not loving it. In fact, she hates it, but not for specific reasons - just because it existentially sucks. How would you parent this? [more inside]
posted by RajahKing at 6:42 AM PST - 27 comments

How long should your initial iCloud backup take? Surely not an entire day, right? Right? [more inside]
posted by Thorzdad at 6:14 AM PST - 9 comments

I've read that food is generally safe to eat beyond the best before date listed on the package, although the exact number of days after the best before date varies by type of food. Is there somewhere I can lookup a food and it will tell me how many days past best before it's safe to eat?
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 9:48 PM PST - 12 comments

I heard a Nikki Giovanni poem being read. A poem about friends and appreciation.. it's in the first person, and about being thankful.. [more inside]
posted by elgee at 9:20 PM PST - 2 comments

I would like several mugs that are the general shape of travel mugs (ie can fit easily in a cup holder) that can be run through the dishwasher and have lids. They don’t need to hold temperature any better than a regular mug and the lid only needs to keep liquid from splashing out while I traverse uneven terrain, nothing is getting thrown in a purse here. I have hopes of buying from an artist instead of a corporation. Do you follow any potters who make something like this? I’ll also take suggestions for non-artist made, as ultimately this is a niche that must be filled in my life. Many thanks!
posted by Bottlecap at 8:14 PM PST - 10 comments

My rolling luggage's-medium sized luggage- zipper has busted. [more inside]
posted by intrepid_simpleton at 7:50 PM PST - 5 comments

For Christmas every year, I make surprise balls for all of my kids and all of my nieces and nephews. (This is A LOT of surprise balls -- I am up to 9/year, plus I usually make a pair of Hannukah surprise balls for my BFF's kids.) If you've never seen a surprise ball, it's basically, you start with a super bouncy ball, or a small stuffy, or easter egg, in the center, and wrap it in crepe paper streamers until it's a ball. Then you put another (small, mostly flat) toy in, change crepe paper colors, and wrap again. You do this until there are around 10 little toys and it's about the size of a slow-pitch softball. Everybody gets a ball labeled with their name, and they usually unwind them after Christmas dinner, while the adults sit at the table and tell stories and drink wine, and the kids shriekingly unwind their surprise balls. PROBLEM: It is REALLY HARD to get little mini toys now and I need shopping sources. [more inside]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:09 PM PST - 32 comments

We are on cold #4 since school began. But he’s masked all day! Same precautions as last year. Why? [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 5:28 PM PST - 15 comments

Here in urban south central Wisconsin, where there is a gas station within sight most of the time, it is not uncommon to see someone driving around with a bright red gas jerrycan strapped to their 4Runner, Wrangler, or Tacoma, often in a place that is vulnerable to being rear ended. Are these empty, or are people actually driving around with all this extra gas in a very dangerous place, “just in case?” [more inside]
posted by rockindata at 4:27 PM PST - 19 comments

I'm curious to know who are the top LDS comics and who are the ones who work for the church?
posted by parmanparman at 1:50 PM PST - 3 comments

I haven't been able to locate an internet site for older people regarding personal mental health challenges, specifically, lifelong problems with General Anxiety Disorder and their strategies for living with it day to day. Thanks very much.
posted by Tullyogallaghan at 1:13 PM PST - 0 comments

I've come into some money. Should I use it to pay on student loans and other debt now or wait? [more inside]
posted by Apropos a pro's pose at 1:04 PM PST - 15 comments

Asking for a friend - my friend (Person A) recently discovered that their friend (Person B) received a positive COVID-19 test and identified Person A as a recent close contact to the state's contact tracing program. (This is in Rhode Island.) How long does Person A have to get a COVID-19 test? Will the state contact Person A? (They haven't yet.) Person A and I are both fortunate that this hasn't happened to them yet since the pandemic began, so we have no personal experience. Thank you!
posted by Seeking Direction at 12:20 PM PST - 4 comments

This question sounds terribly silly on its face, but I have a few books that I've bought over the years that I'm very interested in, but I stop reading for one main reason: I take a break in reading them for a few days and forget critical names or other information and have trouble patching things back together. This is particularly true with history books. More below. [more inside]
posted by unid41 at 12:02 PM PST - 22 comments

I'm thinking of purchasing a used LC (actually a LX450). I have the compression results and I want to get an opinion on what they mean. I am coming from a Land Rover 110 which I just sold as it was a basket case. My intention is to not get into something that needs a ton of work right away. [more inside]
posted by burlsube at 10:42 AM PST - 7 comments

My partner, the most gentle and nonviolent of men, has an REM issue where he flails, punches and kicks during nightmares. Last night, not for the first time, I received the blows while sleeping. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:37 AM PST - 25 comments

My partner brought home a bottle of ginger turmeric milk. It is very gingery - really just tastes like someone chucked a bunch of raw ginger in some milk, and neither of us are a huge fan of ginger on its own. Trying to google for recipes, uses, etc only produces articles on how to make it (not helpful) and its purported health benefits (not particularly interested). Does anyone have any ideas on what to do with this stuff? I just tried putting a bit in my coffee and was not pleased.
posted by btfreek at 10:28 AM PST - 12 comments

Is it safe to use a plastic scrubber sponge on a stainless steel cooktop? [more inside]
posted by Nelson at 9:17 AM PST - 14 comments

My home (desert southwest US metropolitan area) has an outdoor faucet situated right above an outdoor electrical outlet on the patio. This seems like a bad idea. The solution that occurs to me is to move the outlet higher up the wall, though I’d be open to whatever is easy that has a result that allows safe use of a hose. Photo [more inside]
posted by zepheria at 7:48 AM PST - 9 comments

Looking for cool-weather meal ideas that are hearty and vegetable-forward. (Poultry ingredients are okay. No four-legged meats, please.) All cuisines are fair game. Classic dishes preferred, but not required. [more inside]
posted by escape from the potato planet at 5:06 AM PST - 41 comments

I teach Art and Design at a Special Needs school, my classes are small, however I'd like to reduce the amount of dissolved paint and ink going down the drain. I currently have the opportunity to upgrade the wash area in my classroom; I'm looking for any ideas that can help me redesign the system to introduce better environmental cleaning practice. [more inside]
posted by BrStekker at 3:26 AM PST - 6 comments

I really like to use the shop app to keep track of my deliveries/orders… usually it just knows I’ve made a purchase and adds that purchase to its queue of my waiting deliveries and begins and continues to update me on its progress. But… [more inside]
posted by jitterbug perfume at 10:58 PM PST - 2 comments

I will be writing a score in about 6 months and am looking for inspiration and ideas for it. I don’t know much about organ music, but I am looking for anything that’s like Bach’s legendary Toccata and Fugue in D minor AND/OR the Interstellar soundtrack. [more inside]
posted by gucci mane at 9:18 PM PST - 10 comments

I need to choose siding for a family home. For reasons, the majority will be vinyl (deep bronze). The entry way and fascia will be a cedar colored/textured vinyl. Instead of faux stone or brick, we would like to have a cedar-look material around the foundation and about 2 feet up. Any suggestions for what would work there? I haven’t seen anything like that before. Thanks for any ideas!!!
posted by Kalatraz at 9:16 PM PST - 9 comments

doing a big re-watch of THE WIRE with a friend and looking for single films that will be good interludes between seasons. [more inside]
posted by wowenthusiast at 8:55 PM PST - 6 comments

Looking for good ricotta cake recipe. [more inside]
posted by Crystal Fox at 8:27 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm dealing with a new PTSD symptom due to a recent traumatic experience. It’s a strong panic response whenever any of my friends text me about their emotions, whether it's heavy issues or day-to-day annoyances. I don’t experience this response when I talk to them about their emotions in person. In the meantime, while I work on reducing the panic in therapy, I'm thinking of asking them to stop texting me about their feelings, and to wait until we can see each other in person. Is this a resonable boundary? If not, how can I make it fairer?  [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:45 PM PST - 28 comments

I have a fixture that takes standard A19/E26 light bulbs, but the ones I can find are all a little too long. How can I find shorter bulbs? [more inside]
posted by bfields at 6:45 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking for durable duvet covers and throw blankets that have large bold abstract patterns, and due to SEO algorithm hell, all I can seem to find are products that look eye catching on screen but are seemingly printed with a low res inkjet on thin fabric and look shabby in person. [more inside]
posted by oxisos at 5:40 PM PST - 15 comments

Young dancing lamb (YDL) has been sick for almost two weeks now with what was originally diagnosed as tonsillitis but it's not better. School is in the Beverly/Salem, MA area and Doc in the Box (a/k/a Urgent Care) is jerking them around. How do I help from NJ? [more inside]
posted by dancinglamb at 4:26 PM PST - 22 comments

I have an inflatable hot tub that will not stay fully inflated. About everyday, I have to attach the air pump to get it firm from about 70-75% firm. I found a place around the air valve that seems to be where the leak is coming from, but I need some help to be confident this is it. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind at 3:42 PM PST - 4 comments

Is it possible to hire a service or person sort of like an independent social worker, who would have the appropriate expertise to try to help a specific houseless person get into housing, when city services are too overwhelmed to be able to do much? This is in San Francisco. [more inside]
posted by dreamyshade at 2:09 PM PST - 7 comments

If I buy an HP Zbook Studio G8 laptop with the 3840 x 2160 IPS display - will I be looking at a mirror image of my own face? How glossy or matte is this display? [more inside]
posted by Termite at 1:14 PM PST - 2 comments

I am a professional musician who makes a significant portion of my living through music sales. A lot of these are through iTunes and Spotify. There is a problem. [more inside]
posted by jitterbug perfume at 12:44 PM PST - 2 comments

I want to write a story about someone who volunteers for the neighborhood or community watch program. Does anyone have experience with this? If so, I want all the details!
posted by writinginmontana at 12:12 PM PST - 1 comment

I'm in the process of transitioning my personal psychotherapy private practice into a group practice (with a few licensed peers and eventually a trainee or two). My primary focus is trauma, and I work with all genders and ages. We are looking for a nature inspired name for this practice that also connotes healing, resilience, or support. We are located in a coastal California town. Current ideas include: - "Heartwood" (maybe too common, a quick google shows this has been used) - "Cairn" or something to do with the piles of stacked rocks that guide hikers. - "Monarch" after the migrating butterfly (also might be too common in our area). - Something to do with tides ebbing and flowing? We will probably attach "Therapy Group" or "Therapeutic Services" or something similar. Any and all ideas welcome!
posted by anonymous at 11:01 AM PST - 32 comments

I am considering buying a counter-height refrigerator for my loft. I cannot afford a new one but often see them for sale on out-of-biz-restaurant auction sites. Caveats and other advice? I live in a loft in Toronto, Canada, if that matters. Most ones I see are by Nella, True, or similar brands. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 10:51 AM PST - 12 comments

Our dishwasher does not seem to be doing anything with its lower spray arms. Diverter motor? [more inside]
posted by Mid at 10:35 AM PST - 4 comments

My mom likes well-written books that aren't too heavy. Previous question here. [more inside]
posted by Mavri at 10:15 AM PST - 18 comments

I live in an expensive city and I'm trying to move to a much more affordable area where I can afford a (tiny) starter house for the first time. For reasons (I work in an uncertain industry, etc), I want to buy a house that's quite a bit less expensive than a lender says that I can afford. [more inside]
posted by pinochiette at 9:00 AM PST - 12 comments

Before pregnancy, I used to run for exercise, but I haven’t been able to do it regularly since then, and that was a few pants sizes ago. Life is settling down now and I’ve begun biking and running regularly again, but cold weather looms. What should I wear? [more inside]
posted by eirias at 8:25 AM PST - 5 comments

I have these grody bathroom fixtures (soap holder, towel rack) that I would like to remove and replace with tiles. Is it possible? Pictures inside. [more inside]
posted by jeremias at 8:22 AM PST - 9 comments

Every so often there's poop on my carpet. What's the best steam cleaner I can get? [more inside]
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:08 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm a teacher, and one of my students brought these to class. She said that she found them in a crawlspace of a house that her family rented in San Jose, CA. We've spoken to another social science teacher, but we are no closer to an answer. Any ideas? (If it helps, this is for a fabulous student, and I'm thrilled that she brought this to me!)
posted by dfm500 at 8:04 PM PST - 13 comments

I want to to buy one of those magical machines where you put stuff in the top and noodles come out the front. Which is the best? [more inside]
posted by jeffamaphone at 6:59 PM PST - 14 comments

A dentist did some shoddy veneer work on my top front teeth recently. Wondering how to evaluate treatment plans for rework (obviously by a different dentist). [more inside]
posted by Sheydem-tants at 6:07 PM PST - 2 comments

My father has been living on a shoestring for most of my life (divorced), and I've always been worried about how/whether I'd be able to support him in old age. My hometown is a relatively cheap place to buy a house, and I've been wondering for a few years how feasible this would be. Do you have experience doing this or thinking about doing this? I'd love your thoughts on the idea in general and our specific circumstances below. [more inside]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 5:42 PM PST - 13 comments

Through the pandemic I have been recording GPS tracks of exercise walks, now adding up to 272 tracks and 2895 km. I am curious what I can do with them in GIS or data processing software. It's easy enough to roughly overlap them all in Google Earth Pro, but I would like to see a heat map of the probability of any particular area being visited. It also occurred to me that it would be neat to see a representation of the inverse of the pedestrian-walked area: the places which are obstructed to a person on foot. [more inside]
posted by sindark at 4:46 PM PST - 17 comments

Just diagnosed with symphysis pubis dysfunction and really struggling - was there anything that worked for you? [more inside]
posted by Synesthesia at 4:03 PM PST - 12 comments

My kid is having a 7th birthday party with a cat and dog theme this weekend. Please help me make a playlist of kid-appropriate music for freeze dancing or general entertainment! (Please nothing where cat actually means people’s junk, there are some oddly conservative parents involved.) not in English is fine, any genre is fine. Thank you!
posted by centrifugal at 3:26 PM PST - 45 comments

Locals and recent visitors.. what's Portland OR like these days? [more inside]
posted by kanuck at 1:45 PM PST - 15 comments

So, my relationship has been fantastic at times, and troubled at other times. My wife has a short fuse at times; arguments over big and small things have devolved into screaming, and I'm usually the one who calms things down. This has happened maybe, on average, bi-weekly over two years. It floods me with adrenaline, reminds me of some childhood trauma, and takes me days to recover from. The latest time this happened, I didn't really recover fully. My wife, after some time away, agrees that things need to change, and has committed to change quite earnestly, but I feel like my heart isn't in it. Has anyone else been here? Do you think this is over? [more inside]
posted by insteadofapricots at 12:50 PM PST - 43 comments

I'm looking for a durable backpack for hauling groceries home. I'd much prefer a single, large compartment than a bunch of pockets. [more inside]
posted by xedrik at 12:48 PM PST - 11 comments

I have a question about mutual intelligibility of Sign Language around the world. [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:21 PM PST - 7 comments

i'm was born in china, lived there until i was 10, and have since then have completely forgotten how to write/read chinese (though the times i've spent traveling in china, i started picking up reading comprehension quickly), have a very limited vocabulary, but...really advanced every day speaking comprehension...i would really like to relearn chinese, but it feels like taking a beginner's class isn't the right move when i have this old, forgotten foundation... any ideas on the best ways for me to pick up my lost language?
posted by lightgray at 11:49 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm in Italy, and need to leave for a few weeks for visa reasons (to avoid running out of my 90 days in the Shengen zone while paperwork sorts itself out). Covid-wise, is the UK a safe place to wait this out? [more inside]
posted by niicholas at 11:17 AM PST - 18 comments

I'm looking for a replacement for a pair of magic shorts. [more inside]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:09 AM PST - 2 comments

Found a bunch of debit cards, likely related to fraud of some sort. Is it a waste of time bringing them to a police station? What should I do with them? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:07 AM PST - 14 comments

Thanks to the pandemic, our kid has been at home with a nanny during working hours most of her life save for a few months at daycare. She's now two and a half, and we would like her to have social interaction and structure, but feeling like the cons of switching to daycare outweigh the pros. Interested in hearing your experience if you haven't sent your kid to school before pre-K. [more inside]
posted by redlines at 10:49 AM PST - 17 comments

Looking for an example from a book, movie or tv show where a character repeatedly deliberates about which action to perform, and each time makes the same choice. So, every Friday after school Suzy's dad takes her out for ice cream and Suzy looks carefully at all the flavors to decide which one to have. And each time, she chooses chocolate. [more inside]
posted by jebs at 10:09 AM PST - 10 comments

I need some outside perspective on whether I can stick around in this work situation. I'm hoping I can... [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:06 AM PST - 19 comments

I live in a small country that is outside of the United States, UK, Canada or Europe etc. I work for an online business that has been bought by a big US company and has now changed from a relatively small family business to a huge global enormity. One of the results is that they are changing the way we are paid and how many hours we can work per week. I have no idea how to approach this process, how do I negotiate, when as far as I can see my only leverage is "if you do x I will leave" and an ultimatum seems like a bad idea, especially if I don't think I can afford to leave? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:05 AM PST - 3 comments

I've always loved de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, and a large part of the appeal (to me) is his perspective as a non-American and his attempt to be detached & non-judgmental. Can you recommend equivalents for other countries? 19th or 20th century books where someone visited from a third country and wrote about the politics and national character in a respectful/non-colonizing manner? [more inside]
posted by ZaphodB at 9:16 AM PST - 13 comments

I haven't had a Netflix account in years, so consequently I'm one of (apparently) few people who has never seen Hannah Gadsby's "Nanette" special on Netflix. I'd love to watch it, but due to the Dave Chappelle transphobic special that recently aired I don't want to give Netflix any of my money. How can I watch Gadsby's special without breaking any laws or signing up for Netflix? [more inside]
posted by mezzanayne at 9:15 AM PST - 12 comments

New tea drinker here. I ordered PG Tips online and it smelled strongly fishy when it arrived, so I threw it out. Then I went to the corner store and bought Lipton Decaf Black Tea. It's got a similar fishy smell and taste. With milk and sugar it's not as bad, and I'm trying to imagine it's made of a leaf and not a fish. Do I just need to acclimatize? What might that smell / taste be? There's no aftertaste. Tea tips appreciated.
posted by circular at 9:07 AM PST - 28 comments

I need to replace my beloved, highly functional Baggallini Mosey bag, but I can't find a single other bag on the market that does the shoulderbag-to-backpack conversion as elegantly. [more inside]
posted by wintersweet at 8:51 AM PST - 8 comments

GenX music snob here, wanting to give a friend some recorded music in the age of "all streaming, all the time." If it was up to me and the year was 1998, I'd hand him a CD (or cassette!!) mixtape with a custom cover, but my friend seems to be mostly using his phone or Pandora. No visible CDs at his condo. I'm ok with full albums of music rather than a mix, but how do I give this in a way that guarantees it's going to work with whatever he has available? Any ideas about how to gussy it up in a way that it feels special?
posted by SoundInhabitant at 8:08 AM PST - 9 comments

I've been shipping for a small business that sells custom recreational gear, high dollar value items. We've shipped normally using the two domestic couriers for many years with nary a glitch. In the past quarter, that's changed dramatically. [more inside]
posted by diode at 7:23 AM PST - 7 comments

My skin itches constantly, at the slightest provocation. Please help. [more inside]
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:12 AM PST - 35 comments

I've been stretching in the morning while watching music videos lately, and I'd like to find some more to enjoy. My favorites are one with super-fancy costumes, lots of dancing, and at least a nod towards a narrative. I prefer upbeat pop music but don't really care as long as the costumes are good. My favorites so far are Katy Perry's Dark Horse and Cardi B's Money. [more inside]
posted by shirobara at 6:37 AM PST - 25 comments

Have you ever reported concerns to a child protective service in any location? If so, and if you know, did things get better, worse, or stay the same for the children involved?
posted by Bella Donna at 5:11 AM PST - 29 comments

I get a small cloud of flies in my flat, I'd like to identify them, but googling either points me to fruit flies (I think these are too big for fruit flies) or a load of 'common flies' that don't seem to fit. [more inside]
posted by penguin pie at 4:34 AM PST - 7 comments

My wife has her 41 birthday coming up and I would like to get her something for her new office. She is a medical doctor and recently switched to a desk job at a trade union. This is the first time she has her own office, so can you think of something nice I could get her? [more inside]
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon at 3:14 AM PST - 17 comments

I'm pretty sure I want kids and, due to sad life circumstances I'd rather not go into, haven't had them yet. I'm 37, female. I realise time is running out, and I'm trying to manage the panic about that. It mostly works, but I notice dating really brings it up. I'm so nervous of looking desperate that I find it hard to directly ask the kids question, but at the same time I don't want to waste my time. Or, I touch on the issue with a guy who gives a slightly fluffy answer and then don't want to probe any more as it feels too invasive. I have stayed with wishy washy guys for too long in the past, and I know I need to stop this. [more inside]
posted by starstarstar at 2:36 AM PST - 19 comments

A junior has been given the responsibility of leading a meeting that I should be leading. I'm bothered by it. [more inside]
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 2:24 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm introducing canned tuna to my son and am hoping to feed him one can over two or three days, since he's only little still. I just noticed that the tuna I bought says "Consume immediately after opening". Why? Is there a reason why it wouldn't be safe to refrigerate immediately and treat like any other leftover food? [more inside]
posted by kinddieserzeit at 12:33 AM PST - 11 comments

I know this cannot be on the level. How can I explain it to the person involved? [more inside]
posted by woman at 11:33 PM PST - 22 comments

The transmission mount for the 2005 Mazda 3 has options "w/ weight" and "w/o weight". Some parts don't specify. What is this weight? [more inside]
posted by mr_bovis at 11:31 PM PST - 3 comments

I accidentally bought a package of menstrual pads with a fragrance that is irritating my allergies. Can someone recommend pads that are fragrance free and say so on the package so I don't have to spend 20 minutes at the store reading labels and trying to avoid making the same mistake twice? I'm in Seattle and would be shopping at Walgreens, Bartell's, or Rite Aid. Thanks.
posted by SockISalmon at 10:51 PM PST - 5 comments

I was having a Zoom singing lesson today, and kept having a problem where when the teacher sang and played piano the sound would get choppy and I couldn't hear her. We tried Skype, and same thing. Then I tried Zoom on my old Macbook, and it worked fine. What is going on here? Is there a way to fix this? [more inside]
posted by lookoutbelow at 8:32 PM PST - 5 comments

I have a bunch of hot peppers, and I want to make fermented hot sauce. I'm getting conflicting information on whether I need to keep oxygen out of the fermentation vessel. [more inside]
posted by alex1965 at 4:42 PM PST - 4 comments

In the last month or two, I've noticed a surprising number of multi-page sections of newspapers stapled to trees in the parks here. They're haphazardly placed at about eye level, secured with a couple of staple gun staples through the whole bundle, and don't feature a top page that is obviously meaningful or any other straightforward similarities. Do we have a lone stapler nut, or is this a practice that means something?
posted by eotvos at 3:28 PM PST - 5 comments

How do you reconcile these two pieces of dog advice: * You shouldn't exercise your dog for +1 hour after eating to avoid giving them bloat. * To train your puppy to eliminate outside, walk them immediately after they finish their meal. [more inside]
posted by Countess Elena at 3:09 PM PST - 6 comments

Included on a text by mistake, what should I do? [more inside]
posted by rhonzo at 2:52 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm having a PV array installed on my home in the spring, and am debating whether to also install a battery system. I have a bunch of usage questions for people who have such a system, or know about them, or are preppers worried about being stranded/uncomfortable following a natural disaster. [more inside]
posted by Capri at 12:36 PM PST - 12 comments

After a year of trying to buy a PS5 for my extremely patient and deserving kid through normal channels, I've decided to just give up and buy one from a scalper. How do I minimize my odds of getting scammed in this situation? [more inside]
posted by Chuck Barris at 11:38 AM PST - 9 comments

I asked this question two years ago. I am once again asking for your suggestions for five identical gifts I can get for these kiddos, ages 10-14. [more inside]
posted by Juniper Toast at 10:46 AM PST - 16 comments

Trying to figure out the lyrics to the song "Yesterday's Fool" sung by Erika Lewis and Shaye Cohn...missing one line, can you help out? [more inside]
posted by The Toad at 10:27 AM PST - 4 comments

A friend and I have an interest in watching the episode of Great British Bake Off where they make American-style pies. How do we find it on Netflix? [more inside]
posted by arachnidette at 10:02 AM PST - 5 comments

Back in the old landline days, caller ID would generally show you not just the phone number but the name of the person calling. On cell phones these days, by contrast, it seems that you only see the number, not the name (unless you already have the caller stored in your contacts). Are there any ways you recommend to restore that old caller ID functionality for iPhones? I've seen some apps out there that promise to do this but don't know which if any are worthwhile, or if there are any other approaches. Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:55 AM PST - 7 comments

I've an unusual issue with Facebook marketplace that occurs on all my devices which indicates to me it's account specific When I click on marketplace in facebook i get the normal screen with various things that are available. I am able to click on those items and view details as well as connect with seller with questions, etc... When I do marketplace search I get a blank screen This is happening on all my devices. A head scratcher abnd of course facebook has no desire to hear from us regarding issues. My girlfriend tried hers and it works just fine Any ideas, hive? [more inside]
posted by citybuddha at 8:29 AM PST - 2 comments

A friend is looking for a school for her daughter - she tried the usual independent suspects (Godolphin, Francis Holland, etc) but found them all a bit too... normal for her quirky, dyslexic, independent-minded child. (From previous questions I can see King Alfred's recommended - does anyone know it?) Is there anywhere that she might fit in better? She's thinking about the American School even though she actually American, just because it would have a varied intake - is there anywhere more experimental and fun and quirky that we haven't heard of?
posted by wattle at 7:52 AM PST - 6 comments

I sometimes consider getting a formal screening for autism. I am a 58-year-old woman. I am curious about the process (like who asked what kind of questions of whom, and how long it takes, and how you felt about the process and the result, especially if you are a woman, etc.). [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 7:24 AM PST - 10 comments

I have a compromised immune system and am a professor on a college campus. I teach about half of my classes online and have done so for the past 5 years. I have developed and taught several of these classes and now a lot of faculty/adjuncts also teach them. Now my department wants me to file for accommodations through the union and have "specialists" look at my medical case to decide whether or not I can teach online next year. Do I need a lawyer? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:06 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking for literature - and especially SFF - where the concept of "city as palimpsest" is reified - e.g. where the concept of cities being many different things to different people is made literal. [more inside]
posted by dmd at 7:05 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm trying to help my father, over the phone, upgrade the RAM on a laptop. I have two specific related questions. [more inside]
posted by ryanshepard at 6:28 AM PST - 3 comments

I need some help with a few of the questions on the SCQ because my child appears to do some of the things they mention, but I'm not so sure he actually does. More details below! [more inside]
posted by catspajammies at 6:00 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm being given a ZTE Grand X View 4 tablet as part of a promotion with a new cell phone. I want to get a case for it but I can't find one. [more inside]
posted by synecdoche at 5:08 AM PST - 1 comment

I've been told I can kill moth eggs by drying my clothes at 50C+ for 30 min. However, I never dry my clothes in a dryer (and barely wash them higher than 40C), for the fear of shrinking them terribly A friend-of-a-friend claimed that dry clothes don't shrink. Is that true? [more inside]
posted by Thisandthat at 4:35 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm planing my winter project, it seems that I'll need to use SNMP. My ignorance is total. [more inside]
posted by Marky at 2:32 AM PST - 6 comments

Some YEARS ago now, I used Chrome to search for a very silly video on Youtube. And now, for some reason, whenever I try using Chrome to search for ANYTHING ELSE on Youtube, it auto-fills my search with a link to THAT SPECIFIC video (and I have to tell it not to). How do I get Google to wipe that from my history? [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:18 PM PST - 10 comments

What have great (or not so great) writers, poets, lyricists. et. al. said about "eyes"? [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 6:16 PM PST - 36 comments

I have been on clonazepam for many years, prescribed by a doctor and knowing it was a good fit for what I need. I was sick of the weird side effects so, with my doctor's support, I started tapering off slowly in July. I'm still not done tapering, and I am miserable. [more inside]
posted by violetish at 6:15 PM PST - 20 comments

I have an ancestor who filed a few different patents. I'd love to know if his patents were ever used by a business. [more inside]
posted by christinetheslp at 5:15 PM PST - 4 comments

What are some phrases with the same meaning as “don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining”?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:12 PM PST - 28 comments

In about 2 months, I probably have to travel to Paris from California. It looks like there is a US federal requirement to get a Covid test prior to return to the US. What are my best options to get the test done in France prior to the return flight? It looks like CDG airport offers on-site testing, but they don't recommended waiting until travel day to get tested. [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 4:42 PM PST - 11 comments

Do DvD security strips damage the DvD player? [more inside]
posted by clavdivs at 4:16 PM PST - 5 comments

So my car battery died for the second time in a week, and there's an odd whirring noise. Strange issue with power steering. [more inside]
posted by signal at 3:34 PM PST - 13 comments

I have a thick foreign accent in my mother tongue. How can I target this problem specifically so I can sound more like a native speaker? I've considered hiring a tutor online and/or recording myself speaking and listening to those tapes... Curious if anyone can recommend the most effective way to do this. [more inside]
posted by estlin at 2:34 PM PST - 9 comments

So I've been using Otter.ai and DayOne individually for some time. With Otter I dictate my day and then, manually I take the transcription and plug it into dayone. Tried IFTTT - no Otter integration. I know there's a dictate feature on DayOne but the accuracy is...not good.I need a better way. What's an accurate transcription app that integrates with my journal?
posted by rileyray3000 at 2:06 PM PST - 2 comments

Googling this, I get a lot of "Top 10 easy..." or "Best all-out fancy..." but not much in-between. I'm a moderately skilled cook and don't mind putting in the time to prepare a special meal, but my technical skills are fairly basic. I enjoy the food I cook, but would like to up my game a bit if cooking for guests. Particularly stressful are recipes that require precise cook times - (ex. fried squid). Recipes where spice-level can be controlled by the guest (at least somewhat) are preferred. Thanks!
posted by coffeecat at 12:44 PM PST - 26 comments

YANMD. Yesterday, the oddest thing happened—my lower back all of a sudden "bunched over" and my stomach felt incredibly heavy, every little movement hurt (spasm-like feel on the lower back and lower sides). Called my doctor, got a RX, but it's still not helping. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 12:41 PM PST - 24 comments

So I accidentally have some work pants that are a bit too tight-looking. I need loooong tank tops to cover everything. I saw a similar question but it was not specifically asking about long tanks. Any in-stock favorites? Thanks!
posted by bookworm4125 at 11:19 AM PST - 12 comments

I have a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo but I have virtually no other equipment, all I know is that I don't have enough. What are the other pieces of tech that I need to get sound from my vinyl to my ears? Thank you in advance! Sincerely, Too embarrassed to ask my dad [more inside]
posted by mrk021 at 9:51 AM PST - 8 comments

I do not mean literally their "fault" BUT they did not supervise me in a way that would bring out my best work self. Advice from managers/former managers and work savvy people appreciated. [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 9:29 AM PST - 18 comments

So where do people go to get cool creations inspired by d and d, lord of the rings, anime, etc? [more inside]
posted by xarnop at 7:14 AM PST - 17 comments

Looking to have an indoor-fancy-dining meal in Manhattan as a sort of going away for up to 6 people next month. Hoping to have to stay under $100/person all in with drinks, tax and gratuity included, but in a place where a group of folks dressed in blazers and dresses wouldn't totally look out of place and with somewhat of a fun atmosphere. Ideally non "american" (i.e not new american, or a steakhouse). Asian food probably preferred. Reservations available. What do you suggest?
posted by sandmanwv at 6:03 AM PST - 7 comments

I’m 35 and I haven’t been in a band since middle school. I’ve been jamming with some guys and played for them a couple things I’ve been working on in quarantine, which they like. But how do bands normally write songs? Or keep the momentum going? More inside. [more inside]
posted by glaucon at 5:59 AM PST - 10 comments

An argument sometimes brought to bear against flat earthers is that one can supposedly detect “the curvature of the earth” by observing it from a high enough vantage point (e.g., from a MiG29, or from the ISS). And I’ve heard flat earthers state that they would concede that the earth is spherical if they were shown its curvature in this manner. But what visual impressions exactly is a spherical earth supposed to yield, which could be described as resulting from its “curvature”, that would distinguish it from a circular disk-shaped earth (one that looks like a pancake)? [more inside]
posted by bleston hamilton station at 3:34 AM PST - 27 comments

Do “parenting counsellors” exist, more by analogy with “career counsellors” than (child or adult) psychiatrists? Do they have a name? What do I look for? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:03 AM PST - 12 comments

I am a woman with a vulva and pubic hair that I would like to trim. I've never done this before. How do I learn and what tools do I want? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:54 AM PST - 14 comments

I want to get a PCR test for Covid (not one of the rapid home tests) at a drive through at a pharmacy. What is the test like now- does it still require sticking a swab way up into the nasopharynx? Is it painful? I haven't done the test before, but I remember reading about how uncomfortable it was early in the pandemic.
posted by pinochiette at 8:06 PM PST - 29 comments

I need a percussion instrument that is versatile like a full drum set but much more compact than a drum set and also somewhat intuitive to use for anyone who might want to sit down and play it. I don't really know what I'm asking for because i don't play drums. [more inside]
posted by bondcliff at 7:58 PM PST - 17 comments

I had never seen the term "womxn" until very recently, and now it's popping up in a lot of contexts. My understanding from social media is that while it's touted to be "inclusive", it's really transphobic. Looking for academic articles that discuss this, please! [more inside]
posted by Paper rabies at 6:57 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking at Betabrand's Dress Pant Yoga Pants Boot-Cut • Classic. Can a Betabrand-wearing-person please explain the differences in sizing between small short petite, small petite, and small? [more inside]
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:49 PM PST - 4 comments

I have a set of hardwired smoke detectors which tend to go off randomly around 3am. After much suffering, I believe I have identified the problem as an intermittently loose connection affecting one location in the network. Is there any hardwired detector that can be programmed to ignore electrical faults of less than some duration? [more inside]
posted by aramaic at 4:43 PM PST - 16 comments

I got an email from my third grader's teacher that she didn't do well on her spelling test today. My first reaction was sh!t I forgot the test was today. My second reaction was why should I be responsible for the third grader's remembering her spelling test? My third reaction was I really don't like helping her with her homework at all and please can I just stop now? [more inside]
posted by tafetta, darling! at 3:38 PM PST - 34 comments

I have the opportunity to adopt a 2-3 year old blind kitty, and I really, really want to. She would be the second cat in my household and sibling to my 8 year old pussycat Bunny. (Cat tax in previous posts about her.) I have never had a special needs cat, though, and while I know I will get lots of training and support from the shelter she's at, I'd love advice from any fellow MeFites who have had kitties like this before! [more inside]
posted by Hermione Granger at 3:02 PM PST - 9 comments

We're having an event and would like to have maximum compliance with mask wearing. In addition to letting people know on the invitation, and having people at the doors reminding people to wear them, and actually providing masks, we're planning to put a sign up next to the free masks - is there any specific wording we can put on the sign that's been shown to work better than others? [more inside]
posted by Mchelly at 2:09 PM PST - 22 comments

Is there a good tutorial for inserting an elastic cuff in a sewn mitten pattern? [more inside]
posted by Kurichina at 2:01 PM PST - 2 comments

I live in a liberal city in the US. The past 5 years have made me feel strongly about feminism, antiracism, pro-LGBTQ, etc. Some of my oldest friends have gone in the opposite direction, revealing that they're TERFs, male chauvinists, or enablers of bigots. Those friendships are falling by the wayside. Watching my friend circle continue to shrink makes me depressed and lonely. How can I feel more hopeful? [more inside]
posted by vienna at 1:05 PM PST - 21 comments

Now that the clipper isn't an option any more, what's the best way to quickly and easily get between Seattle, WA and Victoria, BC? [more inside]
posted by Cogito at 12:48 PM PST - 11 comments

He's an actor living in Chicago whose career isn't really working out. He starts dating a slightly older woman who works as an interior designer for incredibly wealthy clients, and has herself always aspired to wealth and its markers. When the main character mysteriously inherits a mid-century modern property in a Chicago suburb from his deceased father--who as far as he always knew was mired in debt, and whose income was confusing to him as a child and probably shady in retrospect--it seems to fulfill his girlfriend's dream for a property she could refurbish with all her ideal markers of wealth and taste. (Bonus if anyone has any specific knowledge about how this character's father might set up assets/properties to escape probate in Illinois!) For the main character, moving there from the city should feel alienating, surreal, and starkly different from his former life. I'm imagining a neighborhood that is idyllic and/or subtly moneyed. [more inside]
posted by ennuisperminute at 11:36 AM PST - 26 comments

I have a 2019 Crosstrek that I'm financing and am pretty happy with. The dealership just sent me an offer for a 2021, trading in my 2019, for a significantly lower monthly payment. There's obviously more to investigate and calc here (loan duration resets to 0, were there add-ons for my current car that aren't in the trade-in, actual offer after credit check, etc) but I'm wondering what some unexpected downsides might be to trading in in a pretty-new car.
posted by curious nu at 11:07 AM PST - 17 comments

Last year we were going to take a big road trip down the west coast during the late-November holidays but scrapped it because of Covid + the overburdened hospitals & first responders. This year, with the delta variant and the overburdened hospitals etc. I'm struggling to figure out how to make a good decision about whether we should go. [more inside]
posted by rocketing at 10:17 AM PST - 8 comments

What other books are like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Education of Little Tree? I really liked the "life lessons" that these books demonstrate through showing rather than telling. As well as the vignettes into the psychology of various people. I feel like I am a better person after reading them. [more inside]
posted by Mr. Papagiorgio at 9:57 AM PST - 9 comments

My 2.5 year old twins ask "why?" and "how?" about everything in the world, mostly about many things I should know but either never learned or have forgotten. I seek book recommendations to help. [more inside]
posted by millipede at 8:45 AM PST - 18 comments

Apparently this was somehow mysteriously activated for my computer now I apparently can't turn it off. [more inside]
posted by Liquidwolf at 7:38 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm trying to figure out the perspective/layout of some illustrations I'd like to do and I need to see some examples. The basic layout is a person in the foreground (interested in both full body and just upper body/head) in front of a large space. Ideally with lots of stuff going on in the large space. So think a person standing in front of a playground with kids playing, a zoo with animals, a store with people shopping etc. Some with a fence or barrier between person/background would be good. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:03 AM PST - 10 comments

I need a cheap laptop PC (under $350, the cheaper the better) for writing papers, notes, and exams for class. It needs to be Windows 10 or higher to be compatible with the exam software. Typing and navigation ease are my top priorities. [more inside]
posted by rue72 at 6:53 AM PST - 14 comments

I gained some weight and now have itchy groin problems. I'd love your help getting my skin to heal. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:49 AM PST - 13 comments

There's a local scholar whose work I follow. Unfortunately, I now learned buying directly from the publisher only tied me to their proprietary ebook reader client, and I can't get an epub or downloadable version. Should I go ahead with the refund, and eventually purchase it elsewhere? Will this data point be a negative one for his publishing contract? Should I not refund but instead reply in writing my objection? I would like to protest the DRM, but also make sure he has visible evidence of a market. What do you think? [more inside]
posted by cendawanita at 10:21 PM PST - 9 comments

I occasionally receive emails from acquaintances who, when engaged in written correspondence about controversial political topics, seem to disregard every grammatical rule of writing they ever learned. Is this a known phenomenon? Why don't people espousing conspiracy theories adhere to English-language grammar norms when promoting said theories? [more inside]
posted by unruthless at 10:17 PM PST - 19 comments

The bf and I are taking a trip to Philadelphia, and are looking for a professional photographer to get some good pictures of us - sort of a mini-engagement session, without the engagement. I am looking for either recommendations, or places to find recommendations, such as specific FB groups where others ask questions like this. [more inside]
posted by Sparky Buttons at 8:59 PM PST - 9 comments

For the 8th my son has to do community service hours for graduation. I have a couple suggestions but I want it to be something he is inspired by so I am looking for ideas that might not occur to me. What are community service project ideas that a young teen can do?
posted by beccaj at 6:14 PM PST - 27 comments

I have been having a lot of negative thoughts popping up and haunting me.I am having lot of crying spells most of the times when I try to relax.I try to keep myself busy but it’s getting harder to control the thoughts and the crying .I have been reading about how to handle the negative thoughts. The things that I have tried…. [more inside]
posted by SunPower at 4:57 PM PST - 16 comments

I've had a vintage Acoustic Research XA turntable for about 15 years. In that time, I've had two original/deadstock plastic headshells for it that have each broken over time. (Photo of my XA and a closeup on the tonearm and sample (broken) headshell.) I feel like I know just enough about the details of turntables to know that I'm out of my depth in trying to upgrade and/or replace the most recent busted one. Can you recommend me a replacement headshell, cartridge or combination thereof that will be durable and suitable for my setup? [more inside]
posted by lousywiththespirit at 12:31 PM PST - 3 comments

Hi all - I'm embarrassed to say I fell for Part I of a scam; I gave contact info for what I thought was a mystery shopping gig and have now received a cashier's check and instructions on which Amex gift cards to buy. *facepalm* I'm obviously NOT going to participate; anything else I need to watch out for? [more inside]
posted by sencha at 12:23 PM PST - 13 comments

It's looking like we may be getting a puppy. The puppy is in Las Vegas and we live in the bay area. What's my best bet for getting the puppy safely and happily home? [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:06 PM PST - 15 comments

About 10 years ago I bought a cute cream-colored Montbell (possibly Marmot) women's knit baseball cap. It had earflaps that tucked up inside the cap when not in use, and it was THE PERFECT winter hat. When it finally disintegrated I stupidly didn't take it to a crafty person and just have them remake it. Now of course I can't find any cap that's remotely like it. (The earflaps are key.) Perhaps Metafilter can? Thanks!
posted by cyndigo at 11:42 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm leading an online seminar on editing for writers. It's a six-hour seminar total and we're going into the final two hours. How should we spend the time? [more inside]
posted by veggieboy at 11:31 AM PST - 6 comments

I would like to publish my writing in a Patreon style and without the Patreon platform. Example's include having a short form story/essay/op-ed for no-cost on the site with a link to the long form version for cost. Private individualized newsletters. E-books sales. Personal poetry written for patrons/followers, etc. [more inside]
posted by goalyeehah at 11:16 AM PST - 2 comments

My fridge is freezing the food at the bottom, but seems not that cold at the top. What gives? [more inside]
posted by Mid at 10:38 AM PST - 9 comments

What is the significance or meaning of the mouthless face and aureole (?) on these 18th-century headstones? Pictures can be found in this folder. [more inside]
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:09 AM PST - 11 comments

Senior dog has been waking us up in the middle of the night to go out. This is not ideal. Help. [more inside]
posted by geegollygosh at 9:48 AM PST - 10 comments

When did you decide to move closer to family? What were the circumstances and how did it turn out? I’m going thru a kind of painful rip-the-bandaid scenario of “I love lots of parts of my life here BUT I want to raise kids near family” and would love your thoughts. [more inside]
posted by elephantsvanish at 8:50 AM PST - 14 comments

My wife works in a small but well-funded private health care/retirement community in Houston, Texas. She wants to hire a consultant or firm to help her figure out optimal staffing for her medical team of RNs and CNAs. Does anyone have a recommendation? I don't think they have to be local to Houston, but it would help.
posted by cross_impact at 7:55 AM PST - 0 comments

I have some vegan ‘chicken’ nuggets that have a eat by date of 7th October, they are here (French), and were sold as defrosted. Can/should I eat them today? Translated list of ingredients under the fold. Thanks! [more inside]
posted by ellieBOA at 7:40 AM PST - 6 comments

I’m a little overweight, with a family history of type 2 diabetes. I spoke a weight loss doctor who I’m inclined to trust a lot and he enthusiastically recommended that I try a GLP-1 medication like Wegovy / Ozempic / semaglutide in conjunction with dietician-supported lifestyle changes. I spoke to my GP who thought it was a not unreasonable idea. It sounds almost too good to be true: Take a pill, lose weight. If it works, why isn’t everyone doing this? I’m curious about the pros and cons, and looking for thoughts/ideas. [more inside]
posted by LambSock at 7:08 AM PST - 30 comments

I (35yo male) work in a windowless office by myself in a location where I can't go outside. When I work I'm the only one there, at other times the space may occupy as many as four people. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:07 AM PST - 12 comments

A friend of mine, a survivor of one of the most infamous 20th century genocides, has written an extraordinary account of his survival and journey to the UK as a refugee. Now he wants to reach out to 100 well-known British people to help him to promote his book. [more inside]
posted by matthew.alexander at 1:59 AM PST - 13 comments

I bought a travel trailer and the hand-made hitch receiver has a thin welding seam running the length of the inside that keeps my bike carrier from fitting. What's the best DIY option for removing it? [more inside]
posted by mph at 9:45 PM PST - 11 comments

I've been on the internet since 1988. I've saved pretty much everything - email, chat transcripts, irc conversations, blog posts, browser history, personal notes, photos, etc. - I want to put it all in a place where I can easily access it. I do not have any logical explanation for why I want this but I'm constantly stressed out about it. [more inside]
posted by bendy at 7:39 PM PST - 14 comments

What are your all-time favourite Dungeons & Dragons channels and/or campaigns that can be watched online? [more inside]
posted by eagle-bear at 7:37 PM PST - 14 comments

I've served a stressful four year volunteer term on a non-profit board. Then I got re-elected. [more inside]
posted by intrepid_simpleton at 6:13 PM PST - 8 comments

My headset's microphone works perfectly with all computers except the one I use for most of my purposes. Other headsets do not work either. The headphone part works, but the microphone does not. I wasn't able to fix this with any troubleshooting I found online. I bought a new headset and THAT doesn't work either! So it's definitely a configuration problem. What's the issue? [more inside]
posted by LSK at 4:31 PM PST - 11 comments

Due to an order mix-up, I recieved a Tomboyx black compression top, size 3x, in the mail. Tomboyx told me to keep or donate it instead of returning it. Are there any charities or groups you've had experience with that could make sure this gets to a person who could use it? Willing to mail it anywhere in the US. I'm not very online except for Metafilter, so I can't post it on Facebook or other social media sites.
posted by anonymous at 4:02 PM PST - 13 comments

Saw this thing on public transit once and thought it was absolutely stunning. Any idea how I might identify the maker? Image 1, Image 2, Image 3.
posted by archagon at 3:41 PM PST - 5 comments

My mother, late 80s, a retired sociologist, lives at home in New York City. She has pretty bad dementia. She knows who you are, but can't remember that she already asked you that five times today. So she's lost most of her friends. Are there people one can hire as regular companions to simply go on a walk in the park and carry on an interesting conversation with an elderly person in New York? Are there programs?
posted by musofire at 2:09 PM PST - 9 comments

I will be in Ottowa, Canada at the beginning of February, and will have an extra 3-4 days to add to my trip. Since I'll already be north in the dark, cold winter, I thought it might be a good opportunity to see if I can cross an item off my bucket list and get my first view of the Northern Lights. [more inside]
posted by Threeve at 12:47 PM PST - 12 comments

Just in time for spooky season, we have found in our yard a dead bird, three dead mice, and today a dead baby mouse. We had a mouse problem outside before, but they never made it in and we don’t use poison. Most of the mice look like they’ve died peacefully, but we find them in the same spot. Confounding factor: the neighborhood cat has taken a liking to us. Should we be worried there’s a curse or mouse plague happening near our house? [more inside]
posted by buttonedup at 12:19 PM PST - 10 comments

My favorite coffee by a LOT is this Italian Roast from stupid Amazon/Whole Foods. I would like to give less of my money to those goblins. What coffee should I get? Needs to be preground (non-negotiable). Even better if it’s from a Chicago-based company, but any non-mega-corp will do!
posted by Charity Garfein at 11:19 AM PST - 6 comments

I purchased it new, packed it away four years ago when moving, and never opened it again. I want to restore it to factory defaults and find a way to use it. Have you done this? Any suggestions? If it can't be used, can it be recycled? Thanks!
posted by racersix6 at 10:41 AM PST - 10 comments

I moved from the UK to southern California earlier this year. I need to learn to drive! Unfortunately, I'm just in the process of switching my visa to a new category. That's projected to take anywhere from six months to a year. My understanding is that I can't currently get a learner's permit, because I need a federal ID to do so, and I can't get a federal ID while in visa limbo. Is my understanding right? Is there any way I can get a learner's permit? [more inside]
posted by ectopus at 10:36 AM PST - 6 comments

Title says it all. I have iTunes Match, I've added her to a Family group, but alas, the music doesn't show up on her phone at all. Nor does the media sharing option appear in iTunes on my computer. Any idea how to make this happen?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:46 AM PST - 3 comments

Or should I let it figure it out on its own? Here are the photos: https://imgur.com/a/yecPqoU. I believe this is a juvenile Northern Flicker woodpecker. It's not the smartest bird, I think the same one got its foot stuck in the feeder a few days ago. To pull it out or not? [more inside]
posted by Snowishberlin at 9:36 AM PST - 6 comments

I've got a can of evaporated milk and some bars of baking chocolate (aka, unsweetened chocolate). What should I make? [more inside]
posted by meese at 9:30 AM PST - 5 comments

Please tell me about every kids' picture book you know in which kids visit a zoo. Bonus points if it's a school field trip and/or if animals escape. What's the basic premise/plot? If there's repetition, what is repeated? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:00 AM PST - 12 comments

Do coyotes really have an increased presence in urban and suburban areas of North America in recent years? [more inside]
posted by Dansaman at 8:17 AM PST - 28 comments

What digital whiteboard, bulletin board app (or Word) doc would allow me to move existing Stickies into them on my Mac computer (OS Mojave)? [more inside]
posted by Elsie at 7:34 AM PST - 4 comments

We live in California and expect the regular power shutoffs to continue. We heat our home with an electric heat pump aided by a pellet stove (which requires electricity to run). We are thinking about replacing the pellet stove with a wood burning stove to help in "future proofing" our home. Project will be at least 6k- is this a good idea or would we be better suited saving our 6k for solar panels or something else?
posted by arnicae at 6:34 AM PST - 15 comments

Asking on behalf of a professor friend. Academic book coming out with Bloomsbury ​(FWIW) and their image clearance dept is little help. [more inside]
posted by athirstforsalt at 2:41 AM PST - 5 comments

My boyfriend has been using tinder as a 'porn' aid. How can (or should) I get past this? [more inside]
posted by fourpotatoes at 1:40 AM PST - 32 comments

I can't get a good answer from googling and it is not something I want to personally research on porn sites (no judgement! just not my thing), but I am super curious if men are getting choked as a sexual kink in straight and/or gay porn (the asphyxiation thing and/or control), or if this is a specific thing about choking women as the media coverage seems to suggest.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 11:58 PM PST - 6 comments

I recently made the mistake of wiping the dust off the cover that goes over the air vent in my bathroom. Now there is a loud whooshing noise caused by the air passing through the cover. It's really irritating. If I remove the cover the sound is gone, but there's an unsightly hole in my bathroom wall instead. How can I dampen the sound the cover makes while keeping the vent functional? [more inside]
posted by Panthalassa at 10:27 PM PST - 10 comments

Now that we are almost two years into the pandemic, what have you found to be your most reliable disinfectants for skin, fabric, phones, etc? What is your disinfecting routine if you have one? Note: by reliable I don't mean measurably effective, just what you feel gives you the most peace of mind after you use it. [more inside]
posted by Hermione Granger at 10:15 PM PST - 14 comments

Are there hair trimmers optimized for a longer size that don’t use plastic combs? [more inside]
posted by BeeDo at 8:50 PM PST - 4 comments

A very good (and pregnant) friend will be traveling with her 18mo daughter to California via plane next week. She is asking for suggestions for apps to put on an iPad to entertain her daughter just in case all hell breaks loose. [more inside]
posted by dancinglamb at 7:09 PM PST - 23 comments

If you have two identical rubber balloons, is there a way/reason that drawing lines on one with black sharpie could cause it to lose air slower than an unaldulterated version? [more inside]
posted by Dext at 6:35 PM PST - 11 comments

We have two sons (newly turned 3 years old and 1 year old) who currently sleep in separate rooms. We would like to have them share a room but I am trouble figuring out the best nighttime routine. Both boys eat dinner together and have a bath together. The 3-year old is extremely active and his routine involves winding down then potty, pajamas, and books. We leave his room around 7:30pm (which sometimes he manages to push to 8pm). He then chats to himself or bops around his bed till he falls asleep. The 1 year old is more straight forward: around 7pm we read a book and he drinks his milk and falls asleep instantly. [more inside]
posted by allthingsconsidered at 6:20 PM PST - 3 comments

My 77yo mother has asked me to go on a 4 day cruise with her in one month. I keep seeing mental images of the news stories about ships not being allowed back on U.S. land. I assume that protocols are now such that this particular outcome is unlikely. But, I am not sure what to do based on my unique situation. Help me decide? [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 6:04 PM PST - 17 comments

Seeking insurance similar to Lemonade or Toggle (neither of which are available to my set up right now). Would love something similar, or just a good recommendation.
posted by firstdaffodils at 5:46 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm in need of an office chair that has cervical support, or a headrest, that is made for a person who is 5'2". [more inside]
posted by Four-Eyed Girl at 5:02 PM PST - 8 comments

I was making yogurt and accidentally made cheese. Given the sequence of events, what happened and what exactly did I end up making? [more inside]
posted by cmoj at 2:11 PM PST - 14 comments

I have to replace a laminate floor that I dumbly installed in a kitchen. Questions about installing vinyl or tile floor inside. [more inside]
posted by slidell at 1:21 PM PST - 11 comments

I work at a private equity company that is highly dominated by men. In fact, my whole career has been working in a "man's world" and I've generally earned respect, and faired well - not without working my butt off to get where I'm at. I'm a 36 (about to be 37) female - I dress professionally, work hard, and I generally think I am attractive (which is both good and bad in this job). In past performance reviews I have been told my better qualities are that I'm resilient and a good communicator. On the flip side, I've been told I need to work on my confidence. I generally like my company and job, and the execs have treated me well. [more inside]
posted by Shaitan at 1:15 PM PST - 21 comments

I am a consistent note-taker. My office provides OneNote and I'm struggling to keep stuff organized. I have a sort-of-defined pain point under the fold, but I would love to hear very concrete descriptions of how you organize your notes for inspiration on other approaches. Please go deeper than "I split each project into its own section/notebook"! [more inside]
posted by philosophygeek at 12:44 PM PST - 3 comments

I teach (at the college level) and my students are doing way worse than usual. Worse than last semester, worse than the height of the pandemic. Is this true of you too? If so, is anything you are doing helping? [more inside]
posted by lab.beetle at 11:50 AM PST - 20 comments

We've ordered a new washer and dryer -- paid already -- as part of an overall, long-budgeted kitchen reno. Unfortunately there's no firm date on delivery (supply chain issues), and initially we were happy to wait a few months so we could synch this up with other things like getting a window enlarged. But the old washer died this morning. What's the challenge rating for a couple washing clothes by hand, possibly for several months? [more inside]
posted by Shepherd at 11:23 AM PST - 56 comments

I’ve got an old phone that a dearly departed friend got me as a birthday present when we were in high school. Google hasn’t been much help with so I’m not holding out much hope, but is there a way to use this as a VoIP handset? My company uses Jabber, and it would be awesome if it could be used as a phone again in my home office.
posted by hwyengr at 11:00 AM PST - 5 comments

Asking for a friend who writes such stuff rather well and is in the process of pitching their stuff to various agents. A key question they tend to ask is, who's currently doing such stuff and actually selling books? My friend's problem is that pretty everyone that comes to mind in terms of influence is older, often as not dead.
posted by philip-random at 9:03 AM PST - 7 comments

I’m ready to get off Facebook, but I need something that will replace the Must Have functionality for me - diary software that will let me 1) include pictures, 2) that I can write to from a windows machine AND an iOS device, and 3) will present me every day with what I wrote on that date in years past. Beyond those three things, I have no other requirements. It doesn’t need to be slick or pretty or free. Ideally I could buy it once instead of it being a subscription, but I would even consider a subscription service. [more inside]
posted by Bottlecap at 7:41 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm in charge of structuring my work team mate's baby shower zoom meeting and I have never done either one of those things before. I was given a tip to check Etsy for powerpoint-style zoom games, and there's like a billion to choose from and they all look the same. I have no existing intuition on this to tell me where to even start. Do you have any thing that might fit the bill? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:59 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm an avid reader, obsessed with spelling accurately and ashamed about the ways English speakers lazily review foreign names. In the past I've seen for instance, the Vietnamese name Phuong as well as Phoung but don't know if they (cont) [more inside]
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 9:18 PM PST - 25 comments

The (United States) IRS sent me a letter saying my direct debit payment for 2020 didn't go through. I don't owe them money, and I never tried to make such a payment. Naturally I'm concerned with ... who DID? The IRS phone support I reached can't give me any info and won't validate my identity because (as far as I can tell) ... it doesn't match the information on their version of my 2020 return! Ugh. Their letter includes an ACH trace number; can I at least figure out which bank this is from? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 5:21 PM PST - 11 comments

I will attempt to describe a half-remembered movie scene in the hope that someone out there will recognize it and tell me where it's from. Pretty sure the movie was set in N America or Europe. The scene is of a stage play that happens in the course of the film. A character in the play is mortally wounded and falls to the floor... [more inside]
posted by mpark at 2:58 PM PST - 8 comments

I have 6 poker chips that I would like to attach to a balloon and send into space. Can you help me figure out what I need to do that? [more inside]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 2:44 PM PST - 12 comments

I had a large bottle of soy sauce that was left in a mini-fridge for several days (perhaps weeks) after the fridge stopped working. The bottle says it should stay refrigerated. Is this something that's still safe to use? Or would I be better just getting rid of it?
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 2:21 PM PST - 15 comments

My 75 year old mother is having memory problems. She doesn't want to investigate it, but should we take her to the doctor -- is there anything that anyone can do? Or should my dad go, without her, to find out what to watch for? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:49 PM PST - 20 comments

I shut down my perfectly functioning MacBook Air (2017) on Wednesday night. Today (friday) it will not turn on or power up or anything. PRAM and SMC resets haven’t worked. I’m on vacation so it will be days before I can get it to a repair place—anything I can try in the meantime? [more inside]
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:47 PM PST - 8 comments

I’m probably going to be working from home for another year or more. It’s getting really depressing after almost 2 years of the pandemic. How do I change it up? [more inside]
posted by vanitas at 12:40 PM PST - 25 comments

My Christmas gifts WILL NOT ARRIVE LATE THIS YEAR. I'm determined. I'm sending a variety of homemade cookies (I've decided I want to be that guy). How do I time it so the cookies are bakes, sent, arrive (some across the country) neither too late nor too stale?
posted by Grandysaur at 11:57 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm trying to replicate a marechiaro pasta dish from my favorite Neapolitan-style Italian restaurant. Please share some tried-and-true recipes! [more inside]
posted by serelliya at 11:29 AM PST - 1 comment

I added NYtimes Astronomy and Space Calendar into my Google Calendar and it shows me potentially interesting happenings like the peak time of various meteor showers around the year. Looking for similar calendars that provide similar reminders. [more inside]
posted by Pantalaimon at 11:11 AM PST - 3 comments

For a bunch of reasons, a few months ago my doctor recommended that I sleep in an elevated position and on my left side. I have a wedge pillow that works great, even for side sleeping. But... my side sleeping position is, apparently, screwing up my left shoulder. I end up with my left arm tucked up under my pillow(s) and being in that position for several hours has started to cause some impingement, with pain and some loss of range of motion. If you sleep on your side, what do you do with your arms and how do you support your head?
posted by hanov3r at 9:10 AM PST - 31 comments

I've asked questions like this before but this time I'm being more specific. In general, I do well with structure and tasks. However, I have pockets of down time that I'd like to fill with something that makes me feel better than scrolling social media. [more inside]
posted by rglass at 8:55 AM PST - 22 comments

My mom died earlier this week. She is gone and I am in sadness. Starting with very little she raised three kids in a country that was foreign to her. She shielded, comforted, corrected and nurtured us. She made the world's best roast turkey. She made a pair of pants for me that split at the butt when I wore them for the first time. She was my Dad's best friend. She was a volunteer teacher at our local Chinese language school. She sponsored and helped new immigrants. I want to find a poem I can read at her graveside service. What do you suggest?
posted by storybored at 8:52 AM PST - 26 comments

What would you serve with cream of crab soup? [more inside]
posted by the primroses were over at 8:47 AM PST - 16 comments

A friend and I are planning to walk the Camino de Santiago next year. We’d like to do a 1-2 week practice walk beforehand, somewhere in the US (probably the east or midwest). We need to keep costs down, so we’d probably camp (but we’d also rather not carry a ton of food, if we can help it). We’re looking at doing one of the old canal trails (but camping seems to be pricey there), or maybe a stretch of the AT (VA looks good). Ideas?
posted by anshuman at 8:42 AM PST - 8 comments

I really, really want to enjoy this documentary but there are some red flags in it’s treatment of a prominent trans musician - should I recommend it to others? [more inside]
posted by q*ben at 8:41 AM PST - 10 comments

I used to own an amazing perfume that I purchased from Sephora around 1997-1999. It is now out of production and the (possibly misremembered!) name of the perfume turns up a lot of other scents. Please help me determine the perfume line and/or the actual name of the scent - I'd like to search out old bottles for myself. [more inside]
posted by gathfach at 7:47 AM PST - 2 comments

My driveway has seen better days, and needs repaving. I’m not sure when it was last done, but my estimate is 20+yrs ago. What do you wish you knew before you undertook a similar project (which I will find a local company to do)? [more inside]
posted by walkinginsunshine at 5:24 AM PST - 7 comments

I’m in charge of sending client gifts at my office. We send things for milestone birthdays, new homes, wedding anniversaries, etc. I need some fresh ideas. [more inside]
posted by pearlybob at 4:42 AM PST - 33 comments

Does anyone know anything about the new Fender Mustang “personal guitar amplifier”? It seems to be a very small, portable, awesome amp that has no speaker and can only be played through headphones, for travel or other purposes. Is that correct? Has anyone used one? If so, did you like it? Was it useful? How was the sound?
posted by jitterbug perfume at 3:29 AM PST - 6 comments

Very shortly I will have to become A Morning Person due to the 3 hour time difference between where I live and the east coast hours of a new job. I am very much not a morning person and pushing back my start time each day is not an option. How do I become an early bird? I can only do one cup of coffee before I get jittery.
posted by Jubey at 11:45 PM PST - 34 comments

There's some kind of craft technique where you jam roving or something fuzzy in between the stitches of a mitten or whatever that you knitted/crocheted, so that the fluffy stuff is on the inside. It's sort of like punch needle and sort of like felting, but not. Is this a thing, and if so, what is it called so I can look it up?
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:41 PM PST - 3 comments

Ever since whatever happened last week with the Let's Encrypt security certificates, I get security errors on a lot of sites, and can't get to certain websites at all anymore. How do I fix it? [more inside]
posted by goatdog at 5:54 PM PST - 7 comments

A breast ultrasound turned up something suspicious. I'm scheduled for a core needle biopsy about a month from now. Should I try to get a referral elsewhere, or should I just take a deep breath and chill out? [more inside]
posted by kutsushita nyanko at 4:59 PM PST - 17 comments

In the last 3-4 days I wooshed by a Tweet that I neglected to bookmark. It linked to an article on giving advice, and said something along the lines of "giving advice communicates that we are more important and knowledgeable as the recipient, we see them as less" and it may have use the phrase "the tyranny of advice." Please help me find the tweet or article! Thanks.
posted by mecran01 at 4:55 PM PST - 6 comments

I watched Clara and the Tardis, and my first reaction was /I've heard that sound effect before, in /. Star Trek: The Voyage Home. Some of the beeps that the TARDIS (at 10-25s in) makes are recognizably the sound effects in the Trek clip, (at 10-15s) What is the origin of that sound effect? (and where is the full sample available?)
posted by oonh at 4:30 PM PST - 3 comments

Would Spanish Jews have sought refuge in Parma and when forced out have gone to Odense? Would they be called Dionysius? A new family tree has appeared. Does Parman mean anything beyond Parma for an immigrant with a history behind him or would people be given the name of their town at birth?
posted by parmanparman at 4:15 PM PST - 7 comments

We just bought our first house and it's important to us that we introduce ourselves to our new neighbors and get things started off on the right foot. Besides providing them with our contact info and such we'd like to include a small gift of some sort and are looking for ideas! [more inside]
posted by unus sum at 4:10 PM PST - 25 comments

My planner has each day divided into three sections. Obviously you can use them for morning, noon, and night, but that doesn't always make sense for my day. What are some other ways you divide your lists?
posted by chaiminda at 4:02 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm in the process of relocating from Phoenix to Columbus, OH. I'd like to spend the month of November house hunting (Yup. I know the market's crazy). Is Landing an option? [more inside]
posted by simonelikenina at 3:48 PM PST - 1 comment

After repeatedly hearing people pronounce the name of the street where I work differently (Vesey St. in Manhattan), I decided to look it up. Wikipedia says ("VEE-zee"). Great. But other sites that seem less reputable give a different answer, and apparently the original Dutch pronunciation would be different. The street is named after a person, so presumably the correct pronunciation is how he pronounced his name, right? Or could it nonetheless change over time? Is this a question for which there's a definitive answer and if so (for NYC) is there an authoritative source of info? More generally, are there street or place names that have multiple accepted pronunciations?
posted by slide at 3:24 PM PST - 22 comments

what kind of moth is this? [more inside]
posted by One Thousand and One at 3:15 PM PST - 5 comments

When I get a new book these days, I read it almost immediately--even if it's not something I'm super into (like a well-meaning but misguided gift). But when I think about reading one of the dozens of books I haven't read yet that are already sitting on my shelf, I can't bring myself to crack them open. [more inside]
posted by Bambiraptor at 2:26 PM PST - 17 comments

Headed to philadelphia for the weekend with 2 adult friends. What are some standout activities or places we should check out? [more inside]
posted by wowenthusiast at 12:50 PM PST - 18 comments

My sister wants to make a TikTok or Reels series called "Rating figures from movies and TV". We need specific scenes where a data visualization is featured. So, Metafilter: can you think of any memorable scenes where a character is using a diagram, chart, figure or infographic to make a point? [more inside]
posted by Municipal Hare at 12:39 PM PST - 29 comments

The front-loading washing machine in my new house has a moldy gasket (i.e. rubber door seal). Here's a picture. It's gross, it smells, and it's presumably a health hazard. This seems like a pretty bad case. Will replacing the gasket ($300 or so) solve this problem, or is it likely to have metastasized into the entire thing such that the entire washer is a lost cause? I would prefer to repair the gasket rather than replace the entire washer, but I would also prefer not to waste my time and money. [more inside]
posted by caek at 12:10 PM PST - 10 comments

I've created a casting notice for my musical. I've gone to https://groups.io/g/pdxbackstage and opened an account. If I understand the instructions, all I need to do is post the notice to the email address, pdxbackstage@groups.io, and the notice will appear to its members. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind at 11:46 AM PST - 2 comments

Should I neutralize the stink in a wet subfloor now, or wait until the stink dries? [more inside]
posted by mibo at 11:40 AM PST - 7 comments

I used a new credit card for the first time at a small restaurant. There was a fraudulent charge the day after. I haven't used the card anywhere else. Was the credit card leaked by the restaurant? [more inside]
posted by airmail at 11:10 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm first generation Taiwanese-American. My parents are conservative, I'm not. I've lived far away from them my entire adult life, which has enabled me to live my life according to my own values. During the pandemic, we started trying to improve our relationship with weekly calls; their response to my opening up about my life has generally been horrified worry and confusion. Most recently, I accidentally revealed that I had a tattoo in our last call, and both my parents were extremely hurt - my mother left the room crying. Our values are so different that I don't need or want their approval, but I hate the fact that my choices hurt and worry them, and I feel guilt for living so far away from them and not being a part of their lives. In general, I feel that I've sacrificed my relationship with them for my lifestyle, and I don't know how to navigate this - the American side of me thinks that I should stand up for myself, but the Taiwanese side of me thinks that I've been pretty selfish. I don't really know which side of me is right, at the moment. Can you suggest resources (doesn't have to be Taiwanese-American specific) to help me have some perspective on this?
posted by rhythm and booze at 10:23 AM PST - 17 comments

My food routine has a weird gap that feels easy to fix but isn't. Various small snowflakes inside. [more inside]
posted by Nieshka at 7:14 AM PST - 28 comments

I have been doing group psychodynamic therapy for 4 years and I feel it is helpful. Equally there are certain issues, some of which I have raised here (see previous posts for details) for which I desperately feel I want to talk to an individual therapist about. I really do not want to leave group therapy but my group therapist has previously said you should only ever do one therapy at a time. [more inside]
posted by Sunflower88 at 7:03 AM PST - 14 comments

Help me figure out what song I'm thinking of. Having trouble googling. I saw it in a movie or a show (probably streaming) and the only lyrics I can remember are "over and over and over" (and those might be the only lyrics). It's really upbeat, not a sad song. And it's playing while the main characters are prepping something I think?
posted by one4themoment at 6:50 AM PST - 7 comments

I have been working as a paralegal for 3 years, but in an unusual legal area. I think it's time for me to get some actual book-learnin' on being a paralegal and change areas. I want to attend an online school and come out of it with a paralegal certificate and some confidence that I know what the hell I'm doing, taught by someone other than myself. [more inside]
posted by fiercecupcake at 6:41 AM PST - 2 comments

Looking for advice on how to cope with non-responses from a pretty large number of friends at the same time, and how to best reframe/move forward. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 6:24 AM PST - 27 comments

Thank you! I need an accountant to do my US tax. Someone kind, gentle and competent would be wonderful!
posted by The Last Sockpuppet at 4:45 AM PST - 3 comments

Do conspiracy theorists sincerely believe their own nonsense? It seems to me that they have to know, on some level, that they're full of shit. (I don't know how one would measure this empirically – but if there have been attempts to approach the question from that angle, that's the kind of answer I would prefer.) [more inside]
posted by escape from the potato planet at 4:29 AM PST - 38 comments

I need to ask my neighbors for help mitigating their new very bad for me dryer scent. Help! We’re friendly but not friends and I very much believe that approaching this in the right way will resolve it, as we have worked things out in a neighborly fashion for well over a decade now. I just don’t know how to approach something this delicate and thinking about it makes me want to curl up and die from embarrassment. [more inside]
posted by Bottlecap at 12:05 AM PST - 18 comments

I have a 2013 MacBook Air that’r running Mojave and I want to upgrade to Big Sur, which won’t install because it requires installation on drive using APFS, and I’ve been unable to convert my current harddrive to this filesystem. [more inside]
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:42 PM PST - 3 comments

We're planning to relocate to Portland soon for my spouse's new job. We will ultimately be buying a house, and would like some help narrowing down the search locations. [more inside]
posted by bluloo at 10:31 PM PST - 16 comments

If everything falls into place, my good friend will be getting married in Vienna in about 10 days. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:23 PM PST - 4 comments

I am looking to take an online course to learn SQL with business applications. I know a little bit, but I would like a course that goes deeper and has hands on examples with large / semi-realistic datasets (vs. really small illustrative tables). Recommendations? [more inside]
posted by ellerhodes at 7:57 PM PST - 4 comments

After two plus decades without one, I suddenly find myself with a best friend, or at least someone with real potential to become a best friend. But I keep getting my feelings hurt by her...what exactly is the deal here? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:52 PM PST - 47 comments

My sibling moved to a small town with their partner and has been mentioning some concerns about their partner's mental health. I worry they are taking too much of a burden on themselves when their partner may need professional treatment, and that they are becoming ever more isolated. How can I best help my sibling? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:46 PM PST - 7 comments

My father-in-law, who lives with my sister-in-law, is on a strict renal diet and refuses to cook for himself (I know...). My SIL has been cooking all his meals, and that's going fine...except she's understandably exhausted. We're looking to help from afar, and a meal delivery service was her first request. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by fillsthepews at 1:45 PM PST - 12 comments

I may have learned about it here somewhere in the dark, distant past. The basic concept was that you had circles. Each circle could be a different size and color. In each circle, you had sub-circles, for sub-tasks, steps to take, etc. I can't find it in my bookmarks or on Google. It was pretty old-school feeling Hope me?
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 12:15 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm looking for popular culture depictions of humans traveling to outer space before Armstrong and Aldrin's Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. [more inside]
posted by nantucket at 12:09 PM PST - 27 comments

I would like to give my son and his girlfriend an epic experience/vacation for my son's 30th birthday (which falls between Christmas and New Year's). They are healthy and like to hike and camp, like art, cultural and natural history museums, like dancing and drinking and smoking hookah. This experience would need to last seven days or less, and cost $2k or less everything included. They live in Portland. OR, USA and both are fully vaxxed and have passports. I will of course run the thing by them both before I actually book anything. I am hoping you can suggest offbeat, amazing experiences and vacation ideas. Thanks for any suggestions!
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 12:07 PM PST - 10 comments

Due to past workplace abuse, I have been medically diagnosed with Complex-PTSD. I have found myself in another untenable situation at work, which has sparked a slew of triggers for that PTSD. Should I quit, like right now? [more inside]
posted by chatelaine at 10:59 AM PST - 21 comments

I moved from one remote job to another, and I'm having trouble feeling socially connected and productive. Ideas? [more inside]
posted by redlines at 10:10 AM PST - 6 comments

I LOVE reading about drama. What are some good, interesting, funny and intelligent written takes on dust-ups between people on the internet? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 10:08 AM PST - 26 comments

I'm doing the scenic Delaware River Route 97 drive next weekend. What should I make sure to not miss? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 9:32 AM PST - 5 comments

I'd love to query the hive mind for ideas about how to cover up a small, narrow glass door that leads out to a terrace. [more inside]
posted by shelle at 9:27 AM PST - 9 comments

I miss using tn3270 apps like old university library catalogs and such. Is there a way for me to share this experience by creating modern web apps, where the forms have the look and feel of tn3270? Possibly some kind of javascript/css framework?
posted by Galaxor Nebulon at 9:05 AM PST - 7 comments

I want to carry real food on outdoor adventures that can go without refrigeration for up to 24 hours (assume I'll have a base camp with refrigeration for resupply at 24-hour intervals). I've already got stuff like Clif bars, nuts, and dried fruit, and those are fine, but I need some variety and am looking for some recipes I can make at home. [more inside]
posted by adamrice at 8:54 AM PST - 24 comments

I’ve been self-employed for about a month, and am… floundering. [more inside]
posted by sucre at 8:36 AM PST - 6 comments

A moderated discussion forum I frequent offers free, or nearly free, engagement (reading, writing, conversation, community) as core services. But long-term changes in internet advertising and the rise of social media have radically decreased profitability and the user base. Since no business lasts long without a reliable user base, some growth is crucial for long-term stability. Management’s access to resources and manpower is limited, and they likely have no particular social media expertise. What are some easy, creative, economical steps they could integrate into their routines to help build a larger user base with social media? [more inside]
posted by Violet Blue at 8:09 AM PST - 14 comments

What might be less of a target: a vacant, unoccupied home or a furnished occupied home? What things can we do to make an unoccupied period be less anxious for, us future residents? [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 7:13 AM PST - 19 comments

What new subwoofer? [more inside]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:27 AM PST - 6 comments

I just finished Joy Williams' new novel Harrow. In the last section of the book, Kafka's story "The Hunter Gracchus" play a big part. I've read the story, but I'd love to read more about the writing of it. Can anyone point me to some online resources? I want to explore how Kafka's life fits into that story, if the story is inspired by an earlier myth, and the fragmented nature of the story.
posted by mermaidcafe at 11:29 PM PST - 2 comments

In a crisis, some people freeze, some people stay calm and are able to issue instructions, and some are able to just follow instructions. What sorts of generalized training/practice is there for a non-first responder/member of the military to gain that skills in being one of the ones who retains their full reason and mental capacities? (CW: suicide attempt description in the expanded section) [more inside]
posted by Hactar at 10:19 PM PST - 23 comments

Help me remember a movie with a tooth-cellphone scene. [more inside]
posted by keeo at 8:33 PM PST - 4 comments

The legal description of a piece of property in California reads: "Beginning on the Northern line of Broadway at a Station from which the point of intersection of said line with the Western line of [cross street] ..." with compass directions and distances based off that. What defines the line in 'Northern line' and 'Western line'? Is it the edge of the sidewalk adjoining the property? That's what it appears to be on the local GIS web image, but that site's disclaimer says "accurate within five to ten feet".
posted by anadem at 8:07 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm a newly-minted high school drama director and am choosing two plays for February and May. No musicals this year. I've read a metric boatload of plays but can't quite find the one that really lights me up all the way. Please help me find something in my sweet spot. [more inside]
posted by argybarg at 7:48 PM PST - 25 comments

A buyer has purchased a phone from me on Swappa. The requested name for shipping is listed in the format "First Last A01-234567". What is this number after the first name? Is it suspicious or a form of identification I've never encountered? [more inside]
posted by mr_bovis at 6:43 PM PST - 5 comments

I have pretty severe mental illness that so far has not responded to any of the normal types of treatment. I'm functional, but miserable, and this is lifelong--started when I was 20, I'm now 47. My diagnoses are grief disorder, CPTSD, and schizoid. [more inside]
posted by Violet Hour at 2:19 PM PST - 28 comments

Someone is fly-tipping mixed rubbish into our bins which are meant to be separated for recycling (UK, Scotland) - what is the best method to stop them? [more inside]
posted by Flitcraft at 1:40 PM PST - 4 comments

Remember the sitcom trope? The one where the character accidentally sets up two dates at the same time? He went back and forth between the two dates. It never went well for that character. I have 2 interviews fortunately on accident with my dream company. One job I really want & the other, I would take it to get into the company. The 2nd is a great job but in my old field. My interest is much less for #2. [more inside]
posted by Che boludo! at 1:17 PM PST - 7 comments

Found a house I'd like to rent, but it's old and the noise from the busy road is really, REALLY loud. Would it be possible to do anything about this? [more inside]
posted by waffleriot at 12:42 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm planning a solo trip to California the second week in November to decompress after a particularly stressful few months. I don't want to stay in a large city, and am not sure which of the beautiful towns on or near the coast would be best. [more inside]
posted by GoldenEel at 11:58 AM PST - 17 comments

On Benny Goodman's famous Carnegie Hall 1938 recording, there is occasionally a voice or sound that sounds like someone going "yehhehehhh," most often during vibraphone segments. Who is this person/goat/recording artifact? [more inside]
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 11:34 AM PST - 8 comments

Spouse and I - mid 30s - have been married for a few years and have been monogamous. We are deciding to experiment with non-monogamy, have communicated a lot and agree on we want but we would like to learn more. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:28 AM PST - 14 comments

My longtime master craftsman watch repairman has passed away. (Chris, of Chris Watch Repair). He was the guy jewelry shops sent their repairs to, then charged you a markup. I need to get a mechanical watch repaired. Have you used someone who wasn’t Chris to get a good repair at a fair price?
posted by hwyengr at 10:22 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm looking for the best, freshest, carefully roasted, best, best nuts. Also, funky nuts. [more inside]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:12 AM PST - 11 comments

I live in the UK near a rookery (nesting site of rooks). I've seen rooks on 5+ occasions in the last week flying around with twigs. Could they really be building nests now in preparation for next spring or is something else going on?
posted by Lucy_32 at 5:23 AM PST - 11 comments

Have you ever worked for a large (250+ people) organization that just did an amazing job at internal communications? If yes -- what did they do and why did it work? [more inside]
posted by Shepherd at 5:21 AM PST - 10 comments

I would like to eat less so that I can lose weight and save money. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:59 PM PST - 37 comments

Can you recommend intentional communities focused on place-based sustainability (aka "back to the land") and community-building features like group dinners and cooperative childcare systems, or regular cities or towns with a lot of that influence? I'm based in northern California now but would be willing to relocate.
posted by slidell at 11:15 PM PST - 18 comments

Our ice maker is broken, and since we don't need an entire new fridge, we need at least a couple trays for occasional use. Also big cubes for scotch. [more inside]
posted by lemonade at 9:16 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm looking for a list of tropes in children's books tropes. I've asked for examples of books using specific tropes or plot points in the past. Now I'm looking for a master list of similar kinds of tropes. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:59 PM PST - 11 comments

My sister and BIL, both over 65, thought that they had signed up for the Fluzone High-Dose seasonal influenza vaccine. Instead, they were given the regular shot. Is there anything they can do to increase their protection? Can they get the over-65 shot after having been given the vaccine for under 65?
posted by cyrreb at 6:53 PM PST - 4 comments

I am thinking of being involved with a nonprofit curating some pages for them online. I would like to see their financials to get an idea of how the it being run and if it is worth my involvement. Where would I go to find this information? Guidestar looks to be the answer. It is also expensive. Looking for other low-cost options
posted by goalyeehah at 6:12 PM PST - 9 comments

I am researching how grassroots communities grow up and become real when new demands are placed on them. Two examples might be the Linux Foundation (originally a student computing project) or the League Of American Bicyclists (19th c. advocates for good roads). I am interested in organizations that form in spite of their grassroots counterparts, for example when a community organization resists the needs of its new members and they circumvent it to form something larger and more organized. What are examples of such counter-orgs?
posted by migurski at 6:04 PM PST - 8 comments

Is there a US based delivery service for kitty litter? Absorbent snowflakes within! [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 3:46 PM PST - 19 comments

Help me brainstorm a variety of possible family-centered Christmas celebrations. [more inside]
posted by metasarah at 3:33 PM PST - 12 comments

Went on a couple of dates with someone. It was pretty obvious that things weren't going to work out. I asked him to come over to my place and he declined saying that he didn't feel chemistry and is ok with being friends. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:10 PM PST - 21 comments

After I married, for some reason I can't quite figure out, men became much more attracted to me? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:10 PM PST - 28 comments

Has anyone had experiences with the Modern Mystery School? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:08 PM PST - 4 comments

What should I learn if I'm interested into breaking into data analyst roles in the nonprofit space? [more inside]
posted by geegollygosh at 2:55 PM PST - 17 comments

Around 5 to 10 minutes of showering, a sewer gas smell starts to come out of the shower drain. There's no detectable smell before turning on the water and it goes away after a short while after turning off the water (but not instantly). What could be causing this and how do I fix it? [more inside]
posted by WhollyMatrimony at 2:31 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm searching for the current location of this address, listed in Adolph Lehmann's directory circa 1928. This was my family's tailoring shop and I'd like to visit its former location. I suspect it was located in Leopoldstadt or thereabouts, but am having trouble making out the name of this street and finding it on a map. I'm not a native German speaker, so maybe this is obvious to someone who is? Here's the close-up of the address. Here's the page from Lehmann's directory
posted by Miss T.Horn at 2:17 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm waching the English dubbed version of Squid Game on Netflix, and the dialogue is distracting me because it is so offputting, and I can't figure out why. [more inside]
posted by archimago at 2:10 PM PST - 13 comments

I bought a LaCie external hard drive because I was under the impression for some reason that I would be able to transfer files directly from my phone to my hard drive without any intermediary computer or anything, and then access them via the drive without a computer as well. I was apparently wrong. Does what I’m looking for exist? I hope I’ve explained it well enough.
posted by jitterbug perfume at 1:50 PM PST - 13 comments

I want to write more, but my inner critic makes it really hard. Are you someone who learned (or taught yourself) to write bad first drafts? How did you do it? [more inside]
posted by synecdoche at 1:21 PM PST - 26 comments

Fruit growing on trees right by a stream that is also a storm sewer. Yea or Nay? [more inside]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:05 PM PST - 6 comments

I would really like to have reliable wi-fi on our screened porch (and in the breakfast nook as well). But alas, this does not happen and I'm not sure what I need to do to make it all better. Can you help? [more inside]
posted by DrGail at 12:43 PM PST - 8 comments

I work on an HP laptop. Work uses zimbra webmail that I access via Outlook. I send a lot of pdf-attachments. But every week or two I press send and then I check my sent mail and the attachment is no longer there. WHY??? [more inside]
posted by Omnomnom at 12:29 PM PST - 8 comments

I live in Toronto. My parents are visiting me from the US next weekend, and I’d like to take them out for dinner on Thanksgiving (Oct 11 in Canada this year). Where’s a good place that can meet some snowflakey requirements? [more inside]
posted by Ryon at 11:50 AM PST - 11 comments

It's (going to be) that time of year again, where I find gifts for people who already have everything. Recommend me some good nonfiction books from this year or last (but not too good, or they'd already own them). _{*or something else I can give them; clever solutions welcome} Also, feel free to weigh in on whether you find these posts useful or not. [more inside]
posted by queen anne's remorse at 10:59 AM PST - 24 comments

I find the holiday season very stressful. Let's just say it, I have come to hate Christmas. Advice for dealing with family dynamics/ maintaining mental health during the holiday season? [more inside]
posted by jschu at 10:38 AM PST - 25 comments

Just a simple question: I want to kill my lawn, and avoid doing the difficult work of using a sod cutter (like I did with a large section this year). So, can I successfully kill my lawn by laying down landscaping fabric now and leaving it there until Spring? [more inside]
posted by kitcat at 10:34 AM PST - 25 comments

My pre-teen son and his friends play a lot of video games (Roblox, Minecraft, Genshin Impact), mostly watch anime shows (My Hero Academia, Bleach, Dragon Ball Super) and watch a lot of YouTubers (Mr. Beast, Sebee, Preston, etc.). Are there good black/African-American YouTubers that could be entertaining for these guys? [more inside]
posted by Second Song at 10:09 AM PST - 4 comments

I've been getting back into anime and manga, but have been doing so in a vacuum. Would love to find more fans online, but japanese media fans can be...you know... [more inside]
posted by wooh at 8:28 AM PST - 3 comments

Who will walk me through the valley of printer shopping? [more inside]
posted by MiraK at 7:55 AM PST - 12 comments

I'm looking for more examples of construction themed art. Work similar to Nida Sinnokrot, Cyprien Gaillard, Wim Delvoye [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 7:22 AM PST - 7 comments

PDX/Oregon: A friend is being told they're obligated to pay a lease break fee, when Iiterally just signing a lease within a week, and may need to break for emergency. Less than reasonable. [more inside]
posted by firstdaffodils at 7:16 AM PST - 13 comments

I was curious about waist circumference increasing as we age and found the official explanation below, but I'm skeptical. I'm interested in hearing people's direct experience in the real world--does everyone's waist size (for pants, belts) always go up (assuming you're able keep BMI constant)? Thanks. [more inside]
posted by Jon44 at 3:48 AM PST - 19 comments

I would like to visit a lighthouse (or at least see one in person). My spouse and I plan to take a train trip next year. Please help me combine these. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 9:33 PM PST - 16 comments

Hi everyone. I’m 37 years old and I’m wondering if it is too late to become an artist. I went to art college but got into graphic design. Now that I’m older, I regret not exploring drawing and painting more. I realize now that I need something more full filling in my life and design does not cut it anymore. Is it too late for me? Where do I start? How do I find my own voice, my own self expression?
posted by red47Apple at 8:14 PM PST - 30 comments

I had a potted plant (pothos) and left it outside, at which point it got sunburned/too hot and lost all of its leaves. I brought it inside and it continued to grow, sprouting leaves from the end, but no regrowth where the dead leaves had been. This was about 8 months ago. Last week I repotted it into a larger pot (it was very rootbound) and - almost overnight - new leaves are sprouting from the spots in the stem where the leaves had died 8 months ago! What happened?! [more inside]
posted by rogerroger at 7:14 PM PST - 4 comments

Hello, my wife was recently diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. We have heard good things about Chemothermia in Istanbul, Turkey. If you have had experience with this facility, either your self or a friend or relative, we would love to hear your take, good or bad. If you do not have first hand knowledge, please refrain from commenting. Thank you!
posted by bobbyno at 6:35 PM PST - 0 comments

Was driving today behind an SUV with a Trump sticker, a Q-Anon rabbit decal, one of those distorted skulls that represent right-wing LEO/military shit, and a large decal of clouds with lightning bolts coming down out of them. (Couldn't get a picture safely.) It was cartoony and icon-ish, like if it weren't with all those other decals I would have assumed it was an SUV belonging to a meteorologist. But given the context, I have to assume that it's some kind of right-wing nonsense. Anyone know details or more info around this?
posted by mccxxiii at 6:34 PM PST - 8 comments

Any idea what kind of spider this is? It was spinning a pretty large web in Bethesda, Md. I politely relocated it away from the screaming children, but would love to know if it's just a creepy looker or a scary biter?
posted by atomicstone at 5:33 PM PST - 11 comments

I am looking to create a small compendium of contemporary thought for myself. As a guide, I think of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. The list infers that clinics and hospitals of all nations should have all of them and most medicine cabinets should have at least a few of them. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind at 4:16 PM PST - 6 comments

I lost my (RealID) CA license. I paid to replace it online like the website directed me to do. But it's illegal to drive without a physical license ,and all I have is my renewal receipt. What docs do I need to take to the DMV to get a temp license? [more inside]
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 2:24 PM PST - 9 comments

Looking for a trans-friendly psychiatrist in Boston area for college student. Highly preferable if the office is accessible via train line. [more inside]
posted by dancinglamb at 12:43 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking for Podcasts (all the podcasts) that will be discussing and covering the Pandora Papers this week. [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 12:40 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm thinking it's time to move up from the solder sucker to something more professional. Solder guns with a vacuum built in look interesting, but never having used one I'm not sure what to look for. Suggestions would be gratefully received.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:27 AM PST - 14 comments

My 1-year-old finds the song "Little Potato" by Metamora very calming. Are there other hammered dulcimer songs that sound like this, ideally on Spotify? Most of the hammered dulcimer music I find seem much more like dance numbers than lullabies and are less calming. Some of the other music by Metamora or Malcolm Dalglish or searching for [hammered dulcimer lullabies] Spotify is OK but is still not quite the same and I'm looking for more.
posted by grouse at 11:21 AM PST - 4 comments

I never use my gas grill because I'm always afraid of it blowing up in my face when I light it. But a charcoal grill is terrible for the air and takes too long. Is there any way to make me a confident griller? Maybe a way to light it from a very great distance?
posted by HotToddy at 10:42 AM PST - 26 comments

We've come to the realization that we're probably a little allergic to down (or, at least, to the old down and dust mite cocktail in our existing duvets), and as things cool off in the northern US we'd like to replace them with something that won't cause us to wake up with crusty noses and eyes. [more inside]
posted by pullayup at 8:42 AM PST - 8 comments

Pauline, my 98 year old friend, has lost her walking ability; she's well but frail. She's been stuck in her small mobile home for months and is desperate to get outside (into her wheelchair) but there are half a dozen steps for a three foot height drop. How can she get out? [more inside]
posted by anadem at 8:02 AM PST - 19 comments

I've got some old Audio Unit plugins that GarageBand and Audacity (among others) have a problem with. I get "Registry error Please ensure this product has been installed properly" whenever I start GarageBand but I have no idea which plugin it's complaining about. [more inside]
posted by tommasz at 7:55 AM PST - 5 comments

I have granite countertops and a crappy stainless steel sink. I want to replace it with a farm sink from IKEA. [more inside]
posted by shaarog at 7:53 AM PST - 1 comment

Is there a book called Ellen's Eyes by a writer named David Scott? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee at 6:39 AM PST - 10 comments

My home-made pizzas turn out fairly well, with one glaring exception: The center of the pizza often becomes a soggy lake about 2 inches in diameter. [more inside]
posted by schrodycat at 6:39 AM PST - 28 comments

There's an old crappy retaining wall made of concrete blocks leading to my basement. I need to do something about it but not sure what. Anyone have experience with this sort of minor construction that can help me? [more inside]
posted by jeremias at 6:01 AM PST - 2 comments

Have you ever lived in a basement? And did you have baseboard heaters that along the walls or a heater on the wall (like a Mitsubishi wall mount)? [more inside]
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 4:58 AM PST - 10 comments

My history of not great blood donation experiences has turned into utter failure. Help! [more inside]
posted by obfuscation at 4:53 AM PST - 19 comments

I have looked high and low, Google and Bing for this animated feature I remember from my childhood in Europe, in the 1980s. Maybe you saw it too and already found it? More details inside. [more inside]
posted by sol2k at 4:26 AM PST - 2 comments

I am interested in articles, blogs, etc that talk about the value of emotional detachment as an affirming, healthy endeavor rather than an unhealthy coping mechanism. The target audience for these writings is more likely to be people that feel too much who want to move the needle closer to the middle, versus people who are already detached singing the praises of stuff that comes naturally to them. [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 11:57 PM PST - 6 comments

We have a home with a pellet stove. I'd like to switch it out for a wood stove. The pellet stove has a round outlet for smoke and toxic gas. Is this the same as a chimney or do I need to build a chimney?
posted by arnicae at 7:33 PM PST - 9 comments

In this futilitycloset.com article entitled Court Order, a character in Ken Follett's novel The Pillars of the Earth explains the preferred area relationship between a small courtyard and its surrounding covered arcade, and how to create it. Is there a text or tradition which documents the historical use of this area relationship?
posted by Jackson at 6:13 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm continuing to work through my codependent habits, and after taking a break from dating for 5+ years, I did a bit of dating and am finding that I need some quick and easy go-to resources for getting my thinking back on track. [more inside]
posted by retrofitted at 5:54 PM PST - 5 comments

My wife will be changing her name on Monday. I would like to celebrate by getting a cake. What clever, witty, hopeful inscription would you suggest? [more inside]
posted by photovox at 3:53 PM PST - 17 comments

Any recommendations for a simple floor plan and furniture layout website/app for creating a plan for a new house that's an improvement over graph paper and scissors? [more inside]
posted by unus sum at 3:14 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking for an immersive RPG game with a huge world to explore. What I really want is to wipe Dragon Age Inquisition out of my memory so I can start it again without knowing anything about it. I've seen this post but the suggestions given there are not really what I want. I've got Witcher 3 in my Steam cart but I'm hesitating - is it more Skyrim or Dragon Age? How does it stack up against my very long, detailed wishes below? [more inside]
posted by buildmyworld at 2:44 PM PST - 23 comments

i'm back to a fairly high level of athletic activity, yay! except this time i'm in my 30s, not a teenager, and I feel pretty sore a lot of the time, oof! what should I know about general body care/wellness playing sports in my 30s? [more inside]
posted by elephantsvanish at 1:19 PM PST - 7 comments

We have a prickly pear cactus in a potter on our front stoop. How can we move this thing without getting stuck a thousand times? [more inside]
posted by cyclopticgaze at 12:41 PM PST - 14 comments

We'll be in Portland, Maine (not Oregon!) this week and because of COVID are hoping to find restaurants with outdoor seating, so we don't have to eat takeout in a park every day twice a day. We like all kinds of food but lean toward inexpensive hearty food for every-day eating vs fancy meals. Any recommendations? Also, any must-see or must-do things, or anything fun going on this week and next weekend in Portland, or within a 1 hour drive? [more inside]
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 12:10 PM PST - 13 comments

How do I completely delete files on an external NTFS drive using my Mac or Linux computers - I have to return a computer under warranty but I have security concerns. [more inside]
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 11:58 AM PST - 9 comments

How can my neighbors and I send out impromptu announcements that inspire us to leave our chairs for quick walks during the workday? What's the optimal tech for this? [more inside]
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 11:42 AM PST - 8 comments

Where do I go to after taking him to the police station who then, after hearing his story, stated quite frankly that they thought he might be lying? He insists that he's not. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:31 AM PST - 26 comments

I'm traveling to NYC from another state. Do I bring my vaccine card with me to prove I'm vaccinated, or is a picture enough? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:28 AM PST - 6 comments

I have preferred cooking on gas stoves all my adult life. I recently bought a $30 countertop 120 V induction cooker as a novelty and have fallen completely in love with it to the point where I am considering replacing my gas stove with a full-size permanently-installed induction unit, but I have one major concern. My cheap countertop cooker has some shortcomings when operating at low power/heat settings, and I am wondering how the larger, more powerful, and more expensive units handle this type of operation. Extensive detail on the low-heat shortcomings I am wondering about is inside. [more inside]
posted by Juffo-Wup at 11:12 AM PST - 12 comments

I have GAD and am low-hanging fruit for Covid-related (and lots of other) fears. So, I’m almost always careful, emphasis on almost. I have a very low risk tolerance, and I try to act in ways that will make me less worried, regretful. Except when I don’t. I feel like I create anxiety-producing situations — as if my brain needs more — most recently during this just-okay haircut. Looking to hear others’ experiences with making a COVID-related choice that you were not happy with yourself for. [more inside]
posted by Lucy Goosie at 9:41 AM PST - 25 comments

Found a quote here and want the context of the quote. Was it an essay? An interview? A book? An episode? [more inside]
posted by otherchaz at 8:16 AM PST - 7 comments

I've been using Adobe Lightroom, on a Mac, for years but don't feel I get my money's worth, given my only occasional photography. I'm thinking of avoiding the monthly cost by moving my 15,000 photos to the Mac's Photos app. I haven't found much advice about how best to do it and wonder what problems I might overlook. [more inside]
posted by fabius at 7:45 AM PST - 3 comments

Specifically: is it replayable? [more inside]
posted by Spathe Cadet at 7:42 AM PST - 11 comments

I want to send money to someone's Chime account. I currently have Paypal and Venmo, but Googling questions like "how do I send money from Venmo to Chime" brings up advice on how one could send money from one's own Venmo to one's own Chime account. I want to send it between two different people (me to the Chime account holder.) [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:38 AM PST - 3 comments

I live in a 4 flat on Chicago's North Side, that was built in 1921. What kind of historical info could I find out about my building? Bear in mind that I have tons of experience with inept city everything, and am not afraid to stand for painful amounts of time in an obscure office with obstinate clerks to gain info. I'm unsure though about WHAT I could find out - past residents? Citations against the building through time? Disputes with the city? What is possible to discover, and how?
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:23 AM PST - 13 comments

I began playing woodwind instruments (primarily flute) as an adult (mid-university) five years ago. I am competent, and play in several community ensembles (or did until COVID came through...). But in a particular respect I remain frustrated - I have no close musical relationships with individual people (eg, bands, or honestly anybody to discuss musical concepts with in an informal way). I would like this kind of relationship in my life. How did it occur for you? [more inside]
posted by solarion at 4:59 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm a vegetarian, but I'm trying to cook some lamb for my kid. Can you please tell me whether it will turn out okay and, if not, whether I can do anything to save it? [more inside]
posted by kinddieserzeit at 4:20 AM PST - 7 comments

I don't have a penis. My penis-having partner rarely uses the actual hole in his boxer shorts to pee through and instead just undoes his pants/fly and pushes his waistband down, whether he's at a public urinal or at home. I asked him if other people do this and he didn't know ("I never look!") which made sense, but now I'm curious. Do you use the hole in your underwear to pee through, or just end-run it in some other way. Do you have a sense of whether others do this?
posted by anonymous at 11:42 PM PST - 52 comments

Can anyone recommend a private smear test provider in London (UK) for someone with trauma? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:41 PM PST - 3 comments

Somewhere that I'm volunteering for needs my social security number for a background check. I'm hesitant about giving it out but I also would like to volunteer. What are the risks? Am I being overly paranoid?
posted by sheepishchiffon at 9:28 PM PST - 14 comments

I'd like to know how many people have received the various COVID vaccines (at least the ones available in the US). I have a friend that is vaccine hesitant but it's starting to interfere with their life (can't go to big concerts without a recent test/can't eat inside a restaurant/etc.). I'd like some data to show them how them how many people have taken them and how many have recorded reactions. [more inside]
posted by downtohisturtles at 6:26 PM PST - 8 comments

Back in the early 90s when my brother was around 14, he went to live with some relatives who attempted to manage his behavior issues using a method that involved taking away all privileges and the child earning them back with acceptable behavior. [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:22 PM PST - 23 comments

I'm considering getting a manicure with some sort of artificial nail. I have questions. [more inside]
posted by hilaryjade at 5:19 PM PST - 15 comments

What are some great two player board games? Preferably ones that take under two hours and don’t have a massive rulebook. Equally interested in luck vs skill, and especially games that become more interesting or fun the more times you play them. Most interested in games designed specifically for two people rather than games that kinda work ok with two but are better with more people. We love games where it could go either way right up until the end.
posted by Bottlecap at 4:59 PM PST - 23 comments

The hunt is on for this coffee table! Sleuths, detectives, people who enjoy a challenge. Can anyone find this coffee table (2nd hand or new) for sale online? [more inside]
posted by crewshell at 2:42 PM PST - 6 comments

I am a court reporter. This is what I heard: Ivollient (eye-vollient) milligrams. Googled 'til I'm Googled out. Knowing that "ivollient" may not even be close and that it could be more than one word, can you tell me what it actually is? Thanks.
posted by Emmaline at 2:41 PM PST - 14 comments

I just accepted a job offer at a company I am very excited to be moving to after interviewing with them for 3 months. The offer came yesterday morning, and was extremely comprehensive in terms of salary, benefits, stock option, etc. Initially I told the recruiter I would need the weekend to decide, but after speaking with her again today I decided I wanted to say yes to get the ball rolling. My parents feel this was a bad move and that I should have waited. Do you agree?
posted by Hermione Granger at 2:29 PM PST - 24 comments

I'd like to find a new job title that accurately represents my somewhat niche physical/digital technology position. I think Management would support any change that isn't too highfalutin... [more inside]
posted by lordcorvid at 1:53 PM PST - 4 comments

I am looking for examples of high functioning, inspiring teams/groups to inspire my....less high functioning team. Ideally, this team: works well together to accomplish hard tasks, the tasks are cognitive, not physical (so, no sports examples, please), and technology helps the team be so good. Nice to have: would be known and inspiring in many regions of the world, works under a lot of time pressure, and does not use magic or superpowers. Could be a specific team, a profession, or anything that we can aspire to be more like. Thank you!
posted by papergirl at 12:33 PM PST - 23 comments

I have recently become the manager of a team with a fairly significant history of disfunction and I am looking for ideas for short readings or videos that I can ask them to read/watch in advance of our day-long planning retreat later this month. One of the main challenges has been communication and information flow. Three weeks ago I started a 15-minute "daily huddle" meeting and the positive results are already palpable, but our overall cohesion is still a disaster. My directors are running meetings that are long and boring and without focus. I'd like to build on the daily huddle success and use part of the staff retreat to co-create a structure and rationale for how/when we meet and for what purpose. What specific resources can I share with them in advance to help frame this conversation? [more inside]
posted by TurkishGolds at 11:38 AM PST - 10 comments

We are trying to find a cotton short sleeve t-shirt that fully buttons down the front for someone who can not lift a shirt over their head. They can put their arms through sleeves and button up a shirt. [more inside]
posted by fies at 9:41 AM PST - 12 comments

Looking for recommendations for a lamp/projector I can put on the floor in the middle of my living room that will throw a nice night sky pattern on the walls and ceiling. DON'T want some cheesy 5-pointed-star-and-crescent-moon-thing. Extra points if it includes the Milky Way and is <=$50 (but will consider going higher). Thanks, y'all!
posted by ZenMasterThis at 9:23 AM PST - 11 comments

My renter's insurance (State Farm, in the US) covers potential theft of my bicycle. A few years ago, I bought a complete bike from a shop and kept the receipt as proof of its value. Now, I bought a separate frame with the intention of swapping parts from Bike A to Frame B. How do I document my "new" bike's worth? I have receipts for both Bike A and Frame B.
posted by btfreek at 9:17 AM PST - 5 comments

I am self employed. The last few years my income has been high, and I have bought health insurance directly (not through the ACA exchange). Next year I expect to have lower income. Can I get Obamacare subsidies? How? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 7:10 AM PST - 7 comments

Our family (wife and infant son) are semi reluctantly and quickly moving to a gentrifying DC neighborhood from post-gentrified Brownstowne Brooklyn. What are some great things about DC that you want to tell people moving there? I'd prefer to focus on the things you found great that were different and great or similar and great if you were coming from BK or similar areas. [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 6:55 AM PST - 18 comments

I'm doing some air travel later this month, and have a 3 hour layover at O'Hare. I tend to eat and drink during layovers in airports, and airport food and booze can be expensive. The United Club Pass is $50, and offers free drinks and food. I don't know what kind of drinks and food are offered in United Club Lounges, but I'm considering buying a Pass to save money. Is this a thing that would work?
posted by hippybear at 6:29 AM PST - 16 comments

I want a handheld vacuum cleaner with a long neck and a teeny head that I can use to remove dust from hard-to-reach places (computer keyboards, behind a radiatior, inside an old fan, etc). Amazon has a million options but they're all no-name brands with suspiciously positive reviews. And googling for "keyboard vacuum reviews" finds a bunch of dodgy websites that seem to mostly recycle Amazon reviews. Can anybody recommend a reliable model? (I'm in the UK.)
posted by yankeefog at 6:28 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm looking for recommendations / advice regarding how to handle physical mail when leaving the USA. [more inside]
posted by lazaruslong at 5:55 AM PST - 9 comments

Another UK car question. Just bought new insurance but I won't be covered for one hour in the early morning of the first day of cover. How worried should I be? [more inside]
posted by rd45 at 5:00 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm not sure what to do for the best. My car's MOT is about to run out (runs out on Sunday) and I won't be able to drive it anywhere apart from to the MOT test centre after that date. It's still taxed for a further month, and insured until July next year. I know I don't want/need this car anymore and mean to sell it. It's a pretty knackered old thing but due to its make/model it's still likely to sell relatively easily. I think it's unlikely to sail through its MOT but should pass without to much work being needed. [more inside]
posted by dance at 3:58 AM PST - 8 comments

About one day a week I have an opportunity to embarrass my wife (she walks home from work right under our balcony and I wait for her). [more inside]
posted by bbqturtle at 3:19 AM PST - 45 comments