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I'm feeling stuck in a rut / very bored with dealing with the same things over and over. To the extent that I feel like I've literally experienced everything here before. I want to de-rut, but I have some significant logistical options in the way. I'm hoping someone out there has a more creative answer than I've found. [more inside]
posted by mermaidcafe at 8:57 PM PST - 14 comments

Last week my daughter was hit by a car crossing the street in LA. She's in the hospital with multiple fractures and is looking at possibly months of rehabilitation. We need a recommendation for the best personal injury law firm in Los Angeles.
posted by Floydd at 5:34 PM PST - 1 comment

I've been baffled by all the hate on candy corn in the past decade. It's become a memeish thing, but I don't remember literally anyone hating on it since the turn of the millennium. I don't particularly love candy corn, but we all found it... acceptable? Certainly more so than those rock-solid peanut butter treats or root beer barrels or toothbrushes or tiny boxes of raisins, all the trick or treat scourges of the '70s and '80s. Is there some sort of etymology for how candy corn became so disliked in mainstream culture?
posted by eschatfische at 4:10 PM PST - 54 comments

I am looking for codes, policies or other documentation on data ethics, digital ethics, or ethics of ethics of artificial intelligence from any of these: [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 3:30 PM PST - 10 comments

I’m trying to find my 3x great-grandfather’s death certificate in Ancestry’s Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1969 and am having trouble finding it via their search function. I’ve searched his name, by surname only, by first name only and narrowed it to his death date and death year and have had no luck finding it. Are there any genealogists out there who can work their magic and find it and link it here for me? [more inside]
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:25 PM PST - 12 comments

I've had a couple Zoom job interviews lately and I've found it impossible to judge whether the managers seem like kind, competent people I can envision myself working well with. How do people assess first impressions as job candidates over Zoom? [more inside]
posted by eunique at 1:06 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm hoping to help my sister plant a small garden next spring (shrub/floral, NOT edibles), but we are both beginners. Seeking your recommendations and resources! [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 12:19 PM PST - 7 comments

Have there been cases where an institution eventually erased the name of an objectionable donor (from a building, name of a scholarship etc) and then had to return the donated funds to the canceled philanthropist or their foundation?
posted by ojocaliente at 11:07 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm on 5mg of escitalopram (generic) and when it works, it works SO well. I'd been on 10, but I found that 5 is plenty to keep my anxiety in check without too many side effects--I've been on it happily for about four years. Every once in awhile, though, I'll start a new bottle and basically go through withdrawal. It really feels like the efficacy changes from lot to lot. How can I convince the pharmacist that I'm not imagining things, and what are my best options to prevent this? [more inside]
posted by this roof at 9:38 AM PST - 13 comments

Yesterday I carved a pumpkin and carefully separated the seeds from the pulp. Then I left the seeds in a bowl on the table overnight by accident. Can I now roast and eat them or are they trash?
posted by bq at 9:09 AM PST - 10 comments

I was cheated on in my first relationship. I've had multiple relationships since without any fears related to infidelity, but for some reason, my latest relationship has been seriously triggering anxiety around being cheated on, and I'm trying to understand why that is and what I can do to prevent it from making me unhappy or screwing up the relationship. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:49 AM PST - 12 comments

Dr A suggests Treatment Plan X (surgery + 4 day stay), but the estimate is very high. I request and send Dr A's medical report + share my CT scans (533Mb) with another hospital: Dr B says I need 2 surgeries "based on my medical report". I don't understand why his assessment is so different, but the wording makes me think he didn't look at the CT scans, and I don't know what to do next. Bonus complexity: I'm not in my home country, and Dr B is in a different country from my current one. [more inside]
posted by my log does not judge at 6:17 AM PST - 8 comments

My son is interested in taking an edX "Learn Coding in 24 Weeks" bootcamp hosted by our state university. It costs $12,000 and earns a certificate. [more inside]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:27 AM PST - 20 comments

I'm thinking of buying a second-hand IKEA Karlstad sofa bed, and for various reasons won't be able to try it out first. It's a discontinued model so I'm finding reviews hard to find -- does anyone know how comfortable it is as a sofa? Other IKEA sofa bed suggestions are also helpful!
posted by caoimhe at 12:20 AM PST - 4 comments

I really barely use Facebook anymore to keep up with friends and such but I am still a part of some groups that exist only on Facebook so I still need to use it from time to time. [more inside]
posted by madonna of the unloved at 11:30 PM PST - 10 comments

I have seen lots of great science communication about how the Webb telescope was designed, built, launched into space, and unfolded. I have marvelled at the photos that have come back, but I'd like to know more about how the telescope has changed our understanding of science so far. What have they been prioritizing in the research so far, and have there been exciting and important results that advance our understanding of basic science, astrophysics, and the history of the universe?
posted by sindark at 9:30 PM PST - 4 comments

I have 3-4 days in mid-November to escape Washington DC for a bit. Where should I go? [more inside]
posted by inevitability at 8:00 PM PST - 9 comments

Title is a bit tongue in cheek, what with it being Halloween tomorrow and all. But yes, fundamentally, I've always been a night owl since high school (20+ years), sometimes sleeping as late as 6-7am and sleeping in as late as 3-4pm during college. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 7:27 PM PST - 24 comments

How do you deal when your partner can’t or won’t manage their blood sugar issues? [more inside]
posted by cotton dress sock at 6:53 PM PST - 28 comments

I brought something home from a local place. It's always been good -- until tonight. [more inside]
posted by intrepid_simpleton at 6:07 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm on the hunt for more crossword puzzles that are about as hard as a Saturday NYT or a Monday New Yorker. I already do the LAT and sometimes WSJ. Where are the other good — tough!!!!!! — x-words I can dig my nerdy teeth into? (I already know about the Times archive, and I'm not interested in cryptics.)
posted by Charity Garfein at 4:45 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm looking for books/stories about the journey of a protagonist who is incompetent and unskilled, puts in a lot of work, makes a ton of mistakes, and slowly and painfully gains skill and competence. Snowflake details below.. [more inside]
posted by Taro at 3:58 PM PST - 20 comments

My son is off to college next year, so am wanting to have a father/son road trip in the spring. We've both thoroughly enjoyed Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul, so I thought travel to Albuquerque (from WI) would be fun. Tips? [more inside]
posted by Twicketface at 2:44 PM PST - 8 comments

Can landlord require me to pay the fee for online rent payment? In NYC. [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 11:38 AM PST - 14 comments

I'm trying to find an anime I started watching back in the 1990s, but can't identify now. What I recall: 1) An opening scene involving a global crisis, the climax of which had a very sad mad scientist explaining why the world was doomed. 2) A shift to underwater scenes with relatively cheerful sharks. [more inside]
posted by doctornemo at 11:34 AM PST - 5 comments

Is there a very reliably leak-proof mug that's also microwave safe? I want to microwave my morning drink in the same cup it travels in. It seems like this must exist but the results of my Googling are inconclusive.
posted by CheeseLouise at 11:30 AM PST - 5 comments

Description and pics within! [more inside]
posted by LKWorking at 11:24 AM PST - 5 comments

Just purchased a high-end super-automatic coffee maker ( such as this ) and looking for some high-end beans. Are these guys any good? Any other suggestions? [more inside]
posted by jtothes at 11:22 AM PST - 13 comments

I know the answer is, every rom com ever, but not really. I’m looking for sweeping movies that feature heavy on the “we just like each other” and light on the contrived scenarios. Deets within. [more inside]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:17 AM PST - 18 comments

In a moment of extreme pain, my vision went out and I saw a very clear visual without any simultaneous or prior cognition. What was happening in my brain? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 10:38 AM PST - 9 comments

Impulsive spending is the biggest problem currently and it’s causing me serious problems. [more inside]
posted by chives at 10:37 AM PST - 14 comments

Many parents at my kids' large public elementary school in California think that the situation at pickup and drop-off is unsafe and unreasonable. The Principal categorically refuses to do anything unless forced, so appealing to her directly and/or through the PTA has not been successful. Is there some other state agency (like the local fire inspector, who was able to force her to have fire drills when she refused for a year) that I can get involved? [more inside]
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 9:52 AM PST - 21 comments

I’m looking to buy a toaster oven that doesn’t beep. For some reason, it was very easy to find a microwave that can be silenced, but I’m having a much harder time with toaster ovens. If there are none that can be completely silenced, I want one that makes a noise that isn’t too loud or high pitched. Thanks!
posted by wheatlets at 9:27 AM PST - 3 comments

Without any messy tools, how can I roughly measure the volume of glassware on the fly? [more inside]
posted by furnace.heart at 8:49 AM PST - 13 comments

For a piece of fiction, I'd like for for a character to hit "send" on an email and for delivery to be delayed (or denied). I also want this to be neither the sender's nor the recipient's fault. Is that realistic these days? If so, why would it happen?
posted by rouleur at 8:03 AM PST - 34 comments

I'm flying to KL for minor surgery and then I'll be there for 10 days. I won't be be incapacitated but I'd like to avoid the hassle of finding food in a new city 3x per day while recovering: what's a good central area to stay that'll minimize this issue - i.e. has easily accessible take-away food and supermarkets?
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 6:41 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm due to fly across the country in two days (Wednesday morning) to meet my remote boss and colleagues for the first time and participate in various team-building activities. This morning, to my delight, I woke up with a significant head cold -- but I took a test and it's not COVID. When you have COVID, it's generally very acceptable to cancel one's travel plans, but I'm struggling with what to do when it's "just" a regular cold. Traveling means putting everyone on the plane, and all my coworkers, at risk. Not traveling means disappointing my boss, and not participating in something that could very well have negative impacts on how I'm viewed by my team / on my near term career progression.
posted by Anonymouse1618 at 6:30 AM PST - 26 comments

One of our teens seems to have occasional reflux/heartburn and has a lot of trouble stopping the symptoms once they start. Any advice on how to cut off the suffering? [more inside]
posted by Mid at 5:41 AM PST - 15 comments

I am going to do a little user study, this is not my area of expertise. We will have a user, and observer, a camera, an eyetracker and more. Does my setup inside sound doable or is something obvious missing. [more inside]
posted by Iteki at 4:04 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm very short but am not legally disabled. How can I find tools that will make my life easier?Basic [more inside]
posted by pintapicasso at 12:54 AM PST - 9 comments

Help! I'm tired of being fat and poor. How do I lose weight while maximizing nutrition with very little money? [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 9:35 PM PST - 36 comments

So I have been happily using YouTube with an adblocker in a browser window for years. It looks like they have finally sussed out that people do this and are now going to block video playback unless I disable the adblocker or subscribe to YouTube Premium. Do I have other options that do not require a VPN or am I stuck with AdTube? [more inside]
posted by Athanassiel at 9:02 PM PST - 34 comments

I just knocked over a scented candle and it fell onto my dog’s bed (luckily he was not IN the bed or I’d have other, worse, things to worry about) but of course now I have dried wax: on his bed, on my area rug, on my couch. Please tell me there is an easy way to remove this. Also, his bed is new and it does not appear that the cover can come off.
posted by rhymedirective at 7:08 PM PST - 10 comments

I found a single Airpod in the case on my street today. Help me maximize the chance of reuniting this lonely airpod with its owner. [more inside]
posted by god hates math at 6:02 PM PST - 7 comments

Help me have a cozy winter where I don't have to tuck my phone into my bra when moving from room to room. [more inside]
posted by burntflowers at 5:43 PM PST - 11 comments

I have had a number of steroid shots in my life with no side effects. Five weeks ago I received a steroid shot in my shoulder due to persistent pain. The next day I found that my sense of taste had drastically changed for the worse. I can still recognize foods, but the tastes are odd and muted, and there is a chemical/metallic overtaste to everything. [more inside]
posted by Jackson at 4:44 PM PST - 4 comments

Our adopted mature cat Julius (cat tax) seems to want to play by tussling. How can we play with him in a way that will satisfy this need? Additional issue: other cat (cat tax) is a play hog. Snowflake details inside! [more inside]
posted by rednikki at 2:36 PM PST - 8 comments

My partner hasn't seen either. I've seen both. I'm "making" him watch one tonight. Which one?
posted by Saucywench at 1:46 PM PST - 14 comments

I regularly send my daughter money through Meta Pay (through Facebook Messenger) and have done for several years. This past week it has stopped working, but in a weird way. [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 1:35 PM PST - 8 comments

I have lots of nice fresh Halloween candy to give out, but I just discovered I also have a bunch of last year's Swedish fish and Sour Patch candy. They're all in their little individually sealed packets. Should I give them to trick-or-treaters, or toss them? [more inside]
posted by kristi at 1:31 PM PST - 11 comments

What to do during a 7+ hour late evening layover in Changi (~5:30pm - midnight)? Specifically, do we have to go through security to visit each of the terminals and the Jewel or are they all accessible once "airside"? Can you recommend activities or provide specific details? [more inside]
posted by amusebuche at 12:50 PM PST - 8 comments

Hello. I have just finished a two month period of heavy work (all computer based). I really enjoyed the work but I know it produced an unhealthy amount of tension, which I used to get through it—love that nervous energy! I'm living the consequences of that all now as I've achieved my goals and feel terrible in a way I'm not used to. I'm writing this to get a handle and sense check on my health and behaviours. [more inside]
posted by einekleine at 12:10 PM PST - 20 comments

Going to PV with a friend in feb. We are middle aged single women. Where should wr stay? [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 10:21 AM PST - 2 comments

Help me plan for an organised vegetable plot in 2024 with limited resources. [more inside]
posted by chives at 9:37 AM PST - 13 comments

I have a 5MB, 15 second .MP4 that I need to convert to a gif. All of the online tools I've used so far to do a conversion are yielding 2MB files or larger with crappy quality. Ideally I need something under 800KB. What can I try instead of ezGif, Canva, and Lottie?
posted by The Adventure Begins at 8:44 AM PST - 12 comments

I want to book a flight from the US to Canada on Air Canada, and the return trip on United, for cost reasons. I plan to buy the return ticket before travel, so I will have the return ticket available to show to Customs upon entering Canada. Is this generally accepted by Canadian Customs? Flights in and out of Canada are through Toronto YYZ. I'm a US citizen. I tried to search previous AskMe's but the tool wasn't working for me. Thanks for your help.
posted by happy_cat at 8:33 AM PST - 11 comments

I have a situation that I'm trying to understand around layoffs, potential disability discrimination and what to do. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:27 AM PST - 4 comments

I’m not sure why I’m in the situation I’m in right now. Maybe you can help. [more inside]
posted by antihistameme at 8:17 AM PST - 11 comments

You have failed me for the last time, perfmon. [force chokes perfmon] [more inside]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:45 AM PST - 4 comments

Looking for two Apple accessories: good Apple Watch Ultra watch bands; thinnest kickstand for iPhone 15 Pro Max. Snowflake details inside. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 7:38 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm looking for games which you can play in a browser by using your smartphone as a controller, but not in a button-mashing sense. I am aware of AirConsole, but it only transforms your smartphone into a gamepad. What will make me get off the couch and move without buying a Wii or Kinect or something else?
posted by gakiko at 7:09 AM PST - 2 comments

If I bake some basic chocolate muffins now, how do I keep them succulent and delicious for Halloween? (Yes, I am a fairly inexperienced baker)
posted by Omnomnom at 4:20 AM PST - 10 comments

I’m wondering if switching to Novavax instead of the latest, updated Pfizer dose would be better for overall protection. And would getting both be even better or overload?
posted by jras at 1:03 AM PST - 8 comments

My family likes jigsaw puzzles, but with quite specific parameters. What's the best/cheapest way for us to get our fix? [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:29 PM PST - 11 comments

I noticed on high DPI monitors sites will show up half the size, scaling doesn’t work, etc. I never liked media queries, it felt adaptive anyway but these are real problems. Setting queries based on pixels seems outdated and things that try to calculate pixel density, etc. feel hacky. Adding queries for every new device seems not manageable either. With the exception of things that change drastically (say nav), is this achievable? I’ve read quite a bit and would like a standard approach and also is relatable or some good guides for UX/UI and developers used to going to Figma and develop “pixel perfect?” [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 7:18 PM PST - 8 comments

I am a highly educated middle-aged person but I can't answer hardly any of the classic deck or even the 80s deck. [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:48 PM PST - 8 comments

Thinking about driving from Denver to Fairbanks via Banff next summer. Accompanying me will be Marley (anticipated tax) [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 6:35 PM PST - 9 comments

I can't quilt more than a couple of inches without bending my sewing machine needle and having to replace it. I bought special quilting needles and the first one lasted an inch. What happened???? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:23 PM PST - 27 comments

I want to get better at "regular" dancing: Like not learn salsa or ballroom or something - I want to be better at the regular kind of dancing people might typically do at a club or party or wedding. How do I do this? [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit at 4:28 PM PST - 16 comments

What is the average number of arms humans living in the United States have? Or how many Amerians have less than two arms? [more inside]
posted by Chrysopoeia at 3:45 PM PST - 6 comments

i have well over 1m delta miles, so delta flies there is the only rule. we have too many options. where should we go? approximately December 22nd - January 4th. two 40 something adults, 2 young teens. we live in Florida so beach and warm aren't requirements (but we aren't jonesing for cold either so consider environmental not a major factor). [more inside]
posted by chasles at 2:57 PM PST - 10 comments

We have welcomed a mxied-breed rescue dog to our family- any guesses on the breed mix? [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:05 AM PST - 30 comments

I'm going to have my 12th graders dabble with writing fantasy and creates stories with magic systems. I think I have the concepts in hand. Can you recommend short fantasy stories, especially ones with magic involved? [more inside]
posted by argybarg at 9:54 AM PST - 19 comments

Hi all, I accidentally purchased a foam mattress topper thinking it could fit on a Queen size bed, but in reality, it was made for a King size bed: https://www.wayfair.ca/bed-bath/pdp/lucid-california-king-medium-memory-foam-mattress-c100413925.html [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 9:09 AM PST - 13 comments

What are your favorite pop-history books on everyday life? [more inside]
posted by signal at 8:29 AM PST - 24 comments

If you vomit anywhere from five to 30 minutes after taking pills, should you take them again, either by fishing them out or simply re-dosing, or wait until the next dose? Does this calculus change if the (non-sublingual) medication is for nausea? Or perhaps it's an extended release formulation? What if it's expensive, or otherwise hard to get, such as ADHD meds? Are there any general guidelines, e.g., based on pill form factor, dosing schedule, medication type? Doctors have not been terribly helpful with this question.
posted by bigbigdog at 12:25 AM PST - 14 comments

Your reading/listening/viewing recommendations, please, on the topic of healing from neglect, both family and marital. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:59 PM PST - 5 comments

Seeking information on if this is a thing: a mentor (or classroom) type of relationship with the goal of teaching skills such as facial expressions, conveying emotions, confidence in public speaking, identifying body language tics that you may not be aware of. [more inside]
posted by xxx9038709992203 at 11:09 PM PST - 5 comments

I've really enjoyed the Thursday Murder Club books because of the not always just a murder plots (there's sometimes other stuff going on), the cozy-ish but not as trope-y as cozy mysteries (I like less trope-y), and the four different detectives/protagonists. Is there anything similar out there? [more inside]
posted by azalea_chant at 10:27 PM PST - 18 comments

I have gender affirming surgery scheduled for Tuesday in San Francisco, California. I just found out that my insurance, BCBSofVT, has denied my pre-auth on the grounds that it is “not medically necessary”. My surgeon’s office is working with me to put pressure, but BCBS are closed for the weekend. I would like to put some public pressure on them through social and newsmedia, per the recommendation of the insurance liason from my surgeon’s office. How do I best go about this? [more inside]
posted by Summers at 5:33 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm looking for a blog post/medium/substack sort of piece from the late 2010s about the decline in google search quality, but it seems to have been completely nuked off the face of the internet. I remember this starting to happen almost immediately after it went up, but it was findable for a while. Other people wrote about it even! [more inside]
posted by emptythought at 4:14 PM PST - 8 comments

My soon to be 10 year old wants to celebrate his first decade on this planet by inviting his 3 best friends over for a Godzilla movie, snacks, and games. What are some things that I can do, make or buy to make a kaiju-themed 10th birthday REALLY AWESOME? [more inside]
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 2:16 PM PST - 11 comments

A couple years ago, both UPS and FedEx started taking packages to a pickup location when I'm not home for the delivery, instead of re-attempting delivery the next day like they did my whole life until now. I'm signed up for UPS MyChoice & FedEx Delivery Manager and neither have any settings to indicate "Pls re-attempt delivery next day." No one at my local UPS or FedEx stores has been helpful. Getting to a pickup location is often difficult for me, so how can I get them to go back to re-attempting delivery the next day?
posted by rhiannonstone at 1:05 PM PST - 8 comments

My strata is debating banning smoking/vaping, I loathe both but am unsure of my vote. [more inside]
posted by Cosine at 12:26 PM PST - 34 comments

I'm traveling from CA to BC in a couple of weeks on United Airlines. United's online system wants me to upload a scan of my passport. If possible, I'd like to avoid that because I'm sure their system will suffer a data breach at some point. But when I try to get past the prompts to upload my passport, it tells me "You can't get fully Travel Ready before you scan your passport". So … do I have a choice? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 12:01 PM PST - 7 comments

I cook a lot but I follow recipes a little too slavishly. I've also got a lot of random ingredients I'm trying to clean out and use up. Can you point me at some fridge-clearing, seat-of-your-pants recipe templates or use-what-you-got recipes that would let me mix and match? (Details about what I mean, and things I'm especially trying to use up, inside.) [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:33 AM PST - 20 comments

Hi all, I would love to move to Montreal in a few years (well, if I get into McGill for graduate school PhD or Concordia as both are English-speaking universities). I have hearing loss issues and speech issues and I think speaking French and hearing French would be hard. But I could read and write it I think. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 10:05 AM PST - 13 comments

How can you occupy yourself during a long whole-blood donation process? [more inside]
posted by catesbie at 9:01 AM PST - 16 comments

My adult daughter is going off my good health insurance at the end of this calendar year. She recently married and her husband has health insurance, but as best I can tell, it's not great. Does she have options other than going on his insurance (or in addition to)? [more inside]
posted by idb at 6:46 AM PST - 5 comments

I have tried to call every single day for weeks, at every time, to get through to an actual representative. It always takes my info and then pretends to connect me, and then immediately disconnects saying the call volume is too high. I have Autism and working within bureaucracy is already my biggest challenge. I have two complicated questions that require human help. Also, I want to know if anyone is doing an investigation into this, and who I would contact to look into it further. [more inside]
posted by asimplemouse at 5:14 AM PST - 6 comments

I remember reading a biographic article with a great line, which was to the effect of 'he was never convicted of murder, but crucially, not in the same way that you or I have never been convicted of murder'. What was the article? Whose line is it?
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 9:44 PM PST - 5 comments

My Toyota Prius still has really stubborn sap spots that's been on there for months, and I am trying to get them off before they eat the paint more. I am also disabled with limited time and funds, what is the most energy and cost-friendly way to get these off? [more inside]
posted by yueliang at 9:40 PM PST - 14 comments

Please recommend, if you know any, scifi stories or books to do with extraterrestrials showing up in the solar system and instead of contacting Earth they move onto one of the planets and take up residence, terraforming it first. By ET's I mean social beings in colony ships moving into the neighborhood but not saying hello. I don't mean the Protomolecule. Thanks!
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 9:17 PM PST - 9 comments

Can a kind automotive MeFite please straighten me out on this “rule” the internet told me about tires and AWD vehicles. [more inside]
posted by Thorzdad at 5:28 PM PST - 9 comments

Is it safe and effective to can by placing the jars in a "bath" of steam (i.e. on a rack over boiling water in a pot) rather than in boiling water? [more inside]
posted by Mechitar at 4:53 PM PST - 7 comments

In my zeal to build a production studio, I bought an 8 channel GVG-100 production switcher without realizing it needs, according to the GVG website, 6 rack mounted support devices. I hope I am reading it wrong. I need to know what they are and what they do. There's a laundry list but it's not very helpful. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind at 4:11 PM PST - 3 comments

Male singer, fairly high pitched voice, slow ballad-like songs, something to do with birds. [more inside]
posted by tractorfeed at 2:09 PM PST - 24 comments

Let’s say, hypothetically, one wanted to construct a website very much in the vein of Bring a Trailer. How would YOU go about this? [more inside]
posted by Brodiggitty at 1:56 PM PST - 2 comments

My partner and I love reading out loud to each other before bed. The only problem is, she has a much broader education and a deeper library than I do, and so often when she suggests that I pick something to read, my suggestion ends up being a bit of a clunker. [more inside]
posted by churl at 1:52 PM PST - 34 comments

Hi all, I am trying to get into more of Joni Mitchell's musical works. What are some of her best albums and songs to start with? I am also learning to play the piano in my spare time, and if there is any with solid piano tunes, that would be great as well. Being Canadian, I was told I had to check her music out!
posted by RearWindow at 1:50 PM PST - 21 comments

I had been happily using "OurHome" for years with only occasional issues of outages. Now, it seems the app is just dead. My favorite feature was that if I had a recurring reminder for "every 3 months" and it was due Sept 1, but I didn't get to it until Sept 20, it would set the next reminder for December 20, not December 1. I'm using the built in ios "Reminders" app for now, but it doesn't have that feature. Suggestions for one that does? [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah at 1:49 PM PST - 8 comments

What I’d really love the answer to is how long this perimenopause stuff will go on and on – I'm almost 55 for goodness’ sake, but no one knows that. But my question is this...how long is too long? [more inside]
posted by Lescha at 1:17 PM PST - 16 comments

I saw an endocrinologist for one reason and he did a couple of tests. Something unexpected turned up. [more inside]
posted by shaarog at 12:33 PM PST - 5 comments

Speaking in broad generalities not the specific user agreements of every streaming service, how should I understand general principles around screening films for small groups at no or nominal charge? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 12:18 PM PST - 9 comments

I am trying to make an oddly-sized modular little shelf set-up for objects that weigh very little (shoes). I also want the structure to weigh not so much. What should I use instead of bricks or cinder blocks? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 12:06 PM PST - 22 comments

The nonprofit I work with has been using an old desktop version of Quicken Home to track their finances (and paying their vendors by paper check!). I have permission to move their bookkeeping and invoicing over to QuickBooks, which is much more appropriate for their needs. I have seen the help page on how to do the actual export/import, but I have questions on how to approach the process. [more inside]
posted by epanalepsis at 12:04 PM PST - 4 comments

I am trying to visualize a rolling average of how much formula my baby has drank over the previous 24 hours. Details inside! [more inside]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 12:01 PM PST - 10 comments

In this photo of a kitchen in New Zealand, what is the copper or brass looking thingy on the counter under the green plates on the right? [more inside]
posted by taz at 11:51 AM PST - 5 comments

I am interested in buying a vintage teak dining table with very dry wood, like this. How can I refinish it to make it food-safe? I want it to be sealed enough to fill four conditions: [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:13 AM PST - 11 comments

I want to work myself up to running a 10k, so I’ve been trying to run a 30-min 5k twice a week for the past month. The running is fine, but I now feel exhausted all the damn time. If I run in the morning I’ll be pretty much dead by 7pm, and really tired the next couple days too. Is this normal or is there something wrong with me? [more inside]
posted by sibylvane at 8:46 AM PST - 33 comments

I lean toward the left side of U.S. politics on most issues, but I find myself around people who skew further right. I love to debate and talk politics, but have a hard time remembering facts and figures on the spur of the moment. What are some websites I can review to keep myself back 'up-to-date' with info? [more inside]
posted by hydra77 at 8:06 AM PST - 7 comments

Trying to remember the name of a movie, which includes a seance, multiple double-crosses/scams, flash backs, and murder! Here's what I think I remember. [more inside]
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 7:20 AM PST - 14 comments

As I hit "replay" yet again on "Under Attack, performed by a murder robot" (previously) I realised that there are three other songs that I love which are sung by a robot/computer/android, which makes this a mini-genre! Do you have any more that I can add to my very short playlist? Serious, comedy, kids songs are all welcome. Murderousness is a plus but not necessary. ("More inside" covers the ones I already have, and a couple that don't quite meet the brief.) [more inside]
posted by Shark Hat at 7:19 AM PST - 34 comments

I have a friend who wants to have a blog and wants to use Squarespace. I've played with it a bit and as far as I can tell, they have no real mechanism for blogging. Yes, they have templates that they refer to in a blogging category, but nothing is really meant for fast, journal-y, bloggy entries that change daily or more frequently. Am I missing something or is Squarespace simply not suited to blogging? [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 6:53 AM PST - 10 comments

I drive on a two-lane highway with speed limit 75mph. One of the lane goes 65mph, and another lane has two sets of traffic - those going 79-84mph, and those going 70mph. When I drive in the left lane going 79mph, cars going 79mph+ ride 6 inches from my back bumper even though there are 70mph in front of me. What do I do? [more inside]
posted by bbqturtle at 6:30 AM PST - 60 comments

I live in a 60s-era high rise apartment. Maintenance came yesterday and fixed a dripping connection in my shower pipe--and now my shower pressure is noticeably lower. Could these things be related? [more inside]
posted by theatro at 6:21 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm a medium/large, older guy with a wider than average upper back. It causes armpit pinching in T-shirts and makes layering uncomfortable under jackets without ample armpit room. I went shopping at Patagonia a couple years ago and ended up settling on something oversize. This year I'd like to find something nicely cut without visiting a dozen stores. I'm willing to spend some money but not Arc’teryx-type money. I'd also like to avoid stuff with really obnoxious branding (Moose Knuckle, Canada Goose) T-shirt recommendations welcome too.
posted by brachiopod at 4:01 AM PST - 6 comments

Okay, I did something colossally stupid an hour ago and took my primary sleeping med (Belsomra) only half an hour after drinking roughly a pint of hard cider. I feel noticeably weird/gross but I'm not fading in and out or having balance issues. YANMD. Do I call poison control? Do I get a friend to drive me to the ER? I have no idea what to do and also have to figure out whether I should skip the three other meds I am supposed to take at this time of night. Help please.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 10:49 PM PST - 7 comments

Is it possible to make the Windows 11 Taskbar behave more like the Macintosh Dock? Are there keystrokes I can use to cycle through the windows of a single application, rather than cycling through all open windows? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:04 PM PST - 7 comments

I’m a Jewish teacher with a not-insignificant number of Muslim kids in my class, and I’ve been told to start preparing their song for the ‘Christmas’ concert. Any fresh ideas for this? [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 4:26 PM PST - 67 comments

Local shopping center near me houses a Tuesday Morning store that closed several months ago when the chain went kaput. The space is empty and is for lease. But the large sign above the store is still there, as well as the one that's on the giant marquee near the road. Why would they not take those down? They just don't want to pay money for someone to complete the task? Or is there some science-of-shopping-centers logic about it? Seems like you'd not want to confuse people about what stores are actually available to them.
posted by mccxxiii at 3:41 PM PST - 8 comments

My office (college admissions) needs to generate one-off labels (3"x1.5") for visitor name badges on a daily basis. Seeking a durable, reliable, unfussy label maker. [more inside]
posted by Caxton1476 at 1:52 PM PST - 5 comments

It’s autumn/winter. I bike for transport, but really short distances (10min on the flat, max). I sweat when walking, too. How do I stop being damp and miserable about it? [more inside]
posted by lokta at 1:20 PM PST - 15 comments

Exactly as articulated in this AskMe from almost a decade ago, I would like recommendations of books about the modern history of the Middle East, including specifically the Israel/Palestine conflict. [more inside]
posted by hepta at 12:08 PM PST - 21 comments

I have an open wound on my belly that's been left open to heal on its own, once all the infection has gone out of it. No matter how much I soak the woven gauze packing before I put it inside the wound, it's sticking to my insides. Is there anything I can do so it won't stick? A tactic, a product that's safe for open wounds, anything? [more inside]
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 11:16 AM PST - 11 comments

I have way too many bell peppers and a few hot peppers to go with them. They’re not going to last long. I don’t have the energy to cook anything elaborate, but I would like to process them into something that can last so that they don’t go to waste. What are your favourite easy recipes for using up peppers? I have no dietary restrictions and enjoy all food.
posted by wheatlets at 10:39 AM PST - 23 comments

I bought a headless & gutted salmon, but am not sure what to do with it. Is the whole thing supposed to be cooked at once, or can we hack off chunks for cooking (We really enjoy salmon fillets steamed in parchment) whenever we like? Obviously thawing, deboning/scaling/portioning/refreezing is a no-go, but is there anything else we should be cautious of?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:36 AM PST - 8 comments

I have an old iPad running 12.5.7 iOS (it can’t update past that). Certain websites won’t load at all, like imgur and many shopping sites. The header will appear but that’s all. Is there a way to work around it? [more inside]
posted by dianeF at 10:21 AM PST - 8 comments

What kind of winter shoe is right for me? [more inside]
posted by Lyn Never at 9:58 AM PST - 18 comments

Is there a world map showing the domesticated populations of chickens over hundreds or thousands of years? [more inside]
posted by aniola at 9:00 AM PST - 2 comments

This cover is too small, this cover is too big, why can't I find the one that's just the right size and price? Help! [more inside]
posted by LKWorking at 8:27 AM PST - 4 comments

I have a friend who very occasionally pops by unannounced. This is entirely outside of my habits, and I’m deciding whether to mention it. Is this a common thing for other people? I have questions for poppers-by. [more inside]
posted by daisyace at 7:26 AM PST - 47 comments

I need suggestions for a men's sneaker, with good cushioning, for someone who is way too used to wearing Converse All Stars that are ruining his feet. Another painful twist: must cost around $50?
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:19 AM PST - 26 comments

Spurious Furius! Defensor! Which other historical people have really cool names, however marginal the actual person?
posted by TheophileEscargot at 3:22 AM PST - 48 comments

What stops the Democratic Party from nominating its own candidate(s) for Speaker of the House? [more inside]
posted by flabdablet at 11:23 PM PST - 14 comments

My 2nd grader (who is 7 going on 13) likes very scary things. What's scary but short and fast paced enough that he won't lose interest in reading? [more inside]
posted by slidell at 10:08 PM PST - 20 comments

I know my country’s side for legal guardianship, fostering etc, and wondered if there are any organisations arranging short-long term help for Palestiniens under 18 (legally my country will not accept adult refugees). I have done this before with young people in dire circumstances, and it feels foolish to not be doing something right now.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 9:11 PM PST - 4 comments

Every day, I bring at least breakfast and lunch with me when I leave the house. Several days a week, I also need to bring dinner. Help me find the correct lunch sack to contain all of my many delicious, nutritious, and bulky food items! [more inside]
posted by cnidaria at 8:51 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm planning a fiction thing and want to write in an immune compromised character. Can you suggest (1) how this character might be immune compromised and (2) memoirs, blogs, or other resources for understanding the daily life of someone who is immune compromised in that particular way? [more inside]
posted by sibilatorix at 8:14 PM PST - 4 comments

While I have a receipt that says "paid in full" -- I never saw the checks cashed (for about $4000) since 6 months ago, and asked them about it 3 months ago and they said they've taken care of it. Still, I noticed nothing was cashed. I called and asked (because I was nervous to let that money sit there and not know when it would be cashed) and they said they've lost the checks. Now we're wondering about this scenario... [more inside]
posted by buttonedup at 6:10 PM PST - 5 comments

The soles of my trusty Keen boots died while I'm away from home. I bought replacement boots already, is there any point in packing the old ones home? Can a cobbler replace this style of sole? Or should I ditch them here?
posted by dorey_oh at 5:25 PM PST - 11 comments

I got a new phone! Yay! It has quirks! Can you help me fix them? [more inside]
posted by pdb at 3:57 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm trying to figure out what's going on with two books, one is about Byron Katie, the other is written by her and edited by her husband Stephen Mitchell. Both are long out of print and I've twice ordered the first book from third party booksellers on Amazon and received the second book instead. [more inside]
posted by daikon at 2:10 PM PST - 4 comments

My Girl Scouts want to have a meeting where they make scrapbooks celebrating their time in the troop. Suggestions on how to do this? I have one million photos of them from over the years, but I don't know what ones to have printed ahead of time (and my home printer isn't up to the task of printing them all on-demand during the meeting). [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:14 PM PST - 15 comments

Is there a online glasses provider that will do custom ocular center height on *single vision* prescriptions? Or am I still doomed to ordering from my optometrist? [more inside]
posted by serelliya at 12:09 PM PST - 8 comments

Hi everyone; Thinking of buying a Chromebook,for home use-not gaming. Would you know a website,similar to this one for some info? Thanks :-)
posted by LOOKING at 11:48 AM PST - 5 comments

I have a lot of Google Docs, with a lot of tables—hundreds maybe. I'm really tired of seeing these tables get split across two pages. I just learned about the "Allow row to overflow across tables" property. Yippee! Except, there's apparently no way to deselect this option as a default—or to apply it to all the tables in my documents easily. Any ideas aside from just doing this manually?
posted by matkline at 10:41 AM PST - 2 comments

I'd like to watch the full 2018 Boston Marathon race video (in English). It's in Portuguese on YouTube. I wanna watch the English version. Happy to pay for it. Thanks!
posted by maxexam at 8:52 AM PST - 2 comments

My dog loves chewing on antlers we get from Chewy.com but they are expensive. Do you have a source for dog antlers that are not so pricey?
posted by GernBlandston at 8:35 AM PST - 8 comments

Early in the original Thai version of the film Shutter, our two main characters wordlessly do a ritual that I didn't understand. I took some photos; can you help me learn what's going on here? [more inside]
posted by Monster_Zero at 7:47 AM PST - 2 comments

I woke up to voices and two of the maintenance men were here in my unit. I live in a cozy unit in a co-op. It's lucky I had so many years of DBT and EMDR, or I probably would have screamed. [more inside]
posted by intrepid_simpleton at 7:36 AM PST - 31 comments

📣📣🫱🏿👋🏽🖐🏼✋Hi everyone,✋🖐🏼👋🏽🫱🏿📣📣 MetaFilter is beginning the transition to becoming a non-profit (seee this thread ) and to begin that process, a temporary transitional board is needed. This board of volunteers would establish a basic framework for the future site, along with defining what to look for in an Executive Director We have several volunteers already, but most are based in the United States and have similar backgrounds, so we’re casting our net wider to encourage a more globally diverse board. Interested? Let us know in the October 18, 2023 MetaTalk thread about changing the site to nonprofit.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:48 AM PST - 0 comments

I've been reading a bunch of writing for lay people about hydrology and permaculture. Help me understand some seemingly contradictory assertions about how trees affect ground water.... [more inside]
posted by quacks like a duck at 5:09 AM PST - 6 comments

A colleague made a request that seems quite disrespectful of my time. How would you respond to this? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:00 AM PST - 37 comments

I’m a late-thirties gay/pansexual post-twunk. For special events I enjoy dressing more genderfluid / queer (high heels + male formalwear for example) but day-to-day I’m pretty basic, tees and pants or short shorts. I think I want to open up my gender presentation in that day-to-day mode, but the direction I’m feeling is “butch-coded woman”, transmasc kinda? (Yes, I’m aware these might be separate visual vibes, I’m feeling in the dark a bit here.) As someone with masculine body and features, and who historically has achieved bent their gender in a femme direction, what elements or signifiers of dress / styling would distinguish a “butch woman / transmasc” personal aesthetic from just… butch / masc? How do I dress like the butch of a butch/femme dynamic without just landing in straight man-ville? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:00 AM PST - 16 comments

Once in a while I will feel surprised by a side of my partner's personality. I prefer the other parts of his personality and don’t know what (if anything) to do about this. I love him dearly and feel guilty for feeling this way. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:59 AM PST - 22 comments

How do we maximize our financial compensation and negotiate effectively when we believe they have placed us in a disadvantageous position? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:45 PM PST - 8 comments

In terms of the steps that need to happen between a person drinking water and then generating sweat--what organs does that water pass through in order to become sweat? Does it make its way through the stomach and kidneys, or is it secreted from ambient moisture in a human body? [more inside]
posted by knotty knots at 10:45 PM PST - 4 comments

My goofy, adorable baby is about to turn one. We had a traumatic birth and despite lots of physical and occupational therapy, she's now considered quite developmentally delayed. Parents and Internet strangers: help me cope and parent. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:26 PM PST - 11 comments

Hello, I'm looking for advice on how to deal with my boss. I work in a corporate job and my boss is fairly new in his role as a leader and at this company. He started at the company about a year ago and he said I'm the first person he's ever hired. He has two direct reports total. [more inside]
posted by missybitsy at 9:07 PM PST - 5 comments

Several months ago, my dishwasher stopped using hot water (not sure why, there's still plenty of hot water for showers.) Because of COVID precautions, I didn't (and still don't) want to get a dishwasher repair person inside my house. But this week, there is mildew inside my dishwasher! (The inside of the dishwasher, not the rubber seals, the rubber seals seem fine.) [more inside]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:02 PM PST - 9 comments

While I was in the US recently, I bought a pack of Wyler's Light Peach Iced Tea single drink powders meant for mixing into a bottle of water. Unlike most products of this sort (Mio bottles, Crystal Light powders, etc) these Wyler powders do not make me cough. Which raises two questions. [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 7:28 PM PST - 6 comments

At my new workplace, I have to work with a person who likes to show off by “subtly” denigrating my work. [more inside]
posted by antihistameme at 6:17 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm going to try to keep this vague/nonidentifying, but hopefully clear enough to put me on the right track to find what I'm looking for. For the past year, I have been involved as a volunteer with a non-profit arts agency in my city that is facing the prospect of either folding or restructuring. It breaks my heart that this important cultural piece of beauty and magic might end and I'd like to know that if it does, I will have done whatever I can to preserve it. [more inside]
posted by Ceridwen at 6:07 PM PST - 3 comments

The main reason I bought the apartment is that it has a large, luxurious looking bathtub. I would ideally like to take 2-3 baths per day. I just found out that: (1.) The flow rate is extremely slow, it would take maybe 1 hour to fill the tub, and (2.) At the hottest temperature, the water is not all that hot, so by the time the bathtub fills, it will be slightly warmer than lukewarm. Looking for solutions and wondering if a tankless water heater would even work, assuming it gets approved. [more inside]
posted by jtothes at 6:02 PM PST - 20 comments

I need some songs that people from different nationalities (at least from the USA, Germany, and the Ukraine) can sing together. To be clear, the idea is for the lyrics to be sung in the individuals' first language. So we're looking for songs that exist in different languages, preferably melodies that are reasonably well-known. [more inside]
posted by toucan at 4:47 PM PST - 16 comments

I am about to turn 35, and considering this path. I'd love to hear directly from single moms and those who considered it. [more inside]
posted by pando11 at 3:35 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm looking for a specific video of a police stop and the interaction between the driver and a police officer. It is a video filmed by the driver, not a body cam. Details of what I remember are inside. [more inside]
posted by andoatnp at 3:07 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm the primary caretaker for my mom. She has a mental illness for which she receives periodic injections. Several psychiatrists have told us that she would almost certainly relapse without the medication. My mom doesn't believe she's ill. She complains every day about the medication, and I feel irritated hearing it for the 1000th time. How can I let the complaints roll off my back instead? [more inside]
posted by roastbeef at 3:03 PM PST - 26 comments

I need to rent some storage space for about 8 months. A few years ago I had a space with Extra Space Storage. After 3 months they raised the rent. I suspect this is a regular practice of theirs. There is an ESS location convenient to me but I don't want to pay more than the start price. Is there a way to enter a contract with them for a fixed price?
posted by falsedmitri at 2:37 PM PST - 3 comments

What's a fun and inexpensive thing to get a kid a LOT of? Specifics welcome!
posted by tiny frying pan at 1:52 PM PST - 36 comments

I listen to tons of audiobooks and I have cards with three different library systems, all of which are added to my libby account. Two of these are larger library systems, one is my smaller local one. How do these libraries’ contracts with Libby work? If I get a book from my local library instead of one of the bigger ones, does that cost them money? Does it show that my local library is a valued resource that needs funding? [more inside]
posted by Summers at 1:31 PM PST - 7 comments

I have a flight from Boston (BOS) to Paris (CDG) coming up. We have a 90-minute layover in Dublin. Do we go through EU immigration in Dublin, or in Paris? An hour and a half doesn't seem like enough time. I assume that we get off the plane, because our seats are different; it's two different flight numbers, but both in Terminal 2. [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 1:09 PM PST - 8 comments

I am looking for the episodes from the I Like You podcast by JP and Elah. [more inside]
posted by catquas at 11:50 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm originally from a small town in Appalachia but follow the local paper and social media frequently. When folks (organizations typically like schools, but sometimes individuals) ask for donations, they invariable only ask for check or even tell them the account number to deposit at the local bank. I rarely see online payment or the usual (Zelle, venmo,paypal). Is this a small town thing, an organization thing, or just my small town thing?
posted by sandmanwv at 9:03 AM PST - 8 comments

My partner and I recently returned from Europe, recently had “colds,” and recently got the same severe sudden onset gastrointestinal symptoms within a few days of each other. [more inside]
posted by stoneandstar at 8:56 AM PST - 24 comments

Two weeks ago, I sprained my ankle for the second time, and it was pretty bad. Swelling, bruising, etc has since then gone down, but my podiatrist is recommending either a walking boot or fiberglass cast to protect the ankle while it re-heals. [more inside]
posted by thoughtful_analyst at 7:54 AM PST - 12 comments

I want to raise money for a person who's lost his job. Apparently GoFundMe isn't available in South Africa, which is where I am. [more inside]
posted by Zumbador at 7:17 AM PST - 1 comment

I've recently been experiencing many insignificant but ridiculously unlikely coincidences, and I'd like to read a book about the subject. Ideally the book would touch on probability theory and psychology, but a bit of mysticism is OK too.
posted by Beverley Westwood at 7:15 AM PST - 11 comments

Seeking smart, well-plotted smut. I saw this question and this is exactly the kind of thing I want, but I want to filter out the cozy recs. I'd also like to filter out fantasy and historical; please, no dragons or twee dialects. Magic is OK though, as are other genre elements (mystery, sf, etc.). I definitely prefer modern, and nontraditional gender roles. What's new and dirty in the genre?
posted by rabbitrabbit at 7:12 AM PST - 4 comments

Can I make a torta del re recipe in a muffin tin instead of a springform pan? [more inside]
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 5:58 AM PST - 5 comments

I love PhilosophyTube and would love to find similar sources, but in blog or magazine form - I'm getting older, so there are days that long-form video puts me to sleep (sadface) and I just want to read words. Can you recommend blogs/online magazines that apply at least some actual philosophy to real-world issues? For reference, I'm wayyyyy left-wing, even by Canadian standards.
posted by Mogur at 4:25 AM PST - 8 comments

I am realizing that my job requires emotional labor. Help me to learn how to do it. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:24 PM PST - 21 comments

Terrible boss making things difficult but otherwise a job I like with prospects for salary increases in the near future. Should I leave for another job with a boss I know and trust but with a salary cut and little prospects of ever making the salary I could at current job. What to do? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:23 PM PST - 15 comments

Moved into this fairly old apartment in NYC in the spring, and all has been well until about a few weeks ago started seeing these bugs. Can you help identify what bugs these are, and suggestions to get rid of them? [more inside]
posted by artificialard at 11:02 PM PST - 12 comments

Trying to switch out the water shut off valves under a kitchen sink and I used a compression ring removal tool to take off a ring that was on WAY TOO TIGHT. Problem is this - the ring was on so tight that I swaged the pipe to a lower O.D. when pulling off the ring and now the fitting that I put on leaks. [more inside]
posted by whatisish at 8:16 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm doing a bathroom reno. I'd like two things that seem incompatible: a medicine cabinet over the sink, and a light fixture mounted above that, which points the light downwards. I have this exact light, and a cabinet similar to this. How can I do this without the cabinet casting a shadow and eating up most of the light? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 2:22 PM PST - 11 comments

I have been going by they/them for a while now. My parents just told me that they hate the idea of the singular they so much that they have decided to from now on start using their own invented pronouns -- hey, hem, heir -- for all situations where a gender-neutral pronoun is needed. I am frankly unsure how best to respond. [more inside]
posted by kyrademon at 1:56 PM PST - 62 comments

I'm running a "narrative summit" for the 8 writers at my game company. Folks want workshops or activities. What sort of workshops/activities could be fun and illuminating? [more inside]
posted by musofire at 12:14 PM PST - 5 comments

I have an iPhone 15 Pro with 256GB of storage. I have a lot of music. I want something that should be very simple: to copy a lot of music to the phone, without any cloud features or other BS, and to play the music back with – and this is very important – the ability to "scrobble" music to Last.fm. For some reason, this seems infinitely harder than it should be. [more inside]
posted by jzb at 12:07 PM PST - 6 comments

I have french doors with bevelled glass panes. I am thinking about adding window film -- the decorative kind for privacy/light management, not the kind for exterior insulation. Will this work or will it be constantly peeling and looking crappy? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:57 AM PST - 15 comments

I've recently become interested in the idea of a intensive (one week) trauma therapy session. I have two questions: have you tried this and what were the results? Second, any recommendations for a provider? [more inside]
posted by socky_puppy at 1:18 AM PST - 8 comments

We want to cancel escrow and get our deposit back. Can you help us figure out how to have the best chance at getting our deposit back? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:13 PM PST - 14 comments

I have a ~4 year old Samsung Galaxy s10e smartphone. Recently it has started powering off suddenly, about once a day. When this happens, to all appearances the phone is a brick. However I've found if I gently but firmly tap it against a hard surface a few times, it will power on again after 4-5 attempts. I'm seeking advice on whether anyone has experienced this before and opinions on best next steps. More detail below the fold. [more inside]
posted by chmmr at 11:08 PM PST - 7 comments

A recent diagnosis of ADHD, at a late age, has made me realize my life could have been very different had I been diagnosed sooner. By most measures for someone living in North America, I've had a good and fortunate life. But I know myself enough to know that, sooner or later, a spiral of thinking "I could have been better, done so much more" will start, and this cannot end well. Have others among you found ways to prevent this line of thinking? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 9:20 PM PST - 30 comments

Going through a divorce and need to find a cheap but reliable mobile service. I'm in the U.S. I don't need a lot of data, just enough for using waze while travelling. Everything else I can do off of my wifi. I'm even open to flexing on talk-time. Mint seems a little sharky, and I'm not sure about Tello either. Personal experience would be appreciated and as always thank you for your help. Has not been a wonderful year for me but your help has made a difference.
posted by Mr. Hazlenut at 7:24 PM PST - 28 comments

I'm helping someone find a job; do you know of any job aggregators that have RSS feeds for job searches? [more inside]
posted by gregr at 7:11 PM PST - 3 comments

I have an evaluation scheduled in 2 weeks, Kaiser is the HMO. How do I make sure this time I actually can prove I have a medical problem/excuse/justification for my bad behavior that I just can't shape up at? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:50 PM PST - 19 comments

I want to pay a travel agent or similar person to help me make plans for a visit to London, specifically because some of my travel companions have limited mobility + other issues which mean a typical tourist itinerary won't work for us. [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:00 PM PST - 3 comments

My friend's delightful child has requested a tiny vehicle for his birthday next month. What's the weirdest one out there? I want to impress this soon-to-be four year old. [more inside]
posted by everybody had matching towels at 4:28 PM PST - 8 comments

Bought a smoked ham hock, just realized it has a small patch of mold at the end - still safe to eat? [more inside]
posted by limnerent at 1:57 PM PST - 9 comments

My Deaf friend in Canada wants me to find a Starbucks ASL Connect mug (pictured in this news release) since it is only available in the US. Are there any Starbucks locations in Seattle that still sell this mug?
posted by dokodomo at 12:37 PM PST - 5 comments

I have a nice bike that has been sitting in a closet for a year. What do I need to do to get it ready to ride other than pump up the tires? I'm not very bikey and don't know what's involved in maintenance, but the weather's gotten reasonable and I'm hoping to take it out a little.
posted by less-of-course at 12:15 PM PST - 11 comments

I keep seeing that low-rise clothing is returning, but can't find anything that isn't cargo pants / 90s baggy etc. Thanks, but I already lived those years. What I'm looking for is women's business casual pants and skirts that I can try on in-person, and winter tights (that I could just get online). Please know, I want EVERYONE to be comfortable and I don't want high- or mid-rise to be gone for everyone, I just personally haven't been able to buy pants for like 5 years now. [more inside]
posted by mireille at 11:18 AM PST - 6 comments

My formerly soft and shiny long hair is now brittle and dull long hair after a month of ocean swimming followed by washing it in hard water. What is the best product to remedy this situation?
posted by HotToddy at 9:48 AM PST - 5 comments

Trying to make some dietary changes and I am looking for tips about how people have made small changes or subsitutions to move towards a Mediterranean diet pattern. I’ve seen some good Asks on Med recipes, but I’m more interested in the incremental changes people have made. Dare I say “hacks”? I do, I do say hacks. So please tell me your med diet hacks!
posted by haptic_avenger at 9:44 AM PST - 20 comments

I am building a google map of Halifax, Nova Scotia with several layers for things I want to know about when I am there, and I would really like to be able to include the information from their Google Transit maps, but I can't figure out how to do it - everything seems to be in PDF. Is there a way to import this data to a Google map?
posted by joannemerriam at 9:24 AM PST - 3 comments

What are the best options for purchasing quality business and formal menswear these days? I am in the market for a new tuxedo and need new pants for the office. [more inside]
posted by thecaddy at 8:55 AM PST - 6 comments

Do they make orthopedic shoes with something like the pump mechanism that Reebok created? I know that many fracture boots can be pumped up to stabilize the limb. But I'm wondering about daily walking shoes for people whose feet are just made out of problems, like me. It seems like they could provide custom support. [more inside]
posted by Countess Elena at 7:23 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm considering getting an ebike (mid-drive with torque sensing) and am debating two possible paths: either converting my existing commuter bike, which I have known and loved dearly, using a kit (TSDZ2), or selling my bike and purchasing a new, dedicated ebike from a reputable brand. [more inside]
posted by btfreek at 11:09 PM PST - 17 comments

In a discussion about language I realized how strange it is to use "have" to mark past tense, in a sentence such as "I have built a house". Modern English, German and French do it, but this way of marking past tense was not part of the Indo-European language from which they all have developed. Somewhere along the way, people started using "have" as a way of expressing past tense - when did this happen? Could you recommend some articles to read about this topic?
posted by Termite at 9:21 PM PST - 10 comments

I will be hosting 14 kids under 12 years old for pumpkin carving next week. There will be about 6 adults as well. What can you recommend for an outdoor snack to serve? This will be a late afternoon gathering and I don't want them all getting hangry. [more inside]
posted by Emmy Rae at 5:11 PM PST - 19 comments

So I've just acquired a 2023 Toyota Tacoma and I want to get a chase rack. What's the difference between a $1400 rack like this one and a $700 rack like this one?
posted by falsedmitri at 4:07 PM PST - 8 comments

A long time ago I read a science fiction book which included a metaphor that’s stuck with me. Planet Earth was imagined as being covered by the ocean, and the continents and islands were people swimming to stay afloat. I think it’s by Greg Egan, but I haven’t found it yet. Does this sound familiar to you?
posted by Kattullus at 1:20 PM PST - 6 comments

Are there any battery-powered LED lights that can last 30+ days? [more inside]
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 11:31 AM PST - 11 comments

Help! How can I celebrate Halloween with a group of 10 - 12 year old girls without trick or treating? We have a playground nearby that we can haunt in the dark, a busy street with shops, pumpkins and a movie at home. What can we do in the playground that's sufficiently halloweeny? Difficulty: not in the US!
posted by Omnomnom at 11:13 AM PST - 17 comments

I need assistance in figuring out how to secure our (new) wobbly faucet. [more inside]
posted by eggman at 9:47 AM PST - 6 comments

I have grown in size this pandemic and I'm trying to love my body and take care of it more. Do you have any hacks or tips on better hygiene practices especially for plus-sized people? What products do you swear by? [more inside]
posted by benimaru at 9:32 AM PST - 22 comments

I have a beloved sweet eighteen year old cat that has just been diagnosed with diabetes alongside other health conditions. (cat tax) I'd like to get some help with deciding how to proceed. Our vet is involved, and I listen to her carefully, but would like some wider feedback. Sorry in advance for the long post. [more inside]
posted by fruit sandwich at 9:02 AM PST - 27 comments

Not books targeted at the person who's going through it, targeted at the people around them. Please share whether or not you've read the books and what you thought of them! I haven't read many of these books myself. [more inside]
posted by 100kb at 8:41 AM PST - 13 comments

I find it impossible to do any activity with the potential of failure as a leisure activity. To me, leisure activities are things like reading and taking long walks - activities where it is impossible to do them wrong. I like doing activities where there is potential for failure, such as cooking and baking, but they feel like work. Help me change this? [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 7:43 AM PST - 19 comments

I am looking for academic, semi-academic, not academic at all conferences at the intersection of two different fields or two different subjects. Examples of what I'm looking for below. [more inside]
posted by azalea_chant at 7:34 AM PST - 13 comments

Many years ago, I read a great book based off a MeFi recommendation. I need help finding it again. It was short historical summaries, maybe 5-10 pages long each, with a high level summary of rationale for conflicts within the world (think India/Pakistan, USA/Cuba, Israel/Palestine, etc.). I seem to recall it as even-handed and factual, rather than editorial. Any ideas?
posted by evadery at 7:25 AM PST - 5 comments

We’re in the US and my sons are applying to several colleges that require the CSS. We’d love any tips from people who have done this before. [more inside]
posted by martin q blank at 6:47 AM PST - 12 comments

Help me find a plain cotton Bandeau (no cups) that I can order online to wear UNDERNEATH my breasts to absorb sweat and prevent chafing. (Due to chronic pain, I cannot wear any kind of bra. Yes, I have been professionally fitted a gazillion times. I cannot tolerate any kind of shoulder straps whatsoever, and my breasts are too big/too heavy for strapless bras.) Must be cotton, not Lycra or Spandex.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 6:15 AM PST - 22 comments

I've used Overtones (the formulas for brown hair) at home on my dark brown hair with good results. When I get my hair dyed at a salon, the colors are disappointing and not nearly as bright. Are there salon formulas (permanent, demi-permanent, or semi-permanent) that actually show up on dark hair without bleaching first? Looking for purple ideally but open to other colors. Bonus points if you can recommend NYC salons that stock these dyes. Thanks!
posted by whitelily at 6:09 AM PST - 6 comments

My boobs have recently started to trap sweat in the underboob (is that a word?) area. It's now causing a rash. I'm not as fit and firm as I'd like to be, but not significantly overweight either. Anyone else have the same issue? Any tips to deal with the chafing?
posted by apcmwh at 5:26 AM PST - 16 comments

On the off-chance anyone remembers: in the early 2000s, there was a website that I would regularly consult with short, one or two paragraph reviews of hundreds of rock albums. I remember they had comments on the complete discographies of all the usual suspects. I THINK it was written by two guys, but could have been just one. Had no luck googling, internet archiving, ChatGPTing... Anyone have a vague recollection of what I'm talking about?
posted by LingeringMoon at 5:07 AM PST - 4 comments

I am making hamburgers. I have beef patties, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. And tomato sauce. What is the best order to layer these ingredients within the bun?
posted by adept256 at 1:58 AM PST - 17 comments

I will soon be leaving my job (yay!) Before they close my email account, I want to make sure that I take my emails with me. It is about 10 years worth of emails. I am using outlook for Mac, and I have access to office 365 online. Try as I might, I could not find instructions how to transfer all my emails to a backup hard disk. [more inside]
posted by slimeline at 12:08 AM PST - 5 comments

I have a can of Korean green tea powder that will expire next month. Help me finish it before it expires! [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 7:36 PM PST - 9 comments

How’d you do it? [more inside]
posted by jerome powell buys his sweatbands in bulk only at 6:08 PM PST - 28 comments

When I try to meet other loved ones or family members of alcoholics, they're usually people whose alcoholics have seriously damaged or destroyed their lives. My high-functioning alcoholic loved one has actually improved mine. But I still need help dealing with some of the problematic parts. What are my options? [more inside]
posted by corb at 4:57 PM PST - 13 comments

The building across the street from my study window is a huge, blank vinyl wall and (with permission) I'd like to project old-timey cartoons across the street for Hallowe'en. [more inside]
posted by Shepherd at 3:34 PM PST - 4 comments

I have always driven low cars. I am interested in a "tall car". One that won't get stuck in a snowbank and puts me up higher off the road in case of an accident. I'm also very practical about cost, mileage, safety, and ease of parking. So - what vehicles should I consider? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 2:52 PM PST - 30 comments

I just moved to LA after spending my entire adult life in Chicago and NYC, so i’ve got zero experience buying a car. But my plan is to buy a used one with good resale value in case I leave in a year and need to sell it again (can’t commit to a lease). Looking at a 2016 Honda Fit tomorrow and could use some advice! [more inside]
posted by lavenderflowers at 12:24 PM PST - 11 comments

In need of a good biography to read, and what I'm after is one about a woman in Germany / the German Empire in the 1870s-90s. Needs to be in English. Any profession, arts, sciences, politics, unpaid local organiser or whatever, though not someone primarily known as an adjunct to her husband. Does not need to be a German woman but does need to be living and working in Germany in that rough time period. Not an autobiography or family memoir, or fiction. A group biography of a small group of women might work. Thank you.
posted by paduasoy at 12:01 PM PST - 6 comments

I noticed lately that I'm feeling increasingly bitter and angry, and I'm concerned/scared about the toxicity that comes with it. I would like pointers and helpful tips on how to halt this to the curb. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 10:16 AM PST - 29 comments

I need to get rid of thousands of feet of structured (think ethernet punched down to patch panels) and unstructured cabling, running along overhead wire guides and so on, in a data center cage. [more inside]
posted by german_bight at 10:03 AM PST - 4 comments

I find myself refreshing social media waiting for updates on the Trump trials. Is there a rss feed, newsletter, or website that posts daily updates on what happens across the multiple trials? I'd like to get my updates and log off, instead of having to assess and sort out all the other news and opinion. [more inside]
posted by rebent at 8:27 AM PST - 11 comments

I’d like to bring the same three components to work every day: oats, potatoes, and veggies (#veganlife). The potatoes and veggies can be together but I’d prefer all three components to be separate. I don’t want the oats to leak in my bag, and I’d like to be able to microwave the potatoes right in the container, if possible. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by stoneandstar at 8:21 AM PST - 11 comments

Microsoft asked me "How likely are you to recommend teams to others, if asked?" I wrote the below screed. My real question is, now that microsoft has deliberately broken commenting (it has the problem described in the screed), is there any way (possibly a global union of everyone who uses the comments function) to get them to restore it to functionality? [more inside]
posted by Don Pepino at 6:14 AM PST - 17 comments

I have a vacation to St John USVI booked with my Mastercard this coming weekend. It’s looking likely that INVEST 94L is becoming a developing tropical storm or Hurricane Tammy and may interfere with travel or cancel our flights. I have questions about my credit card travel insurance to do with cancellation justification and accommodation: The insurance terms are here, starting on p11 of the pdf My questions are : [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:11 AM PST - 1 comment

My friend has stated they prefer they/them pronouns. I really want to get this right but my brain is not cooperating and I'm constantly slipping up. Are there any mental tricks or exercises I can do to be better? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:10 AM PST - 41 comments

I am considering leaving my current employer. I've been looking for another comparable job for nearly six months without success. (I'm highly specialized in my field, and geographically limited to the Mid-Atlantic, ideally DC/MD/VA, for family reasons, so it's a very very small pond.) So I'm thinking of chucking it and retiring early. What do I need to know. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:10 AM PST - 13 comments

My son (15, based in the UK) has been given an informal diagnosis of OCD. What should our next steps be? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:09 AM PST - 6 comments

I still don’t really have a working mental image of how visual AI image generation works. [more inside]
posted by aesop at 5:01 AM PST - 6 comments

How do I keep my clawfoot tub? I like it; I want to keep it; but it's not the best for showers. The current solution is to have a 15-foot long shower curtain which surrounds the whole tub. It's a bit constricting when inside, and it picks up a pink mold at the edge. Plus, it just doesn't seem nice. [more inside]
posted by alexei at 1:44 AM PST - 20 comments

My spouse and I plan to take a train trip across the western United States in a few years. Do you have advice on whether we should go clockwise or counter-clockwise, or what we should consider to help decide the direction? [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 8:59 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm waaaaaay over my head trying to convert one PWM signal to another. More inside. [more inside]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:40 PM PST - 34 comments

A person was arrested in California in 2011 and held on a $1M bond. How can I find details about the verdict? How can I get other details about the case? [more inside]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:38 PM PST - 9 comments

Searching for men's pants for hot tropical climate. Something breezy and cool. Ideally, something that won't fall down when having a super heavy phone in my pocket! Maybe something like Thai Fisherman pants that are better constructed? Bonus points for a breezy men's shirt that is white and affordable. I will be staying at monasteries where the color combination is white shirt and black pants.
posted by Mr. Papagiorgio at 1:25 PM PST - 8 comments

I need to buy new laces for a couple of pairs of shoes - men's "nice shoes" that are typical of casual office-wear, but absolutely not Formal Dress Shoes. I've found various kinds of round laces that are... not quite the right thing. Like, they're basically boot laces, or they're waxed. I'm getting frustrated, and I feel like I'm missing a keyword. Please help me not feel like I'm being gaslit by Big Lace. [more inside]
posted by Tomorrowful at 1:19 PM PST - 8 comments

I’ve just started a new job that is both work from home, and has early hours, usually ending sometime between 2:30 and 3:30. My commute one way used to be an hour, sometimes more, so I’ve just been given the gift of two extra hours of life every day! [more inside]
posted by sillysally at 12:29 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm late to the game, but I'm finally thoroughly sick of reddit and I want to delete my account. More importantly, I would like to delete all my comments, preferably by overwriting them with "lorem ipsum" or whatever. This is an old account -- back from when Metafilter introduced me to this albatross, and I help moderate a number of subs. So doing as thorough a job of wiping my comment history is important to me. I stand by all the comments I've made so nothing embarrassing to me or incriminating, but I want it all gone. The tools I'm finding via google seem to have been broken by the recent-ish api changes. Anyone have a current script or app that I could use to accomplish this? I can do this via Windows or Linux, just preferably not one comment at a time.
posted by nixxon at 12:22 PM PST - 6 comments

Very occasionally, when I eat at a restaurant, usually a Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant (but not always), I have a brief (10-15 minute) spell of sneezing and runny nose. (But not spicy-food results.) It doesn't happen often, but often enough that I have mentally correlated it with Mexican restaurants - but some restaurants never set it off. There's ... [more inside]
posted by jferg at 11:16 AM PST - 33 comments

Who can I pay to help me fix the setup of my website, and how/where do I find them? I believe I understand what the problem is (a CNAME error), but I would like to throw money at it rather than continue to procrastinate. Context about my comfort with tech: In another life, I created & maintained medium size websites by hand writing html & css on the command line. I FTP'ed files back and forth. Later, I designed large-scale websites for healthcare systems, including everything from digital strategy to content strategy to interaction design. Believe it or not, I also used to be a Unix sysadmin for a library system. None of that prepared me for the push-button, idiot-proof creation and publishing of personal websites today. Please help this Gen X otherwise relatively tech-savvy person fix what I believe is a simple error related to the CNAME in the DNS settings. I can feel myself aging by the minute. [more inside]
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 11:02 AM PST - 9 comments

It turns out that I've moved to a city with very hard water. Pans and metal measuring cups are coming out of the dishwasher with a lot of white stuff on them. Googling seems to turn up mostly ads. How do you deal with this? [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 10:52 AM PST - 16 comments

I want to know the best eye makeup remover for black eye makeup. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 10:24 AM PST - 22 comments

I have come into possession of a "Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs prairie lamp" from the 1990s. It needs a bulb, and it looks like it uses some weird type. Google is not helping me find a source for a replacement. [more inside]
posted by jazon at 9:48 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking for full time work that suits my physical limitations, listed below. I don't have formal education past high school. I'm hoping to find a good employment agency that could help me find work that suits my needs, as well as ideas for jobs I might be able to do. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:46 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm coming with a kind of niche programming/gaming question, but the hive mind has never steered me wrong. Sorry for the wall of text. I have recently discovered the board/card game Race for the Galaxy. It looks like a lot of fun. I'm totally blind, and thus my options for playing it are a little limited. I found at least one promising single-player solution, but there are snowflakes. [more inside]
posted by Alensin at 9:36 AM PST - 6 comments

My teens get sick a LOT. [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:35 AM PST - 17 comments

The SO and I will be in New York on that date for our one year anniversary. Flying in early Saturday morning, leaving Sunday afternoon, staying in Times Square South. Where do you suggest we go for for fun and dinner? It doesn't strictly have to be romantic, we'll just be happy to be together. More details below! [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:32 AM PST - 8 comments

I need recommendations for a trustworthy insurance broker based in Seattle who can help consolidate my policies. [more inside]
posted by Autumn Willow at 9:31 AM PST - 0 comments

I'm fuzzy on the details, but I believe theres a female protagonist who's drawn to a mysterious attractive man who turns out to be the bad guy. After inviting him into her home, he eventually attacks her, and the ensuing pursuit takes them to a rooftop where she improvises a signal for help by flashing a large billboard on and off. [more inside]
posted by Megnusin at 9:07 AM PST - 4 comments

There's a bunch of water damage and mold from a roof leak in the bathroom of the house I own. Looks like the bathroom needs to be gutted and re-done. I'm looking for tips on how to make this less disruptive, etc. There are some very specific specifics about the setup [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit at 8:14 AM PST - 11 comments

My wife and I are both on the early side of middle age, both recently vaccinated. We are attending a screening in a theater of our friend's movie. We have very different ideas about safety. I'm overly cautious and she has had Covid and no longer wants to wear a mask. [more inside]
posted by captainscared at 5:39 AM PST - 54 comments

Bathtub faucet broke an hour ago. Now turning the handle doesn't have any effect, and the water is running at full force. Bonus difficulty level: we live in an apartment in which the closet containing our unit's water heater is locked, and only management has the key. Apartment maintenance is not responding. Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by ravioli ravioli give me the formuoli at 9:00 PM PST - 13 comments

I am an American moving to Japan and figure this would be good to have. More details within! [more inside]
posted by wooh at 7:26 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm involved in a relatively new society for a certain category of software engineers in my professional area. The society has an active and growing Slack workspace with hundreds of members. Some of the people almost certainly have ADHD or possibly other forms of neurodiversity. Would it be a good idea or bad idea to start a Slack discussion channel on the topic of neurodiversity? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 6:54 PM PST - 10 comments

I am estranged from a family member. It's not possible to reconcile, but I would like to know if they are alive or dead. I (and they) are in the US. I have the following information: first/middle/last name, given last name, DOB, several addresses, including what I think is their current and/or last address. I do not have social security number or phone number. What non-spammy service should I use to do a public records search for them? I don't mind paying, I just don't want to get scammed. [more inside]
posted by OrangeDisk at 6:22 PM PST - 5 comments

Anyone out there with plumbing expertise? I sent a photo of my new apartment's washing machine hookup (see the photo here!) to an appliance rental place, and they refused to rent a machine to me because there wasn't a standard hookup box. Called a plumber to see how much it would cost to fix the hookup and install a box, and they said $1k minimum. <Would love some advice! [more inside]
posted by lavenderflowers at 6:04 PM PST - 9 comments

The LARP where I volunteer is working on a document to explain its stance and guidelines on cultural appropriation. Are there standards in the LARP community or community theater I could reference? [more inside]
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 6:03 PM PST - 6 comments

The original Star Trek series had the minimalist Enterprise, and the Next Gen bridge seemed like a logical outcome from that; more recent Enterprises have hundreds and thousands of blinking, beeping, and flashing lights. I have a faint memory that one of the movies had a bit where it gets set up that they're diverging timelines, or something. When does that happen? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:42 PM PST - 17 comments

A good friend of mine is starting the process of moving back to the US from the UK, alone. It sounds like a ridiculously complicated process logistically, and I'm wondering if this is something a virtual assistant could help with. [more inside]
posted by gottabefunky at 4:19 PM PST - 5 comments

First time bird-feeder person here. Have hung the feeder in the shadow of overhanging gable of a first floor window. 72 hours on and still not a single bird visitor. Do I need to put bird seed in the feeder to attract birds? Just kidding. Seriously, is it just a matter of time before birds find it and start to feast, or are there certain things I could or should do to hasten their arrival? Thanks
posted by BadgerDoctor at 3:08 PM PST - 16 comments

Hi all, I am a Canadian graduate student studying online at The University of Edinburgh, one of the world's best universities and quite respected. Would the prestige, ranking, and department matter more where one's PhD was completed? I am hoping to pursue a PhD at McGill, if I can get in, but also uWaterloo, uVictoria, and McMaster, which are slightly lower ranked than McGill. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 2:41 PM PST - 23 comments

You are not a doctor, a doctor has been looped in and we are waiting for a response. So that we have better questions to ask, what could cause this type of upper arm pain? [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 2:41 PM PST - 8 comments

Hello, makeup lovers of Mefi, please help me. I was in love with the Lime Crime Diamond Dew and it was discontinued. Can you help me figure out what product I want that is most like it? [more inside]
posted by fairlynearlyready at 2:21 PM PST - 3 comments

I need a new computer to replace my dying 10 year old PC. Please give me concrete, actual, links I can click on to buy a PC for the next decade. I live in Oregon; my budget tops out at $1000. Details on what I need inside. [more inside]
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:55 PM PST - 6 comments

My spouse and I will be staying mostly in the Athens area, but definitely looking for a few days to explore. It's likely we will have a rental car for a few days. Any good recommendations for day trips or any other 'off the beaten path' type destinations? Any other shares regarding travel, food, experiences, etc. are welcome! [more inside]
posted by foxhat10 at 8:56 AM PST - 18 comments

I just gave my partner my old Google Pixel 2XL and transferred all the data from his old phone to the Pixel. But now his own ringtones don't work. [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 8:37 AM PST - 9 comments

Is there any downside to using the USA model of iPhone 15 Pro Max (model A2849) in Canada in place of the Canadian model (A3105)? The difference seems to be the 5G support which I've detailed inside. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 5:59 AM PST - 3 comments

I work at a tiny nonprofit (less than 5 FT staff) and we are exploring a QSEHRA since we cannot afford to provide a decent health plan. I'm interested in hearing about QSEHRAs from the experience of people using them (employees) and from the experience of an employer, and any reviews/recommendations for companies to administer. Or, are there guilds we can join to make health insurance more affordable and offer a group plan? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:05 AM PST - 3 comments

I took this photo in Israel a few days ago. For obvious reasons I cannot write where and when.
posted by hananc at 2:57 AM PST - 8 comments

This past summer I chanced to meet an older gentleman who is dealing with some of the complications of returning to society after decades in prison. Since meeting him I've helped him with a few small things, mostly technology related. He has recently asked me for some advice on making a computer purchase and while I'm pretty well able to answer general questions about recent technology, I very much don't pay attention to the low mid-range of the market for PC laptops, where his budget places him. [more inside]
posted by Nerd of the North at 2:07 AM PST - 40 comments

I found a snippet of a German Census from 1867 that refers to my Grandad's family. Can anyone help me read the handwriting? [more inside]
posted by quacks like a duck at 1:43 AM PST - 5 comments

I really like the Godzilla half of the logo for the 2021 film Godzilla Vs Kong. I'd love to find any more information about its creator or its creation. [more inside]
posted by Lorc at 1:05 AM PST - 1 comment

I'm considering buying undeveloped land and trying to turn it into a carbon sink. Thoughts and alternative ideas welcome! [more inside]
posted by Threeve at 10:58 PM PST - 19 comments

Hello again, and thanks for all the help in the previous two Dalston/Hackney threads I posted. This one's easy, and I'd be willing to take the public transpo: what kinda stuff is there to do during the nighttime in London? I mean, I know—"everything"—but to narrow it down a bit... [more inside]
posted by not_on_display at 6:30 PM PST - 5 comments

My kids (7,5,3) love my homemade flour tortillas, to the point where they refuse store bought. They'll only put grated cheese inside them. I think they're the regular level of fussy for their ages but we haven't had much luck getting them to eat vegetables that aren't in or on a pizza. Can anyone suggest some fillings that they've had success getting kids to eat? Google just gives me the usual mince/black beans/vegetables that I've tried without success. [more inside]
posted by Silentgoldfish at 4:50 PM PST - 30 comments

And now I have to give paystubs to ask for more money :( Is there a way I can fix this? [more inside]
posted by socky bottoms at 4:21 PM PST - 14 comments

Hi all, I am wondering for the 1950s musical Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, where exactly is the location in Oregon does it take place? I cannot seem to find it and I am curious. I know it is set in 1850, but not sure where exactly?
posted by RearWindow at 3:03 PM PST - 7 comments

I am writing a thing and want to convey the same feeling as Lloyd Dobler in the phone booth in the rain in Say Anything, saying, "I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen." I need another quote or reference that means the same thing. [more inside]
posted by Well I never at 2:44 PM PST - 21 comments

I'm visiting Salem, MA in mid-November. What's it like after the October madness has passed? Looking for activities that are historic, melancholy and witchy, plus at least one good meal, maybe Sunday brunch for two people. [more inside]
posted by Nibbly Fang at 2:37 PM PST - 7 comments

Where to get a reasonably priced repair on my cluster diamond engagement ring? [more inside]
posted by ragtimepiano at 2:02 PM PST - 5 comments

So I had a premature baby 2 weeks ago and we need help. The agencies are overwhelming. Do you have any suggestions for finding a postpartum doula with near immediate availability? Tips on how to navigate the agencies? I thought I had more time to figure this out. [more inside]
posted by bilabial at 1:50 PM PST - 5 comments

Hi all, I want to make this Thai coconut-based milk yellow curry with rice noodles here at 3:04 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0gRO1QvBGI&t=213s However, I am not too fond of coconut, I do not mind it, but would it be possible to make it with just cream or would the flavor be lost without the coconut? Or is it essential as a Thai dish for it to have coconut? I am not sure if regular cream would be flavorless even if I added jalapeno spice or some spices or heavier curries.
posted by RearWindow at 1:28 PM PST - 8 comments

[CW: The image I'm asking about here depicts violence, possibly in the context of war, though it was judged fit for printing by a mainstream magazine.] Can anyone help me figure out what magazine cover I saw in the 1980s depicting two men in a physical altercation? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 11:43 AM PST - 4 comments

Neutrogena has discontinued their Oil-free moisturiser, causing further wailing and gnashing of teeth in our house. We liked that it didn't clog pores, didn't have much of a scent, and kept our skin from turning into freeze-dried leather in the winter. Skin Mefites, what should we replace it with before the bottom falls out of the thermometer?
posted by Kreiger at 11:18 AM PST - 14 comments

So - the Moms For Liberty group has organized itself to get its own supporters in various school boards and working on various library challenges nationwide. I want to get involved in beating them back - but is there a similarly-organized group doing that? [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:01 AM PST - 11 comments

Last week, I sprained my ankle. This was the second sprain; the first time was back in April. Since that sprain, the ankle got completely better. Unfortunately, last week, I sprained it again. [more inside]
posted by thoughtful_analyst at 9:37 AM PST - 11 comments

I have a 401K that's less than $2500. I turn 65 in January. When is the best time to take distribution? [more inside]
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 9:25 AM PST - 5 comments

When I was in college in the early aughts at McGill University in Montreal. I used to attend a folk singalong at the Yellow Door Cafe. There were two women, also McGill or Concordia student, my age who performed together as Allicide (or maybe Alicide?). I loved their music. I want to find it now. It seems...impossible? Is this in fact the case? [more inside]
posted by jeszac at 9:22 AM PST - 19 comments

While I will be seeing a doctor shortly, I'm hoping others with knee pain experience might shed some insight on a repeated injury I keep having. During the last few months - maybe since August? - I've sometimes experienced knee pain after playing relatively casual pick up soccer matches. Have you experienced something like this? [more inside]
posted by RajahKing at 9:06 AM PST - 9 comments

Can you help me identify this massive telescope I accidentally inherited? [more inside]
posted by saladin at 7:44 AM PST - 20 comments

I need a cozy alternative to Great British Bake Off [more inside]
posted by asimplemouse at 7:21 AM PST - 36 comments

There are lots of books about/by dude trial lawyers. Not so many by women or about women. I am open to all nonfiction (note: no fiction please as it skews towards "feisty workaholic woman lawyer finally breaks down and lets herself enjoy romance." Ugh.) There was a new yorker article about Judy Clarke a few years back that was phenomenal. Anything like that would really fit the bill. I am not into prosecutors but could make exceptions. Thanks!
posted by Sophiaverde at 6:35 AM PST - 5 comments

We have been completely defeated by British heating. [more inside]
posted by Chausette at 6:32 AM PST - 8 comments

What is the most straightforward way to take a collection of audio files + transcripts, and turn them into attractive videos for putting on Youtube? [more inside]
posted by Glier's Goetta at 5:50 AM PST - 6 comments

A while back my company made a payroll mistake and sent us corrected forms to file with the IRS. Ended up lagging for various reasons and I was wondering if the deadline for making corrections is the standard filing deadline or end of year? (Insert "you are not my accountant disclaimer" here) [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:29 AM PST - 1 comment

My company made some retrospective changes to my W-2 for a previous year and I'll have to submit a corrected 1040. Is the filing deadline the same as the standard filing deadline, or just by the end of the calendar year? [more inside]
posted by gtrwolf at 10:55 PM PST - 1 comment

Streaming a window's video and audio with another computer over the internet, add a layer of audio between the two computers. [more inside]
posted by porpoise at 10:01 PM PST - 5 comments

From where can I buy the most delicious caramel apples? [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 8:55 PM PST - 2 comments

How do I decide what kind of car/truck to buy? Feeling a bit stuck. I'm seeking the trifecta of affordable, great mileage, and capable of carrying a lot of Stuff (scuba gear, bicycles, bulky art projects, furniture, etc). Oh, and not too large for me to comfortably maneuver on tight city streets, AWD/4WD, and relatively affordable. I'm having trouble figuring out what fits all these needs. And I can't even decide if I want a hatchback or a pickup or a van. Help! [more inside]
posted by cnidaria at 6:27 PM PST - 30 comments

Vampires seem to always go for the carotid artery in pop culture. I'm assuming it's because 1) it's easily accessible and 2) the neck is considered an erogenous zone. But what if a vampire couldn't access their victim's neck, or... I dunno... is asexual and just hungry, for pete's sake? What are some other arteries on the human body that would be good alternatives? I'm assuming they need something that is fairly close to the surface, and I think they're more interested in arteries because the blood is fresher, right? [more inside]
posted by queensissy at 5:56 PM PST - 15 comments

I don't know many tweens, so: Those of you who know what 12 year-old boys are reading these days... please share with the class! I need some ideas for a solid reader who will want pretty immersive stories. He seems interested in art and fantasy, but beyond that I don't have many leads. Rec me?
posted by TwoStride at 4:24 PM PST - 20 comments

Hi all, I will be visiting Montreal soon, and I was wondering what shops/grocery stores sell good Asian noodles that are eggless? Be it rice noodles, chow mein, ramen, et cetera but are eggless. Organic would be good too.
posted by RearWindow at 4:18 PM PST - 5 comments

I am buying a house, yay! The boiler is from 1969 and is leaking methane gas, yikes! Are there better options than an old fashioned gas boiler? I'm also looking at putting in high velocity AC (i.e. SpacePak/Unico) and wonder if it's worth it to add another unit to zone the first and second floors. [more inside]
posted by Bunglegirl at 2:05 PM PST - 23 comments

A few years after I began working full-time, I realized that laying out my clothes every evening and prepping the coffee pot made my mornings so much less aggravating. What small steps have you done to make your life run easier or more smoothly? [more inside]
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 9:44 AM PST - 67 comments

What are some things that you can grill for breakfast? Ideally fall/autumnal in tone--actually grilled, not just cooked in a cast-iron pan/griddle atop a grill--OK if it's paired with something that's not grilled.
posted by miltthetank at 8:48 AM PST - 12 comments

Every therapist, every self-help book, and every self-help website says to embrace the "little things" to feel better and improve my self-esteem, but the "little things" make me feel nothing, and nobody seems to understand that. [more inside]
posted by 8LeggedFriend at 8:46 AM PST - 38 comments

I feel embarrassed asking this, but here we go. I'm usually very responsible, but we've had a hell of a year. In the spring, I filed an extension for our 2022 taxes, and they're now due tomorrow if I want to file on time. For reasons that I won't go into, I'm not sure whether I have all the relevant forms to complete the taxes. I believe I have all the W2s, but I might be missing a 1099-INT or two (or similar forms).  [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:03 AM PST - 12 comments

A family friend was rear ended by another car. He hired a personal injury attorney. He just sent me the amount the insurance company is offering and the paperwork to sign off on the case. He’s asking for help with all of this because it has been hard for him to manage it. Is the amount negotiable at this point (do I counter with another figure) or are negotiations over and this is the final figure? [more inside]
posted by degoao at 5:41 AM PST - 20 comments

I have video footage and photographs that I want to use to make a documentary about a certain part of my life. It's a personal project and I don't have any intention to release the resulting film, but I would like to make it as well as I possibly can. I envisage working on this documentary to be my hobby for the next few years. [more inside]
posted by roolya_boolya at 4:24 AM PST - 5 comments

Seeking recommendations for games that allow me to set up a farmstand: a shop that I don't have to man. [more inside]
posted by creatrixtiara at 8:27 PM PST - 12 comments

I currently rent out the house I own. The current tenant has a lease until June. I will be moving back into the house... [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 8:21 PM PST - 17 comments

This is a low stakes question but it is eating up my brain. My kid, who is a 7 year old boy, is friends with another boy down the street. I get along with the parents just fine and the kids really like each other, so historically we have gotten together 1 or 2 times a month so the kids can play. Now, something has changed and the parents won't even answer my invitations anymore. I need to figure out how to deal with this. [more inside]
posted by Vatnesine at 4:14 PM PST - 27 comments

Looking for ways to cook oppot (fermented breadfruit) in ways that celebrate its flavor! Difficulty level: vegetarian. [more inside]
posted by aquamvidam at 1:51 PM PST - 2 comments

A few days ago I saw a social media post (likely Insta) briefly explaining why it was historically improper to use the term "colonizer/colonization" when discussing Israel's treatment of Palestinians. I would like to find that again or read about this subject. I know this is a very fraught moment, so for the sake of Ask Meta calmness I am specifically not asking about any other aspect, just this: how colonizer terminology is proper or improper. [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:05 PM PST - 12 comments

Since three days ago I've seen a new annoyance on my taskbar imgur link. I think it is SearchApp.exe from Microsoft. It wants to show me news, weather and other meaningless things, as well as logging much of my system - just MS stupidity. I want it gone! zapped. But it seems to be designed stop this being done. [more inside]
posted by unearthed at 11:33 AM PST - 7 comments

I've been an emotionally fragile person all my life, and people tell me to "take care of myself"all the time - I don't know how, especially when it comes to losing the animals I care about. How do you do it? [more inside]
posted by antihistameme at 10:50 PM PST - 19 comments

I made this post recently about negotiating relationship status with the man I'm dating who has ASD and you gave great advice. Today we had a conflict and I felt like he was really defensive right away (not the first time)--those conversations make me feel crazy, and I know they're no fun for him too. Those of you familiar with ASD dating (from either end), can you help me retool these conversations? [more inside]
posted by mermaidcafe at 7:15 PM PST - 26 comments

Up until today there was lots of fabric, including lots of quilting fabric on Temu and other sewing supplies, too. Today it's ALL GONE. Like not a single jelly roll or charm pack as far as the eye can see. No fabric. No zippers. No interfacing. No rotary cutters. If I go into my orders and click on the listings for items I ordered previously, they're all discontinued. Why? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:38 PM PST - 13 comments

Hello! tomorrow we are flying into Atlanta Georgia and will arrive about 3 p.m. After we collect our luggage, we will need a ride about an hour away to our home. [more inside]
posted by manageyourexpectations at 4:14 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm travelling from Raleigh to Hartford on multiple lines next week and would like to bring my bike. I don't want to box it up. I found some old AskMes about checking bikes on Amtrak, the couple of people I've asked say it depends on the line. But I can't find line-specific policy on the site. Just multiple policies stating that checking and carrying on is possible, depending on the line. Is there anywhere online that has documented this or is there a best approach to verify?
posted by SoundInhabitant at 4:04 PM PST - 6 comments

My sister is looking to divorce her husband, who has spiraled out over the past few years. He was a promising bio-tech guy, but now he has major substance abuse issues and has been arrested for domestic abuse. My brother-in-law is, well, dangerous and smart. While I’m concerned for my sister, and will help her however I can, my first priority is protecting my elderly mother from my brother-in-law. What safeguards can I put in place for her physical safety? (He lives blocks away from her retirement community.) What actions do I need to take to cut him off from her finances? (Sadly, he has access to virtually all of her accounts—online, financial, and otherwise. She’s on a family phone plan with him, and he’s had access to all of her devices. Sigh.) Ideally, I’d like to get my mother’s person, identity and finances protected from this creep before he catches wind of the upcoming divorces.
posted by anonymous at 1:52 PM PST - 18 comments

I recently watched Upgrade and was struck by a comment on letterboxd where someone complained about movies where disabled people get "fixed" is a major plot point. [more inside]
posted by Number Used Once at 1:50 PM PST - 25 comments

I want to use this melody but don't know what song it is. Any ideas? Thanks so much! [more inside]
posted by hrhcc at 1:39 PM PST - 7 comments

During my surgery and chemo, some friends contributed and helped gift meal/DoorDash money my way, including a MealTrain. A few friends still want to donate meal money my way, even though I've finished the surgery and chemo rounds. I feel funny/wrong taking that money, but they seem to really want to donate. How should I turn them down? [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 12:29 PM PST - 15 comments

I understand the Ancient Romans would have paid to attend concerts. Would the level of singing have been anywhere near the level of, say, opera singing? Or would it have been less advanced than that?
posted by iamsuper at 11:32 AM PST - 4 comments

YANMD and I have spoken to three, none of whom have any solid ideas. While I await some weeks-off testing, I'm hoping to hear of something that can help to uncover an explanation or help find some much needed relief, or guide me on how to more effectively manage my medical providers. [Structured] wall-of-text to follow. [more inside]
posted by jerome powell buys his sweatbands in bulk only at 11:10 AM PST - 21 comments

What unexpected ingredient should I try putting in a simple egg sandwich? Especially things I can buy already made. Google is overwhelming me with egg SALAD sandwiches and imitation McMuffins.
posted by bluesky78987 at 10:31 AM PST - 69 comments

Hey, it's ghost season! Give me that good, good ghost media! [more inside]
posted by Parasite Unseen at 10:05 AM PST - 17 comments

Like many people, I've had a Gmail account for a very long time, and it's starting to get pretty full. Is there a way to find all of my emails from a specific e-commerce company that will allow me to delete most without deleting the subset that contain order confirmations? [more inside]
posted by neutralhydrogen at 9:46 AM PST - 8 comments

It’s fall… what are your favorite soup recipes? [more inside]
posted by Champagne Supernova at 9:36 AM PST - 24 comments

The world has too many hard edges these days. I require to watch a lot of dopamine-rich fiction (film/tv) with excellent performances and acts of devotion, with minimal angst or needless pain involved. Not Hallmark, not Lifetime, unless they're really exceptional standouts. I wish to be transported to another world where our heroes are fundamentally good, fundamentally kind, and wishing to do well for each other. [more inside]
posted by lizifer at 9:33 AM PST - 47 comments

My friend is terribly sick. I want to send her something comforting. When I was sick, audiobooks helped me a lot. Once I ascertain if she would like me to, how can I send her audiobooks in the lowest-barriers possible way? [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:25 AM PST - 8 comments

For a class I'm teaching, I need to film teams of students doing presentations, and then immediately play the video back for the students to watch. Later, I'll need to cut and edit the filmed material. Can you tell me exactly how you would do this? [more inside]
posted by stray at 4:42 AM PST - 7 comments

I've had to cancel my Visa card after discovering an unauthorized transaction. I got a new card, new PIN, new CVV, and as soon as the shiny new card arrived, I found a new unauthorized charge and had to do the whole dance again. How is it possible for fraudsters to hack my new card so quickly, when all the numbers were changed? Details below. Theories welcome. [more inside]
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 1:36 AM PST - 15 comments

I’m moving to the other side of the world in exactly 100 days (which, given the Christmas break, realistically means another 2 months in my current role) and I have been very discreet about this in both personal and professional settings, for various reasons. Among the loooong list of pressing, neglected tasks now keeping me awake at night, I am increasingly aware of the need to communicate my departure to my 3 direct reports. [more inside]
posted by Weng at 11:32 PM PST - 10 comments

I can't tell if it's the ages of my kids (boy 7 & girl 9), or if this is just what parenting actually is, but both myself and my partner seem to be stuck in a dynamic with our kids where there is just so much resistance to everything and we're in a constant state of basically what feels like bribing them to just get them to go along with things. Like most other aspects of parenting (for us), it's exhausting. Looking for some tips how to manage! [more inside]
posted by sxtrumpeto at 9:59 PM PST - 40 comments

I'm interested in potentially applying for writer and artist's residencies, ideally in non-US places (I'm a US citizen). I would like to lay the groundwork for this now. [more inside]
posted by azalea_chant at 9:33 PM PST - 5 comments

I'd like to play music on my iPhone through my PC speakers, but I don't know if it's possible based on my limitations. Details within. [more inside]
posted by SquidLips at 8:31 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm going to see the Wu Tang Clan & Nas "NY State of Mind" show soon, and my concert buddy is worried that they will go on at midnight, per their experience at hip hop shows in the past. If you have seen them on this tour, about what time did they take the stage and what time did the show end? [more inside]
posted by spamandkimchi at 8:23 PM PST - 5 comments

My workplace was broken into recently and some of my personal tax/HR records were stolen (along with several other employees'). The company has reported the crime to the police, and offered me 2 years of Equifax "Complete Premier" credit monitoring. What else should I do in response to this? [more inside]
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 8:14 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm curious about exploring the use of MDMA and/or psychedelics for therapy. I'm in Toronto. What options could I look into? [more inside]
posted by PersonPerson at 7:11 PM PST - 3 comments

My mom loves reading the book Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak to my kids. What other children's books can you think of that have that sing-song, chanting feel? Thanks!
posted by Emmy Rae at 5:04 PM PST - 23 comments

I would like to build a snow machine for a theatrical production. The only part I don't know how to order is the little motor, because I don't know the names of the parts. Video + specs inside. [more inside]
posted by argybarg at 4:51 PM PST - 7 comments

Where in NYC can I test glider chairs? Preferably ones that come with an ottoman? Strong preference for Manhattan but willing to go to Long Island City or Brooklyn. [more inside]
posted by bilabial at 3:17 PM PST - 4 comments

What's the best stylus for the iPad (recent gen Pro, Mini) for note-taking & sketching? [more inside]
posted by chavenet at 3:12 PM PST - 5 comments

I am not sure what exactly are all the ingredients being put into this Silician sandwich, especially the herbs, meats, and cheeses. And would the oils be Italian/vinegar kind of oils? Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOQGu42reWE
posted by RearWindow at 1:44 PM PST - 5 comments

Where should a tall, thin man buy overalls? [more inside]
posted by saladin at 1:38 PM PST - 3 comments

Yesterday I noticed some soreness on my shoulder- it felt like a tiny knot or a sore muscle. It actually felt exactly like a sore vaccine jab. There was nothing on my skin and I just tried rubbing it to massage this tiny knot out. When I woke up today, it was a red circle. I can feel a hard little bump in the center. [more inside]
posted by dianeF at 1:19 PM PST - 5 comments

I have a long car ride this weekend with a six-year-old. We will have an iPad with a movie, but in case he starts feeling carsick I would like to have some podcasts also. It’s been a while since I’ve done podcast, and most of the ones I like seem to be out of business now. Looking for recommendations for both kiddo and me. [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 11:48 AM PST - 14 comments

A few months ago I got into audio production and I'm having a blast. So far I've contributed a few short spots to a great radio station, and I'm working on two longer pieces for submission to a syndicated podcast. I'm learning a lot on my own in the mostly technical areas, but I'm still looking for non-technical learning resources (e.g. arrangement). [more inside]
posted by christopherious at 10:56 AM PST - 6 comments

I have an offer for Delta Dental PPO through a former employer. It seems worthwhile financially. But I'm not sure I'm calculating it right. [more inside]
posted by trevor_case at 10:51 AM PST - 10 comments

I am looking to create a reading list for an adult leadership program but I can't include long books due to time constraints. Do you have any media, particularly something like articles, short PDFs, case studies, even short videos or key podcast episodes that you recommend on any of these topics: entrepreneurship, collaboration, leadership, self-motivation, agility & adaptability. [more inside]
posted by xicana63 at 10:43 AM PST - 4 comments

Boyfriend and his 2 cats are moving in with me and my pets at the end of the year. One of his cats is diabetic and often pees outside his litter box. What are some fool-proof ways to protect my 120 year old original hardwood floors, and my sanity? [more inside]
posted by tryniti at 9:40 AM PST - 18 comments

Following up from this, I'd like to know what else should be looked into/explained when looking for a house. Flood maps? Cancer clusters? Home inspections? Radon inspections specifically? Credit reports? Grants? Realtors? Anything besides Zillow? Starting from zero here.
posted by queen anne's remorse at 9:22 AM PST - 21 comments

Many editions of the video game "Sid Meier's Civilization" have included introductory videos/cinematics and trailers that composite together summaries of human history, often inspirational in tone (examples in full question details). I recently watched a few and was struck by their different emphases, hopes, arguments they make about what it means for civilization to progress, and so on. Could you point to good analyses (written or video) that compare, contrast, analyze, and/or criticize these short films, and maybe even put them in context with other similar edutainment montages of the history of civilization? [more inside]
posted by brainwane at 8:39 AM PST - 0 comments

I took a little break from Star Trek, but am ready to rekindle our relationship. Am currently a few episodes into Strange New Worlds and love it, but I know I'm missing some details. Do I need to watch Discovery again, to really appreciate what's going on? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:49 AM PST - 16 comments

Has anyone got any advice on turning around bits of work quickly? [more inside]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:50 AM PST - 7 comments

I recently found Crime Solutions, an online resource by the U.S. government that indicates effectiveness of programs and practices related to cutting crime. Do you know of anything similar for this or especially other types of goals? That is, I am looking for any well-done resource that indicates effectiveness of various techniques in any of various areas of social good, such as dealing with climate change, poverty, education, etc.
posted by NotLost at 6:03 AM PST - 3 comments

I am looking for some advice regarding a car purchase/repair. [more inside]
posted by charlen at 2:40 AM PST - 7 comments

I have 250 grams of boring white mushrooms, a smallish eggplant and a zucchini on the larger size. I dislike cooking, but I like eating. I have lemon juice, olive oil, heavy cream, soy sauce, walnuts, eggs, various tinned beans and various spices. I don’t want this produce to go bad plus I don’t want to buy anything else. Please share any easy recipes that will use all three items. Soup, casserole, merely roasted, whatever as long as you consider it both tasty and easy. Thanks, hive mind!
posted by Bella Donna at 1:00 AM PST - 15 comments

What kind of Visigoth leaves a bag of poop ON TOP OF A STRANGERS GARBAGE CAN [more inside]
posted by Francies at 10:36 PM PST - 32 comments

I've been dealing with a toxic work environment lately, and it's been wearing on my self-confidence and emotionally/mentally draining since some of the bullies at work insult people or passive-aggressively make people feel stupid. My partner recently made a joke that implied I was incompetent and don't know what I'm doing, and I don't know if this is a red/yellow flag. [more inside]
posted by bellalia at 8:34 PM PST - 36 comments

Before my event, all my volunteers had signed up with SignUpGenius. When they arrive at my site on the big day, how do they sign in (and out) so I can track attendance and hours worked? [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 7:59 PM PST - 1 comment

At a presentation or show or meeting etc often a presenter will be like, "good morning!" and the audience will respond but then they'll be like, "I know you can do better!" and will prompt the audience to respond again louder. Or the presenter will ask, "are you ready?!" and the audience will say "yes!" and the presenter will respond, "I can't hear you!!" What is this for? [more inside]
posted by simplethings at 7:36 PM PST - 21 comments

I LOVE accounts like WeltonWears which show images, details, and sources for outfits worn on television and by celebrities (in this case, Ted Lasso's Rebecca / Hannah Waddington). Can you suggest more accounts like this? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:06 PM PST - 2 comments

I have a laptop with only usb-c out, but a monitor like this. Do fancy modern screens let you daisy chain the trough the monitor itself? [more inside]
posted by Iteki at 6:38 PM PST - 7 comments

What should I put in a possible study plan around gatherings and experience design? [more inside]
posted by creatrixtiara at 6:29 PM PST - 4 comments

A couple of us will be in Toronto on a Sunday in November and we would like to have brunch. The challenge: we need somewhere that has a decent range of gluten-free options that are also nut-free and coconut-free. Please share your recommendations! [more inside]
posted by sueinnyc at 6:18 PM PST - 9 comments

Game recommendations wanted! I have lately been yearning for a game that focuses on having a house or base that I expand and decorate in great detail. Preferably this is the focus of the gameplay but it’s okay if it’s just a big aspect. I want to play this on my Nintendo Switch, please. Yes! I have already played Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Dragonquest Builders 2, Ooblets, and many more. [more inside]
posted by Mizu at 5:59 PM PST - 12 comments

I have a Briggs-Riley suitcase that uses plastic buckles to tighten things up after you zip it up. One of the plastic buckles broke. Is there any easy way to replace it myself? [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit at 5:19 PM PST - 13 comments

Any ideas for an easy hand building project a beginner can do in their pottery class? [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 4:16 PM PST - 23 comments

What musicians are synonymous with their instrument? That is, when you think of that instrument, most people will automatically think of that ONE musician - for example: Cello - Yoyo Ma, Sax - Kenny G, Banjo - Bela Fleck, etc. This is very subjective of course, but I'm interested in other examples.
posted by roaring beast at 4:11 PM PST - 74 comments

I thought it would be neat to have a mylar pillow shape to stay suspended [more inside]
posted by Czjewel at 3:53 PM PST - 11 comments

I realize that traditions may be different from restaurant to restaurant, country to country, so all context welcome. [more inside]
posted by stoneandstar at 3:43 PM PST - 11 comments

Where online can I buy a fridge magnet that has a depiction of an axolotl and says "Mexico City"? [more inside]
posted by capricorn at 2:45 PM PST - 3 comments

On June 15 I had a revision surgery to implant a new CRT-D lead and generator. The new scar is ITCHY AF. It feels like it's itchy on the inside too. It was not like this with my first surgery 6 years ago, and I need suggestions for stopping the itch. Pics and more info inside. [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:48 PM PST - 12 comments

My little feline darling has a supervisory perch on my WFH desk, and sometimes when she leaps into it, the cat bed slips and swooshes out from under her and off the desk. Naturally, this is startling to everyone and terrifying to kitty. Help me prevent this from happening again by recommending your best, grippiest mat/shelf-liner/carpet mat/etc. [more inside]
posted by janell at 11:43 AM PST - 17 comments

A family member aged 16 is having difficulty with anxiety in the mornings. They are newly at college so going through a lot of changes. They feel anxious getting up, during the journey to college and on arriving at college, to the point where they sometimes retch. Some of the usual strategies such as sitting with the feelings are hard to manage when they are in a rush in the morning. They have had some counselling already and are on a waiting list for more. What could they try? They may read responses to this question. Thanks.
posted by paduasoy at 11:19 AM PST - 29 comments

What's the easiest, fastest, or best way to get music from my MacBook to my iPhone? What's the best app for listening to that music once it's there? Assume I have no interest in paying for a subscription but am fine with a one-time purchase for an app. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 10:22 AM PST - 17 comments

My relative Robert's brain seems to work differently than the rest of our relatives. He cannot keep a secret or be discreet. He brings up facts that are offensive to others. He is excessively verbose when answering questions. I'd like to better understand how his brain works, to increase my own empathy for him. [more inside]
posted by vienna at 10:01 AM PST - 23 comments

I'd like to mend this hole in my vest, so that down doesn't come out and it looks nicer. I think the shell is nylon but there's no tag. I guess it could also be polyester? It's probably 25+ years old. In theory I could darn it but that seems fiddly and I don't know if that's even the right thing. I'm wondering if there's an easier way, perhaps a drop of some sort of flexible adhesive? Thanks!
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:57 AM PST - 7 comments

This story mentions in passing that Forssman conducted his medical self-experiment during his hospital's "customary siesta hour". This was in Germany in 1929. I'm having trouble finding other mentions of German hospital siestas. Are there other attestations to siestas happening in hospitals back then? [more inside]
posted by ignignokt at 8:50 AM PST - 6 comments

I volunteer at a small speciality library (LGBT collection) and we are in the process of rethinking our home-grown fiction classification system. Should we continue to separate some fiction by genre? [more inside]
posted by rhymedirective at 7:58 AM PST - 9 comments

I just want to see all the Hard Science Fiction titles they have. There are supposedly 2200 of them. But the site only lets me see a list of the Bestsellers or New Releases for the category. This seems bonkers to me. Please tell me I’m just missing something here.
posted by asimplemouse at 6:00 AM PST - 4 comments

We are looking for places to see and stay along this path. Parks, mountains, valleys, towns, small museums, and of course odd-ball things.
posted by ebesan at 4:06 AM PST - 17 comments

In a serious discussion my boyfriend and he told me he does not want to blackmail me but that he is sure his life without me is pointless, that he will jump off the bridge or live in the forest, that he will give up on dating and life because it makes no sense. He regretted saying that afterwards honestly because he was being too honest and open with me and now, I am going to feel blackmailed. So his intention was clearly not to blackmail me but it was more about sharing his feelings. I probably did not take it well because I got visibly shocked; main reason being the fact that I have been struggling with my mental health my entire life. While it is safe to say I am no longer threat to myself and I progressed a lot in this area, I still struggle with being hard on myself, betrayal trauma, CPTSD and intimacy issues, therefore it hurts and scares me a lot to see that someone’s mental health depends on me so strongly. He regrets telling me that and promises to not share his deep feelings with me anymore, although I do not know if that is the right way. [more inside]
posted by Salicornia at 1:31 AM PST - 27 comments

Sister's wedding anniversary, wants to give a lock to her husband. An "Iron" lock. I want to find a high quality padlock or the like. Steel is fine. "Iron" would be fantastic. [more inside]
posted by porpoise at 11:54 PM PST - 6 comments

Inspired by this recent Ask, I realize that I would like to cook more with chicken. But I really hate handling raw chicken and I want essentially zero risk that I would undercook it. And I don't want to have to sanitize every surface in my kitchen after cooking. So I'm looking for recipes/approaches that might sidestep this. [more inside]
posted by knotty knots at 11:44 PM PST - 25 comments

My 13-year-old daughter has begun writing songs. She plays piano and a little drums but is wanting to expand. I grew up using analog four-track recorders. What are the practical options for home recording in 2023? [more inside]
posted by NailsTheCat at 9:00 PM PST - 12 comments

I'm a security guy that occasionally writes some scripts and code. I'd like to do a development project to build a site. Help me, as a guy that doesn't have a lot of familiarity with the ecosystem of JS libraries out there, select the right tool to make the job easy. [more inside]
posted by bfranklin at 6:25 PM PST - 12 comments

I sort of know how to read music and I want to take up piano (again) [more inside]
posted by tractorfeed at 5:19 PM PST - 3 comments

There's lots of info on Dominique Strauss-Kahn, of course. But most information I can find about his father starts when DSK is born, and then off to Morocco. [more inside]
posted by atomicstone at 4:06 PM PST - 6 comments

I've been making chicken broth for years. [more inside]
posted by Czjewel at 3:38 PM PST - 37 comments

I have a seven year old niece and a five year old daughter who are so.very.into.chapter.books. I want to get them personalized bookmarks that make them even more enthusiastic about reading. What is the best one you have ever found? [more inside]
posted by openhearted at 3:01 PM PST - 7 comments

After my first consultation (previous question), I decided to get a second opinion from a different LASIK provider, and had a completely different answer. I then decided to get a third opinion, and it's just a mess. More details inside. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 1:51 PM PST - 14 comments

I would like to devote one day a week to volunteering but am currently and for the foreseeable future leading a somewhat nomadic lifestyle (two months in one place, one month in another, etc.). What are my options? [more inside]
posted by fiery.hogue at 12:05 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm a couple years shy of 40, and I want to get serious about physical health. I have a connective tissue disorder (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) which gives me over-flexible joints, leading to flat feet, poor posture, and surprising pain when I over-exercise. But I want to exercise. I think I want to pay someone to help me set and accomplish some long-term goals, but who is also knowledgeable about posture and joint issues. What kind of professional am I looking for? A trainer at Planet Fitness? A moonlighting physical therapist? A Lifestyle Coach? A body mentor? [more inside]
posted by rebent at 11:10 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm looking for an online, non-syncing(!) file storage system for a small organization (say 10 users). Our users need to go to a website, click the upload or download button, pick documents and click "go". We do need a folder tree structure. Editing in place would be nice as well but we could live without it. Limitations below the fold. [more inside]
posted by bluesky78987 at 10:21 AM PST - 6 comments

All kinds of surprising-to-me things can sometimes be smoothed by asking the politicians who represent you for help. I'm considering applying to my state (PA) for an exception to take the architecture licensing exams based on experience institute of a professional degree. Is this something my state rep might be able to help with? By any degree of help including info.
posted by sepviva at 9:56 AM PST - 7 comments

I truly apologize if this is easily google-able (I did try but didn't really find an answer). Somehow, gmail thinks I changed my password, or maybe I did and then didn't update it on my computer. Anyhow, it's not accepting the last password I know I used. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 9:11 AM PST - 6 comments

We have a friend arriving at 5pm in Penn station on Thanksgiving, and would like to grab dinner with him before we all head up to Westchester, where should we go? [more inside]
posted by zara at 8:08 AM PST - 6 comments

Moved into a new home. Good bones but it feels like a 1990s timewarp. How do we make it feel like "ours" when time and money is limited? [more inside]
posted by allthethings at 7:10 AM PST - 36 comments

This morning as I rode my bike to work, a passenger in a moving car leaned out the window, put their hand on my side, and shoved me. I didn't fall and I wasn't hurt. When the car was gone, I wrote down its make and model and license plate number. [more inside]
posted by The Larch at 6:33 AM PST - 48 comments

Long story short, I'm a frustrated creative type who busted my butt to get a stable career in IT and it's slowly killing me. Help. [more inside]
posted by KMH at 4:52 AM PST - 16 comments

Everywhere is vegan vegan vegan but my aunt wants to cook with cream and eggs and all those things...just not gelatine. Do you have a Vegetarian patisserie cookbook suggestion?
posted by london explorer girl at 2:41 AM PST - 6 comments

I get constant scam phone calls, some of them are fairly sophisticated (last one I had was an automated message claiming to be from the energy company I’m with which somehow knew my full name - only realised when I got put through to someone and they wanted to take details from me that it was dodgy and confirmed when I hung up and googled that it was a scam, recently had a similar thing claiming to be from the bank that I’m with). Is there any way to block these numbers or protect myself better, beyond treating all incoming calls from companies with suspicion and not giving any information over the phone/googling the numbers to check them against those ‘who called me’ websites? It’s worrying that they’d have my name associated with my phone number, so this might be worth the hassle of changing my number, but not sure if there are other steps I could be taking as well.
posted by chives at 1:24 AM PST - 14 comments

I know just a little about buddhism and some of the practices. I'd love to use some of my very little time to learn some more. (also open to other sugestions to get the most out of a short visit)
posted by jander03 at 11:16 PM PST - 4 comments

I just had the nicest haircut in ages partly because after they washed my hair, they wrapped what felt like a very thick hot damp rectangle securely around my head and left me to drowse for a while. I didn’t get a chance to see what it was and am bewildered by hair wrap searches - what is this thing and can I replicate it at home? It was much more focused than a hot washcloth.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 10:57 PM PST - 5 comments

PNW GardenFilter: As a result of mixing kitchen compost into my vegetable garden, I now have two avocado (hass) saplings and one peach sapling in my Seattle backyard. I'm guessing these trees aren't going to survive the winter without some help. What should I do? [more inside]
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:09 PM PST - 7 comments

Please help me find the perfect merino shirt(s) to replace my long sleeve women's Cloudveil shirts that are officially too damaged for even me to wear now. They are 87% merino, 13% nylon, narrow fitting, and have shoulder seams. All other brands seem to scream "base layer only". [more inside]
posted by bquarters at 5:48 PM PST - 13 comments

I know that's an oxymoron, but it describes what I've been doing recently. In addition to full-blown migraines, that is. [more inside]
posted by bryon at 3:36 PM PST - 7 comments

My dogs have always slept with me, so having them not is not an option. I recently got a new English Bulldog puppy. She is 7 months old. Her legs are too short to allow her to jump on and off of my bed freely like my other dog, and due to her stature, and my bed height, I doubt she will ever accomplish this. [more inside]
posted by Amalie-Suzette at 2:37 PM PST - 7 comments

Is there a mechanical latch/lock mechanism I can buy or construct that will allow a door to lock after the first time it is opened? [more inside]
posted by Mitheral at 1:46 PM PST - 14 comments

My elderly mom loves to watch the TV show "60 minutes" which airs Sundays at 7pm EST. Sometimes she misses it for whatever reason. What can I setup for her so she can rewatch it later easily? I can get Roku or firestick or a DVR or whatever works, I can set it up myself so she can easily use it later. Thanks!
posted by maxexam at 1:36 PM PST - 5 comments

In the mid-1990s, I bought a lot of the Signet printings of older Stephen King books, like The Bachman Books, Needful Things, Tommyknockers, The Stand, etc. Most if not all of them had introductions or forewords or afterwords by King, directed to us, his Constant Reader. I loved these and miss them now when I get first "printings" on my kindle from the library of all his new books. Does he still write them? Where can I find them without tracking down old reprints?
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:39 PM PST - 2 comments

I've made some Sa Tế at home, and it is good but could be better. How can I kick it up a notch in the roasted smokiness department? [more inside]
posted by FatherDagon at 12:11 PM PST - 7 comments

I have a sweater I knitted in a shade of brown I'm not happy with. Can I dye it a darker shade of brown without ruining it? [more inside]
posted by orange swan at 12:08 PM PST - 7 comments

What are some simple but fun (digital) ways I can randomly choose a winner on a livestream? [more inside]
posted by neckro23 at 11:41 AM PST - 7 comments

How do I get the actual files out? [more inside]
posted by supermedusa at 11:07 AM PST - 5 comments

I live in the USA. My (gas) water heater is nearing end-of-life, and I'm looking at a heat-pump system as its replacement. As I understand it, there's a lot in the Inflation Reduction Act that can provide incentives to this purchase, and I'm trying to figure out how it all fits together, vis-a-vis tax credits, point-of-sale rebates, and local and state administered incentives. [more inside]
posted by jackbishop at 10:16 AM PST - 2 comments

I am curious about the use of something like the Tallit in a theatrical production to indicate Judaism, in a space where the actors and audience are almost certainly not Jewish themselves... [more inside]
posted by griffey at 10:15 AM PST - 12 comments

Have anybody here experienced food tasting differently, after getting COVID? [more inside]
posted by Czjewel at 9:46 AM PST - 19 comments

My mom was a lifelong reader. I have inherited from her complete sets of novels by Steinbeck, Hitchcock, Agatha Christie, Sue Grafton (i.e., "A-Y"), Ira Levin, Ray Bradbury and several other authors. I know I can (and have) donated lots of books to the VA and the local library. And I've sold a bunch more in bulk to a local bookstore. And some others I will keep. But I was wondering if a complete set is at all valuable to collectors, or can they just get the all from the Internet?
posted by CollectiveMind at 9:28 AM PST - 4 comments

I have a sibling that I have been responsible for since we were young. They are a high energy, charismatic personality, very intelligent with a high IQ. Sibling has an unerring instinct to make the wrong choices, pick the wrong people, say and do the wrong thing, fight other's battles, and a complete lack of boundaries. It has destroyed their career and relationships. This time it's their marriage that has broken down and divorce is on the cards. Me and mother always picked up the pieces, set them back on their feet. But it's different this time. Mother is is in her eighties and no long capable of carrying such an emotional burden. I'm exhausted too. I'm in my late 40's and my health has deteriorated drastically since the last few years. I do not know how to help them anymore. Any gentle suggestions of therapy are ignored. Would the community be able to offer me some advice? Any suggestions are welcome. [more inside]
posted by summerfey at 8:46 AM PST - 42 comments

I just reached my breaking point with the Times this morning. Looking for highly-regarded sources of international and national (United States) news. [more inside]
posted by rhymedirective at 6:13 AM PST - 34 comments

What are some good fictional books, TV and movies about South Asians and life in South Asia during World Wars 1 and 2? That's it, that's the question.
posted by unicorn chaser at 3:11 AM PST - 4 comments

Long shot here, I think, but I'm looking for a digital version--or ideally, a database--of the tables from T. J. King's Casting Shakespeare's Plays: London Actors and their Roles, 1590-1642. [more inside]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 2:59 AM PST - 5 comments

My wife is attending a convention this week in Anaheim. She loves Disneyland. I want to make her happy. So I'm going along for the whole trip so we can spend one day in Disneyland. But I need to figure out what to do with the rest of my time there (by myself while wife is at her convention). The hotel is right next to Disneyland. I need geeky or nature-loving activities that can reasonably be reached via Lyft. [more inside]
posted by commander_fancypants at 11:14 PM PST - 19 comments

I want to write humor. I am trying. Where can I learn? [more inside]
posted by The otter lady at 10:12 PM PST - 22 comments

Do you have any resources to evaluate a city budget? I am mainly thinking of comparative city budgets, or benchmarking or guidelines, and especially interested in larger cities in the USA. Such as maybe "X of 100 largest U.S. cities spend at least Y percent of their budget on Z." Etc. I am open to suggestions. I am also interested in related matters, such as municipal bonds.
posted by NotLost at 9:34 PM PST - 7 comments

I would like to build an app for my own personal use. I would like a single codebase to emit versions of it for Android, iOS and Web. I have plenty of software development experience but none at all in mobile app development. Which of today's well supported development tools is going to annoy me the least? [more inside]
posted by flabdablet at 7:10 PM PST - 16 comments

I need some first date ideas. There are a few wrinkles to this, though, which is why I need help from the Green. . [more inside]
posted by zooropa at 5:34 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm at a point in my divorce/separation where I need to choose whether to keep the compromises that were drafted or get an external review, which I suspect will lead to some modification, which equals money that I will get (from the divorce) but don't have now. Please offer me advice and recommendations if you have them... [more inside]
posted by danep at 4:29 PM PST - 6 comments

My offer was accepted on a co-op in Brooklyn. Yay! It is a sponsor unit and for reasons I need to move forward without a realtor. As a first-time buyer and a novice in real estate dealings, I’m feeling a bit lost and I am looking for guidance. [more inside]
posted by cardamom at 3:42 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm trying to find a God or Goddess of choices. Janus is close, but he's more about transitions than deciding on one of many possibilities. There are also plenty of wisdom deities out there, but they're about making the right choice as opposed to choosing in general. Any pantheon is fine.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:27 PM PST - 13 comments

We are in the process of having the asphalt shingles on our gable ends replaced with Hardie Board. Instead of running the angled ends up to the existing wooden frieze board, the installers added an extra frieze board and notched it to fit around the windows. It looks terrible (photo 1 photo 2). I'm asking it to be redone, but I want to know if there was any justification for the way they did it. [more inside]
posted by hydrophonic at 9:58 AM PST - 8 comments

I want to create diagrams for user flows and things like user journeys and high-level architectural diagrams. I do not need animations, for it to be interactive or autogenerated. It can simply output to an SVG. MermaidJS looks great as it has a simple markdown syntax but all the themes I could find are ugly. Even adding Font Awesome is ugly, I'm not finding themes easily. React Flow has a lot of cool themes, but creating a full React app to describe things is too much. I'd like to easily create simple diagrams with a little "flair" like here ... hopefully open source or free. Any thoughts? I'm not a designer, I'd like to say "add node for file creation, and a pretty icon with description and something prettier than a bland square box like Mermaid. [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 9:33 AM PST - 14 comments

I have a presentation in 9 days. It cannot and will not be moved. I will have three days of near nonstop talking. I would need to be on my deathbed to miss this event. My cuddly plague rats (children) brought home a cold last week and now I have it. Post nasal drip, sore throat, and cough. What are your tips and tricks to get rid the cold fast? [more inside]
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 9:29 AM PST - 45 comments

Ahoy, French speakers: What words or phrase would come closest to the meaning of “smug bastard?” Context: “Oh, he’s such a smug bastard.” That’s all.
posted by BostonTerrier at 9:02 AM PST - 8 comments

Pinterest isn't letting me update my profile. Can you help me figure out why? [more inside]
posted by orange swan at 7:45 AM PST - 4 comments

I haven't cut my hair in at least a year and it hasn't grown. Why? [more inside]
posted by wisekaren at 6:35 AM PST - 9 comments

Once I get out of the hospital (I'm FINE, I really am fine, nobody worry), I'm going to be strictly enjoined from "heavy lifting" for about two months. I'm trying to work through what that means for regular ol' life. I've thought of: packages (ask neighbors for help, don't order heavy stuff), hauling groceries (get delivery, bring in a little at a time), laundry (there's a pickup/delivery service in my town), possibly snow shoveling (ask neighbors for help). What am I missing?
posted by humbug at 5:45 AM PST - 30 comments

I had a bad experience recently with cross country movers and I need help figuring out my next steps and what I want / need from the situation. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:35 PM PST - 13 comments

Basically shroom bars. It's clearly shady/grey-market. Tons of differently styled sites. URLs are all variants on the company name (some more legit looking than others). [more inside]
posted by symbioid at 6:59 PM PST - 6 comments

My student loans were recently forgiven because I'd been paying for 20 years. My concern is the refund check I received from the US Treasury. [more inside]
posted by Issithe at 2:28 PM PST - 9 comments

Among the projects I'm planning is telling my parent's story. A long one there, but suffice it to say I think, after arranging and overseeing their funeral, there's much more to their lives that needs to be told. And over the last few years (after weathering the nightmare of a COVID-stalled probate process) I've finally been able to start collecting their papers from the family home for later perusal. But there's a wrinkle. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind at 12:47 PM PST - 8 comments

I have one Echo and several Echo dots of various "generations." (Pretty old. I don't know which generations, nor how to determine which generations they are. Nor can I tell you when I bought them.) I'd like to upgrade the music I get via Alexa. Specifically, I want better bass response. [more inside]
posted by JimN2TAW at 12:37 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm a mess. I've been a translator for a while and I've also been working as a simultaneous interpreter for 2 months now (not much practice since I only work for a couple of hours each week) and I've recently got the chance to work as a consecutive interpreter for an agency. [more inside]
posted by Crazyfaith at 11:15 AM PST - 6 comments

But actually, where is he [more inside]
posted by pando11 at 11:05 AM PST - 27 comments

I'm not enjoying my new pottery classes. Should I keep going or quit while I'm ahead? When do you typically decide to give up on a hobby/new skill that just isn't working out? [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 10:30 AM PST - 45 comments

I'm planning to travel to Costa Rica for a week and a half or so in December for a solo trip. I'm kind of stuck on the planning due to lack of time and mental capacity and need to just get flights and the first couple of nights in order and then plan the rest over the next few weeks. Where would be a good starting place / home base for the types of day trips I'd like to do? [more inside]
posted by mireille at 9:45 AM PST - 4 comments

My 2008 Kia Rio (base) has lately been difficult to start in the morning. The "check engine" light is off. The engine cranks fine but doesn't "catch". It sometimes takes four or five turns of the key before the car starts. Once the car starts, it runs fine, and subsequent starts during the day are uneventful. How do I pinpoint the problem? [more inside]
posted by akk2014 at 8:14 AM PST - 16 comments

I'm about to buy a new Google Pixel phone. I use Verizon without a contract. I have no plans to switch carriers, but am just wondering if there will be any issue with buying an unlocked phone "just in case" I don't want to use Verizon anymore in years to come. If I buy an unlocked phone, can I just transfer my current Verizon SIM card and all my contacts etc., without any probems?
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:37 AM PST - 7 comments

I have A(u)DHD and I sometimes struggle with cleaning. I live in a tiny studio apartment with a kitchenette and tiny bathroom, so less space to clean but more overwhelm and visual clutter as there isn't a break from the chaos anywhere I look. I'm having surgery in a few weeks and I want to deep clean and tidy the whole place in preparation (partly because my partner will be looking after me while I recover and he's disabled and can't do much housework). I've been trying every day for a week to clean up and it somehow seems worse than it was when I started every time and is now completely overwhelming. I'm a big fan of the Unfuck Your Habitat 20/10 method, but that doesn't seem to be cutting it right now for some reason. A collection of other neurodivergent friendly tips and tricks, motivation hacks would be useful.
posted by chives at 4:23 AM PST - 20 comments

People who love warm, cozy incandescent lamp lighting, and who dislike cool-temp overhead lights... how do you do kitchen lighting? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:25 PM PST - 18 comments

If you currently live or have previously lived in an apartment building, especially the kind with fully interior hallways (aka double loaded corridor), do you or your neighbors put up holiday decorations? Is it just one or two units, or a majority, or somewhere in between? [more inside]
posted by spamandkimchi at 7:37 PM PST - 27 comments

Hey there! I'm going to be staying in London for seven days at the end of the month—specifically in Central Hackney, and travelling to Dalston for a few of the days. To fill in the gaps where I don't have anything scheduled, my "plan" is to walk around randomly, in whatever direction, and poke my nose into whatever looks interesting. Please name some diversions within a three-mile-radius of Hackney/Dalston should aim for. I like fun things! [more inside]
posted by not_on_display at 7:17 PM PST - 20 comments

I have been a happy 1Password user for many years, including on Chrome for Windows. But suddenly, my preferred technique just crashes. Why? [more inside]
posted by Alensin at 5:01 PM PST - 3 comments

I have an exe named "Bink Video Player" with a "Bink Video" icon, which plays a single looping video and does nothing else. Right-clicking the exe and choosing "Properties" shows that its "Description" is "RAD Video Tools." I have reason to believe it was created from a .fli or .flc file. Can I extract that original file somehow?
posted by one for the books at 1:36 PM PST - 4 comments

If I was to watch, say, 12 Nicholas Cage movies, what should they be? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 12:54 PM PST - 56 comments

I'm interested in some day living abroad for one month to a year, especially if I do some kind of project where I'm there. I'd like to collect ways that this could potentially be accomplished in this question. I.E. share different programs for teaching abroad, for doing things abroad at ages that are above 30 in jobs that are not necessarily academia. [more inside]
posted by azalea_chant at 12:41 PM PST - 5 comments

I need to make a variety of burritos to be eaten cold. Whatcha got? [more inside]
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:24 PM PST - 15 comments

I bought a bag of this stuff. I have never ever baked with it. I did add some to my regular pancake recipe and the results were tasty. I am interested in no-knead bread recipes but what else have you got? Note: In Sweden, it’s called dinkel, which I love.
posted by Bella Donna at 11:55 AM PST - 7 comments

If you obtained your TEFL certificate online in the last four years or so, please tell me about where you did it, the positives and negatives, the school's placement program if any, and your sense of the current landscape for online TEFL training (i.e., the best, the worst, the legit, the grifty, etc.). Bonus points for any personal anecdotes of your teaching experience after certification that you'd care to share.
posted by bricoleur at 11:40 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm obsessed with the smell of jasmine...please give me your TESTED favorite jasmine-scented products. Only if you personally love the thing!
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:41 AM PST - 17 comments

What are your tips and tricks for working out with a broken foot? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 8:41 AM PST - 13 comments

Please recommend a wonderful-smelling antiperspirant. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 8:26 AM PST - 14 comments

I'm tired of knitting. What else could I do to help me stay focused during meetings (when it's socially acceptable to be knitting)? Must be portable, not too fiddly, satisfying. [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:05 AM PST - 24 comments

I'm looking for ways I can find the New Zealand TV show Tongue Tied (2018). I'm open to buying it, streaming it, youtube or other sources. [more inside]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 7:46 AM PST - 3 comments

This cartoon appeared in the Flint (Michigan) Journal 100 years ago today. My friend who found it is mystified about what is funny about it, and I am here to get help. [more inside]
posted by Well I never at 7:34 AM PST - 21 comments

The Ask a Manager archives have lots of resume advice, but as far as I can tell, only one full resume example (https://www.askamanager.org/2013/11/this-is-a-resume-and-cover-letter-that-work.html). Where can I find more curated examples of stand-out resumes? I'm not interested in big job sites like Indeed or university career center pages.
posted by nanny's striped stocking at 7:11 AM PST - 6 comments

I need your suggestions on fun places in the USA where I can order occasional online shipments of regional food treats. [more inside]
posted by Kangaroo at 6:47 AM PST - 23 comments

I'm in Asia and my local international hospital has quoted me $27K for an outpatient surgical procedure - 5x the average price I've found online. My understanding is that many other folks who can't afford their local prices fly elsewhere, but how is this all arranged? Do you just grab a bunch of hospitals in other countries and email them asking for a rough quote? It seems that medical tourism is pretty popular, but I don't understand how the logistics work, and I'm also guessing it's different per hospital? How is everyone else doing this? [more inside]
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 6:16 AM PST - 5 comments

Do you know of a pill/tablet-form medicine that might be prescribed for tension headaches, that has this specific side effect: making the person sweat far less? [more inside]
posted by rollcredits at 6:02 AM PST - 9 comments

I’ve hit a wall in my marriage and I don’t know how to move forward from here. [more inside]
posted by Riverside at 5:43 AM PST - 38 comments

Do any of you know where a person could find the list of all the books read for a particular Booker prize year?
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 5:31 AM PST - 5 comments

My younger sister is getting married tomorrow and I'm the Maid of Honour. I love her dearly and am incredibly happy for her. I'm also terrified in advance of the 500-person event. Hope me? [more inside]
posted by guessthis at 5:19 AM PST - 19 comments

I'm cooking oatmeal, sausage, and hash browns for 60 people on a group camping trip soon. I'll have plenty of people to help cook when we're there and plenty of equipment, but buying the right amount of food is up to me. How much of each do I buy?
posted by Tehhund at 3:51 AM PST - 23 comments

I'm thinking of going away for Thanksgiving. Up to 3 hours drive from San Francisco with my shih tzu. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 11:35 PM PST - 4 comments

A friend of mine is struggling in her office job because she has ADD and issues with executive dysfunction, specifically in the areas of information retention, processing, and follow up. Her managers have gone above and beyond to support her need for accommodations, but after a year in the role she's not making the kind of progress she wants/needs and it's become a blocker to her and her team's success. Are there external coaches she could work with to improve? It's her dream job and she'll be devastated if she loses it.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 10:15 PM PST - 4 comments

I have a bunch of fresh shiso and I would like to make something vegan. [more inside]
posted by panhopticon at 10:01 PM PST - 15 comments

My partner and I will be taking a short vacation to NYC in mid-December. We’ll be staying in the Theatre District and will be seeing a show. My partner can stand and walk short distances, but uses a wheelchair for walks longer than a few minutes. We will be bringing his (manual) wheelchair with us. Looking for tourist tips. [more inside]
posted by southern_sky at 7:37 PM PST - 6 comments

I use my MacBook Pro for presentations at school and use the Screen Mirroring function to do this. But when I do this and the screen mirrors to the projector, the resolution automatically changes, which I have to change back, and doing this a dozen times in a lecture is a pain. How can I keep the MacBook from switching the resolution when I mirror the screen? (Or alternately, is there a keyboard shortcut to quickly switch resolutions?) [more inside]
posted by zardoz at 4:46 PM PST - 12 comments

I need help with a metaphor / allegory. The shorter and simpler the better. A rectangular space is enclosed by a 2m wall on one side and a 1.8m fence on the other. (The other 2 sides are inaccessible.) The wall will be replaced by an identical 1.8m fence. Some residents see this as a reduction in security for the enclosed space. I would like to gently help them understand it's not. [more inside]
posted by snarfois at 3:09 PM PST - 30 comments

This little guy came to us needing a home and a name. While we've got his home covered, we are having a harder time deciding on his name. He's an only pet but his pet cousins are called Harry and Archie so we'd like to avoid those. Other than that no restrictions or preferences.
posted by doublenelson at 3:04 PM PST - 73 comments

I am an RN who is running HARD into a wall of moral injury (I refuse to call it burnout) at work. Who is doing viable work toward changing *flails* all of this? Do those people have any use for a clinician with no policy background? [more inside]
posted by I am a Sock, I am an Island at 2:49 PM PST - 10 comments

Should we go to Cuba this February? [more inside]
posted by signal at 1:57 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm brand new to tablet ownership (Samsung S6 Lite) and love being able to handwrite notes in OneNote. I will often need to share a page (or part of a page) of handwritten notes, but 2 hours of Googling and still no luck. [more inside]
posted by Frenchy67 at 1:29 PM PST - 1 comment

We're planning a virtual murder mystery party for 40-60 people spread out across the US. We'd like to send folks a cocktail or wine kit so they can have a drink or two while we solve the case. We are not looking for a cocktail making class, just a little gift for attendees to open and enjoy while we socialize. Even better if there's a mocktail option for those who do not partake and/or live in a state to which alcohol cannot be shipped. [more inside]
posted by slmorri at 1:01 PM PST - 3 comments

I have a window that doesn't stay up. There are two metal pieces that seem to have come unattached. What do I do? [more inside]
posted by msbrauer at 11:17 AM PST - 6 comments

I am looking for a data provider from whom I can purchase data about dwelling units (homes). I'm looking for detailed information about single-family and multi-family properties, such as how many units are in a property, if they are vacant or occupied, how much rent is, the assessed value of the land, and how many of the units are subsidized, etc. I've spoken with several data providers and have not been impressed, because their data targets the needs of capitalist investors, not pro-housing researchers. [more inside]
posted by rebent at 10:17 AM PST - 6 comments

I found an airpod case (Model number: A1938). Is there any way for me to get it back to the owner? [more inside]
posted by onya at 9:00 AM PST - 4 comments

As previously seen on Ask MetaFilter, we're headed to Portland - now a week away. We've reserved a rental car. But on a trip to DC in June, we also rented a car - only to find on arrival that every one of the rental outlets at BWI overbooked and there were no cars. I've heard that's common now. Any suggestions for alternate, reliable sources of cars in the Portland area? [more inside]
posted by martin q blank at 8:30 AM PST - 15 comments

I'm working on some depth traversal code, and after my 2nd backtrack, the display of the current working node gets stuck on the 2nd to last node of that backtrack (e.g. hit the end and then step back [more inside]
posted by symbioid at 8:29 AM PST - 10 comments

What are good and bad foods for someone with esophageal issues? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:12 AM PST - 14 comments

My beloved therapist who I've seen on and off since 2017 is unexpectedly closing her practice at the end of 2023. I am seeking a new therapist. More details below. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:12 AM PST - 6 comments

I need to get new eyglasses, and I want to try purchasing them online. I also would like to get glasses that look good in video conferences. My current glasses reflect a lot of light, so I always look weird in online meetings and in photos. Where do I go what do I ask for? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:59 AM PST - 11 comments

Anything I can do about a cricket in the wall? [more inside]
posted by cozenedindigo at 5:56 AM PST - 5 comments

Not so good with the words and navigating the job interview field. A few years ago, I went through two rounds of interviews at a company but had to abruptly withdraw my application. I’m now back on the job hunt and noticed an opening at this company. What’s the best way to approach this? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:19 AM PST - 5 comments

For the last four years, I’ve been working at positions two levels below a CTO, initially with a team under me in a previous firm and as an individual contributor in my current firm. Now a new VP position has been created in my team and I’m being asked to report to this person. This feels unjust. How do I go about dealing with it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:18 AM PST - 8 comments

I would like to play with an iSandBox for like.... about 40 minutes probably. Can I do that anywhere? [more inside]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 3:45 AM PST - 4 comments

In the 2023 world gymnastics championships, when Simon Biles did her amazing vault, her coach stood on the mat, for which judges gave her a 0.5 point penalty. They have said he's there to spot her landing for safety. This article says that in the event of a problem, he would help make sure she doesn't and on her head. But, how? She's moving so fast, would he even be able to see that there was a problem? And if he did, what would he do? Would he be able to help her land on her feet? Would he throw himself under her to break her fall? What would a spotter actually do in the event of a problem? [more inside]
posted by OrangeDisk at 8:38 PM PST - 10 comments

I drink between 12 & 24 cans of soda a day. I have a few ailments and my doc wants me to lower the amount of soda I drink. She would prefer water, but knows that I don't like the taste of plain water or those droplet flavorings. As a compromise, she recommended trying to get into coffee and just have a few cups throughout the day. Help me put on and take off training wheels. [more inside]
posted by Mr. Hazlenut at 8:29 PM PST - 55 comments

I recently agreed to help my parents with paying for half of their bathroom renovation. They would pay for the other half. Both of my parents don't make a lot so I'm happy to do it. The contractor is purchasing all of the materials and then giving my parents the receipts for everything. I live a few hours away so I don't get to interact with this contractor directly. I'm basically just taking my mom's words for however much this project ends up costing. [more inside]
posted by missybitsy at 6:56 PM PST - 23 comments

My beloved Silver Lady is a total loss due to a complete failure of the entire system. Since the total loss is not due to an accident, our insurance company is not involved. Since this is in California, we want to make sure we don’t miss a legal requirement that could come back to bite us later. Details below the fold. [more inside]
posted by susiswimmer at 3:39 PM PST - 10 comments

I dream of a piece of software that looks and acts like a word processor, able to edit long, free-form documents. But with a little more database DNA. I'd like to define arbitrary sections and give them labels or tags. I'd like to then view just certain sections by tag or group of tag. Not just view--even Save As to capture just that subset of sections, or print. I'd also like to do searches limited to a certain tag or set of tags. Is there anything out there like this?
posted by moonmoth at 2:40 PM PST - 21 comments

In 2020, I started a little business - a software-as-a-service startup. Very little: an LLC, just me, did it all myself. It landed in the middle, making enough to pay for itself, but not enough to draw a salary. It has users, who like it. It also causes me a tremendous amount of stress and I can't figure out what to do about it. [more inside]
posted by tmcw at 2:26 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm still a simple mushroom hunter who enjoys wandering Hyrule, but I keep getting nudged towards actually fighting the bad guy and saving Zelda (who is right there and she seems fine to me but whatever). I'm at the stage where I believe I could go do the big final battle. [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:19 PM PST - 6 comments

My nephew will become an Eagle Scout! I will go to the ceremony in 2 weeks and I'm trying to figure out a present. [more inside]
posted by Jenny'sCricket at 2:18 PM PST - 11 comments

I have a loud speaking voice and I want it to be less loud. I don't even know where to start. [more inside]
posted by lord of the files at 2:01 PM PST - 8 comments

My family (2 adults and 3 teenagers aged 16-18) want to go on an African safari next summer, probably mid to end of June. But the possibilities are endless! If you have experience in this area, I'd love to hear from you. [more inside]
posted by widdershins at 1:13 PM PST - 13 comments

I like to be crafty as a hobby, and have found a niche product that I both enjoy making and seems to appeal to a lot of people. I am considering expanding my market a tad but don't want to go the etsy shop route. There is a local store that I think would fit my product well. Before I even approach them, what should I consider? [more inside]
posted by tryniti at 1:03 PM PST - 4 comments

Short version: I need a flexible iOS app for epubs, available in Europe. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by chavenet at 12:35 PM PST - 8 comments

I’m fascinated by the whole Sam Bankman-Fried/FTX saga and his trial started today. Who all should I be reading for coverage? [more inside]
posted by skycrashesdown at 12:19 PM PST - 16 comments

Do you have a Trane RunTru furnace? [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 11:51 AM PST - 2 comments

I bought a sewing machine. Help save it's life because I swear I'm going to smash this thing into a wall. All was going well until I got nylon thread to try my hand at piecing some quilt stuff. It's CONSTANTLY unthreads. Like after ever single successful "sew something" instance, i have to rethread it. And sometimes I confirm that it's threaded before sewing and then somehow once I hit the pedal it unthreads. Sometimes it stays threaded and all the thread goes down into the bobbin basement Sometimes it wraps itself around the stick that holds the spool. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:48 AM PST - 30 comments

What is my use case for a smart watch? [more inside]
posted by pdb at 11:31 AM PST - 15 comments

I'm picking up a bag of produce from a CSA today, and we won't use it soon. Of the CSA's options, will any keep well in the conditions I have? For how long? [more inside]
posted by daisyace at 11:06 AM PST - 10 comments

After a recent house reno, workers left a small pile of lumber under a tarp. Among the lumber were two long ~1 x 6 boards which are made of some kind of plastic (pic one, two). [more inside]
posted by Rumple at 10:15 AM PST - 5 comments

Seven years after my first failed attempt to complete the Couch to 5K program, I am in the 7th week of the program now and set to finish it next week. Yay for me! But what comes next? I know there's a 10k version, but I'm not looking for more distance, I'm looking for habit-forming. [more inside]
posted by Liesl at 9:45 AM PST - 13 comments

You're a person with a busy job who's in meetings all day but you still keep up with your emails. Maybe you're one of those rare types who is able to respond to any email within minutes despite your busy schedule. What do you do? How do you do it? [more inside]
posted by sid at 9:23 AM PST - 22 comments

One of my earliest memories from the internet was a fake alien conspiracy website. It went down a path of something like 4-7 pages detailing the reality of aliens. And then, on page 8ish it revealed a picture of the alien and it was E.T. Does anyone remember the name of this, surely defunct, website? Or, failing that, did anyone else also stumble upon it before the days of search engines?
posted by a47danger at 9:20 AM PST - 2 comments

Shepherd and I are attempting to participate in this 31 Days of Horror Movies schedule from Dirty Little Horror (currently defunct so this is from 2022). I need your recs for some of these themes! Gory details inside. [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 8:45 AM PST - 20 comments

A mason repaired a section of the brick on the front of my house. Another contractor ripped out the plaster on the opposite side because it was moldy. I'm worried that it's not waterproof and the mold will come back. How do I prevent that? Pictures of the wall from the inside:on google photos. Same pictures on imgur 1, 2, 3 [more inside]
posted by stuart_s at 8:35 AM PST - 5 comments

I've been eating pretty unhealthy food for the past few weeks, and now feel bloated and vaguely nauseated after every meal. And I'm now obsessed with sugar and simple carbohydrates, and I'm constantly thinking about what unhealthy food I can eat next. I have found that a short (18-24 hr) period of fasting is an excellent remedy for when this happens to me. Unfortunately my stomach hates me and punishes me when I try to do this. [more inside]
posted by Vatnesine at 8:19 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm fixing to style myself a proper handlebar stache and I hear a wax is the way to go, but which brand is the best and sturdiest without making my face feel waxy? [more inside]
posted by archimago at 8:01 AM PST - 4 comments

I am desperately searching for a firewood rack with cover, or each separately, which will look very neat and clean. All the photos I see seem to be total false advertising, and the covers droop and look extremely messy. I need an 8' rack, with a nice, neat, rigid (if necessary) cover. And of course, as frugally as possible (preferably under $150 total, but I can push that a little). I've tried to search on my own and I'm turning up empty handed, and my wood is arriving next week. Thanks to anyone who knows about such things~!
posted by asimplemouse at 7:24 AM PST - 4 comments

I recently reunited with family in South America, but I do not speak Spanish and they do not speak English. I'm learning Spanish, but it's slow going. We're able to chat via text and translation apps, but video calls are much harder. I feel badly asking my friends to translate all the time, and my googling isn't turning up what I'm looking for. [more inside]
posted by spacebologna at 7:06 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm looking for some firsthand experience in the Dresden/Leipzig/Berlin area in the December timeframe. [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot at 6:12 AM PST - 6 comments

What did I buy? Are these langoustines? I’m in Italy, on the Adriatic, if that narrows it down.
posted by HotToddy at 3:04 AM PST - 9 comments

I tend to experience repetitive actions -- like walking at a steady pace -- as less tiring than nonrepetitive actions involving a similar amount of physical exertion. Is that perception corroborated by science, and, if so, what are the physiological reasons for it? [more inside]
posted by aws17576 at 11:05 PM PST - 7 comments

What's the name of the chimpanzee in Apple's "Jane Goodall / Think Different" print?
posted by 2oh1 at 6:13 PM PST - 6 comments

Is grey a color? Or is it a shade or tint?
posted by Czjewel at 5:27 PM PST - 10 comments

Help us solve an engineering problem. My neighbors and I share use of a 25’ wide private road that is sloped in two directions. Here’s a handy diagram. How do we mitigate water erosion and icing when the two slopes cause water to flow all the way across and all the way down the road? [more inside]
posted by KneeHiSocks at 4:29 PM PST - 17 comments

My current job has me flying to a lot of major airports across the country. I know that airport food is often overpriced and low quality, but I personally find something comforting about getting food in the airport. The challenge I find is that restaurants in airports are generally scattered across the terminals, with no real way to figure out what's worth getting outside of places on the path to your gate. What are your favorite airport restaurants, especially those are something relatively unique to offer? Food at any major airport welcome.
posted by LSK at 4:26 PM PST - 41 comments

I’m looking for some arguments that writing video games (particularly small ones for phones) is an activity that is useful to society at large. Particularly I would like to understand the benefits to individuals of having games available. Both references and opinions are welcome.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:54 PM PST - 14 comments

Been using an accountant for more than 2 years. My accounts are fairly straightforward. No employees. No contractors etc. etc. Recently, I received an invoice for over 1200 bucks for "consultation fees". [more inside]
posted by jacobean at 3:50 PM PST - 30 comments

Like many of us, black leggings have been my go-to for exercising and loungewear for years. However, everything I’ve seen or bought online in the past few years is made of extremely thin and/or clingy material that shows everything. I feel like this was not a problem a few years ago. What brands still make more substantial leggings? Ethical companies and durable construction are a plus. [more inside]
posted by sibylvane at 1:15 PM PST - 15 comments

We are staying in our friends condo for a month. The fiancée of their son lived here on her own until he (the son) ended their relationship. While I was unpacking, I found the first two pages of a letter written by the son to the fiancée, explaining why he had broken it off with her. These pages were not in an envelope. They were in a paperback in the drawer in the bedside table. [more inside]
posted by uans at 11:35 AM PST - 39 comments

Have you used UPS Flat Rate / Simple Rate shipping? Please tell me everything. Do I need to pay and print labels at home? Can a UPS Store refuse to take the boxes? Can I buy extra insurance? [more inside]
posted by kristi at 10:37 AM PST - 6 comments

My car insurance seems so very high. I have a 2021 Mercedes GLA and I live in San Francisco. My insurance is about $300 a month! I think I have a lot of coverage--maybe too much. What is reasonable coverage to have in every area of coverage? I am a relatively comfortable working person who would definitely be financially devastated if I caused someone grievous bodily harm and my insurance didn't cover it. I have State Farm but am very willing to switch.
posted by bookworm4125 at 9:54 AM PST - 18 comments

What's interesting (and reachable without driving) in the general vicinity of Nantes? [more inside]
posted by aramaic at 8:57 AM PST - 9 comments

My kitchen counter has a ceramic tile finish with a wood molding border. I had to remove one of the pieces of molding in order to install a new dishwasher, and destroyed it in the process. I'd like to replace it, but I have questions.... [more inside]
posted by kbanas at 8:53 AM PST - 2 comments

Is the battery life going to be better with the Pro? what else?
posted by DMelanogaster at 7:23 AM PST - 12 comments

I made the rookie mistake of placing a litterbox in the corner of a room with a hardwood floor without another layer of protection, and cat pee has stained the floor. Can I clean, and if so, how do I do it? [more inside]
posted by RajahKing at 7:19 AM PST - 8 comments

I made a busymom blunder and inadvertently cancelled my sons birthday campsite that I had booked since April and had used every year.… Just found out and he turns 7 this weekend! :( He was in tears but cheered a bit with a plan to use a local covered area w an adjacent skate park for a ‘bicycle party’. Mefi, help me turn his frown upside down! What are your best 7yr old games/ decoration/ music/ bike decorating ideas to help him and his friends have fun and feel celebrated and special? [more inside]
posted by iiniisfree at 5:05 AM PST - 19 comments

Details beyond the jump for the queasy. [more inside]
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:14 PM PST - 15 comments

My preschooler loves books where I can sing the song as we read the book. Can you recommend more? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 5:48 PM PST - 32 comments

If I'm at a tourist hotel, probably near Covent Garden (but possibly closer to like St Paul's?) and I need to catch a morning flight from LGW or LHR, is it worth the extra money to fly BA out of LHR rather than Easyjet or Wizz out of LGW? BONUS QUESTIONS INSIDE! [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:33 PM PST - 21 comments

My kindergartener is really interested in writing, and is currently inspired to copy things that book characters write. I'd love to encourage that! What kids books (picture books or easy chapter readers) have writing characters in them? Bonus if what the character writes is actually pictured in the book. [more inside]
posted by jolenex4 at 4:04 PM PST - 15 comments

What are your favorite extra soft men's t-shirts? [more inside]
posted by A Blue Moon at 4:00 PM PST - 11 comments

I will be travelling to Israel for the last two weeks of November to attend a wedding. The days immediately around the wedding are sorted already, but I have a week up my sleeve beforehand where I can do what I want. I was thinking to stay in Tel Aviv and decompress for that first week (I'm coming from many time-zones away and will be heavily jet-lagged). What low key things could the middle-aged budget traveller do? And what are accommodation options like? [more inside]
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:49 PM PST - 3 comments

I ended a eleven year relationship (F32) with (M36) that was not working out for a long time due to verbal and emotional abuse and constant fighting from him. I realise I actually prefer women but repressed it, and I really want to date women now. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 3:42 PM PST - 18 comments

We've had quite a bit of rain lately and suddenly I'm seeing mushrooms springing up in people's lawns. I have three questions about this: [more inside]
posted by DrGail at 2:23 PM PST - 10 comments

For writing reasons, I am looking for true-crime paperbacks from the 80s and early 90s that were slightly trashy. You know the kind, or you did. Maybe they were actually good or maybe they weren't, but they looked lurid, and they were printed on yellow pulp with a hard glossy photo insert that often caused the spine to break after handling. Research has pointed me in the direction of good books, which is understandable but not what I need. Can you help? [more inside]
posted by Countess Elena at 2:18 PM PST - 13 comments

I have tried to find any information about this trick for years with no luck. Perhaps someone here can help me track it down. I attended this particular performance of the Peking Acrobats sometime around 1996. In the middle of all the fantastic acrobatic routines, one particular act stuck out for me: [more inside]
posted by Don_K at 1:56 PM PST - 4 comments

I’m trying to find a kids book I read about 1992. It was about a game where you inhabit different organisms, leveling up between them by having to solve a problem. I remember the first creature was an amoeba type thing that possibly only saw in two dimensions and could not lie.
posted by signal at 12:38 PM PST - 8 comments

Friend's dad worked for the US state department; she spent a few years in Peru where she got infected with some kind of intestinal worm and stayed infected a long time. Now she has gastroparesis. Except... ...does she? Maybe she has lifelong strongyloidiasis. Is this totally improbable? Possible? Highly possible...? Should she pester her GP about it? [more inside]
posted by Don Pepino at 10:29 AM PST - 5 comments

A few months ago, I committed to volunteering as part of a group that runs free game events. But I ended up questioning my ability to do a good job, and kept procrastinating on scheduling my first event. It's now been months, and I'm so embarrassed at having flaked out that I keep ignoring the volunteer coordinator's pings. When I try drafting a reply, I second-guess every sentence and end up not sending anything at all. I'd like an outside opinion on what a good "taking-responsibility" email looks like. [more inside]
posted by perplexion at 10:27 AM PST - 12 comments

I am working for my parents' company while I get into a new career. I am dependent on this income for the next six months. In a few short months, my mother has pushed me far further than I ever thought possible. There is an absolute mess of words inside. I am sorry, I needed to vent. Main questions: a) what she did was bad, right? It's not just me? and b) how do I draw healthy boundaries? [more inside]
posted by Probabilitics at 9:35 AM PST - 18 comments

Got a front-load washer that doesn't leak? What does the door gasket look like? Water gets under the gasket where the lip not-quite-meets the drum on my Kenmore washer. But a gap is necessary so the drum doesn't rub against it, right? So how big is that gap supposed to be? I suspect the culprit is an unbalanced drum but want to rule out the gasket. Any other thoughts about causes & fixes very appreciated! More details and questions inside. [more inside]
posted by Baethan at 9:15 AM PST - 5 comments

Go-getters and the self-employed of MeFi, how do you do it? How do you thrive and get results when YOU are your own accountability? [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 8:06 AM PST - 10 comments

I made my annual batch of mustard. The recipe doesn't call for processing it but I do so anyway, in a stove top canning pot. Two questions! [more inside]
posted by happy_cat at 6:53 AM PST - 5 comments

How do I keep up the lines of communication with my 11 year old so that he doesn’t get red-pilled? My 11 year old who is sharply verbal, oppositional, and technically on the spectrum, loves all types of media and has (my personal bias aside!) an unusually sophisticated ability to analyze media and discourse. (Check my posting history for more on him.) He is “all boy” as they say, also white and middle-class. Unlike some other similar boys, we are actually raising him in an extremely economically and racially diverse environment. However this environment is not politically diverse - at all. And he is a tween Holden Caufield. [more inside]
posted by haptic_avenger at 6:23 AM PST - 38 comments

I can unlock my MacBook with my Watch, but I want to disable this feature at night. Is this possible? [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 6:12 AM PST - 6 comments

How do I find an independent consultant who will help me place my parents in the right assisted living/memory care facility for them? [more inside]
posted by minervous at 5:10 AM PST - 6 comments

I would like to hear about people's experiences of adapting their life to accommodate mild joint hypermobility, and in particular whether targeted physiotherapy was helpful. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:50 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm interested in reading up-to-date nonfiction pieces about Indigenous peoples, especially those in the Americas. Ideally, these would be under 1000 words. I'm looking for recommendations that are suitable for a general readership, yet informative enough for someone in college. Any suggestions for where to find such materials?
posted by matkline at 7:45 PM PST - 10 comments

I’m making (small) payments on a 2014 Honda CRV, bought in 2018. It’s starting to show some wear and tear, and I’m getting worried I should trade it in. [more inside]
posted by functionequalsform at 5:31 PM PST - 17 comments

What are your best beginner recipes for making for Mexican cuisine at home? [more inside]
posted by socky_puppy at 3:46 PM PST - 13 comments

I’m looking for a good absolute-beginner tutorial for mixing (banjo/vocals) in GarageBand. [more inside]
posted by pxe2000 at 3:16 PM PST - 7 comments

Ronnie was an employee on Undercover Boss in 2013 who worked at the Boston Market restaurant. On the show, his boss fired him on the spot after catching him making disparaging comments about customers (not to their faces). Three months later, they did a follow-up episode and showed him still unemployed. Now it's ten years later and he'd be almost 30. How likely is it that he's found another job since? [more inside]
posted by WillStanwyx at 2:56 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm using them for an English class. I have "Oh Who Is That Young Sinner" by AE Housman and the enclosure poem that was recently referenced on the Blue. Can you think of any others?
posted by chaiminda at 2:33 PM PST - 14 comments

I have a question that doesn't require a vet visit but merely a relatively informed vet or reasonable facsimile thereof. Do you have an opinion on this question and/or do you know of another resource? [more inside]
posted by janey47 at 2:28 PM PST - 10 comments

Wowee here's a very boring question re: a notice I got from Turbo Tax. I'll put the thrilling details inside for you tax, accounting and numbers experts! [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:36 AM PST - 8 comments

I messed up big time and forgot to check my passport renewal date. Now I have international travel planned in about a month. It looks like I have two options and I’m wondering if anyone has experience with these? [more inside]
posted by music for skeletons at 11:23 AM PST - 18 comments

I'm seeking recommendations for the unicorn of life management tools. [more inside]
posted by joycehealy at 11:03 AM PST - 11 comments

I've started taking a beginner's pottery class, I've only had two lessons so far and I can't figure out if the instructor is decent... or if the problem is me! Is there a standard-ish way of teaching pottery that instructors generally follow? [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 10:16 AM PST - 17 comments

I am editing a documentary film in which several Deaf subjects were interviewed (being asked and signing their responses in ASL). What should I know about the ethics / standard practice of how to show or not show signing folks on camera? [more inside]
posted by catesbie at 9:18 AM PST - 9 comments

Digital or otherwise, in what areas of a life might be good ways to bring in aspects such as used in Duolingo, the language-learning system? The best features for me are the monitoring of the streak (with some allowance, such as earning “freezes”) and the fact that it can be done in short segments (such as five minutes to an hour). Any methods suggested should ideally be free or very low cost.
posted by NotLost at 8:22 AM PST - 6 comments

I'd welcome suggestions for websites or videos that simply and effectively teach the game of Go. Thanks in advance!
posted by partner at 8:19 AM PST - 4 comments

I just started a Substack and imported a bunch of posts from Medium. The imported posts still have the date of first publication on Medium, and I want to edit the date to today. Posts are in my draft folder now. I've tried "settings" and "edit" and clicking the three dots and import settings, and I still can't figure out how to change it. Can you help? Thank you.
posted by mermaidcafe at 7:54 AM PST - 1 comment

I thought I had YNAB pretty much down, but now a new snafu has arisen. I have one credit card that I pay off in full every month. This month I made an extra, early payment, because I am expecting some large transactions soon due to a renovation. For some reason, YNAB is now saying my Credit Card Payment category is now overspent, and it's reduced what I have to budget for October. But it's not overspent, I just paid part of the balance early. Any insight/tips/help? I'd like to fully budget for October. [more inside]
posted by Ollie at 7:49 AM PST - 6 comments

I have two couches that have cloth cushions. Over the years, I’ve done numerous wipes of them, but they’re getting disgusting and I want to wash them. I recently discovered the cushions has zippers, but instructions still say not to wash/dry them. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 7:14 AM PST - 15 comments

In the market for a new bed frame that doesn't break the bank - what are my options? [more inside]
posted by fox problems at 7:08 AM PST - 12 comments

When my wife & I take road trips, I do a lot of the driving because my wife really doesn't like to drive on major freeways. (Merging traffic makes her nervous, particularly if she's the one merging from an on-ramp.) She's perfectly fine with driving on two-lane or divided four-lane "surface highways", though. Is it possible (on Google Maps or any other mapping app) to easily identify which roads on a long-distance route are controlled-access highways vs. smaller roads? Short of using Street View to preview the whole damn route? [more inside]
posted by Johnny Assay at 6:39 AM PST - 10 comments

For the last few years, I've worn elusively Gap Breathe Shorty underpants. They are soft and amazing. But they only come in boring colors. I'd want brightness and patterns! [more inside]
posted by jeszac at 6:37 AM PST - 6 comments

When wireless speakers stop working, how on earth do you diagnose what's going wrong? Is there any software available in particular that can tell what is happening? It's so opaque. [more inside]
posted by treblekicker at 2:02 AM PST - 1 comment