Ask MetaFilter

I need to buy an LED menorah, ideally tomorrow, somewhere in the SF Bay Area. This one from Amazon is great, but it won't ship in time for my needs. This one from Home Depot is also fine, but it is not in stock in any stores near me. Do you have any suggestions for a brick-and-mortar store I could visit tomorrow that will have a large-ish (minimum 14" by 14") LED menorah in stock? [more inside]
posted by la glaneuse at 8:03 PM PST - 6 comments

I love a good angsty romance. I want it to hurt on the way to the happily ever after. I want the writing and characterizations to be good enough that I ache. Please share recommendations. [more inside]
posted by Well I never at 6:33 PM PST - 26 comments

If so, what kind of consideration? [more inside]
posted by cotton dress sock at 4:18 PM PST - 7 comments

How can I get over myself and enjoy my time without worrying about my appearance mismatch? [more inside]
posted by CMcG at 3:56 PM PST - 43 comments

So these cell-phone translation apps (SayHi, Microsoft Translator, etc) are amazing, but are there any that can do their magic without being connected to the internet? Naturally, that would increase the space they take up on the phone, since their dictionaries couldn't be stored in the Cloud. An unrealistic request, even in 2023?
posted by Rash at 3:14 PM PST - 4 comments

I have it in my head that I saw this movie, maybe in the early 2000s, set somewhere in the remote Spanish mountainous countryside. I see a writer in a cabin, maybe a typewriter, and a love interest, and maybe a moped. But the main thing is this story he’s (she’s??) telling, and the narrative comes true, to the point where you don’t know what’s fiction anymore. [more inside]
posted by scamper at 1:17 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm trying to sell my house, and I have a buyer who is interested in purchasing contract-for-deed. Is that fine? [more inside]
posted by eraserbones at 12:25 PM PST - 11 comments

I’m looking for a small Bluetooth speaker with excellent sound quality and some specific features. [more inside]
posted by manageyourexpectations at 11:58 AM PST - 12 comments

I and my buddy have made a short 7 minute film drama. We were wondering about submitting it to film festivals. Is it worthwhile to do so? We are complete newbies. What would be a reasonable expectation for what we would accomplish by doing that? I've heard stories that some fests are just vanity mills that make money for the organizers but don't give much in return. Any guidance or advice most appreciated! We are based in Canada, is submitting internationally a good idea?
posted by storybored at 11:20 AM PST - 8 comments

I am, on the whole, not great at remembering people's names (actually, I think it's often more that I don't remember their faces and thus cannot recall the names that go with them -- I have no trouble remembering who holds a specific job title or similar), but if someone has a name from a western European cultural background, I'll probably get it after I meet them two or three times. People with names from the entire rest of the world, though, I am much less good at and I would like to get better. [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 10:57 AM PST - 15 comments

We'll be heading for Japan next year, probably in June. We've decided to get some help with part of our trip. So, please tell me your favorite travel agent who's good with travel to Japan. [more inside]
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:31 AM PST - 3 comments

My 401(k) is somehow being held back from a rollover by my former employer. How do I release it? [more inside]
posted by Vhanudux at 10:28 AM PST - 6 comments

Hello! Ten years ago I asked this question. Now... I'm back. [more inside]
posted by daikaisho at 10:26 AM PST - 13 comments

Forty plus years ago I purchased a Bose Wave audio system — it included speakers, CD player, AM/FM radio. A friend hooked an Apple/iPod single docking station to it, and it has held my not too ancient iPod and all my music. [more inside]
posted by alwayson_slightlyoff at 10:21 AM PST - 4 comments

Interested in any and all restaurant and bar recommendations for Santa Barbara, California—any cuisine, price range, etc. We're two adults, no kids. Thanks!
posted by DavidNYC at 10:19 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm recently finding myself really drawn to fantasy and science fiction novellas that manage to build entire universes in a relatively short period of time: think Becky Chambers's Psalm for the Wild Built, T. Kingfisher's Thornhedge, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone's and Rivers Solomon's The Deep. I'm also super-fascinated by novellas that are stand-alone entries in the same universe: think P. Djéli Clark's The Haunting of Tram Car 015. What should I read next? (A bit more description of my reading taste inside, though I'm willing to be surprised!) [more inside]
posted by lavenderhaze at 8:43 AM PST - 23 comments

I love the old philosopher quote, "You never cross the same river twice. It's not the same river, and it's not the same you." But how to visually represent it in a tattoo? [more inside]
posted by knownassociate at 7:44 AM PST - 16 comments

How can I learn to be a less sensitive sleeper? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 7:01 AM PST - 14 comments

I'm looking for examples of great decision making tools to help patients decide whether to get a vaccination for themselves or to make decisions for others (children). Ideally, I'd love to see examples that are respectful of the culture and choices of the patient. Thank you!
posted by papergirl at 5:37 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm looking for a PDF that I saw a year or two ago, but the text of the document seemed to date from much earlier, like the 1970s. It was a set of questions that scored you on how well you know your local area. Questions I remember include, "what is the moon phase?", "name 3 edible plants," and "name an extinct species from your area." It was written in a flippant tone. This has been extremely hard to google.
posted by tofu_crouton at 5:27 AM PST - 2 comments

A friend fell for a phishing scam, and I am trying to understand the technical details so I can make sure it has all been cleaned up. Details below. [more inside]
posted by AMyNameIs at 5:17 AM PST - 11 comments

It's pretty embarrassing I'm wasting a question on this but I love these pants and I only ordered two pairs from Costco before they disappeared forever. I saw they have up to size 6 and smaller on Amazon but I'm looking for a size 12. I love the slightly stretchy fabric and the lightweight material and they just feel more comfortable than most pants I've worn. Are there any dupes for this? Or does anyone work for Costco and know when they will come back?!
posted by madonna of the unloved at 11:49 PM PST - 4 comments

Hi everyone! I was certain there's a way to make a live link from the superscript reference number for a footnote within a paragraph that allows the reader to click and jump to the actual footnote at the bottom of the same page. And yet, I can't seem to figure out how to make that happen. Help? [more inside]
posted by mochapickle at 9:54 PM PST - 3 comments

I’m planning a trip to the Galápagos Islands with my dad and I’m overwhelmed by the options and not sure where to look. Looking for tour company recommendations and advice on what not to miss. [more inside]
posted by raeka at 7:25 PM PST - 6 comments

Hi- I went to Trader Joe's and bought many things one of which was Trader Joe's Porcini and Truffle Ravioli. This was probably (more than?) 3 weeks ago. Can I still eat it? [more inside]
posted by bquarters at 5:13 PM PST - 9 comments

I’ve accrued cash/rewards on my credit card over the years, and would love to cash it out. The rewards were earned from purchases with my card. I’m a bit unclear if this redeemed cash reward would be taxable. YANML. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 5:06 PM PST - 6 comments

I have just become the proud owner of an (almost) new gorgeous cherry red Camry. I use Google Maps through my iPhone and Apple Carplay with only one problem: if I'm playing music, and using turn by turn navigation in Google Maps, the music does not appear to be paused when Maps gives a direction. I hive googled this but there isn't any obvious setting for it. Simple, seemingly, but Google isn't offering an answer, so far as I can see. [more inside]
posted by Logophiliac at 4:47 PM PST - 3 comments

For a few years I've been mulling over a software project associated with my industry (photography). I've finally found the time to commit to working on the project, and I've started breaking ground. But now I've encountered some other people who have very similar ideas to mine who want to work with me and I'm not sure how to handle it. [more inside]
posted by gmb at 4:00 PM PST - 6 comments

I do trade stands at farm & rural shows (my target demographic) in New Zealand. Normally I get a company to put up small marquee, set my posters up and wait for the hordes (I get half my jobs this way). I do this alone with no support and logistics gets tiring. So I’ve started going lighter and wondering how light is too light, and asking here to see what mefites may have seen in tradeshows in other parts of the planet that you liked or that you installed for your self. [more inside]
posted by unearthed at 3:30 PM PST - 7 comments

Please recommend a podcast app with a decent queue or smart playlist feature. [more inside]
posted by amf at 3:14 PM PST - 17 comments

I have come to realize I need to communicate my thoughts and ideas more, and more explicitly. This feels very unnatural. How do I hold myself accountable? [more inside]
posted by Clyde Sparrow at 2:44 PM PST - 8 comments

Looking for day hikes in the southern rim, with a dog, between Dec 15,2023 and Jan 5, 2024 What can you suggest?
posted by falsedmitri at 1:57 PM PST - 1 comment

In the 1950 movie "The Kid from Texas", Gale Storm plays a waltz on the piano. It's extreeeemely familiar to me, but I can't place it--I'm sure people here will recognize it immediately. [more inside]
posted by theatro at 1:33 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking to add a few belts to my wardrobe but I'm having a lot of trouble finding something I'd wear. I have a 41" waist so I'm too large for a lot of women's standard size belts. Requirements under the fold. [more inside]
posted by gentlyepigrams at 1:00 PM PST - 5 comments

I like to send babka or panettone as gifts for Christmas. These are a hit especially with my older, southern, less-exposed-to-a-variety-of-cuisines relatives. What other sweet breads could I consider? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 12:44 PM PST - 21 comments

My house came with a weird gray plastic bathtub with a partially damaged surface, and it looks gross. No matter what I do to clean it, it looks stained and dirty. Eventually we'll replace it, but in the meantime, it would be nice to be able to make it look a little bit less disgusting. Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by dizziest at 12:40 PM PST - 7 comments

I want an iOS app that ask me a multiple choice question, I respond to it, and i can track how I respond to it daily. What app would do this for the least annoyance (i dont want to be asked to upgrade to premium every day). [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 12:20 PM PST - 4 comments

Looking for a website that was posted to the blue that showed the depths to which different marine animals dove. The website had a beautiful continuous-scroll design that took you deeper and deeper into the ocean. Anyone remember that link? I can't find it. [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 12:18 PM PST - 3 comments

Does anyone have recent positive experiences with a temp agency in NYC? Person looking is the one in this question, with experience in adult education, mechanical work, and retail management in the bicycle industry. Happy to be helpful in office life too. Most of the previous answers are 10 years old, so asking anew for the decade. Thanks, Metafilter!
posted by wowenthusiast at 10:04 AM PST - 1 comment

My glasses lenses get smudgy a lot, so I need to clean them a lot, and I cannot for the life of me find an eyeglass-cleaning cloth that works well. [more inside]
posted by maryellenreads at 9:49 AM PST - 17 comments

After a recent situation, I'm looking for help on a teenage situation. Essentially, Person A had crush on Person B. B rejected A. Instead of that being the end, there was more interaction and resulted in very upset A. [more inside]
posted by Ftsqg at 9:41 AM PST - 11 comments

I have had about a dozen poems published in various lit mags (both in print and online, some titles are fairly competitive) over the past year, so I'm confident in my work and I want to take the next step - is it a chapbook or a full length book? And how/where do I submit a manuscript without falling victim to "entry fees"? Details within. [more inside]
posted by CancerSucks at 9:39 AM PST - 8 comments

I have a Fitbit Inspire 3 that I ordered in the summer as a replacement for my Inspire 2. I'd like a different device because they are so inconsistent. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 9:32 AM PST - 11 comments

I got a Chewy shipment of six boxes of FortiFlora dog probiotic powder ($18/box, super bargain on Black Friday!) and it was out on my stoop in 28 degree weather for three hours. Ruined or not?
posted by HotToddy at 8:59 AM PST - 8 comments

Looking for book recommendations for the equivalent to Stamped from the Beginning or The New Jim Crow for picking apart historic racism toward Native American/indigenous populations in the US. Only requirement is that it be available as an audiobook from the Chicago Public Library.
posted by phunniemee at 8:09 AM PST - 8 comments

I drummed in a garage band, and I sometimes make the provocative statement at parties that being a drummer doesn't necessarily mean being a musician. Obviously there are many talented drummers who ARE great performers with a deep understanding of music. But they're also the only ones who are regularly replaced with machines. As long as you can keep a beat, a lot of genres don't require a lot of fancy fills and such. [more inside]
posted by rikschell at 7:19 AM PST - 31 comments

Can I be completely remote free, either with or without a Chromecast, which I don't have, but am perfectly willing to buy if it's possible? [more inside]
posted by the webmistress at 6:22 AM PST - 5 comments

I've never been to New York City. I've also always wanted to go to a piano bar where (cis or trans) women sing torch songs and (cis or trans) women in the audience wear evening dresses and elbow gloves. Where can I go?
posted by cda at 4:41 AM PST - 8 comments

I got sick in Japan and spent $8355 on medical bills at 3 hospitals in 2 countries. I'm pulling together a travel insurance claim, but every time I contact the provider - WorldTrips - they remind me that *all* required hospital documentation must be provided, which is making me think they'll deny my claim if any of the myriad of documents they require isn't present. How do I manage this, because it seems like they're playing a game I can't win, and I can't afford to lose $8355. [more inside]
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 2:42 AM PST - 8 comments

Im 46. I’ve always had good skin without having to worry about it too much. This is apparently no longer the case. I get random acne (like one or Two giant zits at a time) and red bits in various places and I now feel like I need to wear foundation to look presentable. I think I need to pay someone to ask for advice about how to make my face not look bad. What kind of person do I talk to? A dermatologist? A person at a spa/salon? A person at a makeup store? [more inside]
posted by capnsue at 11:13 PM PST - 21 comments

Maybe it's just the Succession revisiting, but I bought one of these half-zip merino sweaters last year and I wish I'd bought a couple more. [more inside]
posted by praemunire at 9:27 PM PST - 13 comments

What am I doing wrong? What other products should I use? Am I washing too much? Not enough? YANMD but maybe you have found what works for you? [more inside]
posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 8:11 PM PST - 21 comments

I volunteer at a local charity (community Centre), and we are looking to match up people who need / can provide similar services. For example, Person A completes a survey telling us that they can teach a cooking class, but needs help learning how to set up an Amazon account. Ideally, there is a Person B in the community who can help set up an Amazon account and maybe also wants to learn cooking! I expect maybe 50-100 registrants in total. And maybe 20 different services needed/offered. Details below - thanks in advance! [more inside]
posted by leslievictoria at 7:38 PM PST - 5 comments

Im a guy in my forties, and have a female friend in her 40s too. We’re in NYC. She loves dancing - not club dancing but more ballroom type dancing though can’t imagine it needs to be that formal. I don’t dance well but would like to go dancing with her. Where can we go? [more inside]
posted by slide at 6:13 PM PST - 6 comments

MeFites have been so good at recommending places for us to visit, I was hoping you'd help again. This is for our winter thaw-out so, let's say mid-February (approx. 2/10 - 2/20). Our preferences and further details inside. [more inside]
posted by DrGail at 3:45 PM PST - 8 comments

This was me. I’m still remodeling my kitchen, but plans have changed and now I’m going with a range (oven & stove combo) instead of the separate cooktop and wall oven. I’d love to hear from folks with opinions on ranges. Pro-level is an option, but is it actually better?? As before, my question is a plea for you to share your experience with specific brands, models, and/or features that were either good or bad to help inform my choice. [more inside]
posted by pupstocks at 3:21 PM PST - 19 comments

Brooklyn/NYC people: is the scaffolding seen in Google Street View over the Clark and Pineapple Streets entrances to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade still there? The last time Google captured that area was in July 2022. [more inside]
posted by Venadium at 2:40 PM PST - 3 comments

I have a bag of amaranth that I'd like to use up. I've tried it as porridge, which was nice, but I find it takes too long to cook to be a quick and easy breakfast option. Other than serve it like rice/quinoa as a side dish, what else could I do with it?
posted by iamsuper at 11:45 AM PST - 15 comments

I have an interest in doing some continuing ed in film studies and one of the universities near me has a good program and apparently the way they do continuing ed is you just... take an undergrad class? Which seems weird but idk. So, I'm 42--what am I getting into? Am I going to feel really weird and out of place? Gracias.
posted by rhymedirective at 11:23 AM PST - 12 comments

but also don't want to be seen as an unnecessary hire and expendable. I've been in a temp-to-hire position with a great company but the problem is that there has not been much for me to do. I feel a little useless and anxious about it. I've asked many questions over the past few years about challenges getting into my new field after going to grad school to change careers so that's making this feel a little more high stakes and fueling my anxiety. [more inside]
posted by Che boludo! at 10:07 AM PST - 10 comments

My new job has blessed me with a bully in the form of a self-appointed senior designer/developer whose primary mode of communication is steamrolling others and lying. I got my first big dose of his bullshit yesterday and I can tell he's going to be gunning for my demise because I caught him lying and politely exposed it. How can I manage his passive aggressive behavior as it ramps up? Please assume I am looking for a new job and that I cannot quit right now.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 9:58 AM PST - 13 comments

Where can my son and I spend some time together outside, and maybe catch fish while doing so? [more inside]
posted by Arthur Vandelay at 9:43 AM PST - 7 comments

When someone accepted my invitation to connect on LinkedIn, I received an email confirmation of that. Because [REASONS] these notifications are important to my business. I have not received any notifications over the last two weeks, even though I can see (by looking elsewhere) that my invitations to connect were accepted. Has LinkedIn changed its policy? Or am I being singled out for some reason?
posted by John Borrowman at 8:22 AM PST - 4 comments

An older couple in my family are looking to relocate. They like the idea of The Villages — walkable (or at least not driving-required) communities, lots of people their age, plenty of organized activities — but are wholly unwilling to live in a place where 70% of the residents voted for Trump. What’s out there for them? [more inside]
posted by robot inside a grid at 8:02 AM PST - 26 comments

Help me feed my band after a show on Friday [more inside]
posted by saladin at 7:35 AM PST - 15 comments

The network problems described in this question are still occurring. I get very poor connectivity from the wired connection on my TP-Link router. Wifi connections from the router are fine, but don't reach the whole house.. Does it make sense to try adding an unmanaged switch between my cable modem and the TP-Link router? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:43 AM PST - 7 comments

Can anyone point me to research on the effectiveness of the covid booster that reflects real-world conditions - that is, looks at the effectiveness of the booster (and repeated boosters)for people who got the primary vaccination and have been infected? Ideally stratified by age. All I can find is research comparing booster to no vaccination, or monovalent v bivalent.
posted by haptic_avenger at 5:25 AM PST - 3 comments

Looking for authoritative information on the names/lists of cabinet ministers in the governments of southern Africa (south of the Sahara) going back as far as possible. [more inside]
posted by buttermilkmeeks at 5:25 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking for any medical information on risks/benefits of taking Paxlovid multiple times for separate Covid infections. [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 4:15 AM PST - 1 comment

One of my siblings is an addict. Our elderly mother feels compelled to perform wellness checks at their current place of residence. I don't believe these checks are constructive or safe, and I want to suggest alternative approaches to her, but I'm not sure what options and resources might exist that will be compatible with my family's needs. Do you have suggestions based on personal experience or expertise? More info under the cut. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:09 PM PST - 9 comments

I teach middle school orchestra. My go-to sub plans when I couldn’t get someone who knew anything about music used to involve episodes of From the Top. I used to just stream them, but they’re old and require JavaScript so I can’t any more. [more inside]
posted by charmedimsure at 8:43 PM PST - 4 comments

Where might I purchase a spool of flat elastic sneaker lace in brown or black? Leave the aglets to me. [more inside]
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:13 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking for your tasty light as air recipes for Christmas dinner. [more inside]
posted by BlueHorse at 8:04 PM PST - 15 comments

How do I pick the best yogurt and protein bar for me given all the conflicting messages about nutrition and marketing? [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 7:11 PM PST - 19 comments

Looking for ear worms that never hit that charts. I am DJ'ing a dance party and would like to mix it up with grooves that most people have never heard. The only requirement is that the beat or riff gets people dancing. Pop / R&B / Funk preferred but Soft Rock or Rock will work as well. Just dance!
posted by jasondigitized at 5:26 PM PST - 46 comments

If a bottle of fish oil capsules has "EXP December 2023" printed on it, would you interpret that as "do not take after 1 December" or "Do not take after 31 December" ?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:16 PM PST - 14 comments

I have a filing cabinet with two deep file drawers, and no office-supply-drawer. How can I nicely organize one of these deep drawers for office supplies? [more inside]
posted by splitpeasoup at 4:38 PM PST - 4 comments

I am writing categories for an upcoming trivia night and want to have some fun with a Dylan McDermott/Dermot Mulroney category. The idea so far is that all of the answers will be (very) roughly homophonic. I have those two, along with Dylan Mulvaney, John Mulaney, and Mick Mulvaney. Do other well-known people (or characters!) come to mind along these lines? And do you have any grand ideas for a particular structure for this category?
posted by AgentRocket at 2:22 PM PST - 37 comments

My real-life social network has taken a beating lately, what with Covid and 2 cross country moves in the last 4 years. I'm in a new city where I know no one (except my husband), and I'm having a lot of trouble making connections. I have a few friends from my prior city that I keep in touch with over text/zoom, but I'm really missing in-person friends and connections. [more inside]
posted by my_metafilter_account at 2:21 PM PST - 20 comments

As a kid, I learned complex concepts by playing with simulations. John Conway's Game of Life is a perfect example, but I also spent a lot of time in 3D physics simulators playing with gravity, etc. One of the most complex concepts I've thought about for years has to do with how ideologies and institutions affect population growth over time. For example, some life philosophies (eg fundamentalist religion) lend themselves to population growth and others (eg secular liberalism) seem to lead to decline. Are there any interactive simulations I (and my family) can play with that show population change over time as a result of various variables? It could be as simple as showing a few different populations - each with a different average number of children - and fast forwarding a few generations to see the results. [more inside]
posted by daniel.poynter at 1:28 PM PST - 5 comments

My son likes to take soup or beans and rice in his lunch. And he likes to take yogurt in his lunch. And he likes canned fruit. He has an OMIE box lunchbox which has a thermos. I would like a lunchbox with multiple thermoses or sealed containers, at least one of which should be insulated. That way I can put his hot food in the thermos and the other sealed-container-requiring foods in the other containers Currently if he takes a hot main dish, he can't have sealed-container requiring sides/snacks. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 1:27 PM PST - 10 comments

Since I posted my last Ask about the knee issues I had earlier this month, I talked with somebody from the orthopedics department and scheduled a steroid injection to lubricate my knee. However, all the odd pains and locking up had mysteriously disappeared for about a week now. [more inside]
posted by thoughtful_analyst at 12:56 PM PST - 10 comments

A friend has a MacBook Air running 11.7.10 MacOS Big Sur. It is repeatedly asking her for her Admin Password. Her Apple ID password is not working. Does that OS have separate passwords for admin and Apple ID? If so, what can she do if she's forgotten it? Under Users her account is only one listed. Thanks.
posted by dobbs at 12:34 PM PST - 7 comments

I have some kelp noodles (Sea Tangle brand) and have found a lot of recipes suggesting soaking them in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda to soften them. Also some sites suggesting one of those ingredients alone. What’s the science behind this, if any? Wouldn’t mixing lemon juice and baking soda just neutralize both of them? Is the benefit just from soaking in a liquid, any liquid? Or do acids, bases (or both combined?!) actually do something to soften these noodles?
posted by music for skeletons at 12:33 PM PST - 2 comments

I am highly sensitive to adhesives. Medical professionals either do not believe me or do not have alternatives to give me (I guess?). I have a lot more medical shit coming up and I'm wondering what my options are. [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:29 PM PST - 22 comments

We've built a shed in our backyard and I will wire the shed electric myself. We had an electrician trench and run wire from our house to feed the shed, but I'm not sure how to wire the 3-way switch to control the shed exterior light from my kitchen given the wires he installed. Details summarized below. [more inside]
posted by Hermanos at 12:16 PM PST - 10 comments

My son purchased an Ipad Pro last summer. He uses it mostly for university art projects. It was working fine, and then, all of a sudden, during a drawing, it became unresponsive. [more inside]
posted by ubiquity at 11:50 AM PST - 6 comments

It’s well known the NHS in the UK is struggling for capacity; it’s also well known the country as a whole has a problem with chronic diseases which is adding to the challenges our healthcare services face. I’m wondering what groups, state or otherwise, are trying to improve the nation’s health using all the known lifestyle interventions? I’m interested in groups at either the local or national level. [more inside]
posted by jonrob at 9:46 AM PST - 8 comments

Friends and I are planning a Nutcracker-themed tea with our kids (ages 3-10). We will watch a version of the Nutcracker ballet, and have some related drinks and things to eat. We have lots of ideas for sweet things already. What are your recommendations for savory Nutcracker-evocative foods? [more inside]
posted by jolenex4 at 9:15 AM PST - 15 comments

What are some really great gifts you've given or received that are things? So no experiences, gift cards, alcohol, or food. Ideas for useful gifts are especially appreciated. Under $100 would be great, but more than that is OK. Not interested in thoughts about how giving things is bad. [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 8:53 AM PST - 70 comments

I've always had the travel bug, and love the idea of becoming a travel agent as a hobby, rather than a job. Ignoring the costs of the initial startup and the sunk costs of my time, is there a way to do this and not lose money? I'd be satisfied with break-even. More details inside... [more inside]
posted by evadery at 7:55 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm going on a vacation that will involve some casual countryside walks over ground that can get muddy (it's the UK in winter). I don't want my one pair of sneakers to get covered in mud, but a separate pair of walking/hiking shoes seems like it would take up too much room in my luggage. Is there walking footwear that's suitable for travel and baggage packing? Or even some kind of shoe covers?
posted by cadge at 6:36 AM PST - 7 comments

I want to buy a laptop for my son to play Minecraft and create videos. He is 8.5 years old and I am on a budget. Would this laptop be okay? [more inside]
posted by flink at 4:50 AM PST - 16 comments

I want to use a US-manufactured heating device with the specifications "Power: 3A, 365 Watt, 120V AC" in Europe. What kind of transformer do I need? [more inside]
posted by nanny's striped stocking at 1:26 AM PST - 9 comments

I have been working developing a side project / side income to support my full time income as a design leader and capability builder at leading biotech here in San Francisco. I [more inside]
posted by specialk420 at 9:37 PM PST - 6 comments

I have a couple packages of black Rit in the cupboard and would like to refresh some faded black clothes. I did this as a teen in the washing machine, but I live in a rental apartment with shared laundry. Is there any way I can pull this off without also dyeing my sink or tub? [more inside]
posted by sibylvane at 9:10 PM PST - 8 comments

I work with six women and need to come up with holiday gifts for them, asap. But alas, there are complications. [more inside]
posted by silverstatue at 7:29 PM PST - 35 comments

At the moment I'm working on several different personal creative and life projects - I'm designing a game, I'm writing a show, I'm planning an event, etc. What I would love is some tool or other process that lets me track projects step-by-step, with a dependency chart. So, for instance, if I need to do three things before the next step, I want those three things in a form I can see. I don't know what form or medium this needs to take. My current "stack" in the extended explanation. [more inside]
posted by LSK at 6:15 PM PST - 2 comments

I went to the circus recently for the first time as an adult and now I want to read all the nonfiction things about the circus but somehow there doesn't seem to be a definitive ethnography of the modern American circus? So I'll also take blogs, article papers, maybe even a documentary despite my distaste for video content. [more inside]
posted by cessair at 5:55 PM PST - 11 comments

I would like to spend about €20K-€25K on a small or mid-sized car (used) for use in Portugal. I'm American so not familiar with some of the European-market car brands/models and I could use some suggestions. My top priorities are good handling and maneuverability, reliability, comfort on occasional longer trips, and fuel efficiency (no electric-only cars). What should I look at? [more inside]
posted by 4rtemis at 5:44 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm a single female and want to feel safe in the world doing the things I love (car camping, hiking, etc.). I might not get married, and I want to fully live the life I want to, even if I don't have a partner. I'm looking for media that can reinforce the belief that life is mostly good, people are mostly good, and that we shouldn't limit our lives out of fear. Any suggestions?
posted by ygmiaa at 5:38 PM PST - 16 comments

I need clear information on the breast biopsy [stereo something] process/procedure. [more inside]
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 4:43 PM PST - 15 comments

I'm a middle-aged myopic who had to start wearing various progressive glasses several years ago. I am currently juggling three pairs of glasses, but these still fall short of what I need. Help me reduce this to TWO effective sets of glasses: one for office work (I think I have this sorted) and one for TV/movie watching AND biking AND running errands/reading stuff on and off the bike. Are MeFi cyclists in my spot choosing bifocals, progressives, or something else? [more inside]
posted by maudlin at 4:37 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm totally addicted to my Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones, and I'd like to configure a wireless version of these to work with my PS5. [more inside]
posted by Gordion Knott at 3:20 PM PST - 2 comments

What are your favourite cleaning formulas using any range of ingredients? [more inside]
posted by jadepearl at 1:56 PM PST - 16 comments

My dear cat, Cosgrove, has been acting a little off for a couple of weeks. We're going to see her vet on Friday. But I want to ask the hive mind whether one of her new behaviors is a sign or symptom of... something. [more inside]
posted by janey47 at 1:28 PM PST - 6 comments

I just bought the Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro for food storage purposes (not sous vide, which I may start doing at some point but not in the near future). What do I need to know? [more inside]
posted by DrGail at 1:27 PM PST - 6 comments

My partner and I need to get on the same page with housecleaning, and I think an app would really help. [more inside]
posted by trillian at 11:36 AM PST - 9 comments

Are there weather forecasts available for Canadian cities/regions from Meteorological Service of Canada or other entities that are akin to Area Forecast Discussions the NWS does in the US? [example here] Something beyond brief summaries that would have more information-dense technical analyses, detailing the thought processes of meteorologists and their forecast rationales based on observed data and modeling, for both the near term and longer timeframes?
posted by theory at 10:37 AM PST - 1 comment

My concern is the plastic chemicals in the soup container from a take-out restaurant leeching into the soup. The soup has been frozen in that container for 8 months. The bottom of the container has the plastic symbol (arrows in a circle) which the number 5 in the middle, and PP below. Thanks!!
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 10:34 AM PST - 5 comments

I've recently moved and the living room has built in cabinets/drawers (imgur). What can we use to stick labels on the drawers that won't ruin the finish but also not look like crap? [more inside]
posted by hoyland at 10:23 AM PST - 11 comments

This is an easy one, I think: I love my bedroom furniture, but after eight years, the panels at the bottom of my very wide dresser drawers have warped so much that they won’t stay in the grooves they slide into. Do I want to replace them with 1/8” plywood, hardboard, or something else?
posted by centrifugal at 10:05 AM PST - 7 comments

I want to backup my Samsung phone to my PC. I do not want to backup to Google at the moment. The Contacts backup to Google. But I want the whole phone on the desktop. [more inside]
posted by jtexman1 at 9:39 AM PST - 3 comments

I am making a mid-life career change to IT. I come from a sales/management background. What are my best options, given my age and lack of direct IT experience. [more inside]
posted by IWantAnswers at 9:09 AM PST - 10 comments

I want to be included. I want to have friends. I want to feel like I matter. I want to succeed in life. But people don’t like me, and I don’t know how to overcome this. [more inside]
posted by 8LeggedFriend at 7:32 AM PST - 30 comments

I'd like to buy a computer monitor and I'm having trouble finding the feature I want, regarding VESA mounts, can you help me? [more inside]
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:15 AM PST - 7 comments

In this article about a rogue high energy particle, one of the researchers says, “You trace its trajectory to its source and there’s nothing high energy enough to have produced it,”. How do they trace something like this to a source?
posted by dhruva at 5:12 AM PST - 4 comments

I would like to accept an input signal, apply an expander to that, then output that signal with a three second delay. [more inside]
posted by pompomtom at 9:41 PM PST - 6 comments

I occasionally like to do some simple time-lapse stuff of clouds and storms and such, but my go-to app (LapseIt Pro) seems to no longer be supported. Any recommendations for basic timelapse apps? [more inside]
posted by quinndexter at 7:46 PM PST - 4 comments

I'd love to find an eyeglasses display box like this but not pay that kind of price. Are there (similarly elegant) display cases that are sold to eyeglass shops of that variety, or which are otherwise available and are made to fit glasses?
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:30 PM PST - 5 comments

Explain the particulars of eyeglass (optical and sun) measurements so I understand how to buy pairs online that I'll like. Details inside. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 5:07 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm installing a bidet attachment, and I'm at the part where I have to detach the intake valve from the water supply. All the videos, instructions, etc. say it can be opened by hand. Mine can't (image here). None of my wrenches are big enough for this. What kind of wrench do I need to get? Thanks!
posted by PlusDistance at 3:33 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm overwhelmed by the number of models after considerable 'research'. [more inside]
posted by sylvanshine at 2:23 PM PST - 15 comments

Please recommend some actually good Hallmark-type holiday movies! [more inside]
posted by MiraK at 1:51 PM PST - 33 comments

I had to end a verbally abusive 11-year relationship with my former partner in early August, and I am finding it so difficult to move on; even though he treated me like dirt at times, I can't help but cry all the time and think about the good times we had even if it went sour in the end. A part of me wants him back, but I know it is best to move forward. He is also giving me the silent treatment for kicking him out of my condo. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 1:48 PM PST - 16 comments

This is not normal for me. Normally, I get colds and sore throats/coughs that go away within 2-3 days. This time, about two weeks ago-ish, I started having a persistent cough. About 5 days ago, I completely lost my sense of smell/taste, although the cough has healed somewhat. Been coughing up a lot of mucus and have a somewhat runny nose. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 11:29 AM PST - 22 comments

My cat has had the other 2 cats in our household turn on him. Every method for reintegration I've tried has failed. Kitty is now so needy and clingly I can't work from home as usual, so I'm back to the drawing board and looking for new ideas to get this cat family reunited. [more inside]
posted by Pemberly at 11:25 AM PST - 9 comments

If you've gotten Covid recently and haven't been vaccinated since last fall (but had otherwise followed all recommended Covid series + boosters), how did it go for you?
posted by HotToddy at 10:39 AM PST - 18 comments

For animal-focused videos without natural sound, what's on the other end of the spectrum that starts with human-speaking-as-animal or fast vaudeville music? If you've been favorably impressed with a non-topical soundtrack, what was it? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 10:27 AM PST - 4 comments

Most of us would probably agree that the internet now sucks. Is there a practical way to reframe my approach to how I use the internet so that I can still discover cool, new, interesting people and ideas, without wading through sixteen tons of angry garbage? (I'm seeking problem-solving strategies to make lemonade from lemons, not "just give up" cynicism, thanks!) What are the best punk rock, fuck-this approaches for discovering and enjoying the best and weirdest things that the internet still has to offer? [more inside]
posted by nightrecordings at 10:07 AM PST - 14 comments

I've owned an always-on AWD Subaru for over a decade, and this line in the manual has always haunted me: "When having your vehicle washed in an automatic car wash, make sure beforehand that the car wash is of the suitable type" What is the suitable type of automatic car wash and how would I know it when I see it? [more inside]
posted by pwnguin at 9:57 AM PST - 7 comments

Asking for a friend who lives in the EU, has US and EU passports and an EU id card, but will leave the EU for a couple of weeks. The trouble is that because of a name change, the EU passport and id card are not officially valid. Is it still reasonable to travel? [more inside]
posted by melamakarona at 3:54 AM PST - 15 comments

Somewhere between 2017 and 2019, I got a really cool huuuge poster size print of a photo I loved from an online vendor that specialized in just that: inexpensive huge prints. It was matte, not glossy, and the paper was pretty lightweight. Anyone remember this place? Does it still exist?
posted by ocherdraco at 1:52 AM PST - 5 comments

When you buy an ebook from Amazon that is published through a traditional publisher, like Random House or Hachette, for $10, how much of that goes to the author?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 1:01 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm a plus size woman who likes to wear comfortable underwear that covers up the basic bits and stays where it should be. It's been surprisingly, maddeningly difficult to find this for various reasons. More info inside about what I've tried; appreciate info from other plus-size ladies out there. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:48 PM PST - 24 comments

I'm in love with 2 people (married to 1) & I don't know how to handle the uglier, messier aspects. I'm already judging myself so harshly & I feel so bad I can't think straight. I can't make any choice without harming all 3 of us, but I'd like to try & do the bare minimum harm. I need opinions, advice, to know what others might do. I know what I want, but not how to do the least harm going after it. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:47 PM PST - 20 comments

What about all the correspondence from family and friends who mention my ex? [more inside]
posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 6:59 PM PST - 16 comments

I left my volunteer job with a Friends of the Library early this year. During my 15 years as a Friend - most of them as president - all of the mail to do with it was sent to the library itself. Today I received mail from the IRS directed to the Friends at my home address. ?!?! [more inside]
posted by goofyfoot at 6:52 PM PST - 10 comments

I’ve been listening to a wonderful podcast called Rumble Strip and am looking for others on similar topics. [more inside]
posted by southern_sky at 6:36 PM PST - 4 comments

I am curious how much does an artistic director who owns their own stage theatre company make? Does it depend on the city and funding overall, etc? It just looks like it would be hard to make a living especially if you own it in a small town in Canada? I know the arts seem hard to make a living out of, but do most do well in theatre if they own it especially?
posted by RearWindow at 5:13 PM PST - 6 comments

Having revisited If Shakespeare had a Sister by Virginia Woolf, read this piece on women in art, and a few other things, I’m experiencing some fresh rage. [more inside]
posted by bunderful at 3:43 PM PST - 20 comments

My mom says that she saw an initial release of the movie "Legends of the Fall" where the Col Ludlow character (who struggles to speak at this point in the story due to disability) attempts to threaten people who are hassling him by showing them a chalkboard with something like "Get off my land" written on it. She says the scene didn't work and was cut from later releases. [more inside]
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 1:53 PM PST - 4 comments

As a small business owner, this season has already been wildly busy, but I’d love some suggestions for how to make it through until my last event on December 9 without fully burning out. [more inside]
posted by sucre at 1:31 PM PST - 8 comments

Google used to have a feature in their image search where you could input text, like regular search, but with images. That was tremendously helpful to me. Over time they removed this feature. [more inside]
posted by 41swans at 12:31 PM PST - 19 comments

Looking at SFO to the UK summer 2024.. cheapest I am seeing is about 450-500 each way. Is that a 'good deal' these days for this distance? Best I'm seeing at the moment is British Air. Any insights on strategy for deals, buying early vs waiting, etc these days?
posted by latkes at 10:48 AM PST - 6 comments

It seems much of the news has shifted to video or podcasts. Is there a news source that you trust that puts out a daily written edition? [more inside]
posted by i like crows very much at 9:45 AM PST - 15 comments

I’ve become really interested in improving the way I think on a day-to-day basis, just as I go about my daily life. When I have some down time and I’m just thinking, I’d like to use that time more effectively, rather than just having a random stream of thoughts coming in and out. Are there strategies to structure one’s internal dialogue to be more productive, creative, or otherwise satisfying? [more inside]
posted by strekker at 9:39 AM PST - 9 comments

Yesterday in a chat, my 11-year old was dealing with a troll who filled about 30 screens with an anti-LGBT slur. My son said he didn't know what it meant and so was more annoyed at the spamming behavior than the hate speech. We've always discussed slurs as they come up, but now I'm wondering if he would be better equipped to flag and report that kind of language if he recognized the words. [more inside]
posted by Naib at 9:14 AM PST - 15 comments

I’m looking for information on a painting I recall seeing a few months ago. I know the artist was colorblind but for yellow and a painter of the Canadian wilderness. Can you help me find it? [more inside]
posted by meowmeowdream at 8:49 AM PST - 2 comments

My partner forgot glasses and contact lenses and is supposed to drive home from Port Townsend (Washington State) today! Anyone in the area have an extra pair of disposable contact lenses she could have? Or glasses she could borrow (and then we'd mail them back)? I believe she has -1.0 in the right eye and -1.5 in the left but probably anything close could help. Thanks.
posted by imelcapitan at 8:42 AM PST - 5 comments

I need a vacuum I'll actually use. I know I won't use a standard upright or canister because they're too heavy and cumbersome. I've read so many reviews today my eyes are crossing. Help? [more inside]
posted by tzikeh at 8:39 AM PST - 8 comments

I recently received a letter about a data breach at my doctor's office. The breach was related to the MOVEit hack. The letter said I can get a year's-worth of free identity protection from IDX. Is it safe to enter all my personal data into IDX? [more inside]
posted by akk2014 at 8:10 AM PST - 2 comments

I'd like to get a novavax vaccine, but I have me/cfs-flavored long covid and can't walk, and leaving the house is a huge project with a huge recovery time. Can I get someone to come here and vaccinate me? [more inside]
posted by zeek321 at 6:21 AM PST - 12 comments

I'm ready to overhaul my current 'media system' and invest in modern equivalents. Looking for solutions for, (1) big screen (2) connect to devices (3) connect audio to either the screen's audio or another speaker system [more inside]
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 6:20 AM PST - 6 comments

I'd love to have an "AI" *eyeroll* personal assistant to track my working hours and to-do list through a conversational interface. ChatGPT is not up to the task. Has someone make a better AI productivity buddy yet? [more inside]
posted by nanny's striped stocking at 12:55 AM PST - 6 comments

In a dumb move, I didn't think to check the pockets of my jeans before doing a full load of laundry tonight! Turns out I washed my iPhone 14 Pro. When I took it out of the washing machine it was pretty dry, right now I have a fan on it. It seems to work fine... for now. Is it only a matter of time before it fully dies? What do I do? My poor phone! Can it survive this?
posted by VirginiaPlain at 7:32 PM PST - 13 comments

Help me keep my feet warm and dry! [more inside]
posted by cozenedindigo at 4:50 PM PST - 10 comments

I loved my Misfit Shine for it's low profile and ability to be discretely clipped to clothing. Help me find a replacement! [more inside]
posted by burntflowers at 3:39 PM PST - 1 comment

Help me prepare the yummiest possible shrimp, cheese, and rice dish for my friends here in Spain! [more inside]
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 8:43 AM PST - 9 comments

I am looking to move towards a mostly vegetarian lifestyle and am severely limited by budget, skill and cooking experience. Honestly, I’m in the grilled cheese range of skill. I don’t have a lot of supplies and spices so I’d love suggestions on pantry staples to have on hand. Prioritized if possible because it’s going to take time to stock up. I’d love a list of easy to make, flavorful meals that I can cook on Sunday and eat through the week. Thanks in advance!
posted by Mr. Hazlenut at 8:13 AM PST - 30 comments

Previous question with requirements and outcome over here [more inside]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 6:23 AM PST - 15 comments

CW: mention of intentional weight loss. I prefer to remove the hair from under my arms. I lost a significant amount of weight, and I can't figure out how to get a clean shave under my arms now. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:14 AM PST - 11 comments

Suddenly as of late last week, my iPhone no longer receives any Notifications from my apps. Help! I miss them!! [more inside]
posted by konaStFr at 5:25 AM PST - 6 comments

UK-specific, but does writing to one's MP ever actually achieve anything? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 1:51 AM PST - 20 comments

My husband lost the fleece layer of his beloved North Face Exertion jacket. The jacket is old, and it looks like they might not make it any more. Is there any way to replace the fleece layer? Maybe a fleece from a new model that is backwards compatible? [more inside]
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 5:17 PM PST - 5 comments

I've always been a very disorganized person. I'm trying very hard to organize my physical and digital belongings right now, but I seem to only manage to move things around pointlessly and create more chaos. I'm not sure how to begin a system of organization when things are everywhere. [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 4:36 PM PST - 20 comments

A few days ago I had my first migraine. It was awful, I've never been in so much pain. The emergency doctor was sure it wasn't a bleed or stroke, and prescribed painkillers which helped. I have a follow-up with my GP next week. But two days later, while I'm no longer in pain I feel fragile and tired and I want to cry All. The. Time. I see lots of info about crying causing migraines, but not the other way around. Is this crying after migraines normal? What can I do anything about it? [more inside]
posted by andraste at 4:32 PM PST - 13 comments

For Christmas I'd like to gift NYC bagels to someone who lives in Manhattan but doesn't venture very far outside of her neighborhood (which is somewhere between Kips Bay and Murray Hill, according to Google Maps). Discovering a place within walking distance would be awesome, but mostly I want to find a solid bagel shop that does *local, fresh* delivery rather than packaging frozen bagels for shipping, if that's possible?
posted by serelliya at 2:29 PM PST - 9 comments

My partner has a fast growing, coarse facial hair. He likes to be clean shaven but his face doesn't seem to like it at all-- he's always cutting himself and breaking out in rashes. I was thinking that I would gift him a Save-My-Face shaving smorgasbord for Hanukah and am looking for tips, tricks, and products to include. [more inside]
posted by jeszac at 1:16 PM PST - 17 comments

Almost four months ago, I agreed to host a small Thanksgiving gathering. Then I got severely depressed and wanted to cancel. But, also because of depression, I didn't. So my guests are expecting to have dinner at my house tomorrow, but I am nowhere near prepared. I don't feel like I can cancel the day before. Is there a way to salvage this gathering? How would you make sure Thanksgiving is as simple as humanly possible? [more inside]
posted by PurpleDragon at 12:56 PM PST - 43 comments

I have a phone, I have a phone number, I don't want a phone app. I don't know how phone apps work. How do phone apps work? Is there any way (without getting a special account*) to interface with people who prefer to use WhatsApp, Telegram, etc? Can I just give them my regular phone number? [more inside]
posted by aniola at 12:44 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm a late 20s female in a new role at a prestigious healthcare organization. A man I had just met touched me multiple times, then asked for my phone number and immediately tried to get me to go to his office. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:59 AM PST - 16 comments

A student who really looked up to me and my spouse when we were their teachers is now at college in our new city. I've heard from a third-party about their abhorrent new-found beliefs. They have now friend requested me on facebook, knowing fully I disagree deeply with what they profess to believe, but they could just be reaching out for support and I don't want to leave them hanging. Posting on anon and using neutral language to hopefully obscure the student and the school if someone happened to see this. Lots of circumstances behind the cut. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:32 AM PST - 25 comments

I'm deep in the sciatica pain hole, as documented in these previous two questions. Many people have recommended John Sarno to me, and after reading his book I'm curious about a tangential question: what are examples from the health sciences where a treatment program worked but the underlying theory of "why" was off? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 11:29 AM PST - 8 comments

The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a bunch of free independent study online classes. There's interesting material in a bunch of those. I would prefer to skim the printable, all-in-one-HTML-page versions of the curricula rather than clicking through a hundred screens for each course. For many courses I can easily find the relevant link, but I'd like to work out how to download ALL of them; help me figure out the URL scheme? Also, for recent courses I can't; are there any, and if so, where? [more inside]
posted by brainwane at 11:10 AM PST - 2 comments

Is there a way to power off the PS5 controller that doesn't involve holding down the PS logo for 15 seconds? [more inside]
posted by Rhomboid at 9:16 AM PST - 9 comments

I got two emails this morning saying that I'm going to be refunded 48 cents for a purchase I made in May. I haven't requested a refund of any kind. The purchase was about $70. [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 8:23 AM PST - 5 comments

I have a pen and shed on a poured concrete base which is very useful aside from a complete lack of drainage. Here is a photo, with sheep tax. I would like to drill or otherwise bore out drainage channels along the back shed wall and pen fencing so that both pen and shed will drain into the field behind. I have no experience with drilling/chiseling/otherwise destructively modifying hardened concrete. I do have a solid hammer drill, safety goggles, sturdy work gloves, and proper ear protection. What do I need to know to tackle this safely and effectively?
posted by Rhedyn at 7:54 AM PST - 8 comments

I would like to reheat this Thai-style braised brisket in a palm sugar/fish sauce/tamarind sauce tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner and could use some advice on reheating. [more inside]
posted by andrewesque at 6:37 AM PST - 4 comments

Windows Powertoys includes a neat utility called "Find My Mouse" that dims the whole screen except for a small radius around the mouse pointer. Ideally, I'd like to find a similar utility that dims the whole screen except for the sentence where my insertion point is currently located in Microsoft Word. Being able to set a fixed or mouse-based rectangular area could also work. Does such a program exist? How on earth do I even search for this?
posted by nanny's striped stocking at 5:40 AM PST - 6 comments

Some time in the last couple of years, but more than one year ago, I saw a recipe on YouTube for turkey stuffing meatballs. I made the meatballs, and they were great. However, I don't appear to have given the video a like or saved the recipe. It's a long shot, but could you help me find it? [more inside]
posted by some little punk in a rocket at 3:24 AM PST - 2 comments

Is it technically feasible for VOIP software (Zoom, Teams, Meet, etc.) to mute your microphone by default, but automatically unmute when you are speaking? [more inside]
posted by snarfois at 2:01 AM PST - 30 comments

I'm in a new apartment, which has one central boiler for the building and each unit has steam-based radiators. Can I bleed my radiators without having to worry about the pressure of the whole system? [more inside]
posted by unid41 at 11:37 PM PST - 6 comments

What is the font used for the logo for the 4AD record label, made by designer Vaughan Oliver? It looks very close to Bodoni Poster Standard but it's clearly not the right one. (The empty space inside the 'D' is rectangular in Oliver's design.) I've tried several online font finder sites but none of them give me the right one. Please satisfy the curiosity of a longtime 4AD fan and Oliver admirer. Thanks.
posted by shortfuse at 10:12 PM PST - 4 comments

Came across a great Budos Band song on a Pandora playlist, but what does the acronym stand for???
posted by gryphonlover at 8:48 PM PST - 5 comments

Please help me identify a weird sci-fi novel with brains in jars! It was most likely published before 1960. [more inside]
posted by possibilityleft at 6:32 PM PST - 1 comment

Any idea what is up with this sand on the sidewalk? It was a long tarp or blanket, covered with sand, on the sidewalk, around noon, in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn.
posted by andoatnp at 6:17 PM PST - 4 comments

Hi all, I am a fan of the James Bond series--specifically Connery, Moore, and Dalton, the best. Are there any similar non-James Bond films that kind of have an identical feel? I love Hitchcock's film North By Northwest (1959), which has a James Bond tone. Are there any other films from the 1960s to 1990s that are similar?
posted by RearWindow at 4:25 PM PST - 34 comments

I just got some feedback that rings true to me that I would be more effective managing up if I got better at getting to the point, and that I'd be more effective at managing around if I were less conceptual in my interactions. I could use some resources. [more inside]
posted by Pudding Yeti at 3:31 PM PST - 20 comments

My wife and I have put an offer in on a house and we want to have an inspector ready to go in case the offer is accepted. However, we've never shopped around for an inspector before, so we'd like to know more about which questions to ask a potential inspector and any other tips or suggestions that you fine folks might have. Our realtor suggested some, but we're not sure if we should trust that they're not going to find someone that will skip/omit things. I know, I'm paranoid. Thanks!
posted by Fister Roboto at 2:47 PM PST - 9 comments

We're traveling to Iceland for a 4 day trip, will be based in Reykjavik and doing trips from there. We're sorted for food while there (although if you have a must try recommendation, I'd love to hear it). However, I'd like your suggestions for consumable gifts to bring back for family - what are your favorite, made in Iceland (or I guess not widely available in western Europe or north America) treats / snacks / cooking ingredients? Open to sweet, savory, just no fermented fish
posted by darsh at 2:01 PM PST - 17 comments

Jess Zimmerman's original article "Where's My Cut? On Unpaid Emotional Labor" was posted on The Toast (which has since gone under). When I try to follow the original link I get a privacy warning that says pirates might be trying to steal my personal information. Is there a safe link to a place where I can read the original article and not comments on the article itself or on the MeFi thread? Thanks!
posted by purplesludge at 1:50 PM PST - 3 comments

I've come up against a certain problem for the second time in my IT career. I'm not looking for a solution. I'm just looking for confirmation that it's a thing that has a name. [more inside]
posted by kitcat at 1:36 PM PST - 28 comments

You once had bad GERD and to address it, you had the LINX procedure done. Or you're a medical professional with patients who've had it done. Tell me about it! [more inside]
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 12:58 PM PST - 1 comment

I graduated from law school in 2007 and passed the bar in my state. Since then I have made my living exclusively in data analysis. I have never practiced law in any capacity and probably never will. Should I keep paying annual fees or just abandon my attorney's license? The sunk costs are, of course, enormous. [more inside]
posted by paper chromatographologist at 12:26 PM PST - 17 comments

Green Friday seems to be gaining a bit of traction given the environmental havoc of Black Friday, Adbusters still puts out images for Buy Nothing Day but is that it? Can you point me to current counter-narratives to overconsumption (op-eds in your local paper, an Instagram account, a funny meme, a good podcast episode, a personal blog post, anything)? [more inside]
posted by spamandkimchi at 12:14 PM PST - 7 comments

I think 34 inches diagonal looks good, which I think means a curved one would be better? I want to get a really wide monitor for working from home, and my work won’t pay for it. I have neck pain, and I think this would help my neck not lock into place looking straight ahead. Also, I would need less time on the computer if I could have two windows side-by-side. [more inside]
posted by catquas at 10:40 AM PST - 3 comments

Looking for some easy, funny feel good movies for the dark season. I guess the movies i am looking for are silly, funny, feature good friends doing mostly heartwarming stuff. [more inside]
posted by wowenthusiast at 10:16 AM PST - 64 comments

We bought our house some years ago thinking that we would have the money and health to fix it up. This has not been the case. [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 8:32 AM PST - 21 comments

How do I keep my sweet, fragile 18.5-year-old cat safe while getting a decent night's sleep? [more inside]
posted by *s at 8:28 AM PST - 16 comments

A movie about a married couple who goes to a rural, remote cabin on a lake in order to get away and work on their issues. The husband becomes slowly convinced his wife has been replaced by a doppelganger. [more inside]
posted by Lokheed at 6:27 AM PST - 4 comments

Are you a fan of the tv show Supernatural? Which of these actors on Cameo would you want a Cameo from? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 6:21 AM PST - 10 comments

Heard on a subway car, preceding a Showtime dance act. It sounded like a bank or diner robbery scene. It might have been a single speech, but I'm pretty sure it had crowd reaction and sfx mixed in. It might have started with something like "Everybody get down," but in the middle was something about certain people going to the back room or back office, and how certain others were going to stay here and start dancing, and it definitely ended with something like "and if they're not still dancing when we get back, everybody dies." [more inside]
posted by nobody at 5:12 AM PST - 2 comments

Can you help me identify a piece of music (piano, classical, maybe contemporary) music that I heard on Australian public radio last week? Link inside. [more inside]
posted by lulu68 at 1:52 AM PST - 9 comments

After some intermittent episodes of blurry vision, my opthalmologist said I had dry eye (specifically, meibomian gland dysfunction). She said it could be helped with a daily warm eye compress, and mentioned that there were some that you could microwave. These would hold heat longer than say, a wet washcloth. Has anyone used one and had a recommendation? PS: not looking for recs of eye drops, as my Dr said these would not really help. Thanks!
posted by cozenedindigo at 6:49 PM PST - 19 comments

My 11 year old announced he wants to keep track of all his stuffed animals. On paper, he has maybe invented 2005 Facebook all over again, for his imagination. How can we do this? (more inside) [more inside]
posted by sdrawkcab at 6:06 PM PST - 12 comments

Been this way my whole life as I can recall. Why does this happen? Do others have this experience? [more inside]
posted by CancerSucks at 4:15 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm contributing a few dozen oysters to the big meal this year. I've never actually kept oysters in the fridge though -- they've always been consumed immediately. Any advice on when to buy them and how to maximize freshness until shucking time? Should I wait until Thursday morning to buy them if at all possible? And any recommendations on where to get good ones at a reasonable price in NYC, assuming I won't have much time for shopping over the next couple days and would prefer an easy and reliable place to pick them up in Brooklyn? [more inside]
posted by theory at 4:09 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm tired of shaving manually. What's the latest and greatest in electric shaver tech? [more inside]
posted by pdb at 2:09 PM PST - 18 comments

I like to bake for my roommates. I have a new one who is lactose intolerant. As someone who is obsessed with dairy, this is a challenge… all my favourite recipes call for copious amounts of milk, cream, and/or butter. I can do a couple vegan things but they’re not amazing, and they don’t need to be vegan anyway - eggs are fine, and I know some dairy has little lactose.
posted by wheatlets at 1:45 PM PST - 33 comments

Talking to a real person at the IRS--I don't even know where to start. [more inside]
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 11:55 AM PST - 14 comments

I've been inspired recently by "The Year Without Sunshine" by Naomi Kritzer (found on the Blue, thanks kristi !). I want more community in my own life and I'm looking for both practical advice from people who have built community and more inspiration to help on the hard days. What can you recommend? [more inside]
posted by switcheroo at 11:23 AM PST - 16 comments

I manage a website for a government agency (it's not THE agency website, it's a focused product). I have some informal UX experience from prior jobs, but I'm at the point where I'd like some more formal training. What are my options? and as a result I do a bunch of user-centered design for the site: we do formative research, one-on-ones, have done some focus groups, plus some summative evaluations. [more inside]
posted by entropone at 11:14 AM PST - 4 comments

What specific gloves or hand warmers have you used to keep your hands and fingers warm while typing in a chilly room? [more inside]
posted by kristi at 10:19 AM PST - 14 comments

I don't game, don't stream, don't edit graphics and have wee tiny hands. Help me choose a new Chromebook to take advantage of Black Friday, please? [more inside]
posted by cyndigo at 10:17 AM PST - 3 comments

I have a busy schedule this week, so yesterday was the only time I had to go grocery shopping for my contribution to Friendsgiving. I bought some fresh green beans and need to keep them from going bad before I make a green bean casserole with them on Thursday morning. [more inside]
posted by misskaz at 7:38 AM PST - 17 comments

Need to return a mattress to Amazon. No way will it fit back in the original box now that its expanded. If I ship it back in a different box, will they accept the return?
posted by pmaxwell at 6:49 AM PST - 15 comments

Hi everyone; I just bought a Chromebook,and Im trying to open secure access on a Sandisk USB. I have always used Windows,so it was no problem to access this,with my p/w to see my pvt files. I have tried Crossover program-didn't work,Wine is way to confusing. All I want to do is open the secure access(pvt vault)on this USB. I found this app on Google Play,and Im uncertain if this will work. Thank you :)
posted by LOOKING at 6:41 AM PST - 3 comments

This Thanksgiving, I would like to make delicious vegetarian gravy. Please give me your finest vegetarian/vegan gravy techniques! [more inside]
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:19 AM PST - 17 comments

How can I shorten a video? I have a youtube video, which I have downloaded as an MP4, that a friend of mine would really enjoy watching. Unfortunately, towards the end of the video, there is a thing they have a phobia of. How can I edit the MP4 to cut off the last few moments so that they never see [phobia thing]? I have iMovie, but don't know how to use it, I am also open to other options.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:51 AM PST - 4 comments

This plaque commemmorating the birthplace of Michael Collins, according to the translation on the page and others I've tried, claims he was "first man on the moon". Is this an error of translation, some cultural context I'm missing, or simply ... wrong?
posted by dmd at 5:50 AM PST - 5 comments

My coworker always want validation and conversation with me and I want...neither with him. [more inside]
posted by fern at 1:26 AM PST - 42 comments

We have flights (from Canada) and accommodation booked near White Sands beach just south of Kona and are staying there for about a week - but we haven't booked any activities yet and feeling a bit lost on what we should book ahead of time. I've seen this relevant question on the green, but I have a few specific questions not addressed there. [more inside]
posted by piyushnz at 12:47 AM PST - 19 comments

It's time to re-up my benefits through my job, and I am wondering if I should get the private short-term and long-term disability offered through my job benefits when I live in California, where the state already offers a similar deal. Can anyone in CA specifically help me decipher this? [more inside]
posted by Molasses808 at 6:25 PM PST - 5 comments

We're staying near Millennium Park in early December and would love hearing about any personal experience with walkable things to do, places to eat, etc. I've done quite a bit of obsessing on Google Maps over the past few months, but have never been to this part of Chicago. [more inside]
posted by Eyelash at 6:19 PM PST - 12 comments

I have a small apartment and I want to grow mushrooms, largely using the advice from Stamets' "Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms". I want to find gear that is suited to my skill level, living circumstances, and planned purpose. I am planning to start with Oyster mushrooms to learn the process, then try Enoki and others. [more inside]
posted by sindark at 4:53 PM PST - 15 comments

I want to get a dwarf lemon or lime tree to grow in my backyard, but I have little gardening experience. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by firemonkey at 4:33 PM PST - 5 comments

A rich, jilted lover comes to a small town and offers a fortune if her ex-fiancé dies. Everyone plays it cool but starts spending borrowed money. What is this story? [more inside]
posted by es_de_bah at 4:28 PM PST - 4 comments

Hey all! On our third attempt at doing OMG Ireland*, my partner and I finally made it! Yay! And just in time for 20 years together! Day 5 into our excursion, it appears our bnb host for the next two nights may have ghosted us. Anyone know of a good inexpensive place to stay near Doolin for the next two nights (checking in 20/11/2023 and out 22/11/2023)? Original cost for bnb was 174 usd. We will spend more, of course, bc of the situation. But, any help would be so greatly appreciated. Heck if you have a spare bedroom near Doolin, we would take that and gladly give the money to you, in case the expected bnb falls through. *Will add links to previous OMG Ireland ask mes later. No access to a pc right now and really much more concerned about lodging for two days. [more inside]
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 3:14 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking for the perfect Lemon Meringue Pie I once had [more inside]
posted by Marky at 2:22 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm interested in sharing streaming services with friends but don't want to sign up and then find out that's not allowed. It appears to me that Apple One can be shared with friends who don't live together. Yes? No? What about Crave (which I think is Canadian)? Any downsides to sharing Apple One or Crave? Thank you.
posted by dobbs at 2:18 PM PST - 8 comments

I struggle with executive function. Basic things like do the dishes, take out the garbage, do laundry, etc. Are there any apps that would help make this more like a game than mere existence? Like if you clean 10 dishes you get a funny cat video or something. Something to incentivize me to get it done. It's just hard to do on my own.
posted by downtohisturtles at 1:27 PM PST - 3 comments

I need to move the contents of a 10x20 storage unit from Santa Fe, NM to a house in Colorado Springs, CO. I can think of a number of ways to accomplish this. What do you think would be best?
posted by falsedmitri at 12:42 PM PST - 6 comments

We recently bought a condo with baseboard heat, and are replacing the ancient (60s-era?) thermostats with programmable Honeywell RLV4305s. When we do so, the display starts flashing random symbols. What could be the issue? [more inside]
posted by HeroZero at 12:08 PM PST - 8 comments

I have just bought a new bike for my child. To take it home, the front wheel needed to be removed. We took it for a test run and now the front wheel squeaks.. help? [more inside]
posted by Cannon Fodder at 11:36 AM PST - 5 comments

Partner came down with coronavirus a week before we were scheduled to visit family for thanksgiving. What's the right call here? [more inside]
posted by pullayup at 11:11 AM PST - 39 comments

I posted a while back about procrastination, it's happening again and with the I posted about back then, which I have now failed twice. This is now my second resit of this accounting exam, Advanced Taxation and the idea of failing again is unbearable. For context, including this exam, I have 3 exams left before becoming a fully qualified accountant. [more inside]
posted by Sunflower88 at 9:48 AM PST - 11 comments

How do I make my thanksgiving table (and plate) look less beige/bleh? [more inside]
posted by raccoon409 at 8:17 AM PST - 37 comments

I've found that I really love certain elements of Metroidvania-like exploration in videogames that aren't themselves Metroidvanias. I want to find more of these but am having a hard time filtering out actual Metroidvanias. [more inside]
posted by littlegreen at 12:29 AM PST - 26 comments

I want my daughter to have keys to get into our apartment in case of emergency. How to accomplish this when one of the keys is imprinted with "do not duplicate"? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:09 PM PST - 24 comments

I have managed to confuse the hell out of myself. I got a new computer, and I can't seem to get GDrive to synch in the way my previous setup did. Windows 10 PC [more inside]
posted by Zumbador at 9:45 PM PST - 2 comments

I’m still struggling with frontend development. Basically I get out on projects that have common elements (React, web components, mostly API based, light backend). The requirements aren’t known at the beginning, even the hosting platform, and I’ve made recent success moving the complexity of frontend to a simple make file but I’m curious about organization. [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 8:56 PM PST - 4 comments

I am going to read/perform this Tuesday night, yeay! I got smacked pretty good with a cold a couple days ago. Boo! [more inside]
posted by intrepid_simpleton at 7:58 PM PST - 17 comments

Putting everything under the cut because I know this isn't a comfy topic for many folks. [more inside]
posted by BeeJiddy at 6:36 PM PST - 22 comments

My newly seven-year-old doesn’t want to read picture books at bedtime anymore. We’re working our way through DogMan right now. What else can we try? [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 5:42 PM PST - 28 comments

I'll be in Norway for most of December, as far north as Tromsø, and then head to Japan until mid-January, as far north as Tokyo. Since I live somewhere that doesn't get that cold in winter, I'm not really sure what clothes I need to pack, especially for Norway (e.g. will I need winter boots? Should I just buy things on arrival?). Can you help? [more inside]
posted by Panthalassa at 2:55 PM PST - 11 comments

I have 20 VERY heavy and large plastic crates that need to go from a residence in the DC area to a residence in Nebraska in a price-conscious way. The contents are not hazardous, fragile, or perishable. I'm considering using an LTL (less-than-load) shipping company, which I've never done before. Does anyone have any specific LTL recommendations (besides Yellow, which is kaput) or warnings? Should I just use a moving company instead? Or some other plan? (Driving it to Nebraska myself is an option but a less-desirable one)
posted by nkknkk at 2:40 PM PST - 6 comments

I remember fifteen years ago getting some sort of B vitamin injections at a Curves gym for weight loss, which makes me think they can be provided non medically, and maybe B1 is one of them. Am I right? If so, is that still true? And where can I find them now? [more inside]
posted by corb at 2:02 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm concerned about my Golden Retrievers. I have a 9-year-old boy (Bear), and a girl (Abbey) who's almost two. I've spent a lot of time learning about canine body language and facial expressions, and I feel like both dogs are usually sad when indoors. However, the key word here is "feel" - obviously, my read of their emotions is affected by my own mood, and I'm currently diagnosed as severely depressed. I'd like some objective opinions on whether my dogs are okay, plus (ideally) ways to help them if they aren't. [more inside]
posted by PurpleDragon at 12:40 PM PST - 11 comments

Mozilla has removed the ability to show hyperlinks without underlines in Firefox. My attempts at forcing this with a css file aren't working. What does work? Can this still be done with other browsers? Could Mozilla now be ignoring this aspect of style sheets? [more inside]
posted by Rash at 11:36 AM PST - 8 comments

Meet Frosty and Santa. These plastic light up decorations belonged to my father and aunt when they were children. My father and aunt are now in their mid 70s, so these are quite old. They were also part of our Christmas decorations when I was a child. And after decades of begging my mother for them, they are now in my greedy and nostalgic hands. I want to fix them up as much as a I can. [more inside]
posted by kimberussell at 11:06 AM PST - 12 comments

Portions of our home network are not reliable. Should I replace the main wireless router? What tools and methods can I use to test and monitor network activity? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 10:29 AM PST - 6 comments

Looking for good ideas for gifts for some friends who are becoming U.S. Citizens. [more inside]
posted by Navelgazer at 10:24 AM PST - 12 comments

What vegetable side dish should I bring for Thanksgiving? [more inside]
posted by skycrashesdown at 10:06 AM PST - 16 comments

A relative just found out yesterday that they will need to have major surgery sometime in April. They are going to need assistance for several weeks and I am the only relative with the capacity to take this on. I am going to have to fly across the country to stay with them temporarily, but my spouse and intended to be moving a few states away at the same time. How do I plan all this? [more inside]
posted by shesbookish at 8:45 AM PST - 5 comments

I recently discovered I've had a dead tooth in my head for ages. My old dentist retired pre-COVID and the window to make a professional complaint about him has passed. How do I approach this problem with the new dentist? [more inside]
posted by Calzephyr at 7:14 AM PST - 14 comments

My eight-year-old’s bedtime routine isn’t working great for either of us. Looking for advice on how to make it better. [more inside]
posted by MarNet at 7:04 AM PST - 15 comments

I have an old Mac Pro which is still plenty powerful for the applications I use it for -- plenty of memory, disk space, and processor power. However, the operating system responsiveness has slowed down a lot. Can I de-cruft or otherwise restore it to its old snappy responsiveness? [more inside]
posted by Wolfdog at 5:56 AM PST - 11 comments

It's paper cut outs/collage but the pieces move, so a person wouldn't just be a block stuck on a background. [more inside]
posted by Eyelash at 4:37 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm taking an online class and the PowerPoint slides are full of text effects that are...far less charming than whoever made the PowerPoint anticipated. I would like to view the entire slide show without these effects--no text dancing in or rotating as it appears on screen. How do I do this in LibreOffice Impress (or another free viewer)? The "animations allowed" checkbox in slide show settings is not what I want, unfortunately - that is only about the way animated gifs are displayed. I am currently using a Windows 10 computer but can switch to Linux Mint if necessary.
posted by needs more cowbell at 1:08 AM PST - 5 comments

Okay, so, plans made with a decades old friend are beginning to feel awkward, and I don't know what exactly is going on or even how to find out the truth. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 8:01 PM PST - 35 comments

I'm looking to buy a used spin bike and have no experience them. I rode my single speed bike more than 4000km this year but now that winter is approaching, I want to keep that level of fitness. I often see used Keiser m3i and LifeFitness ICG i7 bikes in my price range but cannot find any direct comparisons between the two and no easy way to test them to compare myself. Do you have thoughts on them or other quality rides? Thanks!
posted by dobbs at 6:13 PM PST - 7 comments

I have a mid-2014 MacBook Pro that is running super hot all the time, both the laptop itself and the charger brick. I don't know what this means, and the question is: Should I bother finding out, or is it time to replace my laptop anyway? It's probably getting to be a security risk, right? My main priorities in life are 1) keeping it uncomplicated but also 2) frugality. Is there a simple, cheap way to keep it going or is it better to just bite the bullet now and avoid more problems down the road?
posted by HotToddy at 5:47 PM PST - 23 comments

I have a teddy bear I've had since I was one years old. He's very special to me, and I have him on a shelf in my bedroom. However, I know my dad is a bit weirded out with it, not sure about other family members. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 4:05 PM PST - 48 comments

I have a section of text in a Word doc someone provided me that has some sort of auto-formatting applied, like the sort you have with a Table of Contents or end notes. But it is not either of those things. I need to find a way to get it to behave like normal text in the document. Confusing details inside. [more inside]
posted by rednikki at 3:23 PM PST - 9 comments

How loud a bluetooth speaker do I need for background music in my event? Is there a useful model you can recommend? [more inside]
posted by Superilla at 2:52 PM PST - 8 comments

I can't get into my alternative Google account (even though I have the password and access to the recovery email address) and I feel like Google's completely screwing me on this. Halp! [more inside]
posted by neckro23 at 2:29 PM PST - 3 comments

Today I discovered that two plastic bags of rice that had been sitting in my pantry cupboard had been completely emptied with seemingly surgical precision. What critters coukd have done this? [more inside]
posted by Turtles all the way down at 2:27 PM PST - 9 comments

Can I start unemployment payments first and then get my severance? And any other layoff hacks and tricks? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 2:23 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm trying to find a new pair of over-ear headphones with Bluetooth and active noise-cancelling features. The thing is, I have a pretty small head (hat size 6 5/8). So, my main ask is to find headphones that fit me well. [more inside]
posted by Laura in Canada at 1:33 PM PST - 1 comment

It's the blue patterned shirtdress in the main photo of this NYT article (unlocked). I think I once tracked it down to a UK company but now I've lost it! ...and if no one knows, do you have any recommendations of size-inclusive brands with a similar vibe?
posted by exceptinsects at 1:32 PM PST - 7 comments

While going through some family odds and ends, I came upon an odd little bowl. [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 11:34 AM PST - 13 comments

Best neighborhood in Rome for eating pasta and going to the playground/park? Traveling solo with a toddler so we'll be eating nice lunches, going on long walks (in a stroller), visiting playgrounds and parks. Need easy access to the airport. November travel, [more inside]
posted by perrouno at 10:43 AM PST - 4 comments

Our little Deebot has stopped charging. Every crappy SEO troubleshooting guide has the same tips, which haven't worked. [more inside]
posted by HeroZero at 9:56 AM PST - 1 comment

I have now attempted several times to apply caulk in my bathroom and each time the final results are terrible. Here's a particularly embarrassing but representative example. My question: Does applying caulk actually take a bunch of skill and experience or is it straightforward and I'm just doing it wrong? [more inside]
posted by O Time, Thy Pyramids at 9:46 AM PST - 18 comments

I ran into this nice bloke in my building a few times and last week, we ran into each other in the building and chatted for an hour, and he gave me his number and e-mail. He invited me over to meet his dog and old record collection, and we played some board games and chatted for a little over five hours. He asked if I wanted to play pool table sometime (in our building), and I said yes. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 9:36 AM PST - 14 comments

I made a serious withholding error on a 401k withdrawal in 2020 and at tax time I found I owed a combined mid-5-digit amount of money to both the IRS and my state. I freaked out, didn't file, and didn't file in 2021 either. I now have enough money to catch up (with penalties, whatever they might be). I haven't received any communication from the IRS or my state on this matter, but failing to file taxes is a crime in my state. Can anyone tell me whether I should start with a tax attorney vs a regular accountant?
posted by anonymous at 8:10 AM PST - 9 comments

My 3x great grandfather was a lighthouse keeper at Point Reyes Lighthouse in Marin County, CA.At least a decade ago, the museum there had a quote from him posted on the wall of the museum. My father has a portrait of him that he would like to donate. I’m trying to help him with this. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:10 AM PST - 13 comments

How do I blacklist domains in my browser or search engine? [more inside]
posted by jointhedance at 5:20 AM PST - 15 comments

What strange physics phenomenon am I witnessing in my driveway in the mornings? [more inside]
posted by Dilligas at 8:15 PM PST - 4 comments

My sister is mentally disabled and lives in a "ma and pop owned business" group home. I have financial power of attorney. I have a question about this group home's petty cash management as it relates to providing credit. A couple of months ago, I asked a question related to this petty cash account, but today's question is specifically related to allowing someone to go into debt. [more inside]
posted by SageTrail at 7:30 PM PST - 12 comments

How are Taiwanese folks approaching masking at this point in the Plague? I want to conduct myself in accordance with local norms. [more inside]
posted by aramaic at 6:18 PM PST - 2 comments

…and ideally nothing else? (Picky details inside) [more inside]
posted by chives at 5:55 PM PST - 5 comments

In an article on a recent major trial it was reported that "During deliberations this week, the jury asked a few questions, including a request for the court transcript. That request was denied, with the judge instructing the jury to instead rely on their memory." That seems counterintuitive to me? What would the reasoning be?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:25 PM PST - 10 comments

Hi all, I've been trying to identify a particular sci-fi short story today, and coming up empty. Maybe the hive mind can help. It was read aloud to a group of middle or perhaps early high school kids in the 2000s. [more inside]
posted by Alensin at 4:16 PM PST - 1 comment

My dishwasher won’t drain and I’m pretty sure there’s food in there somewhere However I can’t seem to figure out how to detach the drain pipe from my sink There’s this weird rubber thing but it doesn’t seem removable at all Google drive photo
posted by cacofonie at 3:37 PM PST - 7 comments

I have a herniated disc, as discussed here. What is actually going to happen to it over time from a physiological standpoint? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 3:22 PM PST - 10 comments

I've been tasked with interviewing a very specific type of person, and am unsure how to find that person in a way that feels ethical. [more inside]
posted by apparently at 2:11 PM PST - 9 comments

How crowded is Chile and Argentina during January-March, compared with say, summer in Florence, Italy? [more inside]
posted by monologish at 1:13 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm bringing a grazing/snack board to Thanksgiving dinner at some family friends' place. I'm planning to do some combo of the following: two kinds of cheeses, two kinds of crackers, some fruits, some raw veggies, some nuts, some olives and/or pickles, maybe something a little sweet. [more inside]
posted by vunder at 12:49 PM PST - 38 comments

My dear friend died some weeks ago, way too young (cancer), and we are planning her memorial service. She was wickedly funny and profane. She had a sharp hilarious tongue and used the f-word liberally. She was known for this. We will have remembrances and music, etc., that are serious and sweet and funny. But I would love to also find an appropriate poem or reading that is profane -- that is, something well written about grief and loss that includes swear words (especially the f-word).
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 12:25 PM PST - 13 comments

Is the following sentence grammatically incorrect?

As de Vauban described, day laborers had “no particular calling.”

The sentence was flagged and points deducted by a teacher, who said that "describe" is a transitive verb, and must always have an object. Metafiltarians, what say you? Is the sentence acceptable, or should it be rewritten? How would you rewrite it? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:37 AM PST - 27 comments

I want to make this filini pasta bake recipe this Saturday. The recipe calls for "1 sachet spaghetti bolognese mix" and "Prymet kebab seasoning", neither of which seems to be carried by the No-Frills where I shop. Where can I buy these items in Toronto, or failing that, how can I replicate them?
posted by orange swan at 11:22 AM PST - 7 comments

Wondering if anyone is aware of services where travelers might act as a courier from the US to Brazil for things like new electronics/iphones etc? [more inside]
posted by specialk420 at 11:19 AM PST - 4 comments

I’m thinking of doing an arrangement of Red Baraat’s song “Chaal Baby” for a community band. Help me understand the words. [more inside]
posted by delicious-luncheon at 11:12 AM PST - 1 comment

Need a couple small, light dining-height upholstered chairs to use for social and table-game seating, with added challenge of having to be supportive and comfy for small-framed people with back issues. Specific recommendations are welcome, but I'm also wondering: are there physical features I can use to predict the ergonomic comfort of a chair in advance? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph at 9:41 AM PST - 1 comment

I'm a woman in my mid-thirties who's going for the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie alone. I own no TS merch. How can incorporate a fun + low-effort nod to TS/her music in my outfit without feeling silly? All ideas welcome.
posted by Nieshka at 9:05 AM PST - 10 comments

I interviewed with a recruiter top of this week. I'm only to the next interview with the company hiring manager tomorrow. I was laid off yesterday--what, if anything, do I disclose? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 9:01 AM PST - 11 comments

Looking at booking a hotel in Dallas to see the eclipse. I want an area that is safe and affordable, that is easy to get to from the airport (DFW) via rental or Lyft. Which neighborhoods should I consider and which ones should I avoid? [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 8:38 AM PST - 7 comments

Should my partner quit his job when my daughter goes to kindergarten next fall? Or should we maximize our earnings while we are in our peak-earning years? [more inside]
posted by neematoad at 6:49 AM PST - 48 comments

Everyone tells me that I need to be doing research about a company before a job interview. But no one tells me what I need to be looking up, and how I can use that information - for an interview as an ADMIN. Please help. [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:08 AM PST - 10 comments

How can an all-girl high-school be made *actually* more welcoming to trans students. Not specifically active bullying, or administrative burden, but how can I convince a thousand teenage girls to treat their fellow students fairly and equally. It's a "woke" school. We have trans flags and trans staff and explicitly being transphobic would be a real line. But as a girls high-school, trans people stick out, and I want to put together a proposal as to how we could do better. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:04 AM PST - 17 comments

I recently quit my job, and I’m taking a block of time to figure out… everything. How should I think about this? What would you do in the same situation? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:03 AM PST - 16 comments

Please hope me understand TV renovation show budgets. [more inside]
posted by Thorzdad at 4:56 AM PST - 8 comments

Those of you who keep regular or extensive notes about anything: do you read back on them? [more inside]
posted by creatrixtiara at 11:37 PM PST - 20 comments

Very wide question, but perhaps the hive mind knows. Are there any established systems that are used in local government that are modular and flexible. Crucially they need to support integrations with other major industry softwares such as Public360, Antura and Ecos (hope these aren't super-local) and should be able to have a public facing portal for users to follow their applications, request environmental data, etc. [more inside]
posted by Iteki at 11:14 PM PST - 1 comment

I had been paying a modest amount every month on my taxes for 4 or 5 months. Today I got a letter from the IRS saying pay in full by Dec 4. [more inside]
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 7:51 PM PST - 14 comments

Does anyone have suggestions for apps that help gamify prioritization and completion of to-do lists that *aren't* Habitica? Snowflakes under the fold. [more inside]
posted by hanov3r at 1:33 PM PST - 14 comments

Within the past week, I have either a) been fed an ad or b) saw a post on Instagram about a particular podcast. I recall thinking to myself: this sounds like something I would enjoy! Unfortunately, I neglected to make a note of the title. I think that the gist of the podcast was two women co-hosts talking about issues specific to mid life-like, having teenagers while also caring for aging parents, the perimenopause/menopause transition, and also they mentioned weed and dating after a divorce, I think? The ad/post also mentioned something about the podcast having a specifically Gen X perspective, but I don't believe "Gen X" was in the title. [more inside]
posted by little mouth at 12:15 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm in the process of helping a family member going through a significant mental health crisis. This family member participates in a 12-step program and their sponsor has been very insistent about recommending a course of action. I would like to get a gut check from other 12-step participants and sponsors about whether or not these suggestions are overstepping boundaries. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:08 PM PST - 16 comments

As it turns out, our cats are not big fans of being boarded at the vet. We’re thinking of hiring a pet sitter through Rover for our next trip away. We want them to do a short drop-in visit daily to clean the cat box, give the wet food and check up on them while we are gone for a few days. I’ve never done this before and I’m nervous. [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 11:47 AM PST - 17 comments

Sometimes when I buy a watermelon a bunch of it is mushy. Is there a way to avoid that? Do you have any tips for using up the mushy part? [more inside]
posted by kristi at 11:35 AM PST - 13 comments

My wife and toddler in my mind have a crazy high grocery outlay, which averages to around $900 a month to feed around 75% of all our meals (rest is at daycare, takeout or eating at restaurants) If you have one small child, live in a high COLA and eat most meals at home, and you keep track of spending pretty diligently, what do you spend and how do you spend it? [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 10:54 AM PST - 36 comments

My loved one is going to rehab, and has requested some reading material. He is not a big reader, and I’d like to find accessible, engaging books that he’ll actually enjoy. [more inside]
posted by femmegrrr at 10:51 AM PST - 12 comments

I am exploring my gender after 40 years of being alive and am wondering if you have any archetypes/concepts that might help me? [more inside]
posted by openhearted at 10:49 AM PST - 24 comments

I am looking for a Black Friday deal on a walking pad that ships to Canada. I am an apartment dweller and want to be as respectful to my neighbours as possible. I weigh ~190lbs. Do you have any recommendations for trusted brands? Thank you!
posted by Juniper Toast at 10:45 AM PST - 3 comments

This is a simultaneously short and sweet question, but one that I can’t figure out for the life of me: I need to try to obtain an apostilled copy of a family member’s birth certificate from Venezuela for another country - but, since Venezuela has no consular services in the US at present - can’t seem to do so easily. Is there a firm, service or method I can use to obtain one without having to travel to Venezuela? (Which is, as understandable, highly discouraged at present moment!) [more inside]
posted by pipian at 7:51 AM PST - 1 comment

Bass players: what do you consider the canonical rock/metal bass lines every rock bass player should learn? [more inside]
posted by signal at 4:34 AM PST - 40 comments

I remember reading a short SFF piece about a dutiful computer server that continued to print a message queue long after its users ceased to be. Perhaps it was a very short story; perhaps it wasn’t about a server but some other kind of personified machine. I remember it as being objectively melancholy, but maybe that’s my subjective memory. I think I saw it on the blue. Do you know what I’m talking about?
posted by zeee at 11:59 PM PST - 6 comments

So I got a frozen farmers market chicken (small) a month or two ago and finally defrosted it. I have an instant pot that I'm not at all familiar with and am looking for an easy recipe to use a whole chicken. [more inside]
posted by spamandkimchi at 8:05 PM PST - 12 comments

Trying to eat more out of the cupboards for budget reasons, rather than either making lots of big meals with lots of ingredients or ordering takeout when I can’t think what to cook. I also batch cook so I do get my vegetables. I always have rice and pasta and cans of beans and a pretty well stocked spice cupboard. I eat burrito bowls, pasta with pesto, cannellini beans on toast and baked in tomato sauce with cheese a lot - looking for more similar recipes which use store cupboard items.
posted by chives at 2:50 PM PST - 42 comments

I'm talking to you if you acquired a gas-powered vehicle that has the auto start-stop "feature", where the ignition automatically shuts off when idled. If you originally hated yours, and then some time passed, do you still hate it, or have you gotten used to it? Please answer only how much it annoys you (or not) now - the environmental/mileage/engine wear aspects are thoroughly covered elsewhere.
posted by bluesky78987 at 2:43 PM PST - 54 comments

I am looking to create a simple, one page static document with links and tags. For all my searching, though, I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Can you help? [more inside]
posted by zooropa at 2:09 PM PST - 12 comments

I'm seeking Thanksgiving day take-out (or dine-in, if they have availability) recommendations in Philadelphia [more inside]
posted by mosst at 11:53 AM PST - 6 comments

What does "Adam Gaza" mean? [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:07 AM PST - 5 comments

I'd like to get some plants that will do well in a room with east-facing windows and some trees outside. They should not be poisonous to cats and should probably be fairly robust. [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 9:32 AM PST - 12 comments

Did NASA really give the Apollo astronauts a "cheat sheet" troubleshooting card that ended with "if all of the above steps fail, kick with lunar boot?" [more inside]
posted by range at 8:03 AM PST - 7 comments

I am a renter living in the Pacific Northwest in a house with a small outdoor concrete patio. It is often rainy, cool, and dark in the winter and I tend to get the winter blues. I was joking with a friend about how amazing it would be I if had an inflatable hot tub or Jacuzzi out back and...well I had no idea this was something that actually existed! Now I desperately want one. [more inside]
posted by forkisbetter at 7:51 AM PST - 16 comments

Which songs did George Formby record that are in a minor key? (Songs that switch between a major and a relative minor key are fine.)
posted by pxe2000 at 7:28 AM PST - 1 comment

I am trying to hack my cat's feeding schedule - I am trying to feed her better food and also curb her snarf-n-barf tendencies. [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 3:09 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm in my twenties. No underlying conditions. I spend a lot of time with my vaccinated 65-year old parents. My last Covid vaccine was in February 2022. AFAIK, I have not had Covid since 2021 (been masking and am cautious around exposure). I was able to get a Covid booster appointment even though I'm not immunocompromised nor older. However, I'm worried I'm doing something wrong for my health and also something unethical by getting the booster while technically being inelegible. Any advice or research I can turn to about this? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:39 AM PST - 21 comments

I am increasingly concerned and frightened about the political situation here in the US, but am at a loss as to what actual real-world actions I can take to help stem the tide of fascism... [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:45 AM PST - 27 comments

My parents just moved to my province. It won’t be long until they need elder care. How do I prepare? [more inside]
posted by shock muppet at 12:37 AM PST - 7 comments

Can anyone recommend an affordable, practical gift that would be well-received by a mixed group of staff at small family-owned takeout joint? [more inside]
posted by CarrotAdventure at 7:03 PM PST - 9 comments

I have an idea for a little program to make my job slightly easier or maybe give it to an admin to run. I'm a very novice programmer. Is this something I might be able to do? [more inside]
posted by kathrynm at 6:33 PM PST - 19 comments

Up in the Laurentians this weekend, we found these strange hair-like filaments of ice hiding in the leaf litter. What is this phenomenon? [more inside]
posted by musofire at 6:16 PM PST - 9 comments

What's behind the trend of well established organizations replacing their meaningful, recognizable names with an intentionally unevocative string of letters? This has gotten so common, I have to think some business school white paper is behind it. What gives? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:42 PM PST - 25 comments

I recently got a mini Garmin Dashcam and I'm having a heck of a time finding a way to get it mounted to the, well, dash. It came with a super sticky little mounting clip. I first used it in a rental car and the adhesive was so strong I was afraid I was going to either 1) damage the rental car or 2) the camera itself when I removed it. Ideally, I'd like something that's strong but removable, and the "sticky" stuff I've tried so far hasn't worked. Help! [more inside]
posted by chatelaine at 3:29 PM PST - 8 comments

I have a warranty for an engine that isn't being honored by the dealer that I purchased the car from. It seems hiring a lawyer for this would cost $3500-5000 which I'm nervous about spending to try to get paid back the $7500. I'd also be splitting the cost of neutral party arbitrator. What should I expect to spend on a lawyer for this and is there any advice on finding an appropriate lawyer for this? [more inside]
posted by ridogi at 2:38 PM PST - 7 comments

There’s a reasonably well known observation that people who become famous tend to get ‘stuck’ in terms of emotional maturity at the age at which they got famous. What’s the source of that observation? Is it attributed to any particular person?
posted by damsel with a dulcimer at 1:41 PM PST - 9 comments

I am hoping that someone can explain the meaning and rationale for "DEI math". I am particularly interested in the high school level since many years ago I taught math at a private H.S. Slide from the 44th annual meeting of the North American chapter of the international group for the psychology of mathematics education: " When are we going to admit that many best practices in mathematics education create toxic spaces for historically marginalized students and are violent toward them?” [more inside]
posted by Kevin S at 1:34 PM PST - 24 comments

I rarely buy tempeh because I don't really like it! But I thought I'd try to use in a recipe. The package I bought a few weeks ago says it's good until 12/17. Just now I took it out of the fridge, and the package is inflated with air, whereas before it was sort of shrink-wrapped and the plastic adhered to the tempeh. What's going on?
posted by swheatie at 12:16 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm trying to find cute, simple graphic/illustrated tote bags (in the Portland/Olympia or Scandinavian femme aesthetic, if you will) that are made of fabric (not leather) and that have a closure of some kind (likely, a zipper or magnetic snap). I am striking out on Etsy. I do not want to add a zipper or closure myself, nor do I want to pay someone else to do it. Examples of what I do not want are inside! [more inside]
posted by unknowncommand at 11:58 AM PST - 13 comments

I want to find semi-permanent clamps that will go on slightly larger than 5 inch wide wooden beams (something like this Amazon link would be perfect and I thought was going to work but was ever so fractionally too small - like about 1/8 inch too small - and I just can't seem to find anything larger). [more inside]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 11:08 AM PST - 6 comments

I’m having a cookie swap party and need ideas for snacks to provide. Snacks should be a good balance to the sweet cookies people will sample and also not messy because kids are invited. [more inside]
posted by inevitability at 11:05 AM PST - 18 comments

My friend got long covid, was on disability, and now needs many accommodations at work. He keeps asking us for help in his job search, and expresses anger whenever his expectations aren't met by employers or by us. I want to take space for a while, but I don't want to contribute to ableism. Can I get some perspectives from disabled people? [more inside]
posted by vienna at 10:55 AM PST - 14 comments

I'm about to get a new car, an EV. I'm trying to get quotes from multiple dealers. I'm leasing it and finding it hard to compare quotes because of all the numbers: the price of the car, various fees, the trade-in, the implicit interest rate in the lease financing. How do I make sense of a lease quote? [more inside]
posted by Nelson at 10:50 AM PST - 6 comments

Re-watching the Scream movies over Halloween, I realized for the first time that they are basically just murder mysteries. Swap a few small things around, and Hercule Poirot wouldn't be *that* out of place. [more inside]
posted by Number Used Once at 10:03 AM PST - 9 comments

One of my very best friends retired during the pandemic and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. We’d like to give her a photo frame as a gift. Ideally: send photos by email rather than app or USB, good image quality, ability to add captions. And other gift ideas for folks with dementia would be appreciated! [more inside]
posted by purenitrous at 9:42 AM PST - 5 comments

My husband used to be a big fan of frozen honey buns (I'm not entirely sure of the brand, but perhaps Mortons?). These aren't sold anymore -- does anyone have a recipe that approximates them? [more inside]
posted by cider at 9:36 AM PST - 3 comments

This is for a Christmas gift. [more inside]
posted by orrnyereg at 9:32 AM PST - 10 comments

My toddler's daycare has a mouse issue. A pest control company is coming in. Should we be concerned about the toddlers' exposure to rodenticide chemicals? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:24 AM PST - 7 comments

I find myself in a situation where I’ll likely be considering legal representation related to a specialized medical issue sometime next year. How do I go about vetting attorneys for this sort of thing? [more inside]
posted by bizzyb at 8:32 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm wondering if I should take my cat in for a routine checkup. He's about 14-15 yrs old but in good physical shape and seems healthy. Is it worth the trouble? [more inside]
posted by Liquidwolf at 8:26 AM PST - 16 comments

I recently returned from Switzerland, where I fell in love with cushiony, gingerbready pastries known as biber or biberli. I would love to try a recipe at home. [more inside]
posted by Ms. Toad at 7:55 AM PST - 3 comments

Not too long ago, I read something about why you should get the flu shot even when exposure is unlikely. Maybe it was that it helps develop broader immunity to the other strains that come along over the years? I don't remember where or when I read it, and with a quick google, I see both that claim and its opposite: a risk of blunted effectiveness. What does the best evidence say? [more inside]
posted by daisyace at 5:05 AM PST - 31 comments

Here is my problem. One office two dentists. Dentist one is assigned to me, a new patient, in the last 6 months before his retirement. He suggests a root canal and then he shaves down and fits me for a gold crown. Root canal and crown are done roughly 6 weeks apart. Within (more to come) [more inside]
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 4:41 AM PST - 2 comments

For someone who's not quite ready for a tattoo, what's the next best thing? I love quotes and sayings and such and I would love to order, say, a custom poster or engrave some words on a custom bookmark or a keychain or what have you. Like, just something I can mount on my wall at home or carry around with me where I can read some healing words. So like a tattoo but not (yet)!
posted by thelasttango at 1:40 AM PST - 15 comments

How do you find a place that has massage chairs? I'm visiting an unfamiliar city and could really use some time to zone out alone in one. (why I don't want a massage from a person) I've seen these chairs at arcades, airports, trampoline parks, randomly a Thai restaurant in my hometown. city is Surprise, AZ but also wondering in general if there's a way to search for them
posted by MadMadam at 11:42 PM PST - 5 comments

Do you have suggestions about tools or techniques to facilitate decisions by a small group using Zoom? [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 8:01 PM PST - 10 comments

You're reading a book. You think to yourself, Naomi Kritzer* and Octavia Butler could have written this book together. What's the book? [more inside]
posted by aniola at 6:52 PM PST - 8 comments

Ultimately, the question is this: Do I strive for my ideal career as a counselor despite health challenges or continue working as a freelance writer because of the flexibility? [more inside]
posted by ygmiaa at 6:49 PM PST - 17 comments

I really like reading about what people are reading, specifically recurring book lists that outline a smart/funny/interesting person's reads that month. I find this relaxing and a really fun way to add stuff to my to-read list. Help me find more! [more inside]
posted by motherofdog at 5:16 PM PST - 11 comments

I set many alarms on my iPhone to keep me on time throughout each workday (e.g. alarms 10 and 2 minutes before each Zoom meeting, then 2 minutes before the Zoom's end to remind me to wrap things up). Creating this many alarms on my phone is slow; I wish I could set them up via my Macbook, and have them go off on my phone. If I get an Apple Watch, is there a way for me to set the watch's alarms *from my Apple laptop*? [more inside]
posted by rollcredits at 4:10 PM PST - 11 comments

As the title says, what's the best (not "drive yourself") way to get from Chicago to Madison, Wisconsin? As far as I can tell, my options are basically fly ORD->MSN or take the Van Galder bus, either from downtown or O'Hare. Do you have experience with either, or do you know of a decent third option? Travel is in December but well before Christmas.
posted by Charity Garfein at 3:57 PM PST - 14 comments

I live at the start/finish line for my town's Turkey Trot, so I host a little party every Thanksgiving morning. About half of the people who come are runners so they are in and out, but the rest come to watch and socialize. I usually keep it pretty simple: coffee, water, donuts, mimosas. I'm looking for some simple ideas for taking it up a notch decoration-wise without going crazy. [more inside]
posted by I_carried_a_watermelon at 3:53 PM PST - 6 comments

We are looking to build a data set of medical terms for speech to text fine-tuning. We installed a version of this GitHub-Tool. But it’s only running in chrome, and it would be perfect to have it run on iOS mobile (as web tool or native application). We have a list of terms and speakers - But we struggle a bit with the infrastructure to collect the samples and save them with the right words without a ton of manual labor. [more inside]
posted by mathiu at 11:31 AM PST - 2 comments

Hello, I am looking for an anti-vibration mat for under our washing machine. Our friend in the downstairs apartment is pretty much bounced around her room when our washing machine is running. There is virtually no insulation between up and downstairs. We can actually hear her yawn down there. [more inside]
posted by manageyourexpectations at 11:14 AM PST - 14 comments

Where can I have outdoor winter campfires/bonfires in the Seattle area? [more inside]
posted by cnidaria at 9:33 AM PST - 3 comments

Yesterday, I registered for a public gym membership to work out and be healthier, but I completely fell apart. [more inside]
posted by 8LeggedFriend at 8:28 AM PST - 35 comments

Posterior vitreous detachment, ocular migraines, light sensitivity, and extremely dry/sore eyes for a year now. Two optometry workups showed nothing ostensibly wrong. What gives? And what do I do now? [more inside]
posted by fiery.hogue at 8:11 AM PST - 23 comments

What are some examples of comedy musicians or singer-songwriters singing sincere songs? [more inside]
posted by Erinaceus europaeus at 10:47 PM PST - 40 comments

I would like to watch the film Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips), but I can only find it available for purchase, and at an outrageous price. Surely there must be a way to watch it for free?
posted by HotToddy at 9:13 PM PST - 11 comments

Have you ever successfully recycled Tyvek bags? The DuPont website claims it's possible and provides a 1-800 number to call for more information like it's 1999. I called and was told that the line is closed until regular business hours resume on Monday. Clearly they're not actually trying to make this feasible. Can it be done? I just want to recycle a large household stash.
posted by Comet Bug at 8:18 PM PST - 7 comments

A couple years ago I had to have someone send me a five-figure sum of money more or less instantly. All the apps and programs available to do this seemed to skim too much money off the top and require too many hoops to jump through. [more inside]
posted by Stupidsexyflanders_take2 at 6:54 PM PST - 18 comments

So I bought some "liquid metal" fabric for some accent on a quilt. The pattern advises to use interfacing. The person at the fabric store advised that I get a needle for stretchy fabric to use on the liquid metal fabric. So I got the needle, but quick question: will that needle still go through when there's interfacing? Also, I'll be piecing the liquid metal+interfacing on to regular cotton, so what kind of needle to use then?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:59 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm hoping someone with library or legal research skillz can help me turn up a document that was released by the Associate Commissioner for Legal Affairs for the New York City Department of Finance in 2000. [more inside]
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 4:43 PM PST - 6 comments

Eating a Snickers bar immediately gives me a sharp pain in my throat. No other candy bar does this. Peanuts don't do this. Other sugary things don't do this. Other chocolate doesn't do this. What is going on? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:36 PM PST - 25 comments

I have several books signed by the author, personally to me. About three of these books, I wouldn't keep on my shelf if they weren't personalized to me. [more inside]
posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 4:36 PM PST - 12 comments

My iPhone 15 running iOS 17.1.1 seemingly took random photos at a size significantly smaller than the sensor. Has anyone run into this problem, or know what's going on? [more inside]
posted by plastic_animals at 4:18 PM PST - 0 comments

Have you ridden this train? [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 4:13 PM PST - 3 comments

I am trying and failing to place the name of a comic I read the first issue or two of. It was sci-fi/fantasy (magic of a kind was present), had a female lead, and involved crime and mystery in I believe a very tall tower. American creator I think, color, in English, not Marvel or DC. This would have been published certainly in the last ten years, probably 4-5 years ago. Hopefully this vague description rings a bell with someone!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 3:45 PM PST - 3 comments

I have several PNG files, each with 50 or so small drawings separated by transparent space. I need to split the small drawings into their own files. Right now using Pixelmator I'm selecting each one by hand, cut and pasting them into their own layer, and then mass exporting the layers. There has to be a lazier way. Anyone? [slightly noisy sample file]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:42 PM PST - 3 comments

What are the good things that you like about feminism? What has been your positive experience from it? And on the flip side, what is something bad/problematic about it that you've seen? And what was your negative experience of it? Also, what double standards do you think exist in relation to this? [more inside]
posted by benimaru at 3:40 PM PST - 34 comments

My mother was exposed to Covid on Wednesday. She is leaving the country on Monday. Can we see her this weekend? [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 12:59 PM PST - 10 comments

I am looking to buy my first home and I have been advised to get a mortgage broker to help navigate finding the right lender and terms. Can anyone recommend a mortgage broker who works in Montreal (if it matters, I am looking in the south west)? Also, if you have any wisdom about working with a mortgage broker versus a bank directly, I would love to hear it!
posted by keeo at 11:28 AM PST - 3 comments

We're insulating a spare bedroom and have the drywall down on a couple of walls. It occured to us that we'd like to add a fold-down bedframe to the wall when we put it back together. [more inside]
posted by pullayup at 11:02 AM PST - 11 comments

I work for a tech firm that recently had 30% of their workforce laid off. I am the VP of Sales and didn't get let go, but after the layoffs, 90% of my responsibilities were given to my direct report. Since then, said direct report works directly with the CEO and I have been disinvited from several meetings and no longer connected to the team. I have a sizable severance package that would have been given to me if I had gotten laid off. Instead, it looks like they want me to quit. How would you handle this? [more inside]
posted by The1andonly at 8:56 AM PST - 21 comments

I'm going through a lot, and one of the things that my therapist has encouraged me to do is write down all the things I notice about myself that I don't like. I'm amassing quite the list! But one therapy session a week isn't a great way to address all of them, and I'm sure some of you have dealt with similar so… any hints? [more inside]
posted by six sided sock at 8:09 AM PST - 20 comments

My fearful and anxious rescue is terrified of kids, but they are enamoured with her. How can I tell small children to back off in a way they’ll understand? [more inside]
posted by antihistameme at 4:12 AM PST - 33 comments

For many (many) years, there have been two half-forgotten melodies from the 90s (I think) that I have never been able to properly identify. I have sung the snatches that I recall here. Notes on the two below the fold. [more inside]
posted by LingeringMoon at 3:09 AM PST - 10 comments

I understand the principle of life insurance: You pay premiums and in exchange you get a lump sum when you die and also a growing cash value you can borrow against. Fine. But how can I tell whether a particular life insurance quote is "good" or "poor" value? I understand that there are actuarial aspects (how old I am, how good my health, etc), but also financial ones (how big the premium, how large the death benefit and cash value). Also fine. But now what? [more inside]
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 2:51 AM PST - 8 comments

Although Amazon has removed books promoting overt anti-vax books, there are still books up (like this one by this guy) that disguise themselves as pro-vax but are secretly pushing Andrew Wakefield's ideas. Is there a good way to let Amazon know? [more inside]
posted by johngoren at 2:45 AM PST - 4 comments

Since I was there and the cardiologist was asking, I mentioned that on very rare occasions, I can't take full breaths due to pain in the ribs preventing deep inhalation. The cardiologist asked if certain positions relieved the pain. I said not that I remembered. The cardiologist said that was good. What was the cardiologist ruling out?
posted by anonymous at 2:20 AM PST - 2 comments

So apparently Intuit's Mint is going shutting down (or getting re-imagined, per Intuit). What budgeting/personal finance management software is a good alternative? [more inside]
posted by dearadeline at 8:39 PM PST - 18 comments

The EcoFlow DELTA Max can function as an emergency power source ("EPS"), whereby you can leave the unit plugged in all the time and plug other things into it. I set it up as an EPS for a big food freezer in our garage. It works, but what impact will doing this have on the battery life? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 8:20 PM PST - 3 comments

Today I saw Yellowjackets picking off spiders from a walkway. It was cool to watch, particularly since their hunting strategy was both thorough and also sort of not (they checked every stone, leave and piece of dirt to see if it was a spider). I want to learn more about the Yellowjacket/spider predation AND Yellowjacket hunting strategy in general, BUT I don't want to watch videos or see any (or many) photos. Any good websites for this? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 7:49 PM PST - 4 comments

Hi all, I have a Blue Yeti Mic for podcast recording and for some reason lately, when I plug in my Blue Yeti USB during an interview podcast, I cannot hear the interviewer but they can hear me? Unless I unplug the Blue Yeti and use the built in mic in my Dell, that only seems to work so far for recording podcasts. I am not sure what is going on here. I even tried to do a solo podcast recording in Riverside FM Podcast studio software recording, but there is no sound coming out as well. I checked the sound settings on my Dell windows, but I have no idea what is going on!
posted by RearWindow at 5:44 PM PST - 6 comments

I would like to find a therapist. Please help me make the most of the 15 minute initial consultation by ELI5. [more inside]
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 5:39 PM PST - 6 comments

I have been tasked with heading up a book club where I work (an academic library) that will spark discussion around values like care and compassion, and/or integrity and respect. What do you recommend we read? [more inside]
posted by BeBoth at 3:14 PM PST - 13 comments

I've been messing in the photo apps in both my Macbook and iPhone and googling forever without finding a good, useful solution. I want to be able to have my library displayed by size so I can delete larger pics without having to go into the hard drive folders. Both devices have current software. I don't mind using an app, but I just wanted to make sure there's a trusted one.
posted by mermaidcafe at 2:36 PM PST - 3 comments

Diagnosed with restless legs syndrome over a year ago. But spoke to an expert neurologist who thinks it isn’t RLS at all, but doesn’t have a great sense of what it actually is. [more inside]
posted by osmond_nash at 1:54 PM PST - 10 comments

First thing - please, please do not do that thing I've seen people do when someone asks this - where they go "You should KNOW, this isn't FUN and GAMES. This is SERIOUS HARD WORK" because... I know. I'm not some whippersnapper who wants in because I think it's fun and glamorous. I'm in my thirties and have struggled my entire life to find a job that suits my disabilities. This seems like it could be a viable option, but I am already very hesitant for safety reasons. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:51 PM PST - 4 comments

Looking to go to Rome with a couple people that want to SEE Rome, but aren't super jazzed about crowds and cities-- or in love with traveling in general. Looking to spend half the trip in a less bustling spot. [more inside]
posted by ReluctantViking at 1:12 PM PST - 7 comments

There have been may previous questions about things to do in NYC for a 4-day trip to NYC over Thanksgiving, but most are many years old. So hit me with your CURRENT suggestions for NYC fun. We will be a group of two 60-something, active parents and four 20 somethings, with one 18 year old (so bars are out). [more inside]
posted by ms_rasclark at 12:39 PM PST - 9 comments

Just for fun: I'm thinking of having a few cards printed up distinct from my business card, mostly just name and number and I suppose email though perhaps email is as antiquated as calling cards. Things jut to hand to someone I meet and want to keep up with or make music with or what you will. Wondering what would be an amusing bit of text that would feel in character with a calling card. Ideas?
posted by less-of-course at 11:28 AM PST - 23 comments

At one time one could walk into a specific company, send cash to a specific person at a specific location. I've forgotten the company name. Can anyone help me out?
posted by Homer42 at 11:10 AM PST - 12 comments

I need to buy three surge protectors with a minimum of 8 outlets each, 25' cords, and flat-head plugs. I'm ignorant when it comes to judging this kind of stuff and I don't know how to choose among what's available. [more inside]
posted by tzikeh at 10:40 AM PST - 11 comments

I've got some brown age spots on my face that I'd like to get rid of. Not melasma. A) Do you have a good cosmetic derm to recommend? B) Do you know what procedure I need to get rid of these? And/or C) Do you have any suggestions (that work) for getting rid of these at home on my own? Thanks!
posted by gigondas at 7:46 AM PST - 9 comments

Need recommendations for where to stay in Paris in April.... [more inside]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:23 AM PST - 20 comments

I've recently acquired suitcases full of old family photos dating back to the very early 1900s, and I'm going through and scanning them all. Can you help me figure out how to organise them effectively afterwards? [more inside]
posted by quacks like a duck at 5:33 AM PST - 9 comments

I went to the doctor to have something biopsied recently. The doctor did the whole procedure, closed me up, etc. Then when they did some imaging afterwards, realized the thing they biopsied wasn't the correct thing - it was the thing next to what they had biopsied. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:04 AM PST - 11 comments

My friend is dealing with a fellow tenant who smokes and vapes cannabis quite frequently, contrary to the rules of our lease. How can she get this to stop? Special snowflake details within. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:02 AM PST - 11 comments

The stove burners in my newish rental apartment don't put out enough heat to keep two quarts of water at a rolling boil or to get onions to brown without remaining greasy. It's a low-end, small (20") gas range (Premier SAK100OP) that was converted to run on propane and per model information online, each burner is 9100 BTU. Is this issue likely to be an inherent quality of this stove, something done improperly in the propane conversion, or something else? I've had many cheap gas stoves before and never had this issue. [more inside]
posted by needs more cowbell at 4:05 AM PST - 15 comments

I think I have no control over a situation, but I want to be supportive to my friend. Not talking to them about it is not an option. I'm one of only a few friends they have to talk to. [more inside]
posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 10:13 PM PST - 18 comments

How do you teach English (your [hypothetical] only language) to adults who don't know any English at all? [more inside]
posted by b33j at 9:20 PM PST - 11 comments

Hello! I'm working on an article regarding recent current events and I wanted to highlight the Instagram post many people (especially in the US) shared to their Instagram stories. It was a black background with white text and it started by saying something along the lines of "killing children is always bad" and then the second paragraph was about how your Jewish neighbors are scared. I've tried googling those criteria and I can't find it!
posted by mrk021 at 8:45 PM PST - 0 comments

Looking for shelf-stable, non-messy, easy-to-carry healthy food for day outings. [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 8:16 PM PST - 11 comments

I like to carbonate ice tea. Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger, carbonated using a soda siphon is great. What can I add for evening drinks that is healthy, preferably not too much sugar and either no alcohol or low alcohol? I asked a similar question a long time ago, but this time I'm looking for things that give the drinks some boldness, darkness, richness or oomph rather than light and refreshing, especially for winter. [more inside]
posted by 2oh1 at 7:47 PM PST - 15 comments

How difficult/expensive would it be to replace an apartment bathroom ventilation fan humidity sensor switch with regular on/off switch, then put it back the way it was when we move out? Picture link and special snowflake details instead. [more inside]
posted by Jacqueline at 4:46 PM PST - 11 comments

I am an irritable person. I am neurodivergent and have sensory issues and chronic pain, so I'm usually exhausted and overwhelmed. I got all that from my parents, so I grew up around irritable people. They were never abusive and I never feared for my safety, but I still saw how frequent mild irritability could damage relationships and made it a priority to be in a good mood and not snap at people. [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 2:53 PM PST - 33 comments

After a lot of unsuccessful effort to lose weight on my own, I am seeking some professional help. I don't know what kind of professional I need because there are a lot of contributors to my earlier failures. What kind of professional should I be contacting? Details inside. [more inside]
posted by philosophygeek at 2:42 PM PST - 6 comments

My current GPU is fine. However, I have ray tracing envy. And GPUs are plentiful, which could be temporary. [more inside]
posted by trevor_case at 2:21 PM PST - 3 comments

I've always been terrible at maintaining friendships and relationships with extended family. I have no trouble in person, or concrete things like birthday wishes, but I struggle with initiating calls/messages, and sometimes even responding in a timely way. It low-key stresses me out to begin an interpersonal interaction, so I avoid it (even though I like all these people). Looking for hacks to help me get better -- anything from apps to stickies to daily routines.
posted by redlines at 1:30 PM PST - 8 comments

In Eartha Kitt's various performances of Uska Dara she has some patter with Turkish phrases she translates as "I like to feed my lover bird's milk", "A fat man usually has a belly like a percolating coffee pot". I can't seem to find the actual Turkish she's singing for these phrases online - can anyone help out here? [more inside]
posted by bookwo3107 at 1:02 PM PST - 4 comments

Have you used a coffee cup holder for your bicycle that you love? If so what, which one was it? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 1:02 PM PST - 9 comments

A career transition question on two wheels (posted for a friend) [more inside]
posted by wowenthusiast at 12:30 PM PST - 5 comments

I’ve got 3 different types of squash I need to use up. Can I blend up a spaghetti squash and use it in a soup with other types of squash without it having any stringy “spaghetti” texture? [more inside]
posted by crime online at 12:23 PM PST - 4 comments

Hey all, Looking for some "dressier" (i.e. can be worn at office job that is on the casual side of business casual) shoes/sneakers that are slip-on, comfortable, and good for walking. Under $50 would be a plus but willing to pay more for quality/attractiveness. Hoping they are sneakers that just look a little dressier, not loafers or something.
posted by bearette at 11:35 AM PST - 13 comments

Do you have some glass containers that you take your lunch in to work (or the like) and can microwave with the lid on (or lid slightly ajar for venting) that have lasted a good period of time? If so, what brand are they? [more inside]
posted by Saucywench at 11:08 AM PST - 18 comments

A friend moved back to Australia to deal with her breast cancer. It seems to have spread and unfortunately we now believe it to be terminal. I'm trying to be there for her, but have no idea how to do that. [more inside]
posted by newpotato at 9:18 AM PST - 15 comments

Looking for a tech recommendation for a pretty specific situation at work. I work for an older executive who is very used to face-to-face discussions for everything. It's wearing thin and I'd love to find a way to spend more time in my private office (and out of shouting range!) In order to sell this concept to him I want to offer a solution whereby he can "press a button" in his office and have an instant (or close) video connection to my office. I'm thinking some kind of tablet on each end(?) [more inside]
posted by brbmaroon at 8:09 AM PST - 10 comments

Looking to see what requests or adaptations worked for you, or you saw work for friends/colleagues, see if there's stuff I'm missing. Background and current thoughts in more inside. [more inside]
posted by MattWPBS at 7:20 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking for the ultimate pair of affordable, all-purpose, omnidirectional microphones. I think. [more inside]
posted by srednivashtar at 4:48 AM PST - 1 comment

I've never been to a maid cafe. I'm curious to go to one. Many people recommend maidreaming and @home, but I have some snowflake questions [more inside]
posted by damedeshou at 1:48 AM PST - 4 comments

How to make the smell easier on me, a non-smoker. He isn't quitting or switching to vaping. [more inside]
posted by cboggs at 12:11 AM PST - 14 comments

when i was a kid (lets say like 40 years ago), i read a novel which was in the form of a naturalist's journal about observing a family of dragons which lived in nearby mountains, i think maybe in portugal or in the spanish pyrenees ... can you please help me find this book? [more inside]
posted by doteatop at 7:58 PM PST - 11 comments

One thing I've been enjoying about the Thursday Murder Club books is that they make me laugh out loud on a regular basis. I've found the same thing to be true of Alexis Hall's romance novels. What are other books in ANY GENRE that are hilarious? I'd love a wide mixture of genres!
posted by azalea_chant at 6:18 PM PST - 55 comments

I bought the same book in what I thought was multiple copies from 3 different sellers on ABE books. The shipment has the same tracking number and has not reached me yet. Why do three different sellers have the same tracking number for the same shipment?? Seems fishy. Also these books are a bit bulky so I can't see 5 copies of it in one basic book package. These are sellers in different parts of the country.
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 5:30 PM PST - 4 comments

Wasn't there a word to describe an approach to misheard lyrics videos, like the most famous one for Yellow Ledbetter? [more inside]
posted by stevil at 4:18 PM PST - 15 comments

I am in search of the best, most special, most indulgent homemade cocoa (or drinking chocolate) mix to package with homemade marshmallows for gift-giving this holiday season. Can you recommend one?
posted by mosst at 3:19 PM PST - 12 comments

Maintenance work in an assisted living facility. Don't know the ins and outs or where to find them. [more inside]
posted by es_de_bah at 3:09 PM PST - 7 comments

My favorite coworker is about to go on a long-delayed bucket list trip to the UK from the US, and I want to give him some kind of cool mission. [more inside]
posted by Lyn Never at 2:29 PM PST - 16 comments

My usual Friendsgiving is structured so a bunch of folks who enjoy cooking bring food, and the folks who aren't cooks bring other stuff, like maybe wine, sparkling water, napkins, etc. This year is looking like there will be a lot of us—12-18—but basically everyone who's coming are in the non-cook category. Help. [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:52 PM PST - 11 comments

Child desperately wants a dog. However, I like having a quiet, clean and orderly house. Also, prefer not to spend a lot of time OR money on care. We also travel semi-regularly and are frequently not at home during the day. Would a very small, low maintenance, well trained adult dog be a possibility or just a bad idea all together? Never had a dog before, so I don't know the realities of it other than what I've read in books and online. Any advice appreciated.
posted by roaring beast at 1:11 PM PST - 67 comments

I'm looking for a New Yorker cartoon in which one partner wants to go to a party, but the other wants to stay home with a book? [more inside]
posted by ragtimepiano at 1:06 PM PST - 3 comments

Initially thought of this in the context of a camping trip, but now also wondering about home safety purposes. [more inside]
posted by queen anne's remorse at 10:43 AM PST - 9 comments

Any recommendations for commercially available Christmas lights that have a vintage glow, colors, etc.? The LED ones I've found just don't have the same feeling. Are there LED's that still read like old-school incandescent, painted bulb Christmas lights?
posted by Unsomnambulist at 9:34 AM PST - 11 comments

We collect a lot of data at my org, using several different methods/apps/software/etc. What we don't have is a centralized document listing what the source is, who owns it, when the evaluation/survey/questionnaire goes out, who it impacts in our org, whether it is state or federally mandated (e.g. after school programs and the like), and where the results go for analysis. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:05 AM PST - 10 comments

Short version: My mother-in-law wrote a YA/kids novel many years ago. My husband and I scanned it and have laid it out and produced a custom-designed (i.e. non-template) cover for it. We plan to give her the book and hand over the Amazon KDP account to her so that she can do whatever she likes with it. But here's the real question: What can an 80-year-old with decent, but limited mobility, do to promote her book? Bonus: She isn't especially tech-savvy. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by yellowcandy at 8:37 AM PST - 10 comments

We are going to Boca and are looking for a place to practice our archery. We found The Owls Archery Club at the Florida Atlantic University and want to know if it’s open to non students. Alternatively do you know of any place in Boca we can pay to practice archery. We have our own equipment.
posted by Tziv at 7:46 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm in the market for a high-end gaming laptop that can run AAA games at ultra settings without setting the house on fire. Is this The One? If not, what is The One? [more inside]
posted by invincible summer at 7:29 AM PST - 8 comments

YANML and YANMA. I did tax estimating for this year, and it seems like I’ll end up owing the IRS next year if I don’t withhold more from my paycheck (one-time withholding). A couple of questions inside the fold. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 6:46 AM PST - 9 comments

There's a wave of bedbugs going in southern Europe now. I'm thinking about preemptively buying a mattress encasement, but I'm also a hot sleeper and kind of a diva about my sleeping experience in general. I really like the breathability and quilted pillow top of my currently unprotected mattress; are encasements reasonably comfortable these days, or should I resign myself to the feeling of sleeping on top of an IKEA tote?
posted by nanny's striped stocking at 6:26 AM PST - 8 comments

There is a clip from a TV show (I think it was the show "Greek" about frats/sororities but might have been another show about campus life) that I saw in the last few months as one of those viral-from-Tik-Tok reels that show up on Facebook...I am hoping one of you MeFites knows what it is! [more inside]
posted by virve at 6:05 AM PST - 3 comments

BathroomFixtureFilter: Can you help me figure out how to fix this faucet? [more inside]
posted by pdb at 7:31 PM PST - 7 comments

Is glaring at someone considered aggressive and rude? And when they look angry or squint at you while glaring? I had this happen to me and not sure if it is considered rude or appropriate social behaviour?
posted by RearWindow at 6:37 PM PST - 39 comments

I'm preparing to travel in December and donations of menstrual cups have been requested. I'll have limited carry-on luggage space but want to bring as many as I can. Which high quality ones have the smallest external packaging? Or do you have a suggestion for bringing them in sanitary original inner packaging, and if so which brands have that? [more inside]
posted by mireille at 3:56 PM PST - 3 comments

I've lived here for decades but am suddenly finding myself at a loss - where might a small group (3-4 people) find a fancypants buffet brunch sort of thing in the LA area? Preferably downtown but Beverly Hills or Pasadena are also possibilities. [more inside]
posted by queensissy at 3:38 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm sure a bunch of us have seen the XKCD "dependency" cartoon. I'm wondering if there is a rule of thumb for the minimum critical mass to keep a project (open-source software or anything else) afloat if one super-committed contributor stops contributing.
posted by adamrice at 2:59 PM PST - 5 comments

For reasons looking for a Compact Utility Vehicle, which a Toyota Rav4 or a Honda CRV is the canonical in my socioeconomic group (Yuppie-with-kids-in-the-city-but-not-looking-to-spend-more-than50k). Ford Escapes have similar dimensions but seem like a better value. Do you have one from the current gen (2020+)? What are your experiences? Should we just buy the RAV4/CRV? [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 1:35 PM PST - 7 comments

Is there a good resource or 'system' for reviewing older media for plot elements or characterization that may have been acceptable at the time, but which no longer is? Things like "hey, this older movie has depictions of race relations that are not considered appropriate today" or "Hey, there's some gay panic jokes in this 2000s sitcom you might not remember clearly." Basically, content warnings for cultural sensitivity and respect for minority groups. [more inside]
posted by Tomorrowful at 11:38 AM PST - 5 comments

Following my previous question, I've tentatively decided to buy a 5th generation iPad Air. Should I buy it from Amazon (cheaper) or from Apple (better in some way)? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:20 AM PST - 28 comments

I'm vegan, and a relative has quit eating gluten. Please share your best dessert recipes, sites with recipes you know have consistently good results, or even cookbooks that you know are good. Am especially interested in baked goods. [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 8:38 AM PST - 25 comments

If I take two digital photos of exactly the same object but with different lighting, matching the colors of the two photos with Photoshop (or in this case Pixelmator) is a difficult, nay impossible, task. I'm sure there are a lot of reasons but I'd like to collect a detailed enumeration of them.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:06 AM PST - 14 comments

After using a very old kitchen stove for many years I recently acquired a much newer one, glass top, Frigidaire brand, but unknown model number. [more inside]
posted by zadcat at 6:48 AM PST - 7 comments

I have always made posters for special events from scratch, but it seems like there are now various shortcuts for doing this, like Canva. Is that now the way that most people make great-looking posters to promote things? Are there alternatives to Canva that you recommend, perhaps even ones that are free? Any tips would be most appreciated.
posted by mortaddams at 6:37 AM PST - 9 comments

A buddy on the East Coast of the US has just received a devastating health diagnosis. They are interested in finding a therapist to help them think through issues around different potential futures, depression, etc. Is there a particular school of therapy or a particular type of therapist they should be looking for? Any advice is appreciated, especially if you or loved ones have faced a similar situation.
posted by Bella Donna at 4:43 AM PST - 13 comments

I am looking at buying a GE washing machine (GFW850SPNRS) that lists among its features "1-step Wash+Dry", a way to dry small loads in the washer. I'm curious if anyone has personal experience with this specific GE feature - I will mostly just hang my stuff to dry but this seems like it could be a good occasional option *if* it doesn't suck. (Note that this is *not* typical/true combination washer/dryer.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 4:08 AM PST - 0 comments

A relative is set to begin a decade+ sentence in a US Federal Prison (TBD) in a few weeks. I'm looking for non-sensationalist resources I can share with my family (all adults, including seniors) that provide practical guidance to having a loved one locked up for an extended period. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:18 PM PST - 9 comments

Several times a year, for the past few years, I have been doing a quiz at family get-togethers. Both of my nephews A and B (10 and 8) enjoy the quizzes. Both of my nephews are of above-average ability and do not display any neurodivergent behaviours. They are based on a theme, whatever it is we are celebrating, and are normally poached from quizzes for kids online. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:17 PM PST - 13 comments

I am worried that having my nose blocked during recovery is going to drive me crazy. Please hope me! [more inside]
posted by Salamander at 8:51 PM PST - 11 comments

Most of the recommended wool detergents I've found recommended seem to be only available in the USA. So, as the title states: what's the best laundry detergent for wool clothes that I can buy in Canada. I want something I can physically purchase in-store, not online (so nothing on Amazon.ca!). [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 7:54 PM PST - 13 comments

How detailed and extensive are the descriptions of sex in the Valdemar books? I read them a while ago, and I remember people having sexual relationships (and also hooking up), but I don't remember how much that happened. I'm wondering this in the context of listening to them as audiobooks with my 12 year old. [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 7:30 PM PST - 9 comments

What types disability accommodations are available for professors with autism, adhd, cptsd, ptsd, other mental health diagnoses in academia? This is in the U.S. in California. [more inside]
posted by mxjudyliza at 5:53 PM PST - 8 comments

Hi all, I am an old film buff, and I was wondering if the rumours are true, did Grace Kelly have an affair with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra during her last film High Society (1956)? I know she may have had an affair with Crosby during The Country Girl (1954) but not sure if she had an affair with both of them in the latter film or even during her time as Princess of Monaco?
posted by RearWindow at 4:54 PM PST - 3 comments

I've never been to Austin, let alone attended SXSW, and I'm trying to write (fiction) about a band going there and performing. I've been reading a lot about it, but I still don't really have a feel for what the experience would be like, and wondered if any Mefites have attended, or even better, performed there. [more inside]
posted by kitten kaboodle at 4:22 PM PST - 9 comments

I joined a cover band back in March. I found an ad on a website for musicians and wrote to them and they invited me to try out as the singer. On the same day as the trial, I had a doctor’s appointment. Coincidentally, my appointment was at the medical practice of the man in the band who made contact with me, the drummer. Pure coincidence! Well my appointment was with his colleague, but his name was on the door of the practice…. And right after I went to his home to try out with this band. [more inside]
posted by ari sings at 2:30 PM PST - 20 comments

I'm planning a trip to Alaska next year with my 2 siblings (so, 3 fairly fit but older adults) and I'm hoping for confirmation that our itinerary seems good and experienced suggestions on a possible whale watching add-on. [more inside]
posted by j810c at 2:28 PM PST - 3 comments

Looking for the best small Android phone on the market, for a family member. Size (and to a lesser extent, weight) is the most important aspect; battery life is fairly important; length of time the phone will be supported is somewhat important; everything else is fairly unimportant, as long as it is within normal range. Budget is flexible, as long as the price is in line with the quality. Currently considering Samsung Galaxy S23, Google Pixel 5, Sony Xperia 5V, and ASUS Zenfone 10. [more inside]
posted by ClaireBear at 12:33 PM PST - 14 comments

I am writing a paper for a sexuality course for a clinical psychology masters program. My topic is Sex Work. Not sure where to begin with my research. I am getting two books to read Playing the Whore and Sex Work Matters [more inside]
posted by goalyeehah at 11:49 AM PST - 11 comments

While going through Healthcare, gov for my yearly update, I fell into a quandary. [more inside]
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 10:38 AM PST - 6 comments

I'll be in Tokyo with my wife and two college-age kids for Christmas and New Years, and we're looking for a restaurant we can book for the four of us on Christmas Eve and/or Day. [more inside]
posted by lex mercatoria at 9:57 AM PST - 7 comments

Can you suggest potential illnesses that would fit, for a story I'm writing? The character fell seriously ill at age 19 (the seriousness is important); he was successfully treated and now, at age 25, he's fine. At the time of his illness his college girlfriend was an amazing support, and they ended up getting married. For various reasons, I would rather the illness NOT be cancer. Are there other possibilities that would fit this scenario? It's important that the duration be somewhat substantial, i.e., this wasn't just a bad week, but something of an ordeal.
posted by swheatie at 9:31 AM PST - 39 comments

How do I make Google Voice work better for me? I need to automate turning it off each day and I need to save contacts. Neither is working. [more inside]
posted by silverstatue at 9:22 AM PST - 3 comments

You are not my therapist, I have one and we are working on this, but I wanted to crowd source the question since I'm coming up blank here. [more inside]
posted by tafetta, darling! at 9:09 AM PST - 17 comments

I get anxiety attacks which consist of strong uncomfortable feelings in my body - does anyone have similar experiences and know what helps physically with them? [more inside]
posted by Flitcraft at 6:59 AM PST - 17 comments

We are looking to install a combi boiler (heat and domestic hot water (DHW)) and are having trouble identifying which makers/models have small indirect tanks for DHW. To be clear we do NOT want a separate indirect hot water tank connected to a boiler, and we have reasons for not considering indirect tanks. [more inside]
posted by terrapin at 6:43 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm addicted to smoking weed and vaping nicotine. I struggle with anxiety/depression. I want to quit but feel overwhelmed at where to start. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:35 PM PST - 20 comments

Is there an inexpensive way to get a personal recording translated from regional Chinese to English? [more inside]
posted by clew at 9:18 PM PST - 8 comments

Do we have suggestions for good Indian Restaurants in BayArea/ Indian Food in San Jose?
posted by hwint034 at 9:09 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm generally young and healthy but extremely wary of getting long Covid. I'm thinking of traveling for an in-person Thanksgiving this year. What are the risks of getting long Covid around now; are the smart people traveling, eating indoors, having large gatherings, etc.? [more inside]
posted by icosahedron at 6:42 PM PST - 31 comments

I'm socially inept, and I’d like guidance on the social norms related to paying for dinner in non-romantic settings, among peers of similar age and financial standing. My social circles mainly consist of people from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. [more inside]
posted by HoraceH at 5:19 PM PST - 36 comments

I've got a Brother HL-3170 series color laser printer. Lately, my prints have been looking like this in the link: https://ibb.co/Y3Zg8z2 I've tried cleaning the corona wires on the toner cartridges and removing and re-inserting them. They're fairly new cartridges that had been working fine until recently. They aren't official Brother cartridges, but 3rd-party remanufactured "E-Z Ink" brand from Amazon. Can anyone help me determine what component I need to replace/repair/clean?
posted by beammeup4 at 3:49 PM PST - 8 comments

What kind of flea treatments are out now that work well? [more inside]
posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 2:58 PM PST - 8 comments

Can ceiling drywall be wet without an active leak? [more inside]
posted by theodolite at 2:19 PM PST - 12 comments

Almost a month ago, I sprained my ankle. It has then, so far, healed—no visible bruising and swelling has appeared to go fully down. However, I've been experiencing an onset of knee pain. Do you think the incidents are related? [more inside]
posted by thoughtful_analyst at 1:48 PM PST - 10 comments

I play Scrabble semi-regularly with a couple women from church. One of them set up a new game for us with this terrible couple --right in front of them so I couldn't comfortably say no. The couple is asking about days and times. How do I get out of this? [more inside]
posted by mermaidcafe at 12:54 PM PST - 14 comments

My local Dems want me to hand out sample ballots (the kind of sample ballots that are already filled in) at a polling place. I like door-knocking, but always thought giving out sample ballots looked miserable. Is there a way to do this volunteer job well, stay cool, and keep my self-respect? [more inside]
posted by feral_goldfish at 11:11 AM PST - 9 comments

Last Christmas I went to a family gathering that included me, my parents, my sibling, their spouse, their kids, and the spouse's parents. I had COVID right before Christmas, so was a bit discombobulated, and just totally forgot the spouse's parents were coming. I forgot to get them a gift. (This was also the first time I intersected with them at Christmas, so I was not used to getting them a gift.) I apologized. They said, we're just glad you are here and healthy. I promised to mail them a gift. Then I didn't. Now I'm seeing them for Thanksgiving. What should I do? [more inside]
posted by MyBeautifulThrowaway at 10:52 AM PST - 26 comments

There must be some sort of online exchange software, where parents can sign up and list their gear to borrow or buy, and where other parents can go to find second-hand equipment. I would manage the database, but ideally the entire process could be mostly automated. What sorts of software solutions should I investigate? [more inside]
posted by billtron at 9:48 AM PST - 4 comments

Say I wanted to know if a certain musical artist will be performing in my area - or if a certain piece of music will be performed in my area - in the coming months. Are there online resources that would help me figure this out by aggregating upcoming events from many venues and making the results searchable? This would be relative to my location: Chicago, USA. [more inside]
posted by Mechitar at 9:47 AM PST - 4 comments

Most of my packages get delivered to me with little to no fuss, but I've noticed that anything that goes through a specific FedEx facility in my area ends up in this bizarre dance that results in a 3-4 week delay in actually receiving anything. Other packages, including those that go through a different FedEx facility in town (FedEx Air I think, vs FedEx Ground which is where the dance happens), get delivered fine. What gives? [more inside]
posted by btfreek at 8:39 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm not talking about acne. I'm talking about pore size. [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:11 AM PST - 14 comments

Due to the winter air and a radiator heated apartment (and workplace, believe it or not), I need to find a solution to the dry air issue. Obviously, I need to buy a humidifier, but I need help! [more inside]
posted by bquarters at 6:22 AM PST - 28 comments

Hi. We get off of a tour of Southern England on May 4th in Bath. We are looking for low-key suggestions for a couple of stops before we need to be in Germany 12 days later. We are currently thinking about 7 days in Bath and 5 in London, but we are way open to suggestions. [more inside]
posted by jeporter99 at 6:10 AM PST - 14 comments

Can you point me to any research (or good opinion pieces) about social apathy during global crises? My partner is doing a lot of political activism around a current big violent conflict, and is struggling to understand why most people are just "carrying on, pretending everything's okay, when children are being killed". Help them understand? [more inside]
posted by pablocake at 1:35 AM PST - 47 comments

I'm making this quilt. I have the first two columns done -- so four stacks of strips. Two are all white (the left edge of the quilt) and one is mostly white (the lower left corner of the tree). The thing is, I realized I'm not going to have enough white fabric and I can't get more. I can get kind of similar stuff, but given that this is a solid block of colour I feel like a sudden change, even if subtle, will show. Please suggest and comment on ways to camouflage. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:12 PM PST - 15 comments

Please tell me if I could kill a man with frozen vodka. And for bonus points, find a childhood lost book of locked-room mysteries! [more inside]
posted by deadtrouble at 5:50 PM PST - 23 comments

It seems to me that attacks on aid workers started some 20 years ago or so, but I haven't been able to place when or where. Extra credit if you've got a plausible theory about what changed.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 3:24 PM PST - 13 comments

I want to make a photo calendar for my kid’s classroom and I want other parents to be able to buy it. I’d prefer that the printing and distribution not be done by me (e.g., that I create the calendar and then people can buy it on Zazzle or whatever). Where is a place I can do this? [more inside]
posted by hungrytiger at 3:23 PM PST - 3 comments

What is your personal Most Significant Political Films of All Time list? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 12:33 PM PST - 40 comments

Are there any cultures worldwide that as a rule/habit do not eat breakfast? I'm not interested in social habits of groups of individuals who tend to skip a meal, or the European memeification of coffee and a cigarette. I am talking we as a culture/country/etc regularly do not start the day with some kind of sustenance. Historical okay.
posted by phunniemee at 8:50 AM PST - 6 comments

My family really likes the riff in Hollywood Baby by 100 gecs (previously on the blue). How do guitarists and music reviewers describe this tone? Is it "crunchy"? "Nasal"? I know a decent amount of music theory and practice, but very little of electric guitar, and guitar tone nomenclature is mysterious to me. I can understand spectrograms and harmonic analysis, but the words are more confusing. [more inside]
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:02 AM PST - 15 comments

I need a way to make my Computer turn off at night so I don't stay up too late playing games or watching videos. The problem is I cannot be trusted and will probably find ways to circumvent anything that I put in place. [more inside]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 5:12 AM PST - 27 comments

Does anyone here know of a good tenants' advice group or something like that in the LA area? Also, if anyone knows of an especially good (or has a warning about an especially bad) storage unit place in/near the South Bay that would be great. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:18 AM PST - 5 comments

There have been some recent firings of employees for support of one side or the other in recent conflicts and some less recent ones for saying stupid/racist/sexist/homophobic things or acting an ass, but not unlawfully. Some states have laws protecting off-duty lawful conduct. Do they have any teeth? [more inside]
posted by ASCII Costanza head at 10:04 PM PST - 3 comments

I don't want to go into a gift frenzy this year. [more inside]
posted by toucan at 8:49 PM PST - 36 comments

I have an Ebay account. I have never used this account for any purpose, never purchased anything, never committed any infraction I am aware of that would cause friction between us. My account is suspended. [more inside]
posted by Alensin at 7:41 PM PST - 7 comments

I need comic book recs! My kid really loves Fae and the Moon by Franco Aureliani. Now about her and my requirements inside [more inside]
posted by AlexiaSky at 6:56 PM PST - 8 comments

I have a new heat pump outdoor unit showing up (hopefully) next Friday, but it's going to be warm and I want to be cool until then. [more inside]
posted by credulous at 2:25 PM PST - 6 comments

I would like to have a handle on how best to talk to a therapist about my deal. I am not in any particularly bad place, but want a hand with figuring out the next few decades. I’m afraid I’m going to ramble inside, because I don’t know what I want and I don’t know how to ask for it. [more inside]
posted by Craftedperson at 2:19 PM PST - 28 comments

My friend publishes a really great monthly substack that lists cool events in our city. The fact that it is monthly creates some not-ideal outcomes for users. For example - On Oct 3, he hears about an event on Nov 3. But users don't hear about it till Oct 30, because that's the next edition of the newsletter. What are some other ways to run an online events listing? [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit at 2:09 PM PST - 9 comments

My brother and I want to take our parents and families on a fancy-ish vacation in 2024. Can you recommend a family resort in the U.S. that might be a good fit for our special snowflakes? [more inside]
posted by teditrix at 1:48 PM PST - 6 comments

I am overdue for a new desk chair. Please help me pick one out. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 1:22 PM PST - 15 comments

I'd like to go on a basic mushroom foraging trip in the PNW (within 1-3 hrs driving range of Seattle or Portland) that is lead by a mycologist who can identify what is edible/inedible/poisonous. I'd like to be in a group (I'd be +1). I'd like to bring a small camp cook setup to cook mushrooms out in the woods or enjoy them directly with food I bring, also within a group context. What group foraging trip have you been on in the PNW that you would recommend to others?
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:54 AM PST - 9 comments

If you write in a journal daily, or regularly, are there any specific questions or prompts you use to stimulate good, short entries? I'd especially like to end up with journal entries that are both somewhat newsy and also somewhat insightful.
posted by kristi at 10:52 AM PST - 9 comments

I know you are not my doctor etc., but I'm just curious to hear from other parents your thought process on whether you are choosing to give your child the updated covid vaccine this season. [more inside]
posted by Forty-eight at 10:27 AM PST - 38 comments

I have a 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT that is burning oil. I've taken it to mechanic and they say the engine needs to be replaced. [more inside]
posted by ridogi at 10:13 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm very new to poetry and recently stumbled across the poetry (and essays) of Ross Gay and loved them. I really want to read more of this style of poetry but I don't know what search terms to use. Is there a name for his style of writing for example? Which other poets should I look out for?
posted by mooders at 9:21 AM PST - 6 comments

Are there any decent online testing platforms for K-8 schools to use? [more inside]
posted by archimago at 9:00 AM PST - 2 comments

I am a fully grown up woman who has no idea how to tuck in my shirt and have it stay without looking ridiculous. [more inside]
posted by mcduff at 8:08 AM PST - 24 comments

Hello, we will be in Palm Springs in January visiting family and will have 5 days with a rental car to go wherever we like. We'll go to Joshua Tree with our family separately so don't need to cover that in the five days. So far I've come up with: [more inside]
posted by Tanya at 6:43 AM PST - 20 comments

Swisspatat, the Swiss potato industry organization, has an online shop selling products promoting the use of Swiss potatoes, including some free booklets with recipes and such. What other industry organizations around the world have such shops? The more niche the better, with bonus points if they offer free stuff.
posted by jedicus at 6:12 AM PST - 13 comments

Hope is 14-ish, adopted as a young adult with no history, a neutered boy. He's been slowing down with age but last week started coughing and vomiting several times a day. I took him to the vet today and after x-rays and blood tests, it looks like heart disease with pleural effusion. He wasn't terribly cooperative during the x-ray so they have scheduled an ultrasound on Monday morning. His blood is all ok aside from the fBNP abnormal. [more inside]
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 3:45 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm diagnosed bipolar II, CPTSD, ADHD, and autism, and am on medical treatment for most of the above (well not the autism obviously). I also have a major fear of my life/reality actually being a hallucination and that I'm actually on a hospital bed having a psychotic episode this whole time, or that I have dementia and I'm actually imaging what my life used to be like, etc etc. How do you know if you're having an episode? [more inside]
posted by creatrixtiara at 9:39 PM PST - 25 comments

I have had problems with fruit flies a few times, but they've always been, well, near fruit. Currently, we are getting little tiny flies (possibly a little smaller than fruit flies) in every room. I would love to take care of this myself rather than paying hundreds to an exterminator, but I will pay an exterminator if needed. Any ideas? More detail inside. [more inside]
posted by rednikki at 7:38 PM PST - 10 comments

We live in a temperate zone in an apartment building with steam radiator heat. We don't have much control over the heating, so if we don't open our windows in the winter it gets too hot. We'd like to better regulate the temperature, keeping it around 70 degrees more consistently through the night etc. Would a window fan be able to do this? [more inside]
posted by ropeladder at 6:44 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm looking for recommendations for unobtrusive but effective lip balm that is non-greasy, unscented/unflavored, and untinted. [more inside]
posted by Dip Flash at 5:36 PM PST - 33 comments

Canadians/Vancouverites: Does it bother you that Vancouver is referred to by Americans as part of the "Pacific Northwest"? [more inside]
posted by pdb at 4:54 PM PST - 29 comments

I'm wondering if there's any hope of winning over this cat and also would appreciate any advice. [more inside]
posted by Eyelash at 4:43 PM PST - 10 comments

A family member's new shed/home office was installed over a gravel base; there is no room to get under and spray foam insulation. My idea was to install an insulating underlayment directly on the interior OSB floor, then put more OSB, or plywood, over that. But in researching the past several days, I can't find any definitive information stating this will work, or what materials to use. [more inside]
posted by racersix6 at 1:43 PM PST - 12 comments

Any examples you can think of? [more inside]
posted by maddalo at 1:34 PM PST - 15 comments

Writing/Art-making/HobbyistFilter, seeking your advice! After 1.5 years of really focusing on writing speculative fiction short stories, and finding some external success, I'm growing ambivalent about how much I enjoy writing. I am not sure if I'm just going through a "this is tough!" period, or if I would be better suited to explore other creative outlets. Help? [more inside]
posted by elephantsvanish at 12:30 PM PST - 12 comments

I need to buy a used car this week. I’d like to finance it. I’ve never done that before. What do I need to know? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 11:49 AM PST - 12 comments

I have awful handwriting, and manually printing holiday cards/going to the post office, mailing out, etc. is always a time suck and somewhat of a hassle. I stumbled upon Postable.com, which I'm to understand will do all that for me, including mailing out to people. Sounds like a godsend — is it "too good to be true", or have had any of you had experience with this service? Thanks.
posted by dubious_dude at 11:35 AM PST - 10 comments

I have a 4th gen IPad Pro running current OS (updated 11/2/23). I tried a few weeks ago to use an Apple Pencil after not using for several months - it wouldn’t connect so I just assumed the pencil was dead. I ordered a new Pencil and it connects, but will not charge. [more inside]
posted by honeybee413 at 11:11 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm planning summer vacations now for 2024, and looking for really great programs for a rising junior in New England. There's a lot of different colleges that have programs but I am not sure what ones are well regarded. He excels in Physics, likes science, writing and the nature. He's VERY shy and while I'd love for him to try an overnight deal- I don't know if I can sell that to him. If it's far away and for commuters- I'll book an inn or something. This may be his last summer without a job so I want him to get to do something really enriching that might help him in his path to deciding majors and build a bit of confidence.
posted by ReluctantViking at 10:52 AM PST - 4 comments

I recently asked a question about laptops and was very satisfied with the Lenovo 7 I purchased from that thread. Sadly, my very beloved Sharp/NEC Multisync PA272W monitor is starting to misbehave and I need to replace it fairly soon. [more inside]
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 10:31 AM PST - 5 comments

I am a very novice electric guitar player. I have had a low-end Fender electric guitar for a while but need a new practice amp. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed on what options make sense for my space and the kinds of music I want to play. [more inside]
posted by forkisbetter at 10:24 AM PST - 15 comments

I've emailed the manufacturer, but I'm wondering if someone might be able to mechanically reason this through. I've had a relatively straightforward, countertop (manually tank-filled) reverse osmosis water purifier for over a year, and it's had no problems. I just replaced all the filters, and now, for some reason, it overflows the carafe instead of filling it to the top. [more inside]
posted by zeek321 at 8:31 AM PST - 2 comments

Inspired by this 2016 post, and this one from 2015, is there a workbook or the like (paper or electronic) that would prompt me, with pertinent questions, to think about my whole life and put together a picture of who I was, have been, and am today? [more inside]
posted by JimN2TAW at 8:15 AM PST - 8 comments

We've already done a lot of troubleshooting but are still having trouble getting dishes clean lately. Lots of detail incoming [more inside]
posted by brilliantine at 8:10 AM PST - 19 comments

I am currently experiencing a missed miscarriage/blighted ovum, where my body is continuing with the pregnancy even though there is no embryo. I had a scan at 7 weeks and 4 days, and then again at 9 weeks and 4 days (today) to confirm. The gynecologist prescribed me 200mg of mifepristone but no other medication, and did not say anything about taking additional medication. If you are familiar with miscarriage procedures, does this prescription make sense? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:54 AM PST - 5 comments

My work computer is a Surface tablet with a Mini Display Port. How can I best connect it to an external monitor to avoid the problems I am experiencing? [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 7:31 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm a somewhat experienced manager, but have not had to do this. My organization is announcing layoffs soon. I have promised my team that our area would not be affected. I now hear that we will. Will this tank morale forever? Can I stop it from tanking morale forever? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:56 AM PST - 24 comments

A new roommate is moving in this week, and is planning to come paint her room today while I’m at work. My room is across the (short) hall from hers. Will I have any issues with paint fumes coming into my room tonight? Is it better to sleep downstairs in the living room, or find somewhere else for the night? Not sure what kind of paint she’s using. I have no major health concerns but my respiratory system is on the more sensitive side.
posted by wheatlets at 6:42 AM PST - 16 comments

I'm reading that that the minimum safe temp for a slow cooker is 170° F and the minimum safe temp for sous vide is 130° F. Why are these numbers different? Is one wrong?
posted by Tehhund at 5:53 AM PST - 9 comments

I've had cheap parson's chairs for about 15 years now and some of them are on the brink. I need to start looking for replacement chairs. I like the look and compact-ness of parsons chairs and I like that I can easily buy covers for them but I feel like the failure point is the legs, which get wobbly. I'd like something like a parsons chair but with the bars across the legs. Does that exist? I can't find it. Is there a secret keyword? Canada. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:34 AM PST - 5 comments

I live in New York City - the one place I always wanted to live when I grew up. I love it here. But I'm realizing (after 30+ years) that my job situation has rarely been that stable, and I'm starting to question - should I move? Or is something else the problem that I can fix while staying? [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:09 AM PST - 29 comments

I'm looking for people who both understand the ojou archetype in japanese anime/manga/light novels, but also engage with non-anime style media. I'm trying to find examples of characters that have the spirit of anime-esque "ojou"s, but in other media [more inside]
posted by damedeshou at 3:57 AM PST - 8 comments

I finally have a cat. I love Unicorn Cat, but I find myself anxious about the effect my irregular schedule will have on her. Any advice on helping her to feel secure? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 3:17 AM PST - 15 comments

I'm looking for a podcast app for my kid that will let me pick specific podcasts (some of which are not "kids' podcasts") and let her download and play episodes from only those podcasts. Any advice from the MeFi hivemind?
posted by quiet wanderer at 8:06 PM PST - 4 comments

Looking for a single flavor clean burning/ non-toxic candle - not pumpkin spice or holiday anything. Just clove please! I had one ~20 years ago from Target and they’ve never had anything like it again. I am located in US. Thank you!
posted by gryphonlover at 6:11 PM PST - 8 comments

I have a very simple website at Squarespace. I have some questions about domain hosting. Can you advise? [more inside]
posted by swheatie at 4:49 PM PST - 3 comments

I know a couple who will reach their 50th wedding anniversary soon. Wikipedia says "In some parts of the world, couples can receive special recognition from government officials for particular milestones" and notes the US, where they live, offers a White House greeting, but it's pretty meaningless since it's offered for all types of events. Am I missing out on any other opportunities?
posted by Borborygmus at 2:21 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm interested in investigative journalism, podcasts, or shorter articles looking at this phenomenon. [more inside]
posted by Summers at 1:35 PM PST - 17 comments

Hello all, I purchased some organic lavender oil pills for anxiety and stress. I was wondering if anyone has found it useful or aidful for their own anxieties and stress overall? Or not at all? Did it take a few days or a week to notice a difference, or did it happen right away? [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 1:02 PM PST - 11 comments

I'd like to gift my partner a nice pair of women's gloves, I am open to suggestions, they need to be warm. [more inside]
posted by elkevelvet at 11:46 AM PST - 7 comments

I have an affordable pair of noise cancelling headphones from Monoprice and the pretty tan pleather is flaking off on the insides of the ear cups and the bottom of the band. How can I repair or replace these? Product page no longer online, but here is a picture
posted by advicepig at 11:31 AM PST - 9 comments

I run an organization that runs a medium-sized annual event (~3k attendees) and is made possible by a staff of about 200 volunteers (about 20-30 of which do things year-round). We are technically an LLC, but this is everyone's part-time, volunteer passion. I'm looking for books, articles, or recommendations for how to re-structure the year-round volunteers to enable better delegation. [more inside]
posted by Kolath at 10:42 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking into getting an iPad. This would mostly be for work-related reading and note taking. That is what would justify the expense. Is there any good reason to get an iPad Air (5th gen) rather than a vanilla iPad (9th gen)? [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 10:12 AM PST - 9 comments

Some, but not all, of the internet-enabled devices in my house can connect to my home WiFi network. I need to get the others online, pronto. I'm 99% sure that this is a router issue, but I can't diagnose or solve it. Please hope me! [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:43 AM PST - 15 comments

My siblings and I hired an elder care attorney in Florida for my mom and her husband, to help transfer all of their assets to me when they went into a nursing home in 2020. I have neglected dealing with it, partly because I am not sure if I need a lawyer or tax professional or one of each, or someone who does both? Someone who specializes in FL law (where mom is) or Illinois (where I am) or both? [more inside]
posted by Glinn at 9:23 AM PST - 3 comments

After starting one new medication, my gag reflex is in overdrive, especially when it comes to taking that one pill. Is there a way to train myself out of it? [more inside]
posted by specialagentwebb at 8:25 AM PST - 23 comments

I have a long-ish layover at JFK T4 (3pm-11pm) later this month. My top priority is getting a decent vegan meal before rolling the dice with the onboard vegan options on my connecting flight. Beyond that, I can't decide whether to try to go into the city for an hour or two, or just hang out at the airport (maybe with a lounge pass). Seeking options & recommendations. [more inside]
posted by terretu at 7:18 AM PST - 14 comments

I live in a nice NJ suburb. Approximately half the parents of my kids classmates are realtors. Why and how? [more inside]
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 6:30 AM PST - 24 comments

I have to zip a group of files from a series of folders that also contain files of another type - can I automate this with Python? [more inside]
posted by ryanshepard at 6:13 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm looking for recommendations for a digital picture frame for seniors who have no computers or home internet, no Wi-Fi, no interest in learning technology, and limited ability to get assistance. But of course, there's more. [more inside]
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 12:52 AM PST - 5 comments