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My friend is losing her housing as a result of a sudden breakup which stirred some pretty strong feelings in me, in part due to some personal baggage of my own related to housing. My strong feelings then led to some fairly serious strain on a couple of other friendships, even causing me to briefly consider ending those friendships completely. Now that my initial emotional reaction has calmed down over time, I’ve decided that I almost certainly want to continue both of those friendships, so I’m looking for advice on how to begin repairing them. [more inside]
posted by ljm at 6:28 PM PST - 21 comments

I finally had a Zoom session with my sister to share the news of me discontinuing chemo, and to explain why I reacted the way I did during the lake incident. Her reaction to the explanation re: lake was... not great. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 5:52 PM PST - 32 comments

Every time one of us adds an event to the shared family Google Calendar, the others have to acknowledge it. How do we just have our phones silently accept every new event? [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 5:23 PM PST - 3 comments

My mom has accidentally enabled screen lock on her LG phone, and we have no idea what the password is. I've tried Find My Device, to no avail. Is there any other way to unlock the phone without doing a factory reset? [more inside]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 5:12 PM PST - 5 comments

I know a bit about Chicago. (I grew up here and recently returned after some years away.) I don't know anything about The Bear, other than there's food involved and it's set in Chicago. I have guests coming soon who are big fans of the show. We're doing some of the requisite Chicago tourist stuff, and we'll probably visit some nice restaurants, but I'm not sure if there's anything in particular I should put on our to-do list that they would enjoy related to the show. [more inside]
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 4:40 PM PST - 16 comments

I watched Blithe Spirit (1945) last weekend. It was entertaining enough (if you overlook the dated gender stereotypes) but it wasn't the film I thought I was going to see. Please help me remember the other one. [more inside]
posted by snarfois at 4:36 PM PST - 7 comments

I had problems with my freezer door gasket and ended up with things going through the thaw/refreeze cycle 2 or 3 times. I mostly have plant based meat in its original , unopened packaging, and also some cans of orange juice concentrate. Do I need to throw everything out before I clean the freezer/ fix the gasket? Or is anything safe to consume?
posted by mermaidcafe at 3:07 PM PST - 3 comments

It's a TV show cliche, and I've run into it in books as well: the guy takes off his wedding ring and hits the bar, but the lady he tries to pick up declines because of his wedding-ring tan line. Is this even possible? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:27 PM PST - 32 comments

Librarians, researchers, nerds: lend me your skills [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:27 PM PST - 7 comments

My wife and I are going to Singapore! And probably Thailand, and maybe Taipei. Our travel dates are late November/early December. I am the kind of person who likes to wear high femme, structured, edgy-professional clothes all the time. I also do terribly in heat and humidity. For this trip, we're doing an even mix of professional events and tourism (our kind of tourism is going to be restaurants/museums/historical sites, not hiking). What on earth am I going to wear? [more inside]
posted by byzantienne at 1:51 PM PST - 20 comments

YANMD, but the one I saw yesterday was so bizarre, angry, and just plain wrong about the things that I do actually know about that I almost walked out in the middle of the appointment. In short, a recent pelvic ultrasound revealed a "3.8 x3.5 x 2.6 septated complex cystic lesion" on my right ovary with good blood flow and no evidence of torsion. I have no pain. I asked him if this was something I needed to worry about and he said "that's up to you" and then went on an angry rant about HRT and it all went downhill from there. So, in short: Is this something I need to worry about?
posted by HotToddy at 1:46 PM PST - 9 comments

Welp, trailers.apple.com sucks now. Where can I go for a simple, up-to-date chronological listing of movie trailers with wide coverage (i.e. pretty much every movie that will get a US cinematic release) that is uncluttered, ad-free, gets right to the point, and doesn't require an app? [more inside]
posted by jedicus at 1:38 PM PST - 1 comment

Is there a poem called "Greed" by Stanley Kunitz? I can't find it on the internet but I believe it exists. Would love to see it if anyone can find it.
posted by DMelanogaster at 1:25 PM PST - 4 comments

I always thought I had aphantasia — I have never been able to conjure an image of a scene or face in my head. [more inside]
posted by Lescha at 12:33 PM PST - 15 comments

How do I move my savings away from a wealth manager without getting a big tax bill? [more inside]
posted by Carlo at 12:10 PM PST - 16 comments

I just had a round of laser eye surgery. My doctor is making me, to say the least, unhappy. [more inside]
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 10:52 AM PST - 15 comments

Was I wrong to continue to file child support claim when my coparent is having financial difficulties? [more inside]
posted by CosmicSeeker42 at 10:05 AM PST - 28 comments

The silicone flanges have developed tiny brown spots. Can they be cleaned or it's time for the bin? [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 9:04 AM PST - 7 comments

What can you recommend for alternative treatment of an intestinal issue? Could be a particular kind of practitioner or maybe a particular treatment. [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 8:51 AM PST - 8 comments

I am starting an arts YouTube Channel, and I want to film a few reading events at The Toronto International Festival of Authors (given permission to do so). However, is it possible to set up a one-person camera crew set up to film the author's talk? Or would I need to hire a few people? [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 8:42 AM PST - 12 comments

My mom has Alzheimer's. My sister is her caretaker/POA. She found out about a massive hidden debt we didn't know she had. What actions can my sister take? [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 8:02 AM PST - 34 comments

So lo these many years ago, like probably 2012 or so, I ordered some boxer shorts with fun patterns from J Crew to wear as pajamas. They were great, but they gave up the ghost this year. [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 7:32 AM PST - 5 comments

Growing up I never had a water bottle-- you took a couple sips from the water fountain during bathroom breaks and drank milk at lunch. Now kids (at least middle/upper class ones) always have water bottles (in the USA). Were we just dehydrated all the time?
posted by sandmanwv at 7:17 AM PST - 46 comments

I got a new Mac and Preview doesn't work as well- it's harder to crop, paste, annotate, and save quickly-edited images and screengrabs. Can I fix it? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:17 AM PST - 5 comments

I've been toying with the idea of becoming a notary - not as a career thing, more to make myself stand out a bit more when job hunting as an executive assistant and office manager ("She can be the assistant to our COO, AND she's a notary on top of that? That's awesome!"). What are some other generally useful things like that I could train for or apply/qualify for, which have low entry cost in terms of time and money spent in training or qualifying? [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:12 AM PST - 10 comments

I may be starting Ozempic soon, and would like some ideas on what/how I should be eating to minimize potential side effects. [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:36 AM PST - 14 comments

A co-worker told me about watching Dr. Steven Greer's latest documentary, The Lost Century and How to Reclaim It, and I'd like to counter with some well-reported writing about his claims and whether (haha) he's a grifter/liar/scam artist. [more inside]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:26 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm struggling with focus and motivation at my work, and my psych person told me to use technical and productivity tools to help myself. That is part of my overwhelm. I don't lack for choices and could use some advice. More inside. [more inside]
posted by Mr. Hazlenut at 2:11 AM PST - 15 comments

Here’s what I’m thinking: dSLR camera on a tripod, button on a cord; when the button is pressed, the camera takes a number of photos (4 or 5) one after another, with a delay (one to five seconds) between exposures. [more inside]
posted by blueberry at 10:57 PM PST - 7 comments

I’m usually good at redirecting, countering, or dismissing anxious thoughts, but there’s one type of anxiety I’m not sure how to solve. Every once in a while, something legitimately scary happens in life. That sensation is so shocking and unpleasant that my body tenses up for a long time to prevent that shock from happening again, the same way you’d walk around with tense stomach muscles if someone occasionally punched you in the gut by surprise. How do people not do this? [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 8:24 PM PST - 16 comments

It is my understanding I should get snow tires. I have a Nissan Versa. How do I buy winter tires? Where do I buy winter tires? Literally, just tell me the model and the name of the...garage? Toronto [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:15 PM PST - 18 comments

There's a lot of QR code pet IDs out there. Which is best? [more inside]
posted by dokodomo at 7:02 PM PST - 8 comments

I bought these years ago, they're some kind of support that goes over the wrist. I can't remember what they're called or where I got 'em online. All I remember is they are specialized, not some crap from Amazon. Image inside. [more inside]
posted by falcon42 at 3:35 PM PST - 3 comments

Can you recommend any resources to make a bot web scraper (Is that redundant)? [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 3:28 PM PST - 11 comments

Please recommend me more artists to follow who draw stuff that might best be described as scrungly. Some examples: Kyle Beaudette, RubyEtc, pantspants, and this children's book about slugs I just heard of for the first time this weekend.
posted by phunniemee at 3:23 PM PST - 29 comments

How do I get rid of a yellowjacket/hornet/wasp nest that is buried in my lawn? [more inside]
posted by silverstatue at 3:15 PM PST - 25 comments

I am a male who turned 57 yesterday. My armpits still smell of perspiration after showering and washing them with soap. I use a "natural" deodorant, Ivory Gentle Deodorant. I work out about four times a week, and lately I have been eating way too much dairy. How can I reduce my B.O.? [more inside]
posted by mecran01 at 2:57 PM PST - 19 comments

I have a light blue baseball cap. The colour is a bit weathered looking - a little lighter in places and darker in others, but it's a subtle effect. I got a dirt stain on it and scrubbed it off, but this left the brim of the hat with a white circle where I scrubbed. It's very obvious. How can I fix it? I'm open to creative solutions like patches or tie dye, but I don't want anything too loud or boisterous because I liked how calm and understated the colour was.
posted by wheatlets at 1:50 PM PST - 7 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023 I want to know why people choose to marry someone. [more inside]
posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 1:42 PM PST - 33 comments

So we're getting the first bits of hurricane Idalia and power has flickered. Which makes me wonder what's going to make it flicker, instead of just going out and staying out. [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:31 PM PST - 7 comments

Dealing with the anxiety of loving a patient who does not want further treatment. [more inside]
posted by toucan at 1:29 PM PST - 4 comments

I have a very tiny pearl that I'd like to have set in a simple gold pendant. Looking for a Brooklyn or Asheville maker that I can visit/work with in person. [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 11:08 AM PST - 2 comments

Violet is 14 and has stage 3 kidney disease, so the vet has put her on renal support food, but she is a picky eater and doesn't care for it much. What can I add to her food to make it appetizing? [more inside]
posted by hoist with his own pet aardvark at 11:01 AM PST - 16 comments

Specifically, quality round-shaped and wire-rimmed, available in various sizes and colors. My optician can no longer supply this style. Thanks in advance for the info.
posted by partner at 9:42 AM PST - 4 comments

Years ago I saw a scene on television where someone throws a fake baby at a gunman. I've always been curious what it was! [more inside]
posted by imelcapitan at 9:42 AM PST - 2 comments

I am not making enough money and burning myself out (again.) I'm realizing that I have a pattern with burnout and am working on this, but realizing that what I'm doing exhausts me *and* doesn't pay enough. How can I figure out what I can switch into with my skills? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:03 AM PST - 5 comments

I fly back to the USA in a few days from Lisbon to Paris (CDG) to North Carolina (RDU). Where will I have to pass customs and if I check a bag, will I have to recheck it? [more inside]
posted by raccoon409 at 8:47 AM PST - 14 comments

If you have experience with an app (android only) for young kids to learn to play piano, please share your recommendations. Free or paid app is OK. [more inside]
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 8:25 AM PST - 7 comments

I am grumpily accepting that my particular brain needs a lot of help of the "set yourself a ton of alarms" variety. If you are the same, what does your actual setup for these alarms look like? [more inside]
posted by heyforfour at 8:22 AM PST - 6 comments

YANMMD. My mother has never been in the best of health. I think from 2010, she’s always been reporting body aches, very bad eyesight, cannot sleep at night. Lately it has gotten a lot worse. I would say from the start of this year, things have gotten bad. But seriously, the issue became BAD sometime after May—back then she still seemed OK. I don’t know what it is. [more inside]
posted by Didnt_do_enough at 8:15 AM PST - 15 comments

In mid-October, we're flying into Portland, then driving out to Hood River for a wedding. We'll have a few free days. Friends and past MeFi posts have given us a few ideas but we have a couple of specific questions. [more inside]
posted by martin q blank at 7:50 AM PST - 14 comments

I'm looking to work from 11am to noon tomorrow and take a (non video) call. WIFI. can be outdoors. Any good hotel lobbies that won't be too busy? Or quiet coffee shops? Or gardens? I arrive at West and Calvert so anything super close to there would be ideal. Happy to pay up to cost of a sandwich.
posted by sandmanwv at 6:54 AM PST - 5 comments

A family member’s stamina for walking is decreasing. I’d like to get a lightweight foldable chair that can be carried in a backpack. There are lots of lightweight backpacking chairs - I’m hoping to find one that is quick and easy to set up. I’m not looking for a chair/cane mashup as it won’t fit in a backpack. In this case the person is of average weight but if there’s a chair designed for more than average weight, feel free to mention that. I’m especially interested in chairs that you have used yourself.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:32 AM PST - 12 comments

I have an extended work trip coming up and I wanted to do something special for my 10-year-old. I was thinking of getting a bunch of different postcards and sending one a day with a partial story written on them so when the twenty or so postcards are all together they create a short story. [more inside]
posted by wile e at 2:58 AM PST - 7 comments

Financial advisor has talked about some funds which promise to not include companies producing firearms, weapons, and tobacco. Are there funds which will not include pseudoscience and "woo"? No crystals, nor homeopathic remedies, nor magnetic bracelets, nor Biodynamic farms, etc
posted by Sophont at 1:56 AM PST - 5 comments

I have some subtle LGBTQ pins and charms that I wear which go under the radar for most people but have been ways to connect with people at my somewhat conservative workplace and church who recognise them. I'd like to add something as a patch/bracelet/pin that says 'yo, autism and more!' on the same line so what's the current go-to? The rainbow infinity is a bit - loud for me.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 10:38 PM PST - 19 comments

I need an implant, and it requires bone graft before the implant is installed. I can choose between artificial or cadaver bone material. Insurance will only pay for artificial; but then it costs me $0. For cadaver, I pay $500. [more inside]
posted by honey badger at 9:22 PM PST - 3 comments

I ride my bicycle through suburban streets at night and want to get cameras to put on my bike that will be able to clearly capture the licence plates of cars that are close to me. Any recommendations? [more inside]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:18 PM PST - 2 comments

I am looking for an app to give me a setting like night mode, essentially. I would like my android phone to have the default text size be larger from 5-7am and smaller for the rest of the day. I know I can change this manually in settings, but since my eyesight is not good when I first wake up and am struggling to stay awake, I would rather not have to toggle anything. I could make the change manually each night before bed, but it's a bother.
posted by Summers at 6:55 PM PST - 2 comments

Is there a service that will deliver something approximating a family meal to an address in Seattle? Ideally the recipient would get to choose from a menu of options, and the food would be delivered during the day to be (re)heated for dinner. Doesn't have to be super fancy, but should be good quality. At this time I'm looking for pre-cooked meals, not a box of ingredients with cooking instructions. [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:03 PM PST - 12 comments

Someone that I’ve been dating for a month and half is suddenly getting very distant. How do I address this, especially while I’m traveling and they have surgery coming up? [more inside]
posted by pando11 at 4:25 PM PST - 25 comments

I have bad migraines so it’s hard for me to watch TV because the video aggravates my condition. I started watching TV with audio descriptions for the blind, so that I can enjoy TV shows but rest my eyes. Some shows have great descriptions of some have poor, and some have none. Do you have any recommendations for shows with great audio descriptions? [more inside]
posted by radioamy at 4:21 PM PST - 4 comments

Does this exist? A cordless vacuum that doesn't get tangled with long hair 1.5 seconds after I start vacuuming? No carpets, just hardwood. I know corded vacuums are superior but I will just end up not using it. Been eying the Dyson V15 from Costco because I've heard murmurs of "anti-tangle technology." Is this just a tease or has someone actually figured it out?
posted by Forty-eight at 3:58 PM PST - 13 comments

I have seeds from hollyhocks that were infected with hollyhock rust. From my understanding, the seeds will carry the fungal infection. I want these seeds to succeed for Sentimental Reasons. My question: is there a way to treat the seeds for hollyhock rust BEFORE PLANTING? I'm in zone 5a if it matters. [more inside]
posted by Grandysaur at 1:23 PM PST - 4 comments

Years ago, I started a second undergrad intending to gain entry into a healthcare profession. Had straight As until I had a bit of a meltdown in my final year, bailed out of two courses, ended up with Fs in those. Should I repeat those or apply directly to an MSW? (In Canada) [more inside]
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:31 PM PST - 13 comments

I messed up. Badly. I was supposed fly from Vancouver to Toronto in about an hour, but haven't even packed yet. Reschedule, right? Unfortunately the depth of my ineptitude makes that more complicated. [more inside]
posted by Freelance Demiurge at 11:28 AM PST - 31 comments

Please hope figure out what this movie was, that I saw on TV (possibly on TCM) ages ago... [more inside]
posted by Thorzdad at 10:57 AM PST - 6 comments

Recently I've been getting flooded with spam calls from a particular area code. The last 4 digits vary, so it's not of much utility to block the individual numbers; I imagine they have a lot of them. But I have no reason to ever want to get a call from this area code, and I'd love to block them all at once. Is there a way? [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:36 AM PST - 2 comments

I just heard that Mountainsmith is having a big sale and I noticed several of their tents are available for 50% off. Most of them don't have reviews available on their website. In your experience, are these a good deal? Are their tents robustly constructed, and reasonable in terms of ease of setup? (I'm not a 100% novice at tent setup but have only done it maybe 3 times, with different models each time.) I will be camping outdoors in North America, mostly in the northeast within a day's drive of New York City. [more inside]
posted by brainwane at 8:56 AM PST - 7 comments

Amazon Basics flip flops seem to come in packs of three sandals, rather than three pairs of sandals, at least going by the photos that accompany the listings. Is that the case? Have any of you purchased these and received three sandals? Or are the images misleading and what they're selling is three pairs of sandals? I could do the science and simply purchase a set, but I'd prefer not to. Yes, this is absolutely #fundraiser2023. [more inside]
posted by german_bight at 7:55 AM PST - 9 comments

MeFites, do you say "thanks" to Siri (or other digitally simulated assistant) when it performs a task for you? Why or why not? [more inside]
posted by saturday_morning at 7:53 AM PST - 63 comments

How do I take non-professional artistic feedback less personally? I'm fine with feedback at my job so I don't understand why I get so upset with feedback in a different setting. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:49 AM PST - 18 comments

I'm looking for some kind of compression-thing(s) to control my (50-something, cis-male) belly wobble. [more inside]
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 7:13 AM PST - 3 comments

I have a classroom of students, learning video production, in a nondescript black box studio (we have lights, cameras, sound equipment, and black curtains; we can film B-roll outside, maybe even a short scene, but it'll largely be in the studio space and normal props people can bring from home). To inspire their creativity, what're some solid examples of interesting videos that were made with limited resources? Shorts or discrete segments from larger films/tv-shows. [more inside]
posted by history is a weapon at 6:34 AM PST - 20 comments

I work in a do gooder industry and have a high level of responsibility and almost no supervision. In my field, it is common for people to talk about how busy/overwhelmed they are all the time. I am not well suited to overwork (I do a good job and meet my responsibilities but loathe staying up late working or being exhausted all the time). However, I think the lack of supervision makes me paranoid sometimes. Like a fear I will suddenly be asked to "show my receipts." I tend to track what I am working on and for how long in case I am asked. My problem is figuring out what a reasonable amount of time/output is for a given day so I can do that amount and stop. If you have dealt with this internalized capitalist overlord and came up with a system to keep it at bay, please explain. How much work do you expect of yourself in a given day? If you exist in the greyworld of "unlimited PTO" how much do you actually take?
posted by anonymous at 11:17 PM PST - 11 comments

so.. some one broke into my van last night and took a laptop and some other things. I would like to have the laptop, obviously, but.. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:12 PM PST - 4 comments

I’m seeking recommended Yosemite day hikes by difficulty. What do you think we should absolutely consider? [more inside]
posted by glaucon at 9:55 PM PST - 7 comments

I’m in the US PNW. I have to use or lose a week of PTO. I’d like to go to warm. I’m 50s, widowed, a people person who values awe, adventure and connection. Hiking in the SW? Snorkeling in Mexico? An organized tour? And are there cool online communities to find like-minded travel buddies? [more inside]
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 9:46 PM PST - 5 comments

I've just landed at Heathrow, and I have nine hours before my flight at Gatwick. Is there any way for me to take advantage of this time, which may be my only time to see London? I have a few bags with me.
posted by matkline at 9:36 PM PST - 5 comments

Wanting ideas for a solo weekend trip somewhere. USA preferred, but open to Canada too. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 7:31 PM PST - 7 comments

When you're hosting people in your home, do you endeavor to wake up before your guests, sleep however long you like, show them the morning beverage options the night before, feel any type of way about your obligation to do any of the above, etc? [more inside]
posted by luzdeluna at 7:29 PM PST - 19 comments

I need to place orphaned jigsaw puzzle pieces into one of the 190 possible puzzles they came from. Getting the full puzzle art is largely handled, what I need now are really good pictures of the pieces. [more inside]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:45 PM PST - 10 comments

I like road trip stories whether there is a goal or just a journey with a faint MacGuffin of purpose. Looking for recommendations for a short story/novella/novel (or heck even real life travel memoir) that consists of adventures on a road trip.
posted by Mitheral at 6:32 PM PST - 21 comments

I was reading Mark Meadow's testimony today, and I have questions. [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 6:20 PM PST - 6 comments

I read this book within the past two weeks. Can you identify it from my description of part of the plot? [more inside]
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon at 6:12 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm working through the CS course on Brilliant. I'm currently on the section on algorithms. The one they are presenting now is The Stable Matching Problem. I'm having trouble getting it, but I don't know why. [more inside]
posted by kathrynm at 6:10 PM PST - 6 comments

I’m curious if any other folks who are or have been single or living alone have thoughts or advice on dealing with the loneliness of evenings. I find that the times when I feel the most lonely are after dinner, but before bed - say 7:00 -10:00 pm. [more inside]
posted by mulkey at 5:39 PM PST - 32 comments

There's a cake that's sold in the Italian bakeries in my town once a year, usually in the spring. It's a white cake with whipped cream and a cherry on top, and it's tied to a Catholic holiday. What is the name of this cake?
posted by pxe2000 at 4:36 PM PST - 4 comments

Which mysteries and/or psychological thrillers have hooked you from the very beginning? I'm looking primarily for novels or short stories written in the last three years or so, but also happy to hear about older works as well as non-fiction, films and/or TV shows. Please also let me know what you found so compelling.
posted by rpfields at 4:29 PM PST - 8 comments

Brought to you by metafilterfundraiser2023 and inspired by the talk in this thread, my question is: what are the condiments/sauces/dressings/etc that you will swear to your bones there is only one correct version of... maybe one and an acceptable alternate. As an example, for me, the one true mayonnaise is Duke's. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:52 PM PST - 103 comments

On the advice from previous Asks, I purchased my iPhone from Gazelle, locked to ATT. I now want to switch to Verizon. Multiple attempts to use ATT's online unlocking request throws up errors when I attempt to use it. Can I call ATT/go to the ATT store (ugh)? Should I (would it be easier to) just buy a new (used) unlocked phone?
posted by sarajane at 1:39 PM PST - 8 comments

My cat is a cartoon cat who loves tuna and salmon canned food and sometimes turns her nose up at other things, so I buy all fish flavors in a variety of brands to mix it up. Now I'm reading here and there you shouldn't give you cat all fish. Is this legitimately another thing to worry about? She gets dry food (a mix of Taste of the Wild and Nulo's low cal stuff because she's a chonk) during the day and canned food at night.
posted by less-of-course at 11:42 AM PST - 8 comments

I want to buy some professional photo prints to hang of Hong Kong, in the style that shows the dramatic density of the architecture, buildings, skyline there. Michael Wolf is one of the most famous examples of this style. But ideally would like to find an artist who's local to Hong Kong, not an expat. [more inside]
posted by artificialard at 11:33 AM PST - 3 comments

One of my closest childhood friends is getting married this Saturday, and I’m a bridesmaid. She wants me to write a toast, and I’m honoured, but I can’t come up with anything because I have serious anxiety about anything that feels like “write this, in a particular format, due by a particular time”. [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 10:46 AM PST - 36 comments

I have dealt with Restless Leg Syndrome for several years; it comes and goes without much rhyme or reason. Lately it's been especially bad, waking me up several times in the night – and my usual tactics aren't really working... [more inside]
posted by Molasses808 at 9:07 AM PST - 24 comments

I was stung by a was on August 20th. I iced it immediately and it itched a lot but didn't swell up at all. The only mark was a tiny red pink-prick dot. Yesterday (August 27th), I got a terrible rash around the sting. Itchy red bumps. Maybe 3 or 4 inch radius around the string. Now it's itchy and red again. I googled it and I'm worried I may develop a more serious allergy in future. Is this something to worry about? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:19 AM PST - 8 comments

I've got a couple of self-published paperbacks available on Amazon. I'm thinking of adding a hardback option for them - more for my own satisfaction than anything - but I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble. Does anyone here have any experience of doing this and, if so, how much of a pain in the ass was it to get right? I've got couple of additional questions below the fold. [more inside]
posted by Paul Slade at 7:51 AM PST - 1 comment

How does an emotionally strong mom help her child process nostalgia? I am not such a mom. [more inside]
posted by Tarumba at 7:33 AM PST - 22 comments

My mom passed away two years ago, two years after I got divorced and moved out of a three-bedroom house. Now I have a storage closet full of her stuff and my stuff, which has not really been touched since it was put in there. Adult children of Metafilter, how did you know it was time to get rid of stuff even if it might be meaningful? Is there a way to do this that doesn’t exhaust me and doesn’t involve feeling like I’m shoving part of my life into a dumpster?
posted by deliriouscool at 7:08 AM PST - 23 comments

I would like to start planning unusual/weird events for my friends, but I'm having trouble coming up with ideas. What are some unusual/weird events you've experienced, or what are some unusual/weird events you'd like to experience? [more inside]
posted by dearwassily at 7:03 AM PST - 27 comments

My 81-year old mother recently was admitted to the emergency room with spinal stenosis that suddenly left her unable to walk. She had spinal surgery (ACDF) and was sent to rehab for PT/OT. I was reviewing her mail today, and it seems rehab was denied by her insurer. What next? [more inside]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:56 AM PST - 7 comments

My vision keeps getting better and better. I’m aware if it happens suddenly, it can signify a problem, but my eye exams are all healthy. Have you experienced this? What’s the deal, and will I be 20/20 by my 60s? [more inside]
posted by stillmoving at 3:42 AM PST - 19 comments

I've noticed that a couple of video series I've enjoyed -- Charlotte Church's Dream Build (Discovery+), and Sailing Parlay Revival (YouTube) -- Share the common themes of building/repairing, and volunteers that are provided accomodation. Does anyone know any other video series with these elements?
posted by krisjohn at 1:45 AM PST - 1 comment

I had a sudden pivot in my preferences from chicken breasts to chicken thighs. Why? [more inside]
posted by virve at 10:27 PM PST - 11 comments

Seeking the hivemind's wisdom about places where I can find good college/university courses with audio lectures freely available online. [more inside]
posted by honeybee413 at 9:15 PM PST - 14 comments

For years, I've been wearing full-length jeans or slacks in public due to discoloration and damage to one of my legs from a DVT many years ago. I'd prefer not to wear shorts in public. (I regularly wear shorts around the house or in the yard.) Recent extremely high temperatures have made it difficult for me to continue to wear jeans or slacks when I'm outside in public for extended periods of time. Are there thin, breathable, full-length pants of some sort available for those with a 46-48" waist and a 32-34" midseam?
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 7:56 PM PST - 15 comments

I'm looking for a specific, multi-panel cartoon, in French or in English translation. It's by a now-esteemed French comics maker. The message of the cartoon is to persevere even though you feel that your work is hackneyed or undeveloped, or that your ideas have been aired many times before. [more inside]
posted by german_bight at 6:14 PM PST - 4 comments

I want an easy way to add content to my website for my consulting business (Wordpress, but willing to do anything that adds good features), but I only want my clients to be able to see the pages. Is there good software/plug-ins that work well here? Alternatively, if it's not hosted on my website, what else works very well?
posted by bitter_rabbit at 6:12 PM PST - 1 comment

I just discovered facebook has a take a break feature. I tried it on several profiles and keep seeing content from those friends. Is there a better solution to showing certain friends' posts less often?
posted by bookworm4125 at 5:05 PM PST - 4 comments

I had a taskrabbit person put together 2 simple Ikea dining chairs and a bathroom cabinet for me. He was here from 3-4:20. I gave him a 5 star review and a 20% tip. Then I realized the fee for the job was way higher than expected. It turns out he has a 2 hour minimum. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 4:41 PM PST - 13 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023. I've upped my vegetable garden game a lot this year, but it means we have tons more food than we can reasonably use before it spoils. I was so focused on the gardening side of things that I just decided to roll with the preservation side when it came. It's here and predictably I'm overwhelmed! [more inside]
posted by Eyelash at 4:37 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm getting my first tattoo of my recently deceased black pug and am looking for a tattoo artist in Portland who does great photo realistic dog heads. Any recommendations?
posted by perhapses at 3:37 PM PST - 2 comments

Hello. I am thinking of moving to Ottawa next year, and I was wondering if there are a lot of lesbians or bi women in Ottawa? I know Montreal has a good queer scene but not sure if Ottawa does for lesbians and bi women especially feminine cis women in their late thirties and forties? I hope to find an intelligent, kind, creative, and artsy kind of woman. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 2:38 PM PST - 4 comments

We're looking into applying for an Australian partner visa (I'm Australian, my wife is Swedish) and we have a few questions about timing and exactly how the process works. [more inside]
posted by twirlypen at 12:14 PM PST - 2 comments

I teach a discussion group with English teachers in Spain. We use kind of a book club format in which participants read, listen or watch something to talk about it in session. As I prepare for this new schoolyear, I am looking for fantastic novels, essays, short stories, graphic novels, podcasts and videos to include! I know this is a wide net, but I trust the hive mind. [more inside]
posted by maca at 11:40 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm making an extremely difficult internal decision to discontinue chemo treatments, and am searching for ways to break the news to family/friends with the least possible negative impact. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 9:10 AM PST - 44 comments

I'm looking into travel insurance options for a teenager with a pre-existing condition that makes it well within the realm of possibility that they'll need to visit an emergency room while on vacation in the US from Canada. [more inside]
posted by Ceridwen at 7:27 AM PST - 5 comments

I've written/drawn maybe 20% of my graphic memoir. The first part is here (it's in Projects, too). It's a stop-and-start process. I'd like to motivate myself to work on it more consistently. [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:57 AM PST - 14 comments

I have a hypothetical situation, and I'm curious as the the possible repercussions. [more inside]
posted by Marky at 1:07 AM PST - 43 comments

I've been listening to Mose Allison's albums Mose Allison Sings and Transfiguration of Hiram Brown and really like them. But he has So Many Albums! Please recommend me some of his albums, and also maybe some other full albums by other artists of the genre you think I would like? I've listened to some Stan Getz and Oscar Brown Jr. etc but do not know much about this kind of music (of that era, 60's-70's but really any decade is fine!). Thanks!
posted by fridgebuzz at 11:14 PM PST - 7 comments

I am in a weird situation in my relationship due to an illness, blurred boundaries, and what constitutes cheating. I am curious to know the perspective of others on this situation. [more inside]
posted by sawmymind at 11:03 PM PST - 29 comments

I read a pop-psych-slash-self-help book that covered additions to a previous body of research. The next wave identified two key factors to (confidence? Success?). The author was the one that conducted this research. [more inside]
posted by muppetkarma at 10:57 PM PST - 3 comments

My girlfriend and I are both disabled and on low incomes. She has kids and her financial and living situation is more stressed than mine. How do I know when to help, how much by, and how to balance my own interests? Are there guidelines for this? I’m worried and confused. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:34 PM PST - 17 comments

My wife and daughter and I went to Hawaii on vacation last month. I reserved a car at Budget, but we did not pick up the car. They have charged my credit card $2,400. What are my options? [more inside]
posted by kirkaracha at 7:11 PM PST - 23 comments

I'm quite serious. The next nine days are going to have some of the most highly-anticipated professional wrestling events of the past twenty years. #metafilterfundraiser2023 #chatfilter [more inside]
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 5:37 PM PST - 40 comments

My girlfriend and I are headed to Rome in October, so we'd love your recommendations for your favorite restaurants! Any and all suggestions are welcome, for all price ranges and types of restaurants. (It's just the two of us, no kids.) The only thing we want to avoid are touristy places. Ciao!
posted by DavidNYC at 3:21 PM PST - 10 comments

What timer should I buy? I need a programmable timer to use on stage, and I'm a bit flummoxed by the variety of gym timers and tablet apps out there. Our goal is something that can give us a countdown timer for each of the five or six segments of our show (each of which is a different length) and be controlled from the wings. [more inside]
posted by YoungAmerican at 3:10 PM PST - 2 comments

When I go on vacation, I usually shut off the water at the main valve outside my house to avoid disasters like pipe / hose bursts from ruining everything. (Those washer hoses - beware!) My dad noticed this one day, and told me that two separate plumbers had told him not to do this. But he didn't ask why. So now I'm stumped: why would you *not* want to shut off the water to your house when you go on vacation? (Aside from your plants suffering from lack of irrigation)
posted by Mushroom12345 at 2:01 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm now writing a song about hardworking blue-collar parents, probably from a child's point of view. [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 12:16 PM PST - 16 comments

We (my wife and kids and I) moved from the US to Canada a couple of years ago. We used to use Vanguard for mutual funds, IRAs, education savings accounts, essentially all of our investments except for some stock options that my wife purchased through a former job. What is the Canadian version of Vanguard? [more inside]
posted by number9dream at 10:22 AM PST - 9 comments

I have the NEEWER 40.5mm HD Wide Angle lens, but is there any other lens that will attach to the SONY ZV-1F? The SONY ZV-1F is a fixed lens but the NEEWER one does attach and twist on it. I am not sure if there are any others besides this one?
posted by RearWindow at 9:51 AM PST - 1 comment

Costco's FLTR95 masks were the only *95-type masks that mostly worked for me (you can see them here). FLTR has closed down and I need replacements, but what I've tried hasn't worked. [more inside]
posted by wintersweet at 8:22 AM PST - 8 comments

I work in healthcare IT, and have always been on the side of requesting data rather than the one writing the queries. I’m looking for some leadership level resources that I can use to help guide conversations away from the hype and into the realm of possibility. [more inside]
posted by House of Leaves of Grass at 6:02 AM PST - 9 comments

Recently saw a map where they had divided Europe into butter Europe and olive oil Europe. If this had been a map of the world, what other oils would be on there? I’m guessing maybe sesame in parts of Asia, palm in some parts, perhaps some kind of whale blubber in the Arctic? Any others?
posted by iamsuper at 5:10 AM PST - 32 comments

This is a longshot, but does anyone have experience with the Dayforce app? I'm having issues. [more inside]
posted by cozenedindigo at 4:08 AM PST - 3 comments

What would be the logistics of making pancakes on the moon? [more inside]
posted by freethefeet at 3:39 AM PST - 29 comments

I want to follow this tutorial to create my own departure boards for my dakboard showing the departure times at my local train stations. [more inside]
posted by poxandplague at 1:54 AM PST - 3 comments

What are my renter's rights in LA? [more inside]
posted by downtohisturtles at 10:38 PM PST - 11 comments

Are there community gardens in the Bay Area (SF/Oakland/Berkeley) that will take volunteers for drop-in shifts on weekends? Not a ton of skills but down to learn and contribute. Looking for a regular, low-commitment volunteer opportunity. East Bay preferred.
posted by icosahedron at 10:15 PM PST - 4 comments

I want to be able to write more like my favorite authors (David Mitchell especially), but I don’t know what to look for as I reread, or how to translate that into my own writing. How can I more closely analyze the books I enjoy to learn what the author is doing on a technical level? [more inside]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:55 PM PST - 12 comments

My wife needs flat (Not running shoes) shoes for persistent peroneal tendinitis. She also has a high arch and needs wides. Athletic shoes, ideally, but any port in a storm. [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 6:48 PM PST - 15 comments

... how can we do this without getting flagged by US Customs? [more inside]
posted by MiraK at 6:31 PM PST - 12 comments

I asked this question previously about setting up a solar ir-controlled ornament spinner. Then I realized, wait, I have a USB power bank (for camping). If I got an ornament spinner that was USB-powered, then I'd be golden. So those exist. Now I just need to turn it on/off with the magic wand. Is there a switch I can use to do that? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:05 PM PST - 4 comments

There's a cooked tomato side-dish/garnish I really like. I've only seen it in Persian restaurants in the U.S. The tomato is served steaming-hot and has been prepared in a way where the skin is left mostly intact, but it's volume is reduced/deflated by around 50%, leaving a wrinkly lump. Also seems like there's some additional seasoning going on. I'd like to know what this dish is called, & find some good overviews on how a novice might replicate this dish at home. Many thanks.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 5:39 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm an older man, late 50s, interested in starting a second family. I'm divorced and the first set of kids is already launched. I've had some time to pursue my own interests and have realized that the happiest moments in my life were with my kids. Are there resources specifically for this? Many dating sites, even when they include "wants kids", are not oriented towards starting families. I am not looking to adopt.
posted by portabella at 5:00 PM PST - 36 comments

When you were little, say 6 or 7, and started venturing into your friends homes to visit them, did anything strike you as surprising [more inside]
posted by Czjewel at 4:09 PM PST - 59 comments

I am 49. I bought long-term care insurance 11 or 12 years ago. It was $50 a month for a few years but has increased steadily; by 2025 it will be $101 a month. The “nursing home maximum daily benefit” is $400 by the next anniversary, the benefit period is 3 years; and the policy lifetime maximum as of next anniversary is $438,000. Is this worth it? [more inside]
posted by Ollie at 3:38 PM PST - 12 comments

Hello all. I decided to start a second YouTube Channel to support the arts of visual and literary through showcasing artists' works, interviewing art historians, artists, and hoping to visit art galleries and museums if they allow filming with permission. I was wondering if could I call it Gough Support The Arts (taking Vincent Van Gough's name?). Or would that not be allowed for Trademark/Copyright reasons?
posted by RearWindow at 1:52 PM PST - 34 comments

I remember reading a journal/blog by a male writer (possibly British) about his travels in North Korea in the late '90s or possibly early 2000s. There were a lot of photos of the various museums and cultural sites that were part of his tour itinerary. I recall that the tone was quite detailed and informative, but also rather dryly humorous. It was one of the first things I recall reading about North Korea and I've always wanted to check it out again. Ring any bells?
posted by paper scissors sock at 11:23 AM PST - 4 comments

While I'm driving, it would be nice to hear the news, since I can't read it. I can tune in the radio, sure, but it's pretty much just the oasis of NPR in a sea of conservative extremist media. So I'm wondering if there is a way to listen to NYTimes or WaPo articles (for example) from my iPhone's web browser. Perhaps some iOS accessibility functionality, but perhaps something that is more automatic in reading text from articles I select to listen to whilst driving, instead of having to highlight text and copy and manually paste it into a reader, which I can't do while driving. Does such a thing exist?
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:58 AM PST - 8 comments

I have a new ebike, with an integrated rear cargo rack. What's the best bag/crate/tie-down setup to make it so I can strap a couple of takeout containers to it & get them home alright? I'm sure this isn't a new concept, but I'm missing the right phrases to search & find results, so I come to here. [more inside]
posted by CrystalDave at 10:18 AM PST - 22 comments

Once the weather cools down enough, I live in either jeans or dresses. I'd like to diversify my bottom half a bit. [more inside]
posted by PussKillian at 10:00 AM PST - 18 comments

I'm from out of town and I'm trying to find the best way to transport myself, a bike and 2 large suitcases in San Francisco. I can't ride the bike because of the bags and don't want to chance ordering an uber or lyft that won't take the bike because I'm being dropped off at a bus and don't want to be late. The drive is only 7-10 minutes away. Any suggestions on the best way to do this? Thanks!
posted by eaq at 9:38 AM PST - 8 comments

I have a (US) town job where I talk to people about their relationship to commercial spaces and public spaces. There are classic problems like traffic and big boxes pulling activity away from the heart of downtown. BUT, it seems like this time really is different. I see unique challenges. Who has a 21st century game plan? Even for those who aren't 'planners' but like downtowns, how does yours work? Has your relationship to it changed? [more inside]
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 7:50 AM PST - 19 comments

I'm looking for kids book se.ries for my 6 year old son, who is going to read me out of house and home. I would like to make sure he's exposed to books with both male and female protagonists. However, when I look at books series that feature girls, they're often awash in stereotypes about glitter and clothes and fairies or whatever. Please recommend some series featuring girls or female characters that are not just stereotype cliches in book form. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:08 AM PST - 40 comments

Have you had experience with or can you recommend reputable resources to learn more about autism and OCD? When can a child be described instead as spirited? How can parents best advocate for their child when navigating evaluation and diagnosis for the first time? Especially when this is the eldest (i.e. parents do not have experience with the neurotypical behavior for the age to serve as a guidepost). [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:44 AM PST - 13 comments

This busy, vaguely industrial-sounding electronic music in a 1975 TV broadcast is maddeningly familiar - what is it from? A soundtrack? Please help! [more inside]
posted by tomboko at 6:25 AM PST - 11 comments

You're bringing some delicious, crusty homemade bread to a get-together, and you want to make some kind of spread/dip/schmear to go with it. You are unburdened by dietary restrictions. What are you making? [more inside]
posted by saladin at 5:59 AM PST - 45 comments

We all know Bodies (like Cats) Are Weird. A few years ago, I started paying attention to one particular weird and pleasant body sensation and I'd love to know if others have any idea what I'm talking about. [more inside]
posted by kinsey at 5:34 AM PST - 15 comments

Is there a good source for launch trajectories for launches from Florida? [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:10 AM PST - 5 comments

I live in the US but am currently (until Sunday) in the UK. Yesterday I met with my father's solicitor to discuss his estate and inheritance, and was advised that I'd need a UK bank account to receive inheritance funds. I haven't lived here for 20 years so setting up a new account is going to be a huge pain, so I'm wondering if providing my Wise UK account details is, well, wise, and if using Wise to receive and transfer potentially large sums (maybe 6 figures?) to my US bank is a good strategy? [more inside]
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 5:05 AM PST - 7 comments

Recommendations of real wolf [not robot/ dystopian world / transformer wolves] texts please! Also, since we can chat this week, you can also tell me your close-encounter-with-wolves stories. [more inside]
posted by honey-barbara at 1:48 AM PST - 17 comments

I'm having to wear a mask a lot this week and next and the tops of my ears are starting to hurt very badly. Suggestions for how to alleviate? [more inside]
posted by skycrashesdown at 9:21 PM PST - 15 comments

After requesting a ride on Lyft, this vehicle showed up. There were no Cruise, Waymo, or other self driving car logos on it. What was the weird black thing on the roof of the car that appeared to have cameras on it? [more inside]
posted by soleiluna at 9:02 PM PST - 3 comments

I like reading about obscure, female saints. Ideally they’re martyrs and/or some kind of mystic too. A few weeks ago I found a new Saint to read about. I left open a bunch of tabs, planning to go back to them, but an ill-timed browser crash destroyed that dream. I’d like to find her story again. (More inside) [more inside]
posted by meowmeowdream at 8:53 PM PST - 10 comments

Snowflake details within, but I'm curious to hear from creative (or not!) people who continue to create things, for whatever the reason. It feels like a particularly difficult time to create (though was it ever easy?), and I think it would help work through my own unhealthy views on creativity [more inside]
posted by wooh at 6:59 PM PST - 29 comments

Could be anything! A tv show you love, a book series you adore, a kpop group you think is great...could be something new, could be revisiting an old classic. If something is giving you that passionate fan energy, I wanna hear about it! [more inside]
posted by damedeshou at 6:43 PM PST - 25 comments

Does this exist? I have several professional certifications/licensures, etc, and they all require different amounts of CEUs on a different yearly cycle. Is there an app or website that can tell me, on a monthly basis, how many hours of CEUs I need for which credential? [more inside]
posted by carlypennylane at 5:49 PM PST - 2 comments

I'm looking for stories about men who used to be abusive, but are trying not to be anymore. [more inside]
posted by birthday cake at 3:25 PM PST - 8 comments

Help me find an iPad app that reads aloud ePubs with functioning table of contents so I can keep up with readings for school when I don't want to read (with my eyeballs). [more inside]
posted by dokodomo at 2:07 PM PST - 2 comments

I just want to turn on a device, let a sync happen (if it's online) and take more notes! I'd like a running, editable, digital scratch pad for keeping the day's random notes that works offline and across devices. [more inside]
posted by jander03 at 12:13 PM PST - 15 comments

I'm curious what people (you!) are thinking about or planning to do this fall/winter (northern hemisphere folks)? For S hemisphere folks, what precautions are you taking now? [more inside]
posted by esoteric things at 10:32 AM PST - 100 comments

I swear this line appears in something I've seen in the last couple years, but I cannot find it via google etc. Does this ring a bell for anyone? It's possible that it's "a very dry" other fruity drink.
posted by lenore at 10:16 AM PST - 12 comments

My kiddo starts kindergarten soon and I want to do a video for the first day asking them questions that I can ask every first day until they go to college. What should I ask? [more inside]
posted by inevitability at 10:04 AM PST - 15 comments

Four years ago a friend and I co-purchased a single family home in Portland, OR. We each have 50/50 ownership. Now, I'm ready to sell my portion and she would like to buy me out. She has been pre-approved for a loan for whenever we decide to move forward. I understand that I will need to get the house appraised to determine its value, but I am having trouble finding specific information about the exact process moving forward. Questions for anyone who is familiar with this type of situation: 1) If you have ever gone through a similar situation, how did you select the appraisal company? Would it be appropriate for me to reach out to our old realtor to ask for a referral? 2) Is it typical to just get one appraisal? 3) After the appraisal is done and the general value is agreed to, do we need to get a lawyer involved? If so, any ideas on how to select a good one? Thank you!
posted by rcraniac at 9:34 AM PST - 10 comments

I saw something on the Internet the other day that had to do with... freezing bits of your face? And there was another one with needles. Are these things that regular people are doing? Do they work? Is there something for my issues that I could do? [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:48 AM PST - 8 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023. What makes a you, well, YOU?  [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:14 AM PST - 11 comments

I have to schedule a conference call with some external colleagues, and am realizing I have never done it before. Voice only. Does anyone hate freeconference.com? Is there a trusted and above all SIMPLE source for this? Free, quick, allows people to call in from their phones rather than me trying to merge multiple calls from my personal cell? [more inside]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:38 AM PST - 7 comments

Migraine sufferer would like suggestions to present to my family doctor for new meds. The current combo ain't cutting it. [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 7:24 AM PST - 13 comments

I need to get some iris rhizomes from Michigan to Utah. What is the best way to do this? [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 6:38 AM PST - 5 comments

I’m going to be camping early September and sleeping in a cabin mid September. Polyester sleeping bags make me sweat like crazy - I find I need clothes and bedding made of natural materials or I wake up drenched in sweat. [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 6:07 AM PST - 13 comments

I am not a Stairs Person but I've got a Stairs Problem. Am I just bad at them? [more inside]
posted by Lyn Never at 4:58 AM PST - 23 comments

I came across an end of life drug in Victorian England called Brompton’s Cocktail which is basically a speedball. Wikipedia indicates it is not unheard of to be used today, though rare. Is this true in palliative care? I assume some of the ingredients like cocaine and heroin are replaced by modern equivalents. I still never heard of this. [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 12:21 AM PST - 5 comments

Kiddo and I are going to take a disused (but still mostly cromulent) old computer and turn it into a web server, to host a few different niche/vanity/starter sites. We're thinking Debian for the server, then CloudPanel on top to help run admin. Does that make sense? What else might we want to know? [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:46 PM PST - 24 comments

I have rented cars a few times this summer while traveling for weddings and such. At SFO, at SEA, at ABQ, at DEN. It invariably sucked. Have you figured out any life hacks here? [more inside]
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:32 PM PST - 22 comments

Something is wrong with our oven. [more inside]
posted by aetg at 7:31 PM PST - 11 comments

Our border collie has picked two of our four cats to obsessively herd. The other two cats - she couldn't care less about them. It's as if they don't exist. Her desire to herd isn't a shock - but we can't understand what makes her choose these specific cats. [more inside]
posted by OsoMeaty at 6:16 PM PST - 16 comments

I really like novels with unusual or innovative narrative structures -- what more can you recommend? (Examples and details inside.) [more inside]
posted by andrewesque at 5:57 PM PST - 65 comments

I have a recurring charge on my credit card for Google Workspace. How can I cancel it? I'm not the admin of any orgs that use Google, I only have 2 Gmail accounts that use Google One, and Google Support itself has refused to help when I open a support ticket. Credit card says I have to contact the bank directly. Any ideas for stopping this charge, or some hidden corner of Google where I can find the Workspace settings?
posted by icosahedron at 5:56 PM PST - 4 comments

I want to build a computer with my teen as a fun mother/son project (that's a thing right), but the last time I helped assemble computers from scratch was a very long time ago. Way back when I remember a lot of cursing, swearing, and making repeat trips to Fry's to swap out parts that ended up being incompatible with each other and/or the OS. I'm assuming things are easier now? What's current best practices? [more inside]
posted by Wavelet at 5:53 PM PST - 11 comments

I am in vacation in Colorado and my migraines are in overdrive and almost nothing is helping. Is there anything I can do to get some relief? [more inside]
posted by Amy93 at 5:46 PM PST - 20 comments

I have a closet full of clothes that don't fit me anymore. They came with me in my last move ( which was 15 months ago ) Most are in good condition but I just want them gone, so I can place the boxes in the dining area in the closet. However, it feels wrong to just put them in bags and throw away. Where can I donate these, within 15 miles of Alexandria Virginia?
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 5:34 PM PST - 6 comments

Help me solve this mystery. In School Nurse Files, why are there white ducks wandering around the school? [more inside]
posted by stray thoughts at 4:45 PM PST - 2 comments

I will be in London next month and want to find some casual buttoned long-sleeved shirts that will pair well with jeans. Snowflakes within. [more inside]
posted by Short Attention Sp at 4:22 PM PST - 5 comments

The recent batch of Trump-related mugshots had me wondering two things: [more inside]
posted by trig at 3:55 PM PST - 6 comments

Sometime last year I streamed a Scandinavian sitcom about a government agency, its head (who was not as up to the task as she thinks she is) and her staff. It reminded a little of the American political comedy Veep. [more inside]
posted by randlesc at 3:40 PM PST - 6 comments

Why is it illegal to follow a firetruck within 150 metres?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 3:17 PM PST - 13 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023 My whole adulthood, people have been telling me I look familiar to them. I almost exclusively have never met these people. Everywhere I go people ask, “where have we met?” Context apparently doesn’t matter, it’s happened with vendors at work, newly-introduced friends of a friends, people sharing an elevator. I have questions: [more inside]
posted by rabbitbookworm at 1:54 PM PST - 50 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023 Just had lunch at a Seattle restaurant that added a 20% service charge, which was fine; the menu indicated that that would happen and I have no problem tipping 20%. But the bill had a line for an additional tip, which... seriously? What would you do? [more inside]
posted by mpark at 1:52 PM PST - 22 comments

I want to accumulate a bunch of small tins such as Altoids come in for a craft project. What mint or candy has the best/largest/most sturdy tin? Mints are preferred bc I like to eat them. Eagerly awaiting your recommendations. Size is a factor, as is aesthetic value.
posted by bq at 1:32 PM PST - 27 comments

This is a tree (bigleaf maple I think) that fell down the hillside here on Whidbey Island and it has been sloshed around by the sea. But you can clearly see a branch has made a full sealed loop. How?? [more inside]
posted by The otter lady at 1:17 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm starting a job soon that will involve lots of work with statistics. I studied it in college 10+ years ago, but my knowledge is a little rusty and I'd love to have a reference work that I can keep on my desk and consult when I need to refresh my memory on one concept or another. My searching has mostly turned up textbooks, which are a bit more study-oriented than I'm looking for. Thank you!
posted by LSK at 11:48 AM PST - 9 comments

I have kind of a dumb question about college admissions that I can't get out of my mind. [more inside]
posted by kevinbelt at 11:16 AM PST - 25 comments

What songs (of any genre) refer prominently in their title or lyrics to "the sound of _______"? I am trying to make a big list; a few examples to get things started are

• The Sound of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel)
• The Sound of da Police (KRS-One)
• Chain Gang (Sam Cooke; "that's the sound of the men working on the chain gang")

[more inside]
posted by aws17576 at 11:01 AM PST - 55 comments

What's the current thinking about hiring day laborers for gardening and general "handyman"-type tasks? [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu at 10:29 AM PST - 18 comments

Do you have the secret to making this happen? [more inside]
posted by Miko at 9:49 AM PST - 9 comments

My kid is DYING to play BeamNG.drive on Steam and I want to make this his birthday gift. I foolishly bought it and tried to load it on my ancient laptop and figured out....no. Not even close. Ebay has a ton of refurbished gaming PCs but I can't grok which ones will play this game smoothly. Can you recommend a rig (and even better if there's a reliable seller)?
posted by AgentRocket at 9:48 AM PST - 6 comments

I really like the taste of the whole flax seeds baked into certain tortilla chips and trader joes whole wheat pita chips. I'd love recommendations for other products that put the flax seeds front and center, or recipes for making my own.
posted by moonmilk at 9:32 AM PST - 5 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023. What is the most important/helpful/life-changing/memorable thing you learned from Ask Metafilter? It could be something from your own question or from someone else's.
posted by DrGail at 8:37 AM PST - 43 comments

I want a solar powered ornament spinner. I know I can just buy one but the solar panel is always right where the spinner is. I'd like to have it a little ways away connected by a wire...say maybe 1.5 metres. Then I got to thinking... [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:26 AM PST - 1 comment

I’m looking for recommendations for a therapist skilled in treating ADHD in adults in the Denver area. I’m also open to non-medical life coach type people to treat the same. [more inside]
posted by sillysally at 8:10 AM PST - 1 comment

I'm cleaning out closets from several households and many boxes and bags of clothes need to go OUT. So what is the "best" way to dispose of all these clothes? [more inside]
posted by nkknkk at 7:18 AM PST - 18 comments

I'm looking for poems for my Grandmother's funeral. She lived a long full life, and I would like a poem that is in celebration of that. I've got a few Mary Oliver poems that might work. I would like a poem that emphasises the impact that someone has on the world even after they die. Religious or secular are both fine.
posted by Laura_J at 6:27 AM PST - 9 comments

Ten years ago, we both cheated on our spouses with each other. We got married soon after. Our marriage has been mostly great, but (surprise!) some of our conflicts are rooted in trust / guilt issues stemming from the affair. Help us find a self-help book that addresses our situation. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:37 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm a new faculty member at a top US university. A faculty member from a Global South country reached out to me asking to write a letter of support for their permanent residence application. What are the ethical and legal considerations here? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:37 AM PST - 10 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023. Have you ever Googled yourself? Were you surprised by the information you found? Did it cause you to change how you post on the 'net and/or social media and if so, what changes did you make?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:23 AM PST - 26 comments

We'll be returning from vacation in Maine to upstate NY in a couple weeks. We'll plan to take the non-Interstate route (Rt 202 to Rt 9) home, across southern NH and VT. Is there anything we should know about major detours and bad road conditions (from last month's flooding) that would be an obstacle to doing this? Google maps and the New England 511 website don't show any issues but I wanted to make sure what to expect. Thanks!
posted by aught at 5:19 AM PST - 9 comments

You are Not My Solicitor, but perhaps you are knowledgeable about the current state of Companies Law in the UK and can tell me whether it is considered legally valid for a UK company to support postal voting for its Annual General Meeting? [more inside]
posted by Rhedyn at 4:33 AM PST - 3 comments

What is says on the tin, more details within [more inside]
posted by wooh at 4:00 AM PST - 9 comments

Where can I buy a used cellphone that has some quality control/some kind of warranty? For environmental reasons I strongly prefer buying refurbished phones and have generally done fine with Best Buy in that regard. Their selection isn't great right now however. I vaguely prefer Android because that's what I've been using, but the iphone is also fine. [more inside]
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:02 PM PST - 12 comments

My impression from reading reports is that Ford Fiesta had issues some years, but not all. Some years seem pretty good, if basic. But I also gather that Ford Fiesta has a bad reputation in general. [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 8:42 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking for examples of songs built on top of free or cheap loops. [more inside]
posted by signal at 7:47 PM PST - 16 comments

I will be traveling to London from the U.S. this fall, and am fortunately in a position to splurge on Premium Economy for the first time (which, given some health issues, is likely the only way the trip will be comfortable for me). In terms of price and schedule, it looks like my main choices will be between Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa. Recommendations? [more inside]
posted by paper scissors sock at 7:44 PM PST - 9 comments

A relative in her late 60s had a freak accident and fell. The fall required a major surgery that went well. Two months out she has not made much progress with physical therapy and recovery. I am looking for suggestions to help motivate her to do her rehab exercises, support her through anxiety about falling and encourage her to accept some sacrifices to make progress. [more inside]
posted by fies at 6:32 PM PST - 23 comments

Before they died out completely, blackberry had the best on-screen keyboard. The word predictions appeared above letters on the keyboard, not in a bar at the top, and you flicked them up to select. It was so so fast and easy. Is there anything like this for current iphones? I am not asking about physical keyboards. [more inside]
posted by sepviva at 5:41 PM PST - 2 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023 What's the best animal on earth? Prove it! [more inside]
posted by Eyelash at 5:24 PM PST - 55 comments

Trying to find an article or blog post from many years ago about how people who spend a lot of time on the internet are a certain type--I can't remember if it was in terms of personality, or behavior, or how they think--but that the people you encounter online should not be taken as reflective of the larger population and these commonalities tend to self-perpetuate. [more inside]
posted by lovableiago at 4:39 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm in the US. I just returned from my local branch of the US post office, where staff informed me that they are forbidden from mailing my package containing used cell phones to an international address. They said they could only mail devices with lithium ion batteries if they were new devices. So … which other carriers can I try? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 4:20 PM PST - 6 comments

My co-worker keeps sharing links to what I believe to be misinformation about COVID into the team group chat. Is it worth to say stop it—and if so, how? I feel like ignoring it and not addressing it is an invitation to continue. It’s one thing to say let’s not talk politics in the office, but this?
posted by xicana63 at 4:16 PM PST - 9 comments

I know this must be so dumb, but I never fly anywhere. I will be taking a flight out of my small town (and thus no-line) airport and arriving at SEA. This flight was not booked together with my international flight later the same day. Will I have to stand in any long-ass lines in Seattle? Or can I just go to the gate for my next flight? (I will have only a carryon bag if it matters.) My partner has TSA precheck and I don't want to be stuck in a 2-hour line without him so I want to know whether I should get it too.
posted by HotToddy at 4:03 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm visiting my Mom and need some stuff to watch with her. Problem is, I only know of things like Aliens and John Wick. She won’t enjoy that at all. So I’m requesting some suggestions. [more inside]
posted by trevor_case at 3:52 PM PST - 44 comments

You know how sometimes you see someone say something online that is so wrongheaded, you really wish you had the initiative to bookmark/screenshot and check in on them later to let them know how wrong they turned out to be? I want to build a website to facilitate that kind of petty, told-you-so receipt keeping. What should I call it? [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:56 PM PST - 29 comments

I'm willing to pay for software that will let me run a public booking calendar, but with some fairly specific requirements... [more inside]
posted by Shepherd at 2:46 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm 77 year old male who had to be convinced I needed a smart phone. Now I rather enjoy it. My problem is I often just leave it [more inside]
posted by Czjewel at 2:18 PM PST - 31 comments

I have recently been diagnosed with a lingual hernia, by my Urologist during an exam for a kidney stone. [more inside]
posted by Czjewel at 1:56 PM PST - 4 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023 Are people in general just ... sucky? Were we all just born to be assholes? Explanation inside. [more inside]
posted by sockerpup at 1:52 PM PST - 37 comments

My simplistic understanding is that a photo under an editorial license (as compared to commercial license or creative commons license) means that it can be used for news, documentaries, and so on, but not to make money. Editorial photos can't be used to sell products, but I'm not sure on which side of that fact my particular needs fall. [more inside]
posted by tzikeh at 1:43 PM PST - 6 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023 Help me get past an unrequited megacrush. [more inside]
posted by porpoise at 1:28 PM PST - 23 comments

My good friend takes care of her grandchild— a lot. She has repeatedly invited me to her house for dinner and drinks but the grandchild will be there. I have turned her down twice now and she is angry. [more inside]
posted by oflinkey at 1:08 PM PST - 27 comments

I ask a lot of "where do I find this dress" questions - and here is another! Ever since I saw a "layering influencer" wearing this Son de Flor dress last winter, I have been slightly obsessed with finding something similar, but darker and preferably not starting at $250 (I know I could request that they custom-make me one in black, but that would very quickly get more expensive than I even want to entertain.) [more inside]
posted by 41swans at 1:00 PM PST - 7 comments

My organization's Google Calendars are displaying the details of private events to everyone in the organization. Why? How do I fix it? [more inside]
posted by ourobouros at 12:50 PM PST - 5 comments

That's it - summer seems like a season for good reading. What was your favorite book that you read so far this summer? [more inside]
posted by forkisbetter at 12:26 PM PST - 57 comments

#metafilterfundraiser2023. My cat, Joe, has recently become more of a jerk and I'm unsure if I should move out or not. [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:21 PM PST - 10 comments

What podcasts, music, shows, esoteric exercises, or audiobooks do YOU turn to when you've got a lot of laundry to fold? Explain! (I don't know what I'm in the mood for, I'm super bored, and I bribed the mods so feel free to get chatty!)
posted by Baethan at 11:47 AM PST - 21 comments

I am meeting with HR today to get a more ergonomic workspace. I am looking for product recommendations and space recommendations. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 11:05 AM PST - 7 comments

So Canadians can visit and stay in the UK for up to six months without a visa. However, does that mean the can visit every year for six months without a visa or is there a limit to how often? [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 10:56 AM PST - 8 comments

Are you aware of an under-$50 kettle that definitely can be controlled by a smart plug? [more inside]
posted by bbqturtle at 10:52 AM PST - 8 comments

What movies are smart and dumb at the same time? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 10:48 AM PST - 55 comments

I need a hashtag to indicate that you are an artist in need of supplies. [more inside]
posted by cda at 10:11 AM PST - 5 comments

Planning a weekend meetup with friends where we can all meet at a location that is roughly equidistant from our respective homes (everyone's driving). This means roughly Pittsburgh, but could be within an hour or two radius of there. The goal of the weekend is just to chill and catch up, sit by the pool/lake, swim, maybe do a little sightseeing or catch a movie, although chilling is the top priority. :) [more inside]
posted by leticia at 9:38 AM PST - 10 comments

I recently got Earthling Co bar shampoo and conditioner to give them a try (trying to eliminate single-use plastics) but am not happy with the conditioner and am looking for alternatives. [more inside]
posted by joannemerriam at 9:29 AM PST - 4 comments

I work for a small research lab with broad public interest. We need a mailing list provider and we want something that feels polished and user-friendly (in other words Mailman and fam is probably a no) and also doesn't snoop too much on subscribers, nor is owned by companies w/unethical track records (in other words MailChimp/Intuit and their ilk is also no). Recommendations? [more inside]
posted by 10ch at 6:40 AM PST - 12 comments

Planning a solo Paris trip shortly. Looking for solo dining ideas for evening. I hate eating alone in restaurants. [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 3:07 AM PST - 15 comments

Please help me get my head around the concept of neglect in a marriage. I would appreciate links to insightful reads, as well as your personal understanding of its nature and consequences. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:54 AM PST - 18 comments

So I'm curious. I am still mourning the loss of my step father, who I call Dad even though the biological Dad still is alive. My fondness for my step Dad reaches out to his sister, her husband, and their child as well. But since he's no longer alive, are they still related by marriage? (Con't) [more inside]
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 10:27 PM PST - 13 comments

Spotify played "Domino" by Jessie J at me, and the prechorus (starts ~36 seconds in) is reminding me of some other song. Any ideas what that song might be? Difficulty level: I'm not sure if it's something about the melody, something about the rhythm of the words, or something about the content of the words, or something about some combination of those things.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 8:37 PM PST - 5 comments

A friend used my hot tub yesterday and today he has shingles. I can't find any information that clearly assures me I don't have a tub full of varicella-zoster virus, though I suspect that's not really a thing. Do you know? [more inside]
posted by euphoria066 at 7:39 PM PST - 18 comments

Hi all. I live in Ontario, and because I have a disability, I can enrol in university courses per semester for free. I am working on a master's in international development online at The University of Edinburgh this fall. However, a part of me has always been fascinated with Art History, and because I can complete two courses for free per semester, would it be a waste of time if my career focus is on political science, refugees, and academia in the social sciences? [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 4:55 PM PST - 11 comments

I am NOT a road cyclist or spinner. I just got a used Peloton because it was dirt cheap from a friend of a friend, and I need an alternate exercise during lengthy recovery from an injury that prevents me from doing my usual exercise, running. I had been casually contemplating getting a very simple non-Peloton stationary bike, but impulsively purchased this Peloton without doing any research because it really was dirt cheap. I have questions about the pedals. Please treat me like an innocent alien who has just landed on Earth and knows nothing about stationary cycling/spinning... [more inside]
posted by tentacle at 3:22 PM PST - 19 comments

Trying to close an Indian bank account for my mom who passed away earlier this year but being told I have to journey to India to do it. Help? [more inside]
posted by KarmicKintsugi at 2:01 PM PST - 9 comments

sorry about the ensuing wall of text, but i have a two fold question. need advice about selecting between two very different job prospects as well as whether and how i should ask a question that may affect salary negotiation. [more inside]
posted by violetk at 12:23 PM PST - 10 comments

I would like the hivemind's help in planning a course of action to troubleshoot my freezer (I know you are not my appliance repair person). More details below. [more inside]
posted by turtlefu at 12:21 PM PST - 18 comments

I'm looking for reading about pilgrimages or specifically the pilgrimage route the Camino de Santiago. I'd prefer non-fiction, particularly historical information. But I'll take a memoir or factually grounded novel if it's particularly insightful about the route. I'd love to read a history book that talks about their cultural or economic impact of pilgrimage in Europe (or elsewhere). A book like Salt or this book about the spice trade, only for pilgrimages. [more inside]
posted by Nelson at 11:02 AM PST - 7 comments

I have an absolute whackload of art pieces that are framed in cheap plain black frames. I want to hang them on my (rented) walls in various gallery walls and was thinking that to minimize the number of holes that need to go in my (rented) walls, maybe I could glue the smaller frames together as a collage frame first and then hang it from one or two holes instead of like 16 holes. Is this plausible? Do you have any advice on how to do it? [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 10:20 AM PST - 16 comments

I posted the other day about an upcoming nerve ablation on my right shoulder. I had it this morning and it went fine but I'm in so much pain now. And I can't figure out a head position that would possibly work / how best to support the shoulder. Turning my head the right is the worst, but nothing is the best. If you've had a shoulder procedure like that, how did you position your head? Did other supports help?
posted by mermaidcafe at 9:43 AM PST - 1 comment

Looking for suggestions for fun vocal duets for soprano and alto solo. [more inside]
posted by winterportage at 9:00 AM PST - 4 comments

Leaving aside the "human interest"/malfeasance part of the Michael Oher/Tuohy Family story, I'm having a hard time understanding the logistics of how this would work. [more inside]
posted by mccxxiii at 8:48 AM PST - 9 comments

There was a sweet spot I knew in web history where cool illustrators and graphic design people would release free desktop wallpapers (and sometimes folder icons) of their work - but no longer do I know where to visit to download such things - do you?
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:26 AM PST - 7 comments

I’m looking for a book to read on being assertive. Would be great if it was non-waffly, not too outdated (one commonly recommended book seems a bit old-fashioned and sexist) and most importantly actionable — I struggle a lot with this, so something like scripts to follow would be good for me.
posted by iamsuper at 5:27 AM PST - 4 comments

Recently, I leveled up my point game by applying for several new credit cards . . . only to be faced with the lengthy, agonizing ordeal of contacting autopay vendors--by website, email or phone--to re-register the new cards. I'd been through this gauntlet ten years ago, when my data was stolen by a card skimmer at a gas station, but back then, vendors with whom I'd registered autopay were far fewer in number. [more inside]
posted by Gordion Knott at 4:37 AM PST - 10 comments

I've inherited a house through probate that I plan to sell as soon as possible. There's a small enough amount left on the mortgage that the estate could easily pay it off today and still have about two to three times more than it will likely need to cover home repairs to market it and to pay the handful of estate creditors. I've never sold a house before. Are there advantages to not having a mortgage company/bank involved in the selling or closing process? Are there disadvantages to paying off the mortgage early (other than potential early pay-off fees)? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:37 AM PST - 9 comments

What's the best but not frighteningly expensive way to get seven 50-year-old Super 8 movies converted from the ancient reels my little brother is about to send me to durable digital files that I can both share with family and edit myself? [more inside]
posted by Scarf Joint at 11:36 PM PST - 8 comments

Looking for recommendations of good restaurants - preferably that do take-out and/or have outdoor seating - within easy walking distance of the north end of the University of Washington campus. [more inside]
posted by skycrashesdown at 9:13 PM PST - 11 comments

Tell me about that time you had a poisonous co-worker who hated your guts, or perhaps just hated your role, and you managed to turn the situation around. Our roles are handcuffed together and can't really be restructured, and everyone acknowledges she's awful but she's not going anywhere for at least two more years, so it seems it's up to me to find a way to fix it. If you had a frank talk that actually improved things, please give me the actual words.
posted by HotToddy at 6:10 PM PST - 18 comments

What are your favorite light roast coffee beans? I live in San Francisco and would buy from a store or would order online. I grind them myself, make drip coffee, and add almond milk and sometimes a bit of sweetener. I am not interested in roasting my own beans.
posted by bookworm4125 at 4:35 PM PST - 18 comments

I need help with a personal research project. How can I find out the circulation numbers of The Saturday Evening Post in Canada between 1949 and 1961?
posted by uans at 4:05 PM PST - 4 comments

My old WD My Cloud is starting to make noises that make me fear its end is coming. I'm looking at a new 2-Bay NAS and am wondering what type of disk to use. Any advice? [more inside]
posted by hilaryjade at 3:57 PM PST - 9 comments

My older daughter is becoming a bit of a clothes horse. It’s starting to be a point of contention—what she wants vs what I’m willing/able to buy her—and I’m hoping that giving her a budget will help nip this in the bud, as well as teach her financial responsibility and maybe even some thriftiness. But how much? [more inside]
posted by El Curioso at 2:20 PM PST - 30 comments

I'm looking for fun art ideas, proverbs, or quotes focused on miniatures. [more inside]
posted by donut_princess at 1:38 PM PST - 11 comments

I cannot find a Japanese character/mascot that I used to have on a tote bag. It was a banana with a handsome face, maybe he was a business man? I want to see him again, but I cannot find him! [more inside]
posted by wellifyouinsist at 12:11 PM PST - 5 comments

About two years ago we adopted a dog that had lived as a stray for his first year. He is attached to us, and has met every training challenge except for coming when called. He’s part hound. [more inside]
posted by Phyllis keeps a tight rein at 9:11 AM PST - 17 comments

Looking for an app that shows places of touristic interest on a map for New York City. Mostly interested in historic buildings and museums; cheap/unique dining suggestions would be a plus. Willing to pay but would prefer an up-front cost rather than a death by a thousand cuts "pay $3.99 to unlock the Central Park walking tour route" approach.
posted by nanny's striped stocking at 8:45 AM PST - 3 comments

Due to various cooking experiments, I now have various leftover ingredients waiting to be used. Looking for recipe ideas for: Szechuan peppercorn, fermented bean paste, jujubes (red dates), dried mushrooms, goji berries, black eyed peas, dried soybeans, hot & spicy hot pot mix, dashi, gochugaru (korean chili pepper powder), cassava flour, dessicated coconut, buckwheat flour, arepa flour, wholemeal spelt flour, rice flour, polenta, almond meal, red dahl, yellow dahl, tamarind paste, (a friend's homemade jar of) kimchi. [more inside]
posted by creatrixtiara at 7:58 AM PST - 8 comments

I am interested in the implementation of crime prevention through environmental design, especially but not only as a requirement in urban planning/permitting/design/approval. I am thinking of specific rules any research about effects, stories about how it went, etc. Thanks.
posted by NotLost at 7:47 AM PST - 3 comments

Solo trip advice: I'm going diving in Indonesia this December, and before I head back home I have three nights in Bangkok. I've been there once before, but when I was a young, poor and inexperienced traveller. [more inside]
posted by Pademelon at 7:28 AM PST - 6 comments

What are fun songs that include lyrics about food? The song doesn't have to be about food per se. Any genre of music and in any language really, but English language is preferred for listening comprehension ease. [more inside]
posted by spamandkimchi at 7:45 PM PST - 130 comments

The awkward litterbox question below reminded me that I have my very own awkward litterbox question, plus a few others about keeping a cat in a small apartment. I hope the experienced cat caregivers of AskMeFi can help! [more inside]
posted by snaw at 5:44 PM PST - 23 comments

A trope of nature documentaries is "these turtles have traveled thousands of miles to come back to the very same beach where they hatched to lay their eggs". Similar statements are made about salmon and other species. I want to know more about the accuracy of animal navigation. How "the very same" are we talking? [more inside]
posted by tylermoody at 12:54 PM PST - 9 comments

What sort of impact is Hurricane Hillary likely to have on Newbury Park, California? What sort of preparation should someone do who lives there?
posted by andoatnp at 12:16 PM PST - 16 comments

I'm currently in an academic-adjacent postdoc, and I'm contemplating careers beyond the academy. A dream job would be anything in museums or archives, but I know these are competitive fields. Really, any job that lets me learn/solve problems would be fine. My current position gives me a degree of free time - I had previously thought it might be worthwhile to learn basic Python/R/SQL - but now I wonder if that makes sense given AI? [more inside]
posted by coffeecat at 11:05 AM PST - 22 comments

Last night, I heard a song that was melodically very similar to Aaliyah's "Try Again," and stylistically it reminded me of her or early Destiny's Child, but the only words I could halfway hear were, "satisfy me," which was repeated a few times. I'm not having any luck with Google or Youtube – can someone help?
posted by unknowncommand at 10:45 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm interested in learning more about how the infrastructure that powers our physical world was developed, how it operates, and how it is evolves as it ages. Both the political and the science/engineering sides are interesting to me. Do you have any book or other media suggestions? [more inside]
posted by A Blue Moon at 10:38 AM PST - 24 comments

I'm housesitting and I bought a frozen pizza before I realized the freezer here is 100% full. So the pizza has been in the fridge for about 22 hours. Can I still cook and eat it? I'm guessing I would need to adjust the cooking time/temperature, yeah? If it matters, it's one of those Banza chickpea crust frozen pizzas and the instructions say to cook at 400 degrees for 14-18 minutes.
posted by overglow at 10:12 AM PST - 7 comments

I want a divorce but I can't leave because I don't want to traumatize my child, nor can we each afford to live alone in this city. What are our options? What's the right thing to do? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:36 AM PST - 23 comments

Fellow MeFites, what are your go-to reasons or motivations for continuing on in this strange thing called life? [more inside]
posted by eunique at 8:22 AM PST - 46 comments

I want to get my important papers in order. I'm thinking I should have the most important in one spot, in a container that I can grab as I'm running out the door. What is that container, and what goes in it? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:29 AM PST - 12 comments

Our dog is about to spend a week in a tick-tastic environment, at the end of which his monthly oral flea/tick medication is due. Should we give him this month’s dose before the trip instead? [more inside]
posted by staggernation at 6:12 AM PST - 3 comments

Any recommendations for easy to use apps that would be useful, fun or interesting? I'm setting up my Mom's (in her 70s, not techy) new Samsung S7 cell phone for her and I'm looking for recommendations on any useful or fun apps I could put on it. [more inside]
posted by Lay Off The Books at 6:11 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm set to begin a much-anticipated vacation. And as luck would have it, on my last day at work today, I received some very upsetting news. I'm not in any trouble and my job isn't in jeopardy, but things are going to get unpleasant when I return. How do I stop this development from ruining my vacation? [more inside]
posted by akk2014 at 7:15 PM PST - 27 comments

There is no shortage of cute, interesting, printed, over-the-shoulder canvas totes. But I cannot abide an over-the-shoulder strap, I need a crossbody strap. [more inside]
posted by Rora at 7:13 PM PST - 10 comments

Going to downeast Maine (Acadia to Lubec). Looking for interesting, not run of the mill activities and scenic attractions for two non-hiker or kayaker, bookish folks. Good food and good brewery recs a plus, as well as diversions during the drive from Portsmouth NH area.
posted by aught at 5:56 PM PST - 8 comments

How can I reduce the load on my combined wifi-router-modem with a wired only router? [more inside]
posted by TheGreenRye at 5:14 PM PST - 7 comments

What are the timeless classics of Spanish-language children's literature? Picture books to middle-grade, of any era and nation, if still beloved today.
posted by latkes at 5:05 PM PST - 2 comments

I enjoy taking 3-4 hearty six-inch corn tortillas and making a layered stack with refried beans, cheese, veggies, and enchilada sauce spread on the inside, then baking it in the toaster oven for about 10-15 minutes. I love how the flavors meld and the tortillas get crispy at the edges. What I don't love is how it requires a knife and fork to eat. How can I retain these same ingredients, and speed/simplicity of preparation, but make the whole thing more convenient to eat? [more inside]
posted by oxisos at 4:27 PM PST - 24 comments

So, I left my car parked for almost two months while I was out of town. Now the engine starts up but the car will not move and while it's idling the engine revs (1000rpm up to 3000rpm). It feels different in drive, reverse, neutral, and park, but it does not move (and my driveway is on an incline so I would expect it to maybe roll backwards in neutral). [more inside]
posted by mskyle at 4:03 PM PST - 19 comments

I was watching a Mark Wiens' Thailand episode, and at 4:09 mark in the YouTube video, he is displaying and eating a Thai yellow sticky rice dish with coconut curry. Does anyone have any idea of a recipe list of what might be in it? I cannot seem to find one on Google.
posted by RearWindow at 3:14 PM PST - 1 comment

I feel awful about this and am struggling to find a polite way to bring it up (let alone bring it up at all). Several months ago, our best friends moved their kitty litter box into the middle of their living room — yes, the room where they entertain guests. [more inside]
posted by nightrecordings at 1:39 PM PST - 24 comments

This is probably a really dense question, but here we go!: Living in US, considering getting solar panels...would need a lot of them, which would result in a large tax credit. But we never owe money at the end of the year since we always use 0 on line 5 of our tax form (and also don't make a huge amount). Do we need to change the withholding/line 5 to not say 0 anymore to use the credit or am I thinking about this wrong and we would be refunded for what we paid in taxes throughout the year based on the tax credit?
posted by Eyelash at 1:13 PM PST - 5 comments

Looking for slang to make my children groan. [more inside]
posted by Leontine at 12:44 PM PST - 55 comments

In the United States. My Spouse and I both have Accident Insurance through our employers and our children and included as dependents on each policy. This is not medical insurance that pays direct bills, but pays out specific benefits based on trigger events such as a laceration, fracture, burn, etc... I know it is insurance fraud to submit a medical insurance claim based on actual medical costs to separate companies (unless coordinated), but this seems different. Is there a law against this and if so, what is it?
posted by Lil Kitty at 12:17 PM PST - 2 comments

I've been trying to locate a song that I heard at the beginning of a spiritual workshop in 2019. It was beautiful and inspiring, and was the perfect song to kick off a spiritual workshop. This is really a long shot because I don't have many details. If all else fails, I have a Spotify bonus question. [more inside]
posted by daikon at 11:56 AM PST - 3 comments

I want to buy a window-mounted air conditioner with drainage holes on the bottom of the unit. That turns out to be a surprisingly tall order these days. Do you know of any new models, sub $200, that aren't designed to retain water? [more inside]
posted by Iridic at 11:38 AM PST - 3 comments

There is a picture of a canyon in one of today’s NYT opinion pieces, and the photo has a weird, unintentional I think, artifact in it. Can you help me figure out what it is? Here’s a link to the photo on Flickr in case you are not a NYT subscriber. Here’s a pic zoomed in. [more inside]
posted by pickles_have_souls at 11:10 AM PST - 9 comments

I share a Steam login with my kid. A couple times in the last few weeks, she has tried to start playing a game with her friends, and somehow it has involuntarily come up, fullscreen, on my screen - taking over the mouse, etc. This would be funny except it usually happens in class, or client/supervisor meetings. How do I stop it and prevent it from ever happening again? [more inside]
posted by corb at 10:50 AM PST - 7 comments

As a kid in the mid-late 90's, I had this Uno-like branded card game that I'd like to try finding again, at least on boardgamegeek if not a physical copy. I wonder if anyone else might recall this particular game? Here's what I remember... [more inside]
posted by wats at 10:30 AM PST - 8 comments

Newbie going to Burning Man. the iBurn app looks useful for getting around etc. I think I probably don't want to bring my regular phone around with me on the Playa. I have an old Samsung Galaxy s7 kicking around. It seems to be in working order. Will this work? Any security concerns I should watch out for in using an ancient phone like this? Should I be taking measures to disconnect it from my actual account etc?
posted by ManInSuit at 9:38 AM PST - 7 comments

My cat is very itchy and so far I've been unable to find a solution to help him. How have you solved this with your cat? [more inside]
posted by bluecore at 9:22 AM PST - 13 comments

I have a lot of hi-res photos that I'm resizing so I can sell them as printable wall art. Each image has to be resized into several different options, all while keeping the hi-res. I have a Mac. Is there a website or app that will be quickest at that and let me resize to multiple sizes? I know how to batch resize in Preview, but that replaces the files rather than save as new ones.
posted by mermaidcafe at 9:21 AM PST - 6 comments

Random strangers from all over the world! Surprise neurodivergences! Passion and principles! What are your best techniques for writing various projects including articles, policy documents, how-to guides -- nonfiction with purpose -- collaboratively, particularly using Google Docs tools? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 9:07 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm teaching a long thematic unit on The Great Gatsby to 12th graders, trying to expand outward from the novel to see the specific sort of archetype that Gatsby celebrates/derides — namely, the hyperbolic masculine American archetype, both striving for "success" and mooning over some unattainable feminine ideal (whether said woman is interested or not). I have plenty of writings from across time and place to pair with Gatsby (see inside), but all of them are by men. I'm curious how to represent a counter-voice from women (with all due nods to the complexity of gender). [more inside]
posted by argybarg at 9:04 AM PST - 27 comments

One day in 2019-2020, OneNote on my old Android decided it didn't want to sync any of my existing notebooks when I tried to log in and sync to the cloud to get them on my laptop. I want to copy the storage folder over to my laptop, but I can't seem to find it, and I can't find the answer online anywhere. [more inside]
posted by andrewxhonson at 8:42 AM PST - 3 comments

I think the most likely suggestion will be some sort of chair, but I can't rule out other possibilities. I have stood while using for a computer for a long time for snowflake reasons within, and while thus far there have been no complications, I don't want to rule out that long term something could come up...I'd rather have options before that happens [more inside]
posted by wooh at 8:08 AM PST - 10 comments

I want to let friends do some cyanotypes on papers I have already prepared and then let them develop them under water themselves. Easiest is if they just rinse them in their hotel sinks and then dry them, but perhaps that isn't quite okay? Should they all wash them in a common basin and I then take care of that water in some manner? [more inside]
posted by Iteki at 7:47 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm moving across the country, and I'm flying rather than taking my car. Bearing in mind that I do not have time to get photos scanned, what should I do about photos? [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 7:46 AM PST - 11 comments

Also, how to manage it? And a wall of questions. [more inside]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 6:56 AM PST - 21 comments

My doctor recommended I have a hysteroscopy with d&c to biopsy a mass in my endometrium. This is scheduled for Nov 22, 2023. This seems like a long time away. Am I being unreasonable? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:04 AM PST - 5 comments

How much do you typically pay to have a white paper written? How much do you charge to write a white paper? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:04 AM PST - 2 comments

Hi MeFites! Mrs. Zen and I are planning for my (hopefully soon) semi-retirement. I'm thinking I'll take on a part time job to supplement our 401(k) and Social Security income (after talking to our financial planner, of course). Anyone out there have any experience being a night shift security guard? [more inside]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:57 AM PST - 13 comments

I usually read to my son at bedtime, but I'm running out of books. Does anyone have recommendations for authors that are not in either list below? He's into science, technology and survival stuff. [more inside]
posted by TheophileEscargot at 5:51 AM PST - 31 comments

I'm looking for a mashup that was posted to MeFi from maybe 10-15ish years ago. Maybe earlier. I absolutely loved it back then, but I never bookmarked it or favorited the post. The details from my memory are kind of slim. [more inside]
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 5:38 AM PST - 5 comments

Light speed is the highest velocity that information can travel, and the Planck temperature seems to be the highest comprehensible temperature. Are there other fundamental physical constants that represent the highest possible theoretical value of a measurement? Ideally, I want constants with a specific known value, not just approximations or unknowable limits like "the number of atoms in the universe". [more inside]
posted by Lirp at 10:28 PM PST - 18 comments

I've has miserable shoulder pain for months after herniating two cervical discs. On Monday I'll have a nerve ablation on my shoulder. I'll be sedated and they said I could take anti-anxiety medicine beforehand. I'm scared but hopeful. I know they're popular for hysterectomies and heart procedures, but i'd love to hear from anyone who's had them on shoulder or similar. I want to know what your recovery was like and what helped the most. YANMD.
posted by mermaidcafe at 10:28 PM PST - 2 comments

My wife and I are just finishing up a project to build a house in a rural part of Oregon. We'll use it for ourselves, friends, and pay the bills by doing an Air B n B. The house is accessed by a forest service road, secured now with an aluminum farm gate mounted to a section of wooden telephone pole, and a thick chain with half a dozen locks on it. My question: How can I get a mechanical or digital numeral lock that I can regularly reset that works with the existing setup? [more inside]
posted by Happydaz at 9:30 PM PST - 6 comments

My sister and I sometimes buy things on behalf of each other. Usually these are groceries on sale that we happen to be buying for ourselves as well. Up to now, we've paid each other back using e-transfer banking. But the fees add up over time. What other way would be easy and fast to keep track of what we owe each other, so we can bundle up the transactions and do one single occasional e-transfer?
posted by storybored at 8:47 PM PST - 14 comments

All else being equal, obviously no one would move close to an oil refinery. There is one a 5 minute drive away from a condo I’m looking at. (If you have knowledge of environmental risk assessments especially, I would love to hear your thoughts! Others too though!) [more inside]
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:18 PM PST - 9 comments

I’m a Little League umpire who just completed a big tournament. I would like to save two of them for offline viewing after the On Demand viewing expires. The games were broadcast on ESPN+ and I have a subscription. I have a Hisense U6GH Google TV and I’ve had no help from my internet searches or the less than helpful folks at Best Buy. Any thoughts about digital recorders?
posted by I Am Mr. Ed at 6:53 PM PST - 5 comments

Do a tell a woman whose abusive ex cowered her into surrendering physical custody of her kid that the ex recently got a DWI and is expecting the step-wife (she won't talk to) to parent when he's been gone for weeks. [more inside]
posted by bindr at 4:39 PM PST - 15 comments

I recently started an academic kind of podcast but also an arts/visual arts/literary as well and I was wondering, what would be some excellent and interesting interview questions to ask an art historian? [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 3:55 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm still playing Real Estate Scavenger Hunt and have come across something in a house that I can't identify. You have all been so helpful in the past, I thought I'd throw this one out to you as well. It's the black thing against the far wall. Any clues?
posted by DrGail at 2:21 PM PST - 10 comments

A relative's Apple Watch Series 5 40mm/GPS+Cellular has been draining faster than it used to, and it's important for health reasons for relative not to lose access to it even for one night so they can call for help as needed. I have been researching how to get the battery replaced at the 79 battery replacement rate, but it seems like the standard battery replacement options might all require giving up the watch for more than a day. Are there faster options I am missing? [more inside]
posted by beryllium at 1:58 PM PST - 4 comments

I have a pair of Muji room sandals, and I love them. I wish I had bought more, but I didn't, and now they don't sell them anymore. I'm looking for something similar. I don't want the thong version or anything else Muji currently sells. [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 1:44 PM PST - 10 comments

I bit my tongue a few days ago and there appears to be a little divot in it now. I guess it should grow back, but is there anything I can do to heal it up quicker? Vitamins, etc.?
posted by noelpratt2nd at 1:22 PM PST - 2 comments

What's a good hotel in Minneapolis for a romantic weekend? In the city, not a cabin in the woods or something. Looking for a fun vibe, not fusty or old-fashioned. (Please, don't suggest a different city.)
posted by Charity Garfein at 12:22 PM PST - 7 comments

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question - for a long time I followed a TikTok account of a progressive guy who often portrayed both himself and a conservative voter he was arguing with. He had a mustache and was very funny. He may have recently left TikTok after reneging on a promise to give $1,000 to a right wing TikToker? I'm terrible with names, but I really want to know what happened with this guy?? Any idea who I'm talking about? It's driving me nuts.
posted by ericbop at 12:04 PM PST - 5 comments

You live in Toronto and are great at gardening. Lucky you! You're going to plant some veggies and herbs and leafy greens tomorrow. What are you going to plant? Also, if you happen to live in the west end (Roncesvalles area) where are you going to buy the seeds? Thanks!
posted by dobbs at 11:54 AM PST - 10 comments

Trying to choose a pen name — and maybe change my birth surname. I've come up with a couple of ok options, but nothing that really stands out as a frontrunner. This might be a fun challenge for word-puzzle people — I have a lot of very specific rules! [more inside]
posted by 100kb at 9:58 AM PST - 49 comments

I just laboriously typed out a lengthy LinkedIn post, but when I clicked post, a red message appeared that said to try again. This was on my Pixel 6 using the Google keyboard. Sadly when I clicked post again, the draft was not saved. Is there a way to recover it? I suspect not, but would be immensely grateful if so.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:34 AM PST - 3 comments

Will 1k clear coat work on my car? Isocyanites in 2k clear coat make me not want to use it. What can I expect? Details and further questions inside. [more inside]
posted by mr_bovis at 9:24 AM PST - 3 comments

I left two just-cooked cheeseburgers inside the microwave overnight. Can I eat them without dying? [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:11 AM PST - 17 comments

Two years ago I started allergy shots after a diagnosis of eczema on top of the allergies I already knew I had. I'm now in what the allergist's office calls the "maintenance phase" of my shots, and while my other allergy symptoms have improved my eczema mostly hasn't. After my last followup they mentioned that Dupixent could be an option for me, and said, and I quote, "so go home and look it up." What do I need to know? [more inside]
posted by fedward at 8:29 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm in need of a portable air conditioner for the single room in my home that doesn't already have AC. All the units I can find serve a much bigger area than I need. [more inside]
posted by Well I never at 8:21 AM PST - 8 comments

Is there a way for me to listen to someone else's Spotify playlist link on Tidal? [more inside]
posted by skoosh at 8:14 AM PST - 2 comments

Looking for anything I can learn about this medical issue. [more inside]
posted by Ginesthoi at 7:08 AM PST - 4 comments

I've tried several things, but this black mold/dirt has baked into my alunimum window sills from decades in the direct sun and will not be budged. Suggest what other cleaners might work? [more inside]
posted by rollcredits at 6:52 AM PST - 9 comments

We had some mail for long-ago previous occupants. I wrote "not at this address" and put it back out for USPS, but.... [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 6:04 AM PST - 43 comments

I just skimmed the article about grief camp on the main Metafilter page, and this part really jumped out at me: [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 5:17 AM PST - 15 comments

A car I am thinking of buying from Carvana has had this issue "fixed or replaced:" "AC condensor corrosion /road hazard damage" [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 4:56 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm starting a YouTube channel. It's essentially discussion/commentary over unrelated gameplay footage. Even though that's pretty simple, I'd still need to add titles, intro & outro, etc. So there's some editing required. I've worked as a graphic designer & illustrator, so I'm comfortable with general graphics concepts. (I've also done a lot of programming, but I'm not sure if that applies.) However, I have zero experience with video. [more inside]
posted by trevor_case at 12:54 AM PST - 15 comments

My body has started doing this horrible new thing where sometimes when I am lying down in bed and flex my ankle (pulling my toes up towards my head), the top of my calf muscle (behind and below my knee) explodes into a spasm of THE WORST PAIN I HAVE EVER FELT IN MY LIFE like uncontrollably thrashing around screaming for a minute or two bad. This is a relatively new development but has happened 3 times in the past couple of months. What might be causing this and what sort of exercises can I do to prevent it from ever happening again? My Google-fu is failing me to even find the name of the condition. Thanks.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:53 PM PST - 31 comments

I've waited until 2 weeks before preschool starts to remember I need to label every damn thing. HELP! [more inside]
posted by atomicstone at 4:00 PM PST - 25 comments

I had an appointment with a new dentist. I gave them my insurance over the phone at the time I scheduled the appointment. After the appointment, they told me they didn't take my insurance and to pay the full amount myself. Any advice on contesting this charge with them? [more inside]
posted by davidstandaford at 2:46 PM PST - 17 comments

I have a website that I made myself on Squarespace. I have zero skills in this department, and it looks very DIY. I'd like to upgrade and make it look less DIY, but I'd like to avoid spending a ton of money. I'm a freelancer with a couple of different niches, and the site is basically a resume/about me/calling card, with no real moving parts. Where would I find someone to help me with this, and what am I looking at spending?
posted by swheatie at 2:15 PM PST - 3 comments

I put a carton of eggs in a cooler for 24h while I defrosted my fridge. The carton got soggy from the ice packs in the cooler. Please don't give me shit for being paranoid about food safety and drinking raw milk, I'm allowed to contain multitudes.
posted by wheatlets at 1:14 PM PST - 22 comments

My child is traveling domestically with a friend of the family next week. How do I optimize potentially necessary paperwork? [more inside]
posted by virve at 11:40 AM PST - 15 comments

My company is being pulled into an asbestos/mesothelioma lawsuit. The plaintiff and defense counsels, and the case is all taking place in Mason County, IL, which happens to hear more than a third of all asbestos/mesothelioma lawsuits in the country. None of us, plaintiffs or defense, live in Illinois, nor did any of this take place there. The way things are going I'm starting to feel like we're being pulled into a lawsuit grift mill. [more inside]
posted by slogger at 11:38 AM PST - 13 comments

I am trying to remember a ride in the 1970s at Disney World — it may have been the Space Mountain coaster, it might have been Peter Pan? — where it looked like you were on a track, and then suddenly the track 'disappeared' and it suddenly seemed like you were flying unsupported through the air. Am I somehow imagining this or does anyone recall this experience?
posted by dearleader at 11:27 AM PST - 4 comments

A few times a week, my kid has lessons after school. I am fortunately able to come home before I take him. I’m looking for something I can throw in the instant pot before I leave. [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 11:14 AM PST - 8 comments

I need a new work/professional type tote bag. Help me find something that meets my taste! [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:57 AM PST - 6 comments

The Brooklyn Cyclones have a game on August 19th at 6PM with a George Costanza Bobblehead for the first 2,500 people. What time would you recommend getting there if I wanted to be sure to get the Seinfeld Bobblehead? Thanks!
posted by andoatnp at 10:46 AM PST - 5 comments

My beloved 2007 Honda Fit was crushed by a tree last week. Because it is important to me to have a manual transmission, I'm having a tough time finding a replacement. Things I liked about my Fit: it was reliable, had plenty of headroom (I'm ~6'3"), enough cargo space, fun to drive and easy to park. Is the Mini Cooper Countryman a reasonable choice? I know people love them, but are they as reliable as the Fit? Are there other cars that fit my criteria?
posted by donpardo at 9:59 AM PST - 31 comments

I'm headed to the Twin Cities for a long weekend soon with my 11 year old, my one year old, and my parents. We don't have much time, and we want to fill it with fun stuff! [more inside]
posted by cheese at 9:18 AM PST - 14 comments

My daughter is flying home next week from Porto -> Madrid -> Boston -> NYC. We live in Boston, but she booked it this way because she wanted to leave from NYC to fly with her travel companion, and round trip was cheaper this way. She didn't know about the new crackdowns on "skiplagging." But coming home, she would like to get off the plane in Boston, along with her checked bag. I told her to ask very nicely when she checks in at the airport in Porto if she and her bag can be ticketed only as far as Boston, and that if they say no she can even offer to pay a surcharge (which will likely be cheaper than a Lyft from JFK to Penn Station and then an Amtrak back up to Boston). (She called Air Iberia and asked, but they said they can't guarantee it.) If they still say no, I told that her she and her bag have to fly to NYC. She is wondering if we can ask my son (who lives in NYC) to pick up her bag for her at JFK to save her all that extra travel time. I think not because of customs. Any ideas?
posted by wisekaren at 9:17 AM PST - 13 comments

I am looking for shoes that have a breathable mesh upper and a hard rubber or crepe rubber sole, in either an elastic side or elastic lace style that will slip on without knotting laces but not fall off. Challenge: that don't cost a shitload of money. [more inside]
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:40 AM PST - 13 comments

I need to leave my job and I think I need to take time before I start another one. Please share writings or your own stories about doing this that had a positive outcome. [more inside]
posted by past unusual at 8:06 AM PST - 16 comments

I love Dunkin Donuts blueberry flavoured coffee, but we don’t have it in Canada. Is there a similar product I can use to get the same flavour? I particularly like the fact that it is sugar free and also doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners.
posted by wheatlets at 7:55 AM PST - 5 comments

My wife has ADHD, inattentive. I'm struggling with establishing appropriate expectations about this - I know I can't just say "hey please be more organized," but I also can't just be infinitely forgiving and ignore the impacts on my own life. I'm looking for resources - books, youtubes, whatever - to help me understand reasonable expectations and how to establish them and manage my side of the relationship. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:41 AM PST - 26 comments

I'm an academic with a moderate amount of distinction in my niche academic field. About a year ago, on the basis of some academic writing I did on a popular topic, an editor from a very prestigious lay periodical (you've heard of it) approached me asking if I would be interested in writing a piece for them. It was all going great until... it wasn't. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:41 AM PST - 6 comments

I look at screens way too much and I need to cut back. As a first step, I'm going to stop using my smartphone while I'm sitting on the toilet. I want to do something actively meditative with that time instead and mentally recite something like a mantra, Buddhist sutra, prayer, etc. Can you suggest any? Especially anything relevant to the topic, like meditations on the human body or prayers to patron saints of bowels. All religious and cultural backgrounds welcome.
posted by cadge at 7:16 AM PST - 14 comments

I have been using Quickbooks for family finances for years because my late husband liked all its features, but honestly I just need something where I can keep track on my computer of my transactions and recurring bills and deposits. [more inside]
posted by Peach at 6:51 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm looking for the brand of clunky men's shoes that I believe were popular around 1992 in the US. I played in a shoegaze band around that time, and I recall these shoes being gazed upon, at least when we weren't focused on our guitar pedals. Location wise, I was in Chapel Hill and Athens mostly, though I know I saw them in other college towns as well. They weren't Doc Martens, but plainer and always black. I'm stumped.
posted by a complicated history at 6:17 AM PST - 17 comments

I'm physically and mentally worn-out and want to make the most of a five day staycation in my own apartment. [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 6:07 AM PST - 18 comments

My local library has a form to recommend titles by their ISBN. I recently put in pretty much everything by T. Kingfisher as they only have a couple of their titles, and most of them were marked "unable to purchase". They've bought other titles and left some further down in the queue as recommended, still pending. Does that mean it's that specific version they can't buy, or it's declined for an internal reason?
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 5:03 AM PST - 10 comments

My super cool, but struggling, 9 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with autism. After long grappling with her needs with too little support, we think we have the right team to help her and us. I hoped to get input from other parents on resources you’ve found helpful after getting your child’s diagnosis—particularly for a girl and maybe on the mild end of the spectrum. [more inside]
posted by myaskme at 3:40 AM PST - 10 comments

I'd like to get your help configuring Apache to send/provide credentials with forward proxy requests. [more inside]
posted by Rhomboid at 1:47 AM PST - 8 comments

One of my parents has severe central sleep apnea and sleeps at most 3-4 hours a night. It's been difficult to find qualified doctors for them, much less a support group, but I thought I'd ask here just in case someone else has experience with this. Appreciate any resources and referrals the hive-mind has to offer. [more inside]
posted by The Adventure Begins at 9:31 PM PST - 3 comments

The contract job I was hired for will be a greater weekly time commitment than originally presented to me. Through no fault of my own, there has been a pause, and my contract will need to be reissued once a new start date is agreed to by all parties. Do you think I am more likely to be successful negotiating for more hours per week or a boost in hourly rate? There are government contracts involved, so I am not sure if that will make a difference. [more inside]
posted by hworth at 7:25 PM PST - 5 comments

I’ve become increasingly more aware that maybe I want to use he/they pronouns, but I don’t currently want to tell a bunch of people or start listing them that way on Zoom or email signatures or w/e. Also I present very cismale with a couple of exceptions and I feel imposter syndrome about using them. But I casually referred to my pronouns as he/they today with a stranger and it felt good but also like I was lying? So how do people do this to find out they want to start using different pronouns?
posted by rhymedirective at 7:17 PM PST - 9 comments

My 4yo has a common language pattern where she repeats her own phrase, almost like she started off strong knowing what she wants to say but can’t quite spit it out. Something like this: “Hey mom! I think I want to… I think I want to … I think I want to” [more inside]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 6:03 PM PST - 21 comments

Tell me your favorite descent to hell stories! [more inside]
posted by allymusiqua at 5:33 PM PST - 23 comments

I recently bought a packet of "Ancient Grains Soup Mix" and I'd like some (veggie) soup recipes suggestions. [more inside]
posted by southof40 at 4:58 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm planning to take my parental leave with a newborn - our first - while my husband works long hours in a traveling-heavy job. It's going to be a lot. What would you recommend to make that period workable? [more inside]
posted by mosst at 4:10 PM PST - 25 comments

I certainly think one ought to tip, 20 percent when you can, at all restaurants when the food is brought to your table. But at sandwich shops and fast food places — where the waitstaff just gives you the food at the counter — does the duty to tip have the same moral weight? I’m sure seeing a lot of suggestions to that effect when I use my credit card to pay at such joints.
posted by PaulVario at 3:41 PM PST - 37 comments

My family has a game night once a week. Since we have a mix of ages (9, 12, forties, occasionally twenties) it can be a little hard to find something that works for everyone. We'd love to have more suggestions! [more inside]
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 3:35 PM PST - 13 comments

Hi! Looking for a synagogue in the Bay Area that might suit someone in their early 30s w/o kids. Only real requirement is that it be egalitarian. Appreciate any suggestions!
posted by DavidNYC at 2:52 PM PST - 9 comments

I have ants come in my kitchen sink, on the counters, and even on the island right opposite of the sink. I've tried cleaning and Clorox'ing, but the ants come back, especially if there's food crumbs. It's driving me crazy. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 2:49 PM PST - 16 comments

I have a employee who is an exceptionally gifted thinker but who struggles with project and time management and has significant challenges around communicating with colleagues - in particular, they do not easily pick up on communication signals from others and have some neurodivergent tendencies in their communications and work style. These challenges are really hindering their working relationships and I'm hoping to find some resources (books, podcasts, etc) that will help me manage this person, their projects, and their communications more effectively. [more inside]
posted by JannaK at 2:22 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking for OCR software for Mac. My needs are pretty basic—just the occasional PDF, nothing heavy-duty. I strongly prefer to pay a one-time fee rather than a subscription. I also would prefer a stand-alone application rather than a web-based tool. Thank you for your suggestions.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 1:54 PM PST - 7 comments

I am stymied by these fasteners on my trailer's broken reflector. Is there a trick to unfastening them? Can they be reused? What are they called? Please share your insider knowledge if you've got it.
posted by Rhedyn at 12:52 PM PST - 5 comments

When I query ChatGPT I often want it to use a particular reference book in its answer. Sometimes it will use it and sometimes I'll get a standard disclaimer saying that it can't use it. Can I set Chat to use the desired reference book?
posted by partner at 12:44 PM PST - 2 comments

In my Little League in the 90s all teams were sponsored by local teams with their logo on there (i.e Marson Coal, Tanner Lumber, Shields Insurance). The players, coaches and families all called the team by the sponsor name and you had a degree of pride. I found out later of course this was not universal, that many places use logos/names from Major League teams. Our town was a not rich and in Appalachia. [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 10:12 AM PST - 27 comments

My direct deposit was 50% less then normal. HR told me it was likely a clerical error. Today I looked at my paystub and I have a lien on my paycheck. I have received no letters or communication about this. Obviously I’m freaking out, how do I find out who has the lien and how long will it last? [more inside]
posted by geoff. at 9:02 AM PST - 25 comments

My bestie will be flying in from DC in late October to Toronto. I usually just go to Toronto for concerts or art exhibits or family stuff. What can I show her that is off the beaten path? [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 8:57 AM PST - 8 comments

This is me. I'm trying to find out how to find markets to serve. So, far I know about using Google Keyword Planner and reading through forums to find pain points to gauge demand. I'd like to learn about other ways to do figure out what to build. [more inside]
posted by ignignokt at 8:43 AM PST - 7 comments

We brought my teenage stepdaughter to live with us full-time after being on a school break visitation schedule for most of our 10 year relationship. Then my spouse lost his job. I'm trying to understand what is reasonable of me vs not reasonable to expect. [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 8:21 AM PST - 39 comments

I was riding my bike on a paved trail and encountered a couple walking an unleashed dog. [more inside]
posted by SageTrail at 7:34 AM PST - 43 comments

Want to have people solder their own badge as a learning project (soldering). It should ideally be like 5cm around as it will be sewn to clothing. I want a low unit price so sensors and microcontrollers are out, but a pcb print run is feasible. What to do? [more inside]
posted by Iteki at 6:57 AM PST - 5 comments

If you have considered moving because of climate change, tell us more: your thought process, where you would be moving from, where you would move to, if you have decided, etc.
posted by NotLost at 5:41 AM PST - 38 comments

I love the vibe and aesthetic of Slow Roads store but the prices make my eyes water. Can you suggest any alternatives? [more inside]
posted by socky_puppy at 11:56 PM PST - 3 comments

Does the large V shaped callus on my soles mean anything? It doesn't usually hurt. Can you tell things about gait or anatomy from people's calluses? Is this normal? Looking at foot pictures on the internet is fraught and unenlightening: I haven't seen any V shaped calluses on the ball of the foot, mostly more uniform skin toughness, but I'm afraid to search very extensively. [more inside]
posted by Baethan at 8:33 PM PST - 1 comment

I have a question about the TV show Servant on Apple TV. This question will contain spoilers, right up until the very last moment of the show. If you have not seen the show and might someday see the show, this might not be the question for you. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:34 PM PST - 0 comments

I recently finished Ruthanna Emrys' A Half-Built Garden and looking for near-future sci-fi book recs in a similar vein. Details inside! [more inside]
posted by verity kindle at 7:29 PM PST - 16 comments

It’s my birthday and I’m having a virtual party! But I don’t… know how to be social over Zoom? The technical side of things is fine, but I’m out of my depth with how to chat with ten people who know me, but not each other. [more inside]
posted by t0astie at 6:52 PM PST - 14 comments

What is the smallest frame bag I can buy for my bike that will hold my iPhone 14 Pro Max? I don't like to take my phone with me when I ride, but require it to track my workouts. I do not want it to be accessible during the ride but do want it to be somewhat safe during a crash. What's the smallest frame bag I can buy that will serve this purpose?
posted by dobbs at 6:02 PM PST - 15 comments

My wife's Word started acting up and refuses to edit files. [more inside]
posted by signal at 5:24 PM PST - 7 comments

I'd like to get ChatGPT working hands-free on my Android, so I can talk to it via voice, and hear audio replies. There are third-party apps and mobile browser plugins that claim to do something similar, but I'm not having much luck (more details inside) [more inside]
posted by TreeHugger at 5:02 PM PST - 4 comments

I volunteer with a local social justice organization in South Korea. Our organization does a lot of work trying to bridge the language gap between social movements in Korea and the larger world. We've been asked by a women's rights organization to find research or information about innovative approaches to preventing or stopping gender based/intimate partner violence. I was hoping the hivemind would have better luck finding resources or be involved in organizations trying to find solutions to the problem!
posted by FakePalindrome at 4:22 PM PST - 6 comments

Do you have knowledge of how to run an ethernet cable? Does this sound accurate, and if not, what is the correct process? [more inside]
posted by racersix6 at 3:59 PM PST - 12 comments

I am planning a trip to Minneapolis in the mid Fall (think later October). My host has asked me what I want to do. The goal is to find things within about a 2 hour drive (including possible hotel stays). I know the usual things (Walker Art Center, Guthrie Theater (sadly, nothing going on), the MIA and so on from Days of Yore, but what would you recommend? [more inside]
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:32 PM PST - 10 comments

My parent just sent me a giant box of old photos and newspaper clippings. Some of them are 50+ years old. The newspapers are yellow and fall apart when I try to unfold them and some of the photos are stuck together. It's a big mess, but I'd love to preserve what I can. How can I do this? Is there someone I can hire? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 2:53 PM PST - 4 comments

What is your favored method to use in validating email addresses? MailTester isn't as reliable as it once was.
posted by John Borrowman at 2:10 PM PST - 8 comments

We have an upcoming meeting to discuss pipeline talent. Junior managers will be presented and other managers/Sr. Managers are expected to comment what they have observed or heard about folks that do not report directly to them. Note - junior managers are not present in this meeting. [more inside]
posted by walkinginsunshine at 12:46 PM PST - 23 comments

I'm hoping to eat more chicken breast (or tenderloin), but I'd like to make the process as simple as possible. Looking for a product that's basically just pieces of chicken breast (or chicken breasts themselves, or tenderloin) that are all [close to] the same size and thickness, so I can just cook x number of them without worrying about prep. [more inside]
posted by Polycarp at 12:19 PM PST - 14 comments

Our non-profit was approved for *Google For NonProfits*. I'm trying to set it up now and running into a login problem. I'm trying to activate Google Workspace for NonProfits. It asks me to login to an administrator account. I don't seem to have one and don't know how to get one. On the tab under "Administrators" there are two gmail addresses of ours but these don't seem to be the admin accounts that they are looking for. Help!
posted by storybored at 11:01 AM PST - 8 comments

Should I have surgery to remove the plate & pins from my ankle? My Doctor is not sure it's necessary but it's been over a year & I'm still having trouble running. [more inside]
posted by velebita at 9:47 AM PST - 16 comments

I have a dishwasher that drains into a garbage disposal in the sink, which in turn drains into the wastewater line. When I start the dishwasher, it begins by pumping out any standing water that might be at the bottom of the tub. A new development I've noticed is that during this pumping process, I can smell sewer gas for a few seconds. I'd like to know why this is happening and how to make it stop. [more inside]
posted by adamrice at 9:37 AM PST - 12 comments

How are the triangular clips on the drum rollers installed during a dryer's assembly? Is it automated or manual? [more inside]
posted by stevenpl at 9:33 AM PST - 1 comment

The Waukegan Illinois Airport is proposing a major project to build a new longer runway which will require the Lake County Forest Preserve to sell 52 acres of land to the airport. The airport claims the project is necessary to comply with current FAA safety regulations, but the community is concerned that the airport may not be providing a good faith explanation of the issue. Any assistance you could provide in getting us in touch with resources which could provide an independent assessment of the current safety compliance of the airport, the need for a new runway and the requirements for any new construction would be greatly appreciated.
posted by grahahw at 8:13 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm curious to know which galaxies are the nearest to the Milky Way but are not part of the Local Group. Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:13 AM PST - 2 comments

People in relationships where your partner has a mental health issue and you don't (or the other way around, sure) how did you resolve disagreements about treatment strategy? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:05 AM PST - 21 comments

On the new Blur album there’s a song called Barbaric. It always triggers a memory of another song, a mid tempo indie tune sung by a female singer which had as its refrain, or part of its chorus, the phrase “it is murder” or “it’s a murder”. Can you figure out what song this is?
posted by Kattullus at 4:19 AM PST - 29 comments

Looking to compile a collection of movies like Teeth (2007) but not only about the infamous vagina dentata, but any other types of haunted hoo-has, monsterous muffs, cursed cooters or otherwise abject intimate anatomy. [more inside]
posted by Iteki at 2:51 AM PST - 24 comments

I quit caffeine about a month ago, and I'd like to stay off it because my anxiety is much better now. The one problem I'm running into is with bowel movements. When I drank caffeine, I would usually go once before coffee and once after coffee, and I got everything out then and rarely even farted during the day. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:10 AM PST - 21 comments

So a friend and AskMe convinced me to get apple music. The only problem (apart from it not having lots of music) is that it eats up my data in a couple of days. I have 9GB of data before I get throttled. If I play Apple Music, it's gone in a few days. But my friend plays it for hours a day more than I do and says it hardly uses any of her data. Like less than a gig a month. What's up? Can I fix it? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:06 PM PST - 9 comments

Can you recommend a book by a living author about geo-strategic tensions in the Indo-Pacific region that is appropriate for a high school aged audience?
posted by bq at 8:45 PM PST - 0 comments

I’m replacing missing jigsaw puzzle pieces. I’ve got the chipboard but I’m not sure what sort of paper, glue, and finish I should be using for the picture layer to make it both durable and to have the correct luster on its surface. Paper artists, suggestions?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:43 PM PST - 9 comments

Please hope me come up with a workable Halloween costume! Details inside... [more inside]
posted by Thorzdad at 6:24 PM PST - 37 comments

A friend and co-worker has requested I write a letter in support of getting her husband, another co-worker, his green card. [more inside]
posted by vrakatar at 5:24 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm looking to build what I think is a very basic inventory database that I check volumes of certain items three times a day, and am able to look for trends and run reports on. I understand the basics of building databases, and have done so in the very distant (20 years ago) past. I asked on another forum and was talked down to. I'm hoping that you can help. Details within. [more inside]
posted by Mr. Hazlenut at 4:11 PM PST - 16 comments

In the summer of 2016 I attended a wedding at a historical mansion, within a 90 minute drive of San Francisco. This is a photo taken inside. Other things I remember: [more inside]
posted by umwelt at 4:10 PM PST - 8 comments

Granddaughter, 13, entering high school in a couple of weeks needs to read book for her English class.- She asked me to read it with her and we were all set and ready to go to have a two person book club. Then she found out it cannot be a graphic novel. Bummer. [more inside]
posted by mmf at 3:33 PM PST - 18 comments

As always, y'all knocked it out of the park answering my question about eclipse glasses. Pinhole cameras were mentioned a time or two in the comments. This is unrelated to eclipse. I remember when I was very, very young we made pinhole cameras out of oatmeal containers. Is there a way to make these without needing a dark room and chemicals? My AskMe-Fu and Google-Fu suggest maybe buying some Polaroid instant film, but that all reads as way above my ability as someone who is just looking to goof around. Hope me, Ask me. What is an easy way to get in to pinhole photography?
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 2:19 PM PST - 12 comments

Due to my asshole brother I now need to sell out childhood home. I'll move in with my other brother temporarily. I want to buy a house with the proceeds of the sale. How does that work? [more inside]
posted by kathrynm at 1:48 PM PST - 12 comments

I love having my windows open, but live near a busy road and after a few days of leaving the windows open everything near the windows is covered in a thin layer of road particles - the sticky grime of tire thread and so on - not just your usual dust. I have basic screens installed and an air purifier in the room, but I'm wondering if there's anything more specialized I could do? Do you have experience or suggestions for this? [more inside]
posted by matrixclown at 1:24 PM PST - 5 comments

I am looking for strategies for infusing my work with more intention. I am basically my own boss. Anything beyond "the building isn't on fire and we are turning a profit" is up to me entirely. Our busy season is coming to a close, and I would like to regroup, reset goals & priorities, and plan how to move forward with intention. It's something that I do periodically, but I am looking for ways to make it a more effective process. Workbooks or worksheets? Things you do that help? Tricks and suggestions? Corporate trainings? Ted talks? [more inside]
posted by Grandysaur at 12:52 PM PST - 4 comments

I want to interact with the people pleasers and indirect communicators in my life more effectively. I am the opposite of both of these things. I communicate very directly and have no problems asking for what I want/need (in MeFi terms, I'm an extreme Ask, I guess). [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 12:48 PM PST - 45 comments

I'm considering filing an EEOC complaint against my job due to discrimination based on disability. Can you recommend any excellent disability lawyers in Seattle? And can you explain how disability lawyers typically get paid? Are there low-cost or free options for this, or do they get paid from the settlement?
posted by socktopus at 11:50 AM PST - 4 comments

It's been years since I bought work clothes and my wardrobe could use some refreshing. My chief challenge is my legs and arms are long. But even my torso benefits from tall sizes. The usual options tend to be either boring basics or too stereotypically feminine for my tastes. Options? (more details inside) [more inside]
posted by coffeecat at 11:26 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking for your recommendations for board games that are either designed for just one player or have an optional set of solo rules. So what are your favorite solo board games?
posted by drezdn at 11:24 AM PST - 16 comments

My spouse and I finally updated our cell phones this year, and now we have two iPhone 6S's that we'd like to donate to a good cause. Searching around, it looks like most options actually just recycle the electronics. That seems sad – the phones still work and are in good condition. Is that really the only option these days? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 11:04 AM PST - 14 comments

Overall, life is going well - wonderful new boyfriend, job and apartment however I seem to have lost myself in the process of acquiring all that. How do I get back to who I am and enjoy my life? Snowflakes inside. [more inside]
posted by foxmardou at 10:54 AM PST - 9 comments

I am looking for an Android alarm clock app that displays each day of the week, and allows setting an alarm for each day, rather than the other way around. As you can see from the middle screenshot in this image, most alarm apps sort the alarms by time, and allow repeating on various days of the week. I want the opposite, where each day of the week is displayed along with a time that the alarm is set for that day. [more inside]
posted by cruelfood at 10:50 AM PST - 12 comments

I have some code that I try to step and debug with in Python/VSCode .It's a really deeply nested graph, and there's issues with the backtracking. To see where the issue is I want to observe the 2 places this state is changed/not changed and see why it works one place and not the other. I thought it would be cool to somehow "diff" these vars as you step... Somehow take a snapshot of objects/vars at each step with a history saved of the state changes, and then be able to take 2 of them and side by side compare through the steps and any inputs that may have influenced that. [more inside]
posted by symbioid at 10:29 AM PST - 6 comments

I was looking at a map of light pollution when I noticed an odd very very bright spot in the middle of Kazakhstan. The sattelite imagery shows a bunch of paths linking up circles with something in the middle. [more inside]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 9:50 AM PST - 6 comments

It's early morning on day 1 of a week long family vacation. My mother is already giving commentary about my "being healthy" and exercising, her code subjects for valuing thinness and being terrified of fatness. [more inside]
posted by wannabecounselor at 9:29 AM PST - 19 comments

I'm about to become one of those people who cries over tech. I bought a Dell P3421W ultrawide monitor to use with my Macbook Pro. Everything is hooked up and plugged in, but the display is stretched really badly and I can't figure out how to fix it. I've googled and searched Dell's site and apple discussions to no avail. Please help me I'm at my wit's end.
posted by tzikeh at 9:26 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm on the hunt for some scholarship or essays or articles exploring the phenomenon of many Americans wanting pre-packaged, safe, and predictable "known quantity" experiences. [more inside]
posted by knownassociate at 9:21 AM PST - 15 comments

There's a classic trope where rich tourists meet a foreign culture with smug close-mindedness. They're disgusted by cultural differences and cluelessly assume that different customs exist because the natives are too dumb or primitive to know any better. They patronize and condescend. They loudly explain how their own ways back home are just smarter, more civilized, altogether better. Can anyone suggest funny scenes featuring this behavior? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph at 8:56 AM PST - 3 comments

My middle-schooler is beside themselves after accidentally deleting a series of iPad videos they shot over a period of months. The videos, deleted two days ago, do not appear in the iPad 6's Recently Deleted folder, nor were they uploaded to the family iCloud account. I have basic tech skills and Google is full of dodgy-looking third-party tools –– turning to the hivemind in the hopes for a solution. Thanks in advance––
posted by reclusive_thousandaire at 8:23 AM PST - 5 comments

Your experience with numbness or anger in depression? [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 7:59 AM PST - 7 comments

I am the honorary aunt to an excellent teenager who is being called to Torah for her Bat Mitzvah. For reasons, she is older than most girls would be for this event, and has become increasingly religious (more so than her parents). I am thinking of buying a nice netilat yayadim cup from a specialty Judaica shop for her. Is this in any way a faux pas etc? [more inside]
posted by Chrysalis at 3:45 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm enjoying this year's Perseid meteor shower. But in addition to watching satellites and shooting stars with nice trails, I'm also seeing something I've never seen before: Bright but stationary flashes. Can meteors hit the atmosphere without a streak? [more inside]
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 1:47 AM PST - 5 comments

What are some music videos where the song takes control of people and compels them to dance whether they want to or not? [more inside]
posted by aubilenon at 11:00 PM PST - 25 comments

I (M56)have standard, don’t seem that bad to me, issues from what I have slowly come to accept as a mostly neglectful upbringing. Things like fawning, people pleasing, anxiety behavior has been just who I thought I was, and I’ve just accepted the limitations it brings. But it’s costing my partner (F49) in our day to day interactions, and I need to find a way to improve my communication and relating. She has been very helpful showing me how things have gotten to where they are, and where it comes from. But I can’t keep relying on her. So I’m hoping to find a form of ongoing support so I can stay with it, without it weighing on her shoulders. Has anybody in a similar situation found a good way of finding someone? Or made some mistakes others can learn from?
posted by anonymous at 10:47 PM PST - 9 comments

Long shot, but would anyone have a more precise location for this recent archeological find of a satellite village of Teotihuacan in CDMX proper? The reports just say "1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the city’s historical center." [more inside]
posted by bricoleur at 7:30 PM PST - 3 comments

Friends of mine purchased refundable airline tickets with Aeromexico. Soon after, they changed their plans, and now nine months later, they still haven't been refunded. When they call, they get the runaround from the customer service agents and have been unable to speak to a supervisor. Just today, they were told: "Yes, our system says you've been refunded." But they haven't been refunded! So far, their credit card issuer hasn't been helpful. What should they do to get their money back?
posted by swheatie at 5:58 PM PST - 9 comments

Trying to find a feminist passage about Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester. [more inside]
posted by zadcat at 2:47 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm looking for a place to retire with my husband, and somewhere between LA and Tucson, AZ would be ideal to visit family in both places. Cali is pricey, I know, but I'm still hoping I can find something somewhat affordable, as I really can't handle (more affordable but too hot) AZ. [more inside]
posted by j810c at 2:37 PM PST - 7 comments

Family home has hard water, not sure what the numbers are. Softner was removed 40 years ago, copper pipes have been damaged, have had one leak. Looking to install a very low maintenance solution, a NON-salt softener. What would be your recommendations, both technology and specific units?
posted by Sophont at 2:13 PM PST - 10 comments

Hi. I have a MacBook Pro which if memory serves I purchased new way back in 2009. I haven't used it for two or three years. I'm hoping to transfer some of its contents (photos, Word docs) to another computer, either by saving it to a USB flash drive or as an email attachment. Here's the problem: [more inside]
posted by DavidfromBA at 2:07 PM PST - 13 comments

I’m looking for a way to keep a closet door continuously open so our cats (cat tax 1 and cat tax 2) can use their litter boxes any time they need to. We can’t install a cat door in that door for reasons too boring to get into. Has anyone tried any alternatives to the usual cat door? [more inside]
posted by holborne at 1:03 PM PST - 24 comments

I would like to try to play pickleball. Outside. Near the East Village. What do I do? [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 12:20 PM PST - 5 comments

I have a Halloween costume that includes a stuffed monkey on my shoulder. How can I best keep a stuffed monkey upright on my shoulder for approximately 8 hours? [more inside]
posted by kimberussell at 12:19 PM PST - 13 comments

I will be visiting for 3 nights in September to go to a concert over the weekend. Where can I stay? What is the deal? I have gathered a little from previous asks, but feel very "born yesterday". [more inside]
posted by Iteki at 10:46 AM PST - 34 comments

Do you have a recommendation for a cheap USB/mains powered IP-camera that one could access locally through an iOS app with a video view similar to a face time call overlay or similar (we’d like to use like a baby phone/ to supervise bath time). Is there a camera standard for Wi-Fi enabled local connections?
posted by mathiu at 10:30 AM PST - 5 comments

Over a decade ago, I read Nagel's "What Is It Like to Be A Bat?", followed by another author's paper in response that went into great detail about bat sensory perception. Help me find that second paper! [more inside]
posted by cnidaria at 10:11 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm looking for ideas for a game to code for a very strange setup: two very old computers connected via a communications link. The systems have graphical screens that don't allow for easy animations or updates: you can only add to the drawing on the screen or erase the entire screen, that's it! What kind of game might work well here? [more inside]
posted by stepleton at 10:00 AM PST - 12 comments

What happened this morning at my apartment building? So. I took the elevator down from the 4th this morning to walk the dogs about 6:45. I didn't see anyone else, though sometimes I'll see other dog walkers or people rushing to early jobs. When we went back inside about 7:10, I saw weird flashing lights for a moment (I think?), from the stairwell through a small window, toward the middle of the building where the elevator is. [more inside]
posted by Glinn at 9:49 AM PST - 4 comments

I started a YouTube Podcast Channel, and I was wondering, am I allowed to use old films or contemporary films without audio for a Podcast episode without audio? Or do I need permission for copyright reasons? And if so, how many seconds can you use a film clip for?
posted by RearWindow at 9:41 AM PST - 4 comments

Hey all, We'll be in range of the full solar eclipse in April. In looking at the Ask me questions from the last time this occurred in our area (about 7 years ago), there are a lot of suggestions for LAST MINUTE choices and also a lot of suggestions for... "good enough", I guess? With this much lead time, I ask... what is the best/safest/economical choice. (Yes. I know. Pick two.) My sleuthing gave some ideas below. [more inside]
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 8:12 AM PST - 15 comments

Anyone have a tried and true recipe that tastes like pizza from Joe's (in the village) or a similar place? [more inside]
posted by the webmistress at 7:56 AM PST - 14 comments

Adopted a former stray who seems indifferent to me. Feeling discouraged. [more inside]
posted by antihistameme at 7:52 AM PST - 22 comments

I have a nice spot and hanging basket and I don't know what to put in it. The spot is full sun. I am looking for minimal work and a perennial if possible, and I am open to a combination of things. I would like to keep it hanging outside all winter and summer in Manchester, New Hampshire (temp range 20 - 80F roughly). I am not sure if that is possible but the planter doesn't easily convert to inside (coconut palm bottom) so if it did need to go inside for the winter, it would probably go to the garage with basically no natural light.
posted by likeatoaster at 7:38 AM PST - 6 comments

My kid loves Merge Dragons…she likes the cartoonish style, putting things together to make new things, etc. However, I don’t especially want her playing a Zynga game given their history and their reliance on microtransactions, etc. I’d much rather pay for a game, have no ads, and not have kids playing something designed to separate them from as much money as possible. Is there a non-scammy game similar to Merge Dragons for the iPad? Preferably one I can pay for up front? Thanks!
posted by griseus at 5:18 AM PST - 6 comments

My 5-year-old wants to know if there are any living rhinos named Clara. [more inside]
posted by johngoren at 4:10 AM PST - 9 comments

Help me come up with a quippy slogan to put on a sticker for customers. We own a small vintage shop in the Midwest and would like to create two different sticker options to offer 1) out-of-towners visiting the shop, and 2) first time customers. [more inside]
posted by sucre at 6:56 PM PST - 18 comments

The property management of my dad’s building is planning to renovate the balconies, which will take 6-8 months. My dad lives on a high floor, with moderate cognitive impairments. How can I keep him safe during this reno? How can the contractor guarantee it (what would they do)? What is standard for this reno? Based in Ontario [more inside]
posted by cotton dress sock at 4:20 PM PST - 20 comments

I need to pick up my car at a hospital garage about half an hour away. It will require that the driver take a ticket for the bar to lift. I don’t expect he will be in there long enough to incur a charge but I’m wondering what the policy is here and how it’s handled. I would prefer not to have to walk to the vehicle because it’s a pretty good distance away and my balance is not great. Thank you!
posted by manageyourexpectations at 3:32 PM PST - 7 comments

I live in a mixed use luxury condo building that is heavily guarded. A congresswoman lives here too. It's SAFE (I need that for multiple reasons). Or so I thought. I was viewing some office space a few floors below me, and the building manager did what is detailed below. The building didn't fire him. They told me to deadbolt my door (not safe, I have major health issues and I don't need the paramedics cutting down an 8 foot door and wasting time if my asthma is killing me) and that he wasn't allowed on my floor. I don't feel safe in ANY of the common space and have to get a security escort to go outside. I'm afraid to go in my hallway to take the trash out. Anyone here have experience with something like this? [more inside]
posted by lextex at 12:53 PM PST - 16 comments

Is it possible to find out how many members a dating app has within, say, 100 miles of me? [more inside]
posted by Mogur at 11:53 AM PST - 1 comment

I stopped a guy from yelling at two women and put myself at risk in the process. Did I still do the right thing? [more inside]
posted by toucan at 10:44 AM PST - 28 comments

Looking for ppl who have had similar experiences, bc I'm genuinely curious about what I find to be an strange, albeit not unamusing experience. [more inside]
posted by violetk at 8:45 AM PST - 20 comments

I'm looking for games for the 5-10 age range on the iPad that you just pay for once when you purchase it and does not have in-app purchases. [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 8:11 AM PST - 4 comments

Searching for good places to get Maryland blue crab in DC within Metro range of George Washington University Hospital. Bonus points for family style: picnic tables, cheap beer, smashy wooden hammers. Does such a place exist and do you love it? Please share! Thanks!
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 7:26 AM PST - 8 comments

I love taking baths and like the idea of rubber duckies in theory, but they are gross and biohazardous in practice: https://www.sciencealert.com/rubber-ducky-biohazard-loaded-dangerous-pathogens-bacteria-fungus Any thing else I can use? Either duckies made of something that's not biohazardous, or some other floating thing?
posted by jtothes at 7:12 AM PST - 9 comments

Elderly neighbor just asked me to get rid of their large dog crate today while I’m running errands in a borrowed car. Anywhere in the swath of neighborhoods from Brooklyn Heights to Greenpoint as well as adjacent neighborhoods a bit further away from the river like Bushwick & Bed-Stuy are fine, but I really don’t have time to go deeper into Brooklyn or to other boroughs. Where can I drop it off that doesn’t require advance notice (a cursory search showed places that needed email ahead of time)?
posted by theory at 6:18 AM PST - 8 comments

The upcoming World Naked Bike Ride has given me a lot to think about. I haven't been naked in public since the high school gym. I have a very sexual mind. I am lonely and hungry for physical attention. And my fear of rejection both keeps me from being a creep, but also keeps me from following my desires. With my 40th birthday around the corner, I wonder... Is this just who I am? Or is it possible to grow into something else? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:02 AM PST - 19 comments

My spouse and I are in a very lucky place, career-wise. We'd like to work out a plan to continue saving for long-term goals, but also spend money on things/experiences/causes that make us happy and are important to us in the short term. This is at least as much an emotional question as a budget question. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:40 AM PST - 21 comments

What self-help strategies can you recommend to deal with a neuropathic itch without a specific location? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:40 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm low on money and trying to lose weight but looking for healthy, high protein shelf-stable snacks. [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 4:59 AM PST - 9 comments

Lennon, puppy tax, is a St. Bernard/Bernese mountain dog rescue pup and nearly fully vaccinated. He (we, really) has a trainer and is signed up for puppy classes. He is going to be a big dog, and he by nature is shy and gentle. I live in a large city. Our mission for the end of the summer and into the fall is to gently and briefly introduce him to things. His house training is still quite wobbly. Which things do you wish you had shown your dog as a puppy? How did you balance the desire to socialize your puppy with a) potential accidents and b) not overwhelming them?
posted by warriorqueen at 4:20 AM PST - 19 comments

About a month ago, new neighbors moved in upstairs. Since then, there’s been extremely loud pounding, slamming, and banging noises that shake my apartment at all hours of the day and night, often accompanied by violent and piercing screaming (from an adult as well as a toddler). Problem is, I *just* resigned a year-long lease. Looking for suggestions/advice on how to proceed. [more inside]
posted by ravioli ravioli give me the formuoli at 2:00 AM PST - 15 comments

I need a basic Latin language resource to support my Duolingo learning. [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:33 PM PST - 9 comments

I want to be able to hail or otherwise get a taxi in San Francisco. What's the best way to do this? I have a big ol' bag full of questions. [more inside]
posted by pdb at 8:14 PM PST - 11 comments

This YouTube is queued to a scene from a 1969 documentary, which shows an airplane on fire approaching the camera. Do you know anything about it? [more inside]
posted by Rash at 5:03 PM PST - 4 comments

An afternoon in Salt Lake City? Where to hang, where to stay? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 3:10 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm trying to figure out how to land a software engineering job in the Bay Area within a short timeframe (~6-9 mo). Can you recommend a tech career coach who can talk through my alternatives, help me make a plan to stick to it, and keep me accountable? Alternatively, tech career advice is very welcome! [more inside]
posted by Rich Text at 3:00 PM PST - 8 comments

I am contemplating a trip by train. If I wanted to get from, say, 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to a hotel in Chicago, what is that trip going to be like by train? Can I get to a hotel on foot, safely? How would you do this trip? [more inside]
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:25 PM PST - 4 comments

I need to print some Hebrew characters using a Mac. [more inside]
posted by elf27 at 1:44 PM PST - 7 comments

What are some unusual non-sweet ways to flavor fizzy water? [more inside]
posted by vunder at 1:30 PM PST - 24 comments

What should I do as a Chicago first-timer if I have only a Saturday afternoon to kill? And where should I store my luggage if I'm not staying in a hotel there. [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 11:10 AM PST - 20 comments

What is the kindest and most succinct possible phrase, in both English and Spanish, for saying "please take your religion and fuck off my property" so I can put it on a small sign for my door.
posted by phunniemee at 9:42 AM PST - 37 comments

Hi all, I'm curious about faith healing and would like to witness it and experience it, if possible. Would anyone happen to know of any faith healers in the DC/Baltimore area? I would especially like to visit someone who enters a kind of trance while healing -- perhaps speaks in tongues. I've been trying to find Pentecostal and Charismatic churches around here, but it's hard to tell where there is healing, particularly of an ecstatic or enthusiastic sort. My interest, in all honesty, is anthropological.
posted by mrmanvir at 7:26 AM PST - 3 comments

I want to get a heated mattress pad for my bed and my kids' beds. We all have foam mattresses, and after picking a heated mattress pad (on MeFi recs) I see that it says not use on foam mattresses. I assume it's because it will degrade the foam, but how quickly? We'd use it only for an hour at a time, maybe 10 nights a year. [more inside]
posted by Ollie at 6:00 AM PST - 5 comments

Recent tests have shown that I have a variation of unknown significance on the COL1A1 gene. I'm looking for more information on what this could mean, including information about Type 1 collagen, and specifically collagen, type I, alpha 1. (YANMD, YANMClinicalGeneticist.) Books, research articles, webpages, podcasts, etc - all welcome. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:02 AM PST - 5 comments

Years ago I started working on a startup with a partner. We drifted apart, they kept working on it. Now it's worth something. How do I cash out? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:01 AM PST - 13 comments

Which little-known gems of museums or historical sites in Boston or Cambridge do I not yet know about? Difficulty level: I lived in eastern Massachusetts for two decades... [more inside]
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 12:02 AM PST - 14 comments

I have a 2013-ish MacBook Pro (running Mojave OS) with 20k or so of PDF files plus miscellaneous documents (nothing enormous: mostly around 3MBs on average and a few up to 30MBs, distributed into folders averaging 100 or so files each) that need to move over to a new MacBook Pro: what sort of connector/wire do I need? [more inside]
posted by 5Q7 at 11:14 PM PST - 12 comments

I know, YANAD, but after reading so many interesting answers to complicated questions, I figure there’s bound to be some Mefite somewhere with either a similar strange medical history, or esoteric biomedical knowledge, so here goes: Does recurring episodes of pain behind the solar plexus, plus itchy palms, followed by all body hives happening every 6 months signal terminal hypochondria or a weird undiagnosed illness? Details below... [more inside]
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 10:43 PM PST - 17 comments

My cat's Solensia (a monoclonal antibody injectable drug) is in its unbreached glass vial inside a plastic jar in the refrigerator. Instructions say store upright (in refrigerator). The vial has probably been on its side for >20 days. Is this actually a problem? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 10:06 PM PST - 3 comments

I have a snowflake language situation and am not sure if a premium Duolingo membership is worth it. Do you have one? Do you like it? Is this an app worth paying for? [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 8:04 PM PST - 15 comments

I would like to follow some interior designers on Instagram, that do bright, colorful rooms. Who should I follow? [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 5:18 PM PST - 19 comments

I’ve been on the waiting list for months, I won’t create a Twitter (not willing to refer to it by the vanity name) account, and the few legal academics I read on Twitter have moved over to Bsky. Kindest thanks in advance.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:16 PM PST - 50 comments

Both easy routes to get to a town I need to go to are blocked off entirely for the next two months. How the hell do I get some kind of alternate route there? [more inside]
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:16 PM PST - 18 comments

My teenager, who you may recall from a prior post on the topic of "Help, my kid is obsessed with Andrew Tate" is very into David Goggins at the moment. He seems a lot less toxic than Andrew Tate, but there is a lot of room between "less toxic than Tate" and "wholesome." What should I be watching for? Is his book any good? [more inside]
posted by amandabee at 3:27 PM PST - 19 comments

I watched this earlier this year, based (I think) on a link from a comment on the Blue. It is a series of videos purporting to be examinations of a curious feature in an online game. If you go into an alley on one level, sometimes there is some graffiti that gives you codes to unlock recordings of levels within the game. [more inside]
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:54 PM PST - 3 comments

Does anyone have a recommendation for a diagnostic computer with brake maintenance mode or a place where you go for recommendations? This is for a 2016 Outback. [more inside]
posted by brilliantine at 12:11 PM PST - 1 comment

I'm interested in TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, books, etc. on Watergate. I just finished the delightful White House Plumbers, and rewatched the classic All the President's Men, and am lining up Gaslit and Slow Burn (both podcast and TV documentary). What's next? What else should I be watching and reading? [more inside]
posted by gingerbeer at 11:39 AM PST - 32 comments

I’ve noticed that almost everything I’ve watched over the past few years is set in the U.S. or in England, with South Korea making a very honorable mention. (Can only think of two shows set in Ireland, nothing in Scotland or Wales). I’d like to break that up and expand my horizons: [more inside]
posted by bunderful at 11:30 AM PST - 62 comments

Wait, there’s no question here!? [more inside]
posted by loup at 11:29 AM PST - 40 comments

I had a radial head fracture on one arm that healed completely. Yay! But then I noticed the other elbow. [more inside]
posted by credulous at 11:16 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm becoming more familiar with ChatGPT and have so far used it mostly for reviewing/comparing products and finding books similar to ones I enjoyed. My younger coworkers have used it for planning trips, writing resumes and cover letters, and planning meals. I'm so curious - what other ways are people are using this tech? Especially for fun or making everyday life easier rather than work!
posted by switcheroo at 10:33 AM PST - 21 comments

For a cousin's impromtu wedding, I've been tasked with trying to find a shop on the North Side of Chicago where one could walk in and easily buy a plain or minimally designed type silver-looking wedding band for under $300 that would still be quality? Stainless steel was mentioned but I know nothing of these things.
posted by tiny frying pan at 9:41 AM PST - 16 comments

We will be in the city Friday-Sunday 9/22-24, so probably 2 breakfasts and 4-5 other meals. What to eat? [more inside]
posted by Lyn Never at 9:27 AM PST - 20 comments

My car was stolen on Monday, recovered damaged yesterday, and I'm seeking advice on how to handle the repair process, albeit with good insurance coverage, because I haven't dealt with this kind of situation/work before. I'm seeking help with scripting conversations and knowing what I don't know. [more inside]
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 9:27 AM PST - 9 comments

I've been updating a simple web page with vi for years but I'd like to switch to a simple WYSIWYG that ideally will also scp the resulting page to its final destination. Free is good. Suggestions?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:50 AM PST - 5 comments

So I picked a really intense butter yellow for my dark long hallways over my family’s objections and two months later - they were right. Are there any alternatives to a total repaint job to lightening the colour? The hallway has lots of doors and little natural light. Please help me think outside the box. The rest of the house is mostly green and white.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 8:01 AM PST - 23 comments

I'm moving in a few weeks, and I'm using professional packers from the moving company. What do I need to know? [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 7:47 AM PST - 23 comments

I was reading a newsletter on line (sorry I can't find it again), and this GIF showed up. [more inside]
posted by JimN2TAW at 7:36 AM PST - 1 comment

I bought this cheap LED light with motion sensor and the ON switch was broken. I was able to get a refund and I didn't need to return it, so I opened it up and found this chip. You can clearly see that one of the buttons on top is cracked. My question: Just for fun, can I actual find the chip to replace the broken one to get the light working again? On the back (second image) you can see the text "MZ-K1803" but my Google-fu was not strong enough to find a matching chip.
posted by gwint at 7:20 AM PST - 2 comments

I've got a nonstick ceramic skillet - a Greenpan - that we like to cook with. The bottom is clean; the sides, though, are building up some stains. The Greenpan site suggests boiling detergent in the pan. I did that, worked great - for the bottom, which was already fine. Sides, though, weren't really affected. How do you get stubborn stains off the sides of your ceramic cookware?
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:07 AM PST - 7 comments

I apologize in advance, but the questions are related, I promise. I've been working within the same team for the past 8 years, with incremental rise in seniority (not really always matched with increase in pay, but job is already well-paid and secure so this is less of a quibble). To say the team is under-resourced and overworked is an understatement - people burn out and flee in 3-4 years. It's kinda infamous within the company. The role is very visible, the margin of error is wafer thin, and my boss is incompetent, vacillating, and incapable of taking quick decisions in scenarios that absolutely need them. So yes, dragging myself to work (it's WFO) is a hoot and a half every morning. Why do I not try to get out, you ask? An excellent question. [more inside]
posted by Nieshka at 7:04 AM PST - 20 comments

You had extremely dry patches on your knees from years of neglect. Putting lotion on them did nothing. You no longer have these dry patches. What did you apply/do? (You are not my dermatologist)
posted by sandmanwv at 6:58 AM PST - 13 comments

Why is Glossier 'You' the only perfume that actually seems to stick to my skin/be smellable (?) hours after applying? What about this perfume gives it its longevity that I can look for in other fragrances too? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 6:32 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm finding that I really don't like the taste of any bagged grocery store whole wheat bread lately and I am wondering if it just me. I'm finding it really bland and dry. I've been a toast at breakfast guy for my entire life and never felt this way before. Has there been some recent across the board ingredient change or something? [more inside]
posted by srboisvert at 3:45 AM PST - 14 comments

I have a new ISP and my router keeps dropping connection. Any way to pinpoint where the problem lies? [more inside]
posted by soonertbone at 8:50 PM PST - 6 comments

Got an invitation to a complimentary dinner presentation at a fancy steakhouse, put on by E. A. Buck Financial Services. I could certainly use a little education on financial matters, and of course free dinner is very tempting. If you've been to one of these things, I'd love to hear your experience. Was it a pleasant evening of food and wine and erudition? Or was it more like a high-pressure timeshare presentation? Help me decide if I should go! [more inside]
posted by mpark at 6:28 PM PST - 32 comments

The police say it's not. The victim is over 90, lives alone, and is bizarrely, unrealistically certain that the handyman/scammer is going to pay back the fifty-thousand-plus dollars that they have "lent" him, and that it is a good idea to give him even more. The police refused to take a report, saying it's not a criminal matter. I'm looking for opinions and anecdotes to help us process the situation. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:10 PM PST - 16 comments

The question on the green earlier today is prompting mine: what are some good videos/articles/etc about Burning Man? I'm likely never going myself but find it fascinating.
posted by cozenedindigo at 6:08 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm going on a work trip to Victoria, BC in October. I want to take a ~week's holiday while I'm there, preferably on a group trip of some kind. However, it seems to be too late in the year for the summer activities and too early for the winter ones. I'd like to see some wildlife, scenary, and history. Help me find what I'm after! [more inside]
posted by Urtylug at 4:41 PM PST - 8 comments

Hi. I am F 32, and I have had anxiety since I was a child, but it has gotten worse in my early to mid-twenties and now it seems pretty hard again, unfortunately. I have a feeling it is genetic due to being born prematurely, as they tend to suffer from mental health issues. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 2:08 PM PST - 17 comments

Eggs cooked in avocado oil in glassware (microwave). No matter pre-soaked in soapy water (or re-soaked after first attempts) it is almost impossible to clean eggs off glassware. Wondering if it is because I'm using rough plastic scrunge cleaning pads, am I scratching it making it more and more a chore after each wash? About ready to toss (goodwill, actually) and buy new but would scrunge pads just do the same to new? If I can't use scrunge pads, how am I to clean eggs from glassware?
posted by dancestoblue at 1:09 PM PST - 17 comments

I've got a job that I should love on paper, but frequently... don't. Hearing from people who love their jobs, and what about the jobs they love, might help me look at where I'm at with fresh eyes and find new joy. [more inside]
posted by Shepherd at 1:08 PM PST - 29 comments

What book did I read? It was a parenting book about money, the author was male, and it had a radical plan that involved increasing children's responsibility for finances to the point where the parents give teenagers all of the money for their living expenses, and the kids pay back 'rent' to their parents. What was the author and title? My library record is not helping.
posted by epanalepsis at 12:38 PM PST - 3 comments

I have an amazing niece entering first grade next year. Do you have suggestions for engaging nighttime chapter book read-alouds that are not ones I, her 40ish childless aunt, would know about, because they were written in the last 20 years? [more inside]
posted by charmedimsure at 12:38 PM PST - 23 comments

I need to make a scrumptious carrot cake. I have an opened box of cake flour, and since I bake cakes only about once a year, I'd like to use it. [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 11:30 AM PST - 9 comments

I have pretty bad plantar fasciitis and I don't like wearing shoes at home. What are my best non-shoe options to help treat/deal with this? [more inside]
posted by an octopus IRL at 10:26 AM PST - 14 comments

I got a weather-related horizontal crack in a 2023 Subaru a month after I purchased it. The dealership refuses to admit it was due to a defect with the glass, so I am just going to go ahead and get it replaced at this point because I am sick of driving around with it (plus, it finally split off in another direction, so it's getting extra annoying) [more inside]
posted by ttyn at 9:24 AM PST - 20 comments

Two people ("Moe" and "Larry") have been sharing a single Discord account. They each participate in different servers, so when Moe logs into Discord, he just ignores Larry's servers, and Larry just ignores Moe's. However, they've decided they want to have separate accounts. One solution is for Moe to create an entirely new account and use it to re-join his servers, but this new account would no longer be associated with all his previous posts. Is there any way to split the accounts, with each person keeping their posting history?
posted by yankeefog at 8:49 AM PST - 6 comments

Have you seen the movie The Endless? If not, you can watch if for free on youtube here, it's very very good. I would like book recommendations that are like The Endless in a specific way, so beware this question contains spoilers for that movie. [more inside]
posted by phunniemee at 8:48 AM PST - 13 comments

Are there good alternatives to Zoom for hosting occasional video meetings with non-techy people? [more inside]
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:06 AM PST - 18 comments

My friend’s house in Toronto, Canada is situated on a one-way street that has a narrow laneway behind it, for all the homeowners’ garages. For some reason Uber thinks her garage is the house, meaning every Uber gets lost in the back laneway, instead of coming to her front door. How can she change the pin to the front of the house? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:05 AM PST - 6 comments

I have legal questions specific to Arkansas and Ohio on family trust documents created in the 1970's [more inside]
posted by silsurf at 6:49 AM PST - 3 comments

I’m going to Burning Man for the first time this year. I’m looking for advice on how to get all my stuff there. The specifics are: I’m coming from Toronto, flying to SF, staying there a few days, then taking the Burner Bus, and staying at a camp (The Lost Penguin) that provides a fair amount of infrastructure. [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit at 6:19 AM PST - 13 comments

I have a few garments like cardigans with holes in the seams, especially under the arm, and jeans with wear on the thighs. I'd like to mend these by hand. It doesn't have to look professional, in fact I love the look of visible mending. But where do I even begin? The most I have ever done is to sew a loose button back on. [more inside]
posted by guessthis at 4:36 AM PST - 30 comments

The New York Times beta for Digits has gone dark. What's next? [more inside]
posted by freethefeet at 11:59 PM PST - 7 comments

I'll be in Japan in February and I'm wondering whether it's worth it to visit Miyajima island and the torii gate, given the typical weather that time of year. The plan is to take the train in from Kyoto, stay at a ryokan on Miyajima one night and then head out. I'd like to visit the Peace Park on the way to or from Miyajima, as well.
posted by Atrahasis at 8:17 PM PST - 8 comments

Please help me find these two realistic paintings of David & Goliath. Both paintings were very large, perhaps 8 x 10 feet or more. Mounted side by side and giving a very different interpretation of the end of the battle: in one David looks quite young, perhaps 14 and seems stunned by his success, in the second he looks older, perhaps 18 or 19 and his foot rests on Goliath's chest and his expression is triumphant. [more inside]
posted by sugarbx19 at 5:23 PM PST - 5 comments

I am a skilled carpenter and amateur luthier, but I am not your skilled carpenter and amateur luthier. I have come in to possession of a nice acoustic with stove-in sides, they cannot be fixed. Everything else is serviceable. Can I replace the sides? [more inside]
posted by Admiral Viceroy at 4:59 PM PST - 7 comments

The parameters: dry sauna (not infrared), easy to set up, sturdy, has windows, wifi connectivity (so can be turned on remotely), 6 seats at least, will be placed outdoors. [more inside]
posted by shrimpetouffee at 4:41 PM PST - 3 comments

I have always been impressed with the collective culinary skills of MeFi, so give us hope! A good friend has a new kindergartner. She is responsible for sending a classroom snack multiple times throughout the year. At home, the family eats incredibly healthy, well-balanced, tasty meals, mostly “real” foods (e.g., not processed) with an eye to making sure there’s some protein somewhere in the mid-day snacks. Friend was just informed that there is a dairy allergy AND a nut allergy in the class. She is not opposed to a bit of at-home baking or prepping to achieve this goal, but most of her go-to kid snacks include either dairy or nuts. What are some other kid-friendly options?
posted by Silvery Fish at 4:00 PM PST - 24 comments

I haven’t ridden a bicycle in about 20 years. I now HAVE a bicycle, which is freshly repaired, so I can keep up with my bike-happy kid, but I haven’t tried it yet. Do I bring it on the camping trip we’re leaving for tomorrow and assume I’ll figure it out, or lower the risk of injury/public humiliation and take some lessons somewhere before trying it in a semi-public place? I’m in okay shape but have zero spatial skills.
posted by centrifugal at 3:53 PM PST - 14 comments

My four year old daughter didn’t have a good experience of her first year of preschool. She’s a bit quirky and may have high functioning ASD. She’s also the only non white kid in the class. We are moving to a new school this September and I want to set her up for success. Snowflakes inside. [more inside]
posted by redlines at 3:49 PM PST - 19 comments

YANMD. Around where the incisions for my colon cancer tumor removal surgery took place, at my belly button, started having odd pain/discomfort last night. I feel some degree of tightness/pain (not dire, but not comfortable either) when moving around in certain ways or bending over. I talked with my surgeon, and she didn't seem too concerned. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 3:41 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm looking for a sales/inventory tracking application for a "small-time" sort-of-side-hustle. [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot at 2:28 PM PST - 0 comments

I have a couple old -- like from decades ago -- Revlon tweezers, and they're totally superior to anything I've managed to buy recently or that I see on Revlon's page. [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:51 PM PST - 15 comments

Where can I buy notecards that are all of these things: both sides blank, close to 100 lb, good for ballpoint pen writing, rounded corners, and a size like 6x4 or 5.5 x 4.25?
posted by michaelh at 1:29 PM PST - 4 comments

In addition, are there websites that allow you to query the name of a song, a specific album, a band, or a genre to get the names of similar songs/albums/bands?
posted by BadgerDoctor at 12:40 PM PST - 25 comments

I'm looking for a dupe for Kevin Murphy "Young Again" leave in hair oil. That stuff is too expensive! [more inside]
posted by silverstatue at 12:31 PM PST - 8 comments

I find myself with a large cache (pun intended) of coins. Once upon a time, I was able to take this into my local bank branch for counting and exchanging into paper money. It seems that banks no longer offer this. Where can I take my coins? [more inside]
posted by hydra77 at 11:17 AM PST - 21 comments

A family member in the Seattle area is looking to get two family heirloom oil paintings appraised for insurance purposes. Does anybody have any appraisers they have used recently? Family member is in Everett, so one in King or Snohomish counties would be ok.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:07 AM PST - 2 comments

My dad needs to move into long-term care after a partial hip replacement. I am looking for good options in the Chicago area, or for resources that will help me find a good place. [more inside]
posted by mai at 10:56 AM PST - 9 comments

Inspired partially by this post on the Green, I'm look for trinkets and ephemera that look specifically like this dog breed. [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 10:35 AM PST - 4 comments

I committed to a breeder to have my dog as a stud dog but none of us likes dog shows. Also my dog has a strong sex drive and is sometimes hard to handle, so I was considering neutering. He is no longer trying to mount the pets he lives with but after meeting any other animal he goes nuts. [more inside]
posted by Salicornia at 10:27 AM PST - 17 comments

So, I've wanted an e-bike for a while now, but I'm a giant 6'4"+ middle-aged dude, and the weight limits of almost all of the bikes are lower than my current weight (not by a huge amount, less than 50 pounds). I found a great deal on a quality e-bike with a weight limit lower than my current weight. Let's say that I got it. Is there any real risk? Is it just plain going to break, or should I just assume there's just the weirdness of invalidating the warranty, getting less range and putting some added wear and tear on it?
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 10:02 AM PST - 7 comments

Despite my language being set to English and location being set to the US, Google has been giving me a lot of results (but not all!) in Italian, and most results for shopping searches in euros and at European retailers. However Amazon is still the US version, MF and news sites are fine, etc. I am planning a trip to Italy so something I did must have triggered this. It's weirdly inconsistent. How do I fix it?
posted by HotToddy at 9:52 AM PST - 3 comments

Is it possible to file an amicus brief in this case? If it's not possible, is there somewhere else obvious where someone could share thoughts about this case?
posted by davidstandaford at 9:40 AM PST - 2 comments

I'm considering going in for professional tooth whitening at my dentist, but the price tag has me really gunshy. Looking for peoples' experience with various tooth whitening techniques, and the results both short and long term. [more inside]
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:34 AM PST - 13 comments

Do dress shirts shrink at the neck over the long term (i.e., years not days)? [more inside]
posted by Mid at 8:19 AM PST - 14 comments

I’m staying near a place that has sheep. They seem used to being fed by passerby, but aren’t very interested in the pumpkin seeds I have to offer. What foods do sheep prefer?
posted by wheatlets at 8:01 AM PST - 8 comments

Looking for books/podcasts/articles, anything really, that will help me think through the relationship between ADHD and my sex life/drive. [more inside]
posted by Summers at 4:31 AM PST - 6 comments

How do I deal with a long time friend who is suddenly projecting herself onto me really intensely? She is a close friend that I intend to keep, but right now talking to her is exhausting. She interrupts me part way through sentences to jump in with a response to what she thinks the end of my sentence would be (how she would finish the sentence) and it’s usually about 180° from what I am trying to communicate. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:24 AM PST - 20 comments

I feel like my knowledge of literary history is poor and want to rectify this. To give an example, people talk about Joyce. But why? I haven't read any of his canonical works, and would like to be more familiar. Of course, I could read them. And some day I would like to. But honestly that won't really tell me why Joyce is such a big name unless I was already well read in literature and attentive to style and other things. I want something easy and explicitly instructive. I would love just a textbook survey that would tell me how Joyce, Woolf, Hemingway, Faulkner, and all sorts of authors fit into the canon. I know the idea of a canon and who is included is problematic. But some group of people thought some writers were important enough to include. I'd love an overview covering all these writers and what they are thought to bring to the table. Is there anything like this? Could even be more limited if it has to be (writers of a certain period, certain style, certain language).
posted by TheLinenLenin at 7:18 PM PST - 22 comments

My sofa has swallowed a lot of things, including things I'd like to have back (like pendants I've made, art supplies, etc). It's not a sleeper sofa, just a regular three-person couch that I bought at a thrift store five years ago. How can I best recoup what's disappeared inside?
posted by mermaidcafe at 6:22 PM PST - 14 comments

Two nights in a row, my six-year-old has randomly thrown up about an hour after bedtime. No fever, no sickness I know of. I'm baffled as to what it might be. [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 6:04 PM PST - 10 comments

I can’t figure out a better way to phrase the question. More details inside. [more inside]
posted by xicana63 at 1:43 PM PST - 9 comments

I just watched the episode of "The Bear" where Richie stages (interns, essentially) for a week at a three-star Michelin restaurant. I was riveted by the portrayal of the fanatical devotion to excellence and perfection needed to run such an establishment, particularly the scene centered around the expeditor. I'm curious to know what other sorts of jobs/careers/industries demand similar qualities at that level. [more inside]
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 12:36 PM PST - 40 comments

Aside from drinking it straight, making lattes, panna cotta, or pudding, what recipes would you recommend to highlight the flavor?
posted by wheatlets at 12:00 PM PST - 13 comments

Ten years ago when I moved into this house, I wired it for Ethernet. I didn't know what I was doing. Now I'm encountering some issues and I think I need to make some changes, but I have some questions! More after the fold... [more inside]
posted by kbanas at 11:55 AM PST - 17 comments

My elderly relative uses Ubuntu on his desktop, and he keeps breaking it. I would like to lock it down in a way that I can manage remotely. [more inside]
posted by credulous at 11:16 AM PST - 9 comments

Every morning I have some chia seeds in my breakfast, then brush my teeth. Chia seeds being the way they are, this means some seeds go down my bathroom drain. Lately -- despite this being my regular breakfast for ages -- they have started to sprout. I don't like this. How do I stop it? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:09 AM PST - 19 comments

I'm going to do a presentation on Zoom for the first time. I'm going to show some pictures and talk about them. How do I do this? The pictures can be .jpg 's or whatever they need to be. I'm on a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop. Should the pictures be on my Desktop? I'm not an organizer or anything. "Structurally" I'm just a participant. Or do I have to give over my screen to the person whose Zoom account is running this series of discussions? [I Know Nothing]
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:56 AM PST - 9 comments

In a few weeks, I'll be embarking on a trip across the US to help my mother move. Much of my anxiety about the trip is focused around food and I am seeking general vegetarian road trip food advice as well as specific restaurant suggestions along our route (planned overnights are: Cleveland -> Madison -> Jamestown, ND -> Billings, MT -> Spokane, WA). [more inside]
posted by hoyland at 10:50 AM PST - 31 comments

I’ve read the manual and it says nothing about beeping noises or muting, but I do see something that says “mute” here, so that must mean something? Here are photos of the control panel.
posted by wheatlets at 10:50 AM PST - 6 comments

Another fashion question: I have a lot of cool t-shirts with neat images on the front, but want to look more like a grownup when wearing them, just tshirt and jeans feels like I'm a 50 year old trying to look like a teenager. [more inside]
posted by AzraelBrown at 9:39 AM PST - 19 comments

We’re in Gothenburg now - August 6,7,8,9. We like museums of all types, weird shopping, thrift & vintage shopping, record stores, hiking, gardens, etc. Live music too. Bonus points if you can tell me which record shops are more likely to have 80s & new wave stuff AND/OR recent era electronicky stuff! (Fever Ray, Nation of Language etc)
posted by chr1sb0y at 9:02 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking for examples of novels which were given a cover ill-suited to the story's genre. Or novels that were published with a summary/cover text which suggested a different genre from the contents. I don't mean deliberate bait and switch, I mean the kind of books where the packaging is so wrong you wonder if anyone at the publishing house had read the story. The kind where, if you recommend them to someone, you have to say "I know what it looks like from the cover, BUT..." [more inside]
posted by Ballad of Peckham Rye at 8:47 AM PST - 27 comments

Can I make a nixie clock dimmer without modifying the circuits? Maybe use a power supply that's rated lower, or something? [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 8:19 AM PST - 11 comments

I put water softener cleaner (Out brand citric acid from Fleet Farm) into my water softener, ran a recharge/regeneration cycle, and proceeded as normal. In the morning, I ran water from the faucet, and it was bluish, greenish yellowish. I drank some before I realized this. Am I dying? [more inside]
posted by pepper bird at 7:51 AM PST - 5 comments

My dad and I had a big falling-out years ago and have worked our way back to a friendly but distant relationship. I need to let him know that my daughter is getting married this month, but am not sure when to tell him. [more inside]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:42 AM PST - 23 comments

Hello My dad is looking for a very particular type of Rhine or Danube, ideally both, cruise. Wanted to ask here before I contact travel agents. [more inside]
posted by runincircles at 5:33 AM PST - 3 comments

Where can I access the best selection of 20th-century LGBT movies? [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 5:10 AM PST - 8 comments

Hi, I am reaching an understanding that my Youtube subscriptions are mostly to lighter-skinned creators. I want to add some variety to my entertainment. My interests are - engineering, aviation, cooking, coockig theory, music theory, woodworking, boat-building, making in general & science. If you know of non-English channels that might interest me and have good subtitles, those are also an option. I am already subscribed to the channel of Jeremy Fielding so you can skip recommending him. He is a good example of who I am looking to add to my subscriptions. Thanks for sharing, Hanan Cohen
posted by hananc at 1:29 AM PST - 19 comments

My daughter will soon be leaving home (which is Singapore) to study in China, leaving an empty nest for us. I am now a nervous wreck, and don't know how to think positively. [more inside]
posted by applesurf at 7:27 PM PST - 16 comments

I am seeking a list of faculty at the University of Benito Juarez in Oaxaca, Mexico, particularly in the Humanties and Soft Sciences. [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 3:48 PM PST - 4 comments

I have a phobia of sedation of any kind due to two traumatic experiences I have had in medical settings. A head and neck surgeon informs me that I must have surgery to remove cancerous tumors from my throat. I am pretty sure I won't be able to do this as it stands right now--that I will cancel at the last moment and never reschedule. (TW: SA, ED) [more inside]
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 3:40 PM PST - 20 comments

I have a conference trip planned for mid-November of this year in Vancouver, Canada. This will provide an opportunity to tack on a vacation with my spouse. If there's a chance of being able to see the northern lights from somewhere nearby, we'd like to give it a try. What are people's recommendations? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 3:38 PM PST - 6 comments

I have home management tasks that need doing, and I want to pay someone to do them. But they're not straightforward cleaning or organization, so I'm not sure what services to look for (or if they even exist and I need to think about this differently). Anyone got advice? Examples inside. [more inside]
posted by cadge at 2:27 PM PST - 9 comments

I had some discharge from my ears which blocked them partially, reduced my hearing and caused tinnitus. I'm undergoing treatment and it's getting better. It's causing me panic, anxiety and restlessness. I'm not prone to panic and anxiety. Any advice on how to deal with the panic and anxiety, caused due to health/aging issues? [more inside]
posted by naveed at 2:04 PM PST - 5 comments

Yes, I should have been smarter, but I wasn’t. Anyway, I was trying to buy tickets to a minor league baseball game. My friend was in town, really wanted to go, but all the games have been sold out for months. [more inside]
posted by clocksock at 1:54 PM PST - 3 comments

I've had plantar fasciitis for four months. Physical therapy didn't help at all. The only things that have helped have been a cortisone shot in my heel and wearing my running shoes pretty much all day every day. But it's summer here, my feet are burning up, and I long to wear sandals. [more inside]
posted by DrGail at 1:24 PM PST - 45 comments

My sister lives 10 000 miles away in Melbourne and has a significant birthday coming up. I'd like to buy her a gift voucher for a nice meal, somewhere where 200 AUD would cover most of the bill for two people plus wine. [more inside]
posted by alby at 11:02 AM PST - 11 comments

Our built-in microwave broke and was not repairable. It was in there when we bought the house and no idea where it was purchased. This is what it was plugged into. It does not look like any international plug I could find on the internet. What its it?
posted by Lescha at 10:24 AM PST - 9 comments

I've wanted to live in Canada ever since I visited as a kid, and things are getting pretty bad here in the UK, so now seems like a good time to move. I think I have just about enough points to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker program, but I don't want to move without a job lined up, and finding a job in another country seems impossible. [more inside]
posted by Chenko at 7:36 AM PST - 17 comments

4 year old son is struggling with fine motor skills, attention span, speech and there are waitlists for the waitlists at every developmental pediatrician we've found nearby. How do we help our kid? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:58 AM PST - 18 comments

Does anyone know a good career coach based in Vancouver BC? Failing that, how does one find a good, local career coach without any personal recommendations? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:58 AM PST - 3 comments

Are there any shops in Boston or Cambridge that will pay an honest dollar for decent quality jewelry? [more inside]
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 6:27 AM PST - 4 comments

I’m trying to remember the name and singer of a song that was popular in the US between 2011 and 2016, probably on the earlier end. It was slow-ish and had a line that may have been “I look at you and I’m home” or maybe “you look at me and I’m home” but definitely included the phrase “and I’m home.” I think but am not sure that the singer was female. Thanks!
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 1:28 AM PST - 3 comments

If you're angry at a former employer, what's your petty revenge fantasy? Tips for letting go? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:06 AM PST - 28 comments

I watched this movie, which came out, probably in the past 10-12 years. It was about a young woman that is admitted to a spa/retreat/prison by her wealthy parents, so she can be genetically...improved. She falls in love with a young man, also a patient. Things take a dark turn. [more inside]
posted by chromecow at 12:01 AM PST - 8 comments

I know the general advice is to get a fee-only financial advisor, but I’m not sure exactly if there’s someone more specific we need in this situation. My partner and I are considering getting married and eventually having kids. What we’d like to understand better is how our assets pre- and post-marriage are treated. [more inside]
posted by sillysally at 9:05 PM PST - 7 comments

Long story short: I left my fancy Lenovo Carbon laptop at a hotel and they cannot ship it to me before I leave the country for a month on Tuesday. I'm teaching an online class and need a laptop to connect to the online course management system and browse the web. Could I do with this $199 laptop? Or would I just be hating life? Open to alternative recommendations.
posted by LarryC at 7:36 PM PST - 19 comments

I'm embarking on a D&D game where I'm inverting the "person with a cursed sword" trope by having the character be the cursed sword, with an endless succession of doomed schmoes picking it up. Not too on the nose (Bloodthirster, Skullcracker), but not just goofy (Killbot, Swordy McSwordface).
posted by Shepherd at 5:57 PM PST - 31 comments

What are the right next steps when Dell returned my kid’s laptop in worse shape than when she sent it for repair? [more inside]
posted by Sublimity at 5:16 PM PST - 6 comments

My Other Half and I, along with one grown child of mine, are heading to a family reunion in the Beech Mountain area of North Carolina. Other Half claims there's nothing to do there - please help me prove him wrong! [more inside]
posted by annieb at 3:37 PM PST - 11 comments

If I found a poor dead bee and wanted to preserve it like pressing a flower, is that doable or madness? I've seen all the ways to preserve it in three dimensions, but would like it flat. I suspect the chiten would crush but perhaps there are methods to soften and then squish?
posted by Iteki at 3:15 PM PST - 8 comments

My sunflowers. Something is eating them. I sprayed neem oil, as per the local garden supply clerk, but it's not helping. None of the other plants in the garden seem to be affected. How can I get rid of these wee beasties? [more inside]
posted by Marky at 2:40 PM PST - 9 comments

I want my iPhone to be like an old, non-net connected cell phone twenty-two hours a day, and like the distraction machine it is for the other two. Basically. [more inside]
posted by From Bklyn at 2:26 PM PST - 5 comments

Does anyone have any tips for how to organize an excel sheet for doing dimensional analysis without making mistakes? [more inside]
posted by 12%juicepulp at 2:25 PM PST - 3 comments

Driving back to the Pacific from Yellowstone NP, seem like the options are between leaving via the north exit and taking I-90 through Bozeman, Butte, Missoula and Spokane; and leaving the west exit and taking I-84 through Idaho: Twin Falls and Boise. Which is better? [more inside]
posted by Rash at 2:15 PM PST - 11 comments

I want to put a different fitting on a small charm. Right now it has a little loop. I want to put a more solid loop thing on it, so when I wear it attached to a chain, it won't flip over. Is there any place to go to have this little bit of soldering done in New York City? I am familiar with the 47th Street jewelry district with all the little shops, but I wouldn't know which one to go to. Also, looking all the bling on display might damage my eyes (kidding).
posted by DMelanogaster at 1:21 PM PST - 2 comments

Just the best one, as far as you know or have heard, according to any metric (but mostly name recognition). What's Canada's equivalent of the Columbia journalism program? Looking for more of a broad survey than personal experiences, but any information is helpful. This is more for curiosity than actual real-life decision-making, but I don't know anyone in the field that I can ask. [more inside]
posted by 100kb at 12:26 PM PST - 3 comments

Hi! I have a pair of Klipsch R-51PM speakers and they work flawlessly when I connect directly to them with Bluetooth. However, I'm trying to connect them to a Sony STR-DH190 Stereo Receiver. (Right speaker) (Receiver) When I connect the receiver to my speakers as shown in the images, I'm getting sound but it's really crackly. I've tried other wires with banana connectors with the same staticy result. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, hoping one of the lovely geniuses here can help!
posted by mrk021 at 12:18 PM PST - 16 comments

I have to get a colposcopy and cervix biopsy and I am quite terrified. Am I making the right choice? [more inside]
posted by buttonedup at 12:05 PM PST - 29 comments

I bought these pens from the website of a guy who was always inventing handy things and selling some of them. They're Bic Round Stic pens with a rare earth magnet embedded in the cap, and they're great for keeping on the refrigerator. I'd like to buy more, but I'm also more curious about that guy and his website, and wondering what he's up to now. [more inside]
posted by homodachi at 11:45 AM PST - 4 comments

As an educator preparing for the upcoming school year, I’d like to plan a meaningful and memorable first day back for my students. What notable experiences have you had as either an instructor or a student? For context, I teach high school students.
posted by WaspEnterprises at 11:06 AM PST - 17 comments

American living and working in the UK, tired of filing my own US taxes. For other US citizens living abroad, please could you recommend accounting firms that you have had positive first-hand experiences with? [more inside]
posted by quadrant seasons at 10:38 AM PST - 4 comments

My daughter's Subaru needs its transmission replaced. [more inside]
posted by neuron at 10:31 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm half in charge of a bowls club whatsapp group this year and desperately want to automate some of it to cut down on the repetition that goes on... For example the trainer isn't in the group but sends content regularly she effectively wants copying and pasting to the group. How can we give him a way to 'inject' messages without being in the group? Also I'm aware of broadcast lists....I kinda like the format but am I right in thinking both me and my co-manager (we share the job this year) would have to create duplicate broadcast lists, we can't somehow have access to the same whatsapp account? I would happily buy a new SIM or whatever so that we could do this if it were possible... [more inside]
posted by dance at 9:28 AM PST - 3 comments

A few months ago I had a minor accident while I was bicycling to work in the city. I wasn't injured aside from a few scrapes and bruises and I was never in any serious danger. Ordinarily I would just brush it off as no big deal, but maybe due to the specific nature of the accident I am still extremely nervous and jittery when riding. I feel like I have landed in a Calvin and Hobbes attack of the killer bicycle comic. It's unpleasant, and being this over-reactive or erratic is also unsafe. How can I get over this? [more inside]
posted by 4rtemis at 8:47 AM PST - 12 comments

I recently got an iPad and an iPhone SE. I'm having weird problems with search on some of the apps. On my iPad, sometimes it won't let me search Netflix - it won't let me type anything in the search box at all. [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 7:56 AM PST - 1 comment

My facebook is awash with these and to be honest I've probably brought it on myself as I've searched for this kind of thing often enough (but previously not found them). Basically it's what the hygienist at the dentist does. Ultrasonic tooth cleaning. Nothing else seems to get my teeth properly clean again. Anyway if I buy one of these things (Smirk is the brand that's all over my facebook but I don't want THIS to sound like ad) - anyone know if 9 out of 10 dentists would think it was a good idea?! [more inside]
posted by dance at 7:25 AM PST - 8 comments

Help us plan a five-night road trip to the Black Forest in Germany! We plan to travel to/from Utrecht in the Netherlands in mid-August. Please suggest places to visit and stay, food to eat, things to do! We are especially interested in lush scenery, folklore and spooky stuff, and nighttime views of the Milky Way. [more inside]
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 7:07 AM PST - 7 comments

In the 1960s there was one weird towel in the family: It was bath-towel sized, terry (looped), very scritchy, natural light brown color. (Perhaps a decades-older towel, in grandmother's household.) What made it distinctive for young me was the smell. Not old or mildewed stank, more a strong smell intrinsic to the fiber. Haven't met that flavor since. The towel was rough, could have been a sauna-intended towel. Used for beach but seemed more intended for skin scruffing. Flax or linen, or some other treated cotton-adjacent textile? Possibly from Europe.
posted by xaryts at 7:01 AM PST - 7 comments

If my employer won't back date coverage to the date of a qualifying life event, do I have any options besides COBRA to cover claims occurring during that month between plans? [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 6:55 AM PST - 7 comments

Moving from Michigan to Salt Lake City, and my original plans for a road trip with a friend fell through. So I'm thinking about other options and would appreciate some insight. [more inside]
posted by FencingGal at 6:33 AM PST - 12 comments

My partners and I are looking for an iOS and Android mobile app that can scan shopping receipts and allow us to tag them so we can keep a running tally of who owes whom money. We're in Switzerland, so it has to work with non-US receipts. We're fine with paying a small subscription fee.
posted by Zarkonnen at 6:00 AM PST - 2 comments

I am a middle aged man who has never had a sexual relationship only ever platonic ones due to untreatable ED. My few attempts did not go well. I have never been great at finding either platonic female friends or fitting in with the culture of men where I live either. I did get something from platonic friendships when I was going out more between 2005 and 2018, and a lot less since. I am wondering whether to seek out more platonic friendship, or whether that would just cause me hurt and frustration, and I should find some hobbies I could do solo at home starting from scratch. I expect only a very few would be in my specific situation, but can I ask if any midlifers have given up on finding a partner again, what solo hobbies do you do? Or if you benefit from purely platonic friendship, how do you signal that this is what you want and where do you find it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:02 AM PST - 19 comments

Running a MacBook. I have very few photos, no videos, and a lot of word files. So I need a way to transparently store my files in a reasonably priced, dependable, service with good customer service and any thing else you can think of and I can't.
posted by partner at 6:43 PM PST - 6 comments

There was a comedy video I found on YouTube several years ago of an interview with a man pretending to be Del Close. The video was a love letter and the man playing him obviously knew him well. [more inside]
posted by goalyeehah at 6:05 PM PST - 1 comment

I have a trip to Mexico City booked for the end of the month, but I'm having some second thoughts about it, financially speaking. Total cost of the trip will be about $2300, so let's say $2500 to account for unanticipated expenses. The only hard cash I've put out so far is the flight, about $600 (factored into total). I can get a credit to use on a future flight. [more inside]
posted by rhymedirective at 1:41 PM PST - 19 comments

Making a DIY indoor screen to project stuff onto extremely basic: cardboard tubes, fabric, staple gun. The best place to hang it will accommodate about 65" of width. For most things I'm going to project from Netflix or wherever, how many inches top to bottom should I be figuring on? I feel like there's a very basic answer here but it's the kind of thing I google and people are talking about it in depth and my eyes glaze over...
posted by less-of-course at 12:51 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm about to start driving lessons in an automatic car. I'm 50, am anxious about driving, not someone with physical skills or great co-ordination, and have ADHD (inattentive). I'm in the UK, though guess some strategies will apply internationally. Can you suggest anything which will help me learn? For instance, this possibly sounds daft but should I make notes after lessons? If you are someone who has learnt in a similar situation it would be great to hear what worked for you. [more inside]
posted by paduasoy at 12:29 PM PST - 32 comments

There are many criticisms of academic publishing business models, and this question is not about most of them. There is a specific issue that I have never seen adequately addressed. In the USA, at least, how is a for-profit publisher getting volunteer peer review labor from academics not in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act? [more inside]
posted by secretseasons at 10:43 AM PST - 16 comments

We are looking to move in the coming year, and our kids (under 10) are not thrilled about it. Have you done this as either a child or parent? If so, how can we make this a more positive experience? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 7:47 AM PST - 19 comments

I recently switched from Android to iPhone and have discovered that changes in communication over the past few years, which I attributed to general changes in culture, are actually rooted in Apple's decisions to do/not do certain things with iOS. I'm curious what others exist and if they're documented someplace. Examples inside. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 6:11 AM PST - 29 comments

Long story short I let a Series A startup snooker me into doing 9 interviews over Zoom, and now they want to do one more while they negotiate my salary with their founder. This is madness and I wish I had known how to push back sooner. How can I gracefully say no to the latest request (which will accompany a rejection of any offers they make) and do the same earlier on in the future? "I'm sorry, that won't be possible," begs the question, "Why?" so I don't want to use that phrase anymore.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 5:50 AM PST - 27 comments

I want to dig up a 4' x 6' area of my lawn a few inches deep to make a level spot for a sandbox. What's the right kind of shovel to do the digging out? (If you can link to a specific example, that would be great.)
posted by Wolfdog at 5:42 AM PST - 8 comments

Does anyone have experience with having double health insurance? We've ended up with coverage overlapping for a month w/Kaiser and a PPO plan. I am mostly going to be wrapping up appointments at Kaiser and transferring care to the new plan. Do I have to tell them about the other insurance? I'm not sure how it would affect things given how Kaiser works. Will it end up costing me more? I'm looking at a handful of appointments and maybe 1-2 lab tests.
posted by anonymous at 5:04 AM PST - 6 comments

I have been told I have been coming across at a new work place of claiming that I know everything (and I never heard this before and worked many different job situations). After drilling down a bit, its apparently because I say Yeh ( small pause), Yeh, when I am told something and others see it as Yeeaah (big pause) Yeeah and it reads as sarcasm, any insights? Regional QLD Issues insights welcome? [more inside]
posted by Lesium at 4:50 AM PST - 13 comments

A bathroom in my house always smells of stale urine, despite regular cleaning and flushing. It has always been this way. Is it possible that the toilet is not well seated or has a bad seal? [more inside]
posted by myaskme at 4:46 AM PST - 12 comments

I had a fine needle aspiration biopsy taken from a 4mm tumor about a week ago that is papillary thyroid cancer according to the test results. The person who did the biopsy sent me for a CT scan with contrast today. [more inside]
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 8:55 PM PST - 7 comments

I've suddenly recalled a character from a book, or possibly other media, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what book the character comes from. Perhaps you recognize this extremely fragmented description? A Buddhist monk, has a Tibetan or Nepalese name but has very western mannerisms/speech; part of an order that knows how to time travel; smokes; is an advisor or sidekick to a confused protagonist. [more inside]
posted by Janta at 7:45 PM PST - 6 comments

I am an iphone user and not good at texting at all. I've tried all the major third-party keyboards and swipe texting and I never have success. Hand cramps and pain. [more inside]
posted by Mr. Hazlenut at 4:51 PM PST - 28 comments

I’m meeting a friend I haven’t seen in a million years and her family for dinner tonight. They’re staying near the Space Needle. I live in West Seattle and am out of the loop. They’ve narrowed food down to sushi or Ethiopian food. Recommendations near there, please!!
posted by centrifugal at 3:19 PM PST - 7 comments

I didn’t get the bivalent COVID booster last year for pregnancy-related reasons. Now that I’m emerging from the newborn fog and preparing to go back to work, I was going to get the shot next week. However, I’ve learned there will be a new monovalent booster this fall targeting a more recent variant. What should I do? [more inside]
posted by findabair at 1:09 PM PST - 23 comments

I remember finding an online bookstore a few years ago that had good prices and a good selection. I don’t believe it was Abe books. I realize this is quite vague but even if I don’t find that specific online shop I’m still looking for an alternative to Sauron’s shop.
posted by bunderful at 12:38 PM PST - 31 comments

What do you do for CPAP when there isn't an electric outlet available (camping etc)? [more inside]
posted by splitpeasoup at 10:55 AM PST - 19 comments

I'm a visual person, and I've found myself screenshotting things often to remember them. I would like to put together small collections of these inspiring images for art projects, brain projects, shopping ideas, etc. Are there apps/sites/software out there that are made for this job? [more inside]
posted by luzdeluna at 9:25 AM PST - 9 comments

In the last month, my 15-year-old cat has pooped on the floor 3 different times. Each time was about 2 weeks apart, and between these incidents, he pooped in his litter box as normal. [more inside]
posted by toby_ann at 8:21 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm currently not working for health reasons and can't do much physical activity either. One thing I am able to do is enjoy learning new nerdy topics on YouTube. Help me out with more recommendations? [more inside]
posted by quacks like a duck at 7:19 AM PST - 35 comments

My unwanted temporary cat (10m) looks permanent. She will pee on specifically my pillows or folded soft blankets on my bed - not bladder issues but marking type peeing. She waits until I’m near the pillow/blanket and then comes over to me and pees on me plus pillow. Never very much and she knows she’s in trouble but she is driven to it. [more inside]
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:52 AM PST - 9 comments

A house I’m about to start renting is being prepared by a contractor who I really like and appreciate. I’m renting the house, so he and his team are employed by the property management company, not by me. He’s gone out of his way to help me out and I’d like to bring him and his workers something. Probably food? I was thinking maybe an assortment of organic fruits. What would be enjoyed and culturally appropriate for a bunch of very nice Ukrainians?
posted by nevernines at 10:58 PM PST - 16 comments

Semi-recently I watched a trailer and even read some reviews of a TV show that I think aired in the last 5 years. I totally forgot what the name of the show was, or even anything that would be helpful in a google search. [more inside]
posted by virve at 10:14 PM PST - 15 comments

I would like to be able to draw using my iPad. It's an iPad Air 2 software version 13.2. What can I buy used, and what software should I download for this purpose? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 8:57 PM PST - 9 comments

Moving into a newly built house next week, and trying to decide what to do TV-antenna-wise. The living room is on the second floor and my office is on the third floor, and both have coax cable plugs in the walls. Could I buy an indoor TV antenna and plug it into the wall in my third-floor office (for higher-up reception and less of an eyesore in the living room) and then use it with the TV on the second floor by plugging that into the wall? Or is there something I'm missing? [more inside]
posted by DoctorFedora at 7:59 PM PST - 16 comments

My friend's spouse just passed away. Can you recommend an online group that's helpful and supportive for people of pre-retirement age who have lost their partners? [more inside]
posted by wintersweet at 7:19 PM PST - 7 comments

I think my problem-solving ability is weakening, and I think this is due at least partly to diminishing curiosity and more giving up too easily. In case it matters, I am 60 years old and a lifetime learner. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 7:10 PM PST - 9 comments

Got some sort of stomach bug (or maybe food poisoning?). What can I do to mitigate the nausea? [more inside]
posted by cozenedindigo at 5:32 PM PST - 12 comments

My attached garage has an odor. It’s not mildew, it’s not pet odors. It just smells very musty. I’m guessing it’s due to damp, but could it be something else? [more inside]
posted by Ollie at 5:20 PM PST - 5 comments

Looking for recommendations for safe locations near the highway to stop for stretching the legs, using the toilet, grabbing a snack. [more inside]
posted by jerome powell buys his sweatbands in bulk only at 5:18 PM PST - 13 comments

I would like to get a unique QR code for each file in a folder on Google Drive. I would like to do this for free and with a minimum of hassle Searching gives me a million kinda crappy pay and "premium" versions, hopefully you are already using a great solution for this!
posted by Iteki at 4:58 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm looking to buy a device for someone that make is easy to play old school Nintendo games. Ideally both NES and N64 games: Super Mario 3, Mario Kart 64 etc. This device needs to be braindead easy to use long term: plug HDMI cable, plug in power, plug in controllers (or put in batteries). I can manage adding games to a SD card if the games are easy to find. Was hoping to spend less than $75 on this. Any suggestions?
posted by Mushroom12345 at 4:55 PM PST - 8 comments

My new(ish) job requires earlier starts. I'm trying to shift my sleeping patterns to be more in line with those required by my job (and to be more aligned with the world in general) but I'm not sleeping well and I'm exhausted. If I persevere, will I start to feel more like a human being, or is this battle not worth fighting? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 3:31 PM PST - 20 comments

I asked this question exactly 16 months ago: https://ask.metafilter.com/363112/I-moved-to-Columbus-OH-And-bought-a-house-It-was-a-huge-mistake Since that time, NOTHING has changed ... [more inside]
posted by simonelikenina at 2:57 PM PST - 21 comments

Just browsing senior living websites, it seems that the first thing they want to know, before they explain any options or give any sort of pricing, is detailed information about the prospective resident's finances: annual income, net worth, etc. Is that sensible? I wouldn't normally hand over all my financials to someone that was trying to sell me something. It sounds like exactly the wrong way to start a negotiation.
posted by bfields at 12:48 PM PST - 14 comments

I have a Fjallraven fanny pack I use daily. Instructions say not to put in a washing machine as it could affect the waterproofness. I smoke a lot of weed and spilled some weed ash in there recently, and it reeks. I've hand washed it in dish soap and water with a splash of vinegar and that helped, but I can still smell it. What can I do to get the smell out? I have to travel internationally soon.
posted by wheatlets at 12:00 PM PST - 10 comments

I have been binge listening to all the Agatha Christie audiobooks available through my library’s Libby - there are a lot. I am almost finished with them. Is there another prolific writer of mysteries that I might like?
posted by onebyone at 11:55 AM PST - 22 comments

You are not my gas company and I know YMMV but can I just stop my gas service and stop getting a bill? Or is it more complicated than that? [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 11:49 AM PST - 7 comments

Our almost-3-year-old doesn’t like it when we read books to her. Doesn’t matter the time of day, reading material, location, she just hops down and runs elsewhere or plays with something. We don’t push it super hard or anything, but we know that this is the time to really build a reading habit. Is this normal? Or is there another way I should be going about this? [more inside]
posted by summerteeth at 11:38 AM PST - 26 comments

is it normal that my car insurance keeps going up about 25% every 6 months until i change companies? [more inside]
posted by glonous keming at 10:55 AM PST - 19 comments

An organization I'm working with has a large quantity of expired NIOSH N95 masks that they would like to not just dump in a landfill. What are our ethical options? [more inside]
posted by brookeb at 10:49 AM PST - 13 comments

My spouse has an inheritance and we want to set up college funds for the children of my siblings. One of my siblings is already really well off and will have college money for his kids. Do we offer to set up the funds for all the kids, or only the kids whose parents don't already have the money? [more inside]
posted by MsMartian at 10:08 AM PST - 11 comments

We have been invited to visit friends who live in Mexico 6 months of the year. I have chronic migraines that are affected by low air pressure systems. [more inside]
posted by Enid Lareg at 9:37 AM PST - 8 comments

Have you had a complicated cyst? If so, what was your experience in terms of having one, dealing with one, and hopefully recovering from one? [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 9:19 AM PST - 5 comments

I've got a friend whom I was helping with a freshman composition course just now (via Zoom). [more inside]
posted by 8603 at 6:51 AM PST - 10 comments

We've got a toaster oven which, for reasons that are not terribly interesting, was never used more than once or twice. We hate to throw it out rather than donating it or giving it to somebody. But is there something inherently unsafe about using a kinda-cheap appliance that's 15-odd years old? Will the components have deteriorated in some invisible way that makes it not safe? Thanks for your thoughts.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 5:57 AM PST - 19 comments

We moved to the country two years ago and love not having neighbors in view. We'd like to keep it that way by buying an acre or so of the land across the road from us. What's the best way to approach the owner? Details (perhaps too many) inside. [more inside]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:37 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm familiar with and sympathetic towards transgender people - please trust this being asked in good faith. There are specifically two concepts I've been introduced to which haven't clicked: that you can be trans without dysphoria & that some trans people choose not to "pass" as their target gender. Looking for in depth essays / well written explainers on these subjects which don't use too much jargon. [more inside]
posted by wandering zinnia at 5:28 AM PST - 26 comments

Woot used to have an animated music video on its site called "An Alligator Cannot Grow a Mustache", it's been....a number of years ago. Possibly as much as 10. Before Covid that's for sure. It's not on their site anymore and we can't find it anywhere, we don't have the old URL for it either. Can you amazing searchers find anything? It was an earworm for us :) Thanks!
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 2:34 AM PST - 1 comment