Ask MetaFilter

I am working on a logo for commercial purposes. I have a font I want to use (and have the license to use it for a logo) however, I would like to change one letter. My googling suggests that editing a TTF font is not allowed. I know there are logos with standard fonts with a custom letter or two, so what's the best way to do this and not get sued or cease-and-desisted? Do I make a separate font with just my glyph and type two different fonts? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:08 AM - 10 answers

I need help identifying a few childhood books/movies that I forgot the names to. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 9:29 PM - 2 answers

Almost two weeks ago I got a memory foam bed wedge and was a bit flummoxed by the size of the box when it arrived. Turns out it was very small because the wedge had been rolled up and compressed like a swiss roll. Instructions on the box said it would resume its initial shape after 48 hours. 12 days later, it has not. [more inside]
posted by Athanassiel at 6:18 PM - 6 answers

My sister gave me a thrift shop print of geese that was mounted on a faded mat board and the frame didn't go with my décor. I tried to take the print off the mat board in order to remount and reframe it, and in the process I damaged the print in one place and tore it in another. I could crop the image, but it would look odd and it would mean sacrificing the handwritten title, artist's signature, and print number and date. Does anyone have any tips for repairing damaged or torn watercolour paper?
posted by orange swan at 3:52 PM - 6 answers

This came up in conversation and we had mismatched memories and could not look up the answer later. I remember blue glow sticks being special and new in the mid nineties. He remembers them available earlier alongside the other colors. [more inside]
posted by Mizu at 8:48 PM - 7 answers

I have locked myself out, boo. But it’s a simple (I hope) button lock. I have called the maintenance company, but just in case… is there a way for me to pick the lock? [more inside]
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:41 PM - 8 answers

We passed this...structure on Highway 1 in California, and I really want to know what it's for. It has a poster attached, depicting different aspects of a planned building. There is no other verbiage or information anywhere on the lot. My question: why would someone build a 1:1 scale maquette like this? What is the deal, here?
posted by german_bight at 4:24 PM - 6 answers

If your readers/listeners/viewers need background information to understand your story, there are lots of ways to give it to them: characters speaking exposition, environmental clues, overly-detailed maps, omniscient narrator references, sequels, etc. I'm looking for radical approaches: interactive quiz before the story; infographics; author-to-reader messages; reader selection -- these are me brainstorming, but has anyone tried nontraditional approaches in this vein? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 9:55 AM - 38 answers

[Massachusetts, USA]: at what stage in the rental application process is typical for property management companies to do a credit check? What if there's a waitlist? [more inside]
posted by needs more cowbell at 4:40 AM - 7 answers

I just read this article about kids who read for pleasure no longer reading for pleasure at around 9 years old. I have a 7 year old who reads for pleasure. What should I be doing over the next two years to make sure he stays a reader? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:18 PM - 52 answers

Something I've always wondered about USPS mail delivery routes: why are 2 very close areas delivered hours apart? [more inside]
posted by cozenedindigo at 6:24 PM - 3 answers

I'm sure this makes sense, I'm just wondering how. Taken in Vancouver, BC if that helps.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:56 PM - 7 answers

Is there any kind of "media mail" equivalent in the UK? This is for a student who wants to bring his textbooks back to the US after a semester abroad. Shipping speed isn't an issue; obviously the weight of (ahem) too many books is.
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:23 AM - 6 answers

What is the most recognizable snippet of text in existence? [more inside]
posted by smokysunday at 9:04 PM - 54 answers

In a comment to one of the Gaza-related posts, I (thought) I saw a great breakdown of the ideological spectrum, ranging from “Death to the opposition!” at each extreme to what I thought was a very reasonable spectrum of intermediate positions in 10-15 steps. [more inside]
posted by Calibandage at 12:17 PM - 2 answers

My laptop crashed and, with it, my entire RSS reader's links directory, which I had been lovingly cultivating for 10 years. As I rebuild it from scratch, I figured I'd ask this community for some recos. [more inside]
posted by missjenny at 5:56 AM - 15 answers

I need custom-sized bookmarks in small runs—500 or less. Online design tools are also necessary. We're in a small town with no comprehensive print shop, so must go online. Recommendations?
posted by partner at 8:19 AM - 8 answers

What happens to mail posted in US where the address is not in English? Recently I was watching a TV show where a Japanese teenager living in a small US town on the East Coast of the US posted a letter to her mother in Japan into a public street letterbox, and every single part of the address (including the country name) was in Hiragana. Would this letter actually make it to Japan, and if so, how?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 7:34 AM - 10 answers

This objet d’art fell and the wings broke off. Curious as to what material it is so we can use the appropriate glue. It’s not plaster, is heavier than you’d expect. Is it resin? Zoom in for better detail. It glints in the sunlight. Link to photo
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:06 AM - 10 answers

I have been looking for Assisted Living homes for my mother. How concerned should I be about the dingy external appearance of a location? [more inside]
posted by purplesludge at 2:36 AM - 8 answers