These questions have answers marked "best" by the asker.
February 17
Lyft or Uber with just a dumb phone/no app?
I recently stopped using my Android phone and switched to a mostly "dumb" phone (Punkt MP02) for the typical reasons (reclaim attention, privacy, etc.). I'm not sure I'll stick with it, but while I do: what's the best way to use car transportation services if I'm out late at night, or in a new city, without a phone that can run an app? [more inside]
How do I find good guided archaeological tours near Naples?
I'm planning to visit Italy with my mother (who is 70 years old and moderately mobile) in October/November of this year, and I could use some advice on finding tours. Our current plan is 10-14 days in Rome, Florence, and the Naples area. We don't want to do a guided tour the entire time, but for the Naples area we'd both like to visit Pompeii/Herculaneum and definitely want to go in a group with an expert guide. Are there any good "local tours" for English speakers and how do I find out about them? [more inside]
Maintaining focus in second-language meetings
In my new position, I have to attend meetings that take place in French. I can follow the French only if I maintain absolutely disciplined focus on what is being said. How can I do that? [more inside]
Chicago Area Cat Tooth Extraction
After being quoted $4,000-$7,000 from VCA Cat Hospital of Chicago for a Level C dental extraction (2-3 teeth), x-rays, meds, and cleaning for my cat, I'm going to be shopping around for cheaper but still trustworthy care. I live on the North Side but can travel to a close suburbs like Skokie, etc. Any experiences, recommendations?
Android Help
I've always had iPhones - but now am looking at Android for a specific purpose & could use some help. [more inside]
Chicago people - best electrician ASAP?
My bedroom light switch just started sparking. I shut down the circuit breaker to the room and need an electrician ASAP. Recommendations? [more inside]
February 16
I have questions about Sweden
I'm watching the TV show on Netflix The Åre Murders, and I have a few questions about Sweden. Spoilers ahead. [more inside]
Minimal cooking while still feeding my family?
What specific convenience foods, such as frozen foods or prepared options, would you recommend for feeding a family? If you think I should exclusively shop at Trader Joe’s, that’s fine! [more inside]
Excursions and activities in Cabo san Lucas
I am traveling this summer via cruise from L.A. to Mexico, Ensanada and Cabo san Lucas. I'm going with Royal Caribbean, and they have excursion packages you can add on while in these places--hiking, snorkeling, etc. Is it worth making reservations with the cruise line OR wait and once ashore, find local excursion companies? I am thinking the latter could be cheaper and less crowded with fellow cruisemates. [more inside]
Help with Notes app on old Macbook?
Hello, I hope someone can help me with some advice for backing up Notes on my old (2013) Macbook? The issue: I have Notes app notes on "My Mac," and Notes app notes on iCloud, and they are different. I'd like to have the notes on My Mac back up to iCloud. I don't care about preserving the existing iCloud notes at all. How do I make this change? (Normally, I would just try a few things, and usually I can get the results I want, but I'm very worried about losing my existing My Mac notes! They have some irreplaceable info, so I want to be very careful!) Thank you!
February 15
ELI5: the entropy of carbon capture
According to my understanding of thermodynamics, if you get X joules of useful energy from burning a ton of coal, then the amount of energy you'd need to capture the resulting CO2 is more than X, making the whole exercise worse than useless. So how does carbon capture work? [more inside]
Establishing a non-USA bank account
If the US follows in the footsteps of other authoritarian countries, it may not be possible to flee and still access funds in US banks. What countries and banks can accounts be established that will be safe from the USA? 70's spy novels had Swiss banks, is this still true? And what do I have to watch out for in moving the funds? Thinking $50K for now.
Does this smoke alarm even exist?
In the inspection for our house, the inspector said that to be up to new local code, we need smoke (and CO) detectors that are BOTH: a. interconnected and b. have a 10-year sealed battery. Does anybody actually make these? [more inside]
Affordable rent in exchange for some dog care
I, retired librarian, have a large-ish house in a college town, with a studio wing that I’ve rented out some years. I also have 3 mid-size dogs that come and go from house to fenced yard. The dogs make it hard for me to take even short trips because of the cost of kenneling the 3; this is a rural area and overnight dog sitting isn’t yet really a thing here. I may also need to be across the country for several months, if an old friend’s illness enters a terminal phase. [more inside]
Work hole of my making
I'm probably not being super upfront with my leadership and burying how bad we're doing in status reports with the client. They know there are issues, ie. (Yellow, missed deadline by a week or two), not red (Missing deadlines by a month). I really need to tell and come to jesus and tell my leadership and be super upfront. What is my script? How do I prepare for this when it's going to make me look super bad for not being upfront? Is there anyway I can couch this to be so not so bad? [more inside]
Design me some information
Let’s say you are not especially analytical but you are expected to master a complicated decision flow anyway. Fortunately, someone you trust has volunteered to put the decision flow into a series of diagrams, flowcharts, or another design pattern of your choice. Which examples of information design would you point to as having been very helpful to you in the past? [more inside]
Tangles of voices
Seeking vocal music recommendations (small ensemble, solo, and choir). [more inside]
Online bookstores STILL not owned by Amazon that sell to non-US customer
This is surprisingly difficult to figure out. Several of the non-Amazon bookstore lists I found online do not include a publication date so I'm not confident the info is up-to-date - since Amazon seems to be in the habit of buying off companies. [more inside]
February 14
Antibiotic -induced insomnia
I’m on cefdinir and having insomnia that not even my arsenal of sleep meds can touch. I have to use this particular antibiotic. [more inside]
Who dat?
While signing executive orders, there is a man who hands them to the President and then takes them back after they are signed. Who is that person and what is their job title? [more inside]
Different thing... different languages
When two different objects have the same name in a language e.g. straw for animals and a straw to drink out of, it's a homonym (or in this case homograph). How is it that other languages also use different words for the same pairs? For example in French, paille and paille meaning drinking straw and dried grass too.
Electrolyte Powder that doesn't break the bank?
I like powdered electrolyte drinks that you pour into your water to basically turn it into gatorade (like Liquid IV), but they cost what seems to me to be an absurd amount of money for what is basically a few kinds of salt with fancy marketing. Is there a generic bulk version of these that any of you can recommend? [more inside]
Can I continue a PC build without a CPU cooler for now?
I am building my first PC tower in more than 20 years. The AIO cooler I bought is a huge PITA to install and I think I'd prefer to get something more basic. Basic cooler won't come till Monday. Can I continue my build and complete it without the cooler just for now? My case has built-in fans. [more inside]
February 13
Custom Jeep question
Where can I find more information about this custom Jeep? It was in the Super Bowl Haagen Dazs commercial.
GarageBand 101
I want to learn how to use GarageBand on my Macbook so I can record basic drum/guitar/bass rock songs on my own. I'm assuming some kind of YouTube tutorial is the best way to go. But there are so many! [more inside]
Broad question about broadforks
I'm hoping to field some opinions about broadforks from people who have spent more time using them than I have. [more inside]
What is this word game?
I lost all my open tabs -- ugh, gutted -- and one thing I can't find again is a particular word game that I might have read about here...or maybe not, but can you help me find it again? It might be from the UK? [more inside]
How to rid my compost bin of its flying insects? Or are they okay?
So we have a covered compost bin in the corner of the yard. We're careful not to put any bones or greasy food remnants into it (and now the city wants that stuff in their green, yard waste bin anyway). Yet like every composting experiment I've undertaken, removing the lid means a face-full of flying insects escaping. Nothing I see in the compost literature ever addresses this. Not to worry, their larvae are processing the compost? Or does this mean something's amiss with my composting mixture? [more inside]
Sunday
I'm looking for poetic/metaphorical ways to refer to the day of the week Sunday. Like 'a day of rest'. Preferably not overtly religious like 'the day of the Lord'.
Character name pronunciation in D.H. Lawrence
Just started reading D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers and wondered... how is the family’s last name pronounced? [more inside]
Postcard Ledges/Rails
I have a lot of postcard-type items I would like to display on a rotating basis. I've seen ledges that people simply rest photos or postcards on and that seems ideal. Not sure if I'm looking for the wrong search terms or just impatient, but it feels like I'm not seeing what i want. Google fu this all you want for me. All I need are reasonably priced, shallow wooden ledges/rails with a lip to hold postcards. What can you find? [more inside]
How do I deal with grief that intertwines with my sports fandom?
One of my closest friends passed away last month. I’ve found lots of help, from friends and family as well as literature, in dealing with grief. However, one aspect has been unexpectedly difficult to navigate, namely our shared sports fandom, and not having him around to celebrate or complain, depending on our team’s fortunes. Have you ever been in a similar situation? [more inside]
Help matching edited photos to their originals (Mac)
I have a folder of photos directly off a digital camera. I want to match them to another folder of edited photos with different file names. [more inside]
February 12
Apple 2FA on non existing device
As asked in this previous question, I'm trying to set up my mother's iDevices. It keeps asking me to enter the Passcode for a device that doesn't exist. [more inside]
Protect PC Build in Progress from Cat Hair
I am building a new PC this weekend for the first time in a decade. It'll probably take me a few days to get it done, so I need a way to protect the exposed components and case when I'm not working on it because I have a curious cat and a LOT of cat hair floating about. Would a large clean towel (or towels) draped loosely over everything enough?
Can I get treatment for ADHD-like symptoms with a bipolar diagnosis?
I'm diagnosed as bipolar, and I also have a lot of ADHD-like symptoms, like inattention and executive dysfunction. I've read both that these can be symptoms of bipolar, and that ADHD and bipolar can be comorbid. [more inside]
What is taking up all my Mac storage, and how do I track it down?
I have a MacBook Pro (c. 2020) with a 500-GB SSD that is running out of hard drive space. In the "Storage" pane of System Settings, the bar chart at the top shows 432 GB used, including 226.5 GB of "System Data". But when I go to the "Macintosh HD" window in the Finder, tell it to show hidden folders, and tell it to calculate the sizes of all the folders (visible and hidden), it adds up to a little shy of 200 GB. Why is there such a discrepancy? [more inside]
Currency shenanigans
I am to pay for the accommodation on an upcoming trip and be reimbursed by my friends. The Europeans can bank transfer me, but for the Americans, might local cash be better? [more inside]
February 11
Google Workspace for Education alternatives
What alternatives are available for use in a school setting? Sharing of educational materials for teachers and students a priority. Email would also be useful. And an alternative to Google Classroom (although I understand this is a big ask as Classroom is a leader in this field). [more inside]
Another low-stakes spreadsheet question
I have a spreadsheet filled with data collected over the course of the year. I’ve also created a secondary sheet (pivot table?) showing week-by-week summaries aggregated from the main sheet. In the pivot table I want to prevent negative values from being included in one of the AVERAGEIFS formulas that I’m currently using. How do I do this? I’m working in Apple Numbers, but formulas seem to work the same as in Excel for the most part. [more inside]