I'm interested in learning more about high-end charity galas that are out there in the world, the kinds that cost more than $1000 USD a plate. What are the most well-known ones out there? And some of the not so well known ones?
posted by perpetualstroll at 1:53 PM - 11 answers

I got engaged - yay! He didn't get me an engagement ring, which is fine with me because it was a mutual "how about it?" discussion... [more inside]
posted by scuza at 6:55 PM - 36 answers

A fairly wealthy client has invited me and my boss over for dinner. I'd like to take a gift to say thank you. The catch is, he doesn't drink booze and can't eat sugary foods. Any ideas what I could bring? Food and non-food ideas welcomed. Looking to spend not more than $30.
posted by Conductor71 at 5:50 PM - 28 answers

I'd like to learn more about how the Democratic and Republican parties function, concretely, at present. Specifically: how establishment forces (influential donors, party officials, incumbents) influence the rise of candidates (at any level), and how these candidates integrated into the parties activities. I'm particularly interested in the role of political consultants (in media, fundraising, messaging) - what dynamics are at play as they are hired by candidates, how do these consultants' careers develop, what pressures do they face from the establishment, and what role do they play in shaping the policy positions? [more inside]
posted by phrontist at 11:29 AM - 3 answers

As a Progressive, aside from some stuff I hate read, the only conservative periodicals i read on any regular basis are First Things and the Economist (which, you know Cliche). Part of the problem is homophobia, but that's not enough of an excuse. So which blogs, websites, pod-casts, magazines, journals, tv shows, subreddits, zines, or mailers about neocons, fiscal cons, paelocons, libertarians, paleo-libertarians, social conservatives, or anything I have missed. I have read a lot of books, and I am more interested in a set of ongoing discussions, rather than something as solid as a monograph.
posted by PinkMoose at 12:08 PM - 18 answers

I'm looking for the unexpected, overlooked masterpieces hiding within conventionally marginal artistic genres: novelty Christmas music albums, mass market cowboy novels, direct-to-video action movie sequels, etc. [more inside]
posted by Iridic at 9:30 AM - 16 answers

Crap. My landlord just told me she's considering selling my house. Now what? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 6:56 PM - 25 answers

I see three left hands. Why?
posted by PenguinBukkake at 8:03 AM - 21 answers

Who is the most powerful enemy that Batman has defeated? How did he do it? I am mostly interested in single enemies, but if Batman's most powerful defeated enemy is something like a corporation or government, I would love to know that too. Comics, movies and TV series welcome.
posted by Doroteo Arango II at 10:32 PM - 13 answers

We've all seen plenty of depictions, in fiction, of enormously long dining room tables, with a husband and wife sitting at opposite ends. Usually we see those images in period pieces set in Victorian times, or more modern eras but evoking the hyper-formal rigidity that we (correctly or not) associate with the Victorians. Now, with tons of inexpensive servants for every middle-and-upper-class family, that seems doable, but did it really happen? [more inside]
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:35 PM - 11 answers

Please help me settle into Philadelphia. [more inside]
posted by cacao at 2:04 PM - 15 answers

How can I assemble a complete list of Joan Didion's uncollected works? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 11:21 PM - 5 answers

My partner and I are moving to Boston! We would like to live in an up-and-coming area (as opposed to "established," getting the most space for our limited budget) close to public transportation, but are having some difficulty determining which areas are safe and fit our lifestyle. [more inside]
posted by rapidadverbssuck at 7:00 PM - 12 answers

I am a groom-to-be seeking advice on how two confirmed non-dancers can handle the "first dance" at our wedding reception. Difficulty: something we can figure out in less than 2 weeks. [more inside]
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 4:20 PM - 19 answers

I'm 30 years old and I just saw Casablanca for the first time. All of a sudden I understand why so many people joke about "always having Paris." And all of those references to gin joints. Can you recommend some other movies to me that are equally important for understanding American pop culture? [more inside]
posted by colfax at 3:45 AM - 99 answers

And where can I read more about the economics of the cheap labour industry? [more inside]
posted by ethelwulf at 4:31 PM - 8 answers

I'm going to SF with my partner for our first wedding anniversary - yay! We've been before and have seen some of the sights (list after the break), but are looking for things we might have missed, awesome places we haven't eaten at, great things we haven't seen, etc, so we can make the most of it. Only limiting factor: neither of us drive. [more inside]
posted by abbagoochie at 3:44 PM - 19 answers

As soon as I write something down, I forget about it. This is very problematic for to-do lists... because as soon as I write down a thing I want to do, I no longer feel like doing it and find it uninteresting to even think about (because hey, I wrote it down, so I no longer have to think about it). Help me hack my motivation to overcome this. [more inside]
posted by danceswithlight at 10:40 AM - 24 answers

I'm interested in the male experience when it comes to this popular dating site. [more inside]
posted by thank you silence at 9:29 AM - 35 answers

I'm looking for solid histories of Alexandria (Egypt, not Virginia). Overviews are good, as are works more specifically social, intellectual, military, or economic. I'm particularly interested in ancient and Napoleonic information, but all suggestions are welcome! Web resources are welcome as well as print works; I have access to ILL and an academic library.
posted by catlet at 5:56 AM - 4 answers