My boyfriend's mother keeps trying to rename me and I find it offensive, what should I do? [more inside]
posted by Xianny on Nov 18, 2009 - 76 answers

Trying to make my own vegan soy yoghourt from scratch, I ended up with an uncultured mess. Please advise on proper microbial use, or improvements upon whatever else it was that I mucked up. [more inside]
posted by monocultured on Nov 18, 2009 - 8 answers

I'm working on a video project about the backlash to Obama mentioning the price of arugula at Whole Foods. Can you think of any other examples, real of fictional, of food being framed as elitist or snobby? [more inside]
posted by loping on Nov 8, 2009 - 35 answers

I used to enjoy a podcast titled "Josh in Japan" produced by an ordinary guy living in Japan who talked about his daily experiences adjusting to Japanese culture. I am looking for other podcasts in this vein. [more inside]
posted by Piscean on Oct 15, 2009 - 4 answers

What are the five metrics you would use to measure the health* of an online community? [more inside]
posted by A Terrible Llama on Sep 12, 2009 - 10 answers

FootballFilter: This is a question of loyalty and etiquette and is aimed to all football (soccer) fans. [more inside]
posted by jadepearl on Sep 2, 2009 - 29 answers

A few months ago I read about French-Canadian immigration into the U.S. from the 1840s to 1930s. Evidently, some of these immigrants established "Little Canadas." I'd like to learn more about them. [more inside]
posted by Korou on Aug 31, 2009 - 17 answers

How accurate are the media portrayals of young people engaging in risky sexual behaviors? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Jul 8, 2009 - 54 answers

How would you detach primary adherent tissue cells from tissue culture polystyrene if trypsin/EDTA is ineffective? [more inside]
posted by Mapes on May 18, 2009 - 8 answers

What are some good gifts for Japanese families? Also, are there any cultural taboos that I should be particularly sure to avoid breaking while staying in Japan? [more inside]
posted by bassooner on May 3, 2009 - 23 answers

Who are the best magazine and newspaper feature writers, past and present? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Apr 8, 2009 - 20 answers

Looking for variety of different podcasts or radio shows to listen to. Please give me many recommendations. [more inside]
posted by reenum on Mar 3, 2009 - 16 answers

I'm from a South Asian culture and made the mistake of allowing my parents to start looking for a girl for me. How do I get out of this? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Feb 24, 2009 - 16 answers

Is it rational for me to become irritated when I see people with their windshield wipers on full speed when there is only a light drizzle? Does this irritate anyone else?
posted by ascetic on Feb 19, 2009 - 59 answers

Is there some linguistic or cultural explanation for mistakenly calling Firefox FoxFire? [more inside]
posted by odinsdream on Jan 7, 2009 - 31 answers

In Japan, upon entering a shop or restaurant I was pelted with this greeting. This was over ten years ago. It remember it like "ashira - shy - ma - zay" My friend, and guide told me this was absolutely obligatory and a staff worker could be fired for not saying this. Where does this come from? There is a restaurant in my neighborhood (brooklyn) where the staff says this (or something, it happens quicly). It seems to be not just a greeting but an alert to other staff "there is a customer present!" What is the purpose? What does this mean most literally? Thank you!
posted by ezekieldas on Dec 30, 2008 - 10 answers

Help me pick out the best play, opera, lecture and art exhibit to see this winter in NYC. I'm a lowly wage slave who can't shell out $300 to see every Broadway sensation that comes to town, so I'd like to attend one incredible event in each category with a high return-on-awesome factor so I can walk away cultured but not impoverished. [more inside]
posted by zoomorphic on Dec 11, 2008 - 12 answers

Is there a word that means "knowing something solely by references to it?" [more inside]
posted by flatluigi on Feb 2, 2008 - 21 answers

I want to go to Singapore. I dont know anything about Singapore. I want to experience Singapore. What is there to do? I'm 18 years old. [more inside]
posted by theiconoclast31 on Aug 28, 2007 - 15 answers

While I was in Stockholm, Sweden this past August, I witnessed an odd youth event at a park. Can someone please help me figure out what event it was? [more inside]
posted by muddgirl on Dec 5, 2006 - 5 answers

What are some songs that were shocking or sensational when they first came out - even got banned from radio play - which are now considered so humdrum that they're played on "easy listening" or "soft rock" or perhaps even "family safe" stations?
posted by dmd on Jun 19, 2006 - 62 answers

What's up with applause at funerals? [more inside]
posted by Mutant on May 21, 2005 - 5 answers

I'd appreciate any and all advice associated with changing work environments -- whether practical advice (about little bits of personal business to remember, or health insurance crud), or mental/emotional advice (how to adjust internally), or sociological advice (how to smooth the transition into a new employee culture). I also suck learning names -- hopefully they'll have nameplates, but anyone have tips for committing a large mass of names and faces to memory? [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Apr 13, 2005 - 14 answers