My car appears to be leaking oil..or some other fluid. Is it safe to drive until I can get to a mechanic? [more inside]
posted by gnutron on Dec 14, 2009 - 17 answers

Dry skin and Avocado oil: My wife has excellent results with with an Avocado oil based product designed to prevent dry and flaking skin on her face during winter. We bought a tiny bottle of it at the cosmetic department of a department store that cost 55 euros. After reading the ingredient list it seems a bit of a ripoff... [more inside]
posted by thewalrus on Nov 14, 2009 - 7 answers

Me and my skin recently discovered that we both like body oil a lot more than lotion. The stuff I've seen so far when out shopping comes in very tiny jars and is a bit expensive for me. Any suggestions for body oil in bulk? [more inside]
posted by silkygreenbelly on Nov 14, 2009 - 24 answers

How can I determine how much hot water my upstairs neighbors are using? [more inside]
posted by jimmyjimjim on Oct 30, 2009 - 31 answers

How can I get 91 octane gas in an area that seems to sell only 87/89/93? What sort of damage might I have caused to a new vehicle by filling it with 87 for a little while? [more inside]
posted by ish__ on Oct 22, 2009 - 21 answers

ScentFilter: I love the smell of Caress's Moroccan body wash. Help me find a similar scent in perfume form! [more inside]
posted by pghjezebel on Oct 7, 2009 - 5 answers

Satellite photos: what interesting features can be seen or measured in them (or other aerial photos), and where can I get a supply of images? [more inside]
posted by k. on Sep 30, 2009 - 12 answers

I am a 52 year old quadriplegic (C-4,C-5 incomplete) former oil and gas senior executive. Until recently, I've been able to both support my family and afford the post-Cobra health insurance premiums available through our Texas High Risk Pool. I'll will soon be overtaken by the myriad of expenses now beginning to snowball. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 18, 2009 - 5 answers

Please help me understand the role of oil in the motivations for the 2003 Iraq invasion. [more inside]
posted by atmosphere on Sep 15, 2009 - 12 answers

What difference does it make to the United States economy whether oil is traded or denominated in the US dollar or in other currencies? [more inside]
posted by Juffo-Wup on Aug 31, 2009 - 11 answers

Can you help me identify at least the painter of this impressionist painting? [more inside]
posted by FortyT-wo on Aug 9, 2009 - 5 answers

In There Will Be Blood, Daniel Plainview delivers the line: "I have a competition in me." Could this be described as grammatically correct, strictly speaking? Or is it idiomatic, but not strictly correct? Is Plainview saying, essentially, "I have a [sense of] competition in me," a sentence that, were it to be spelled out as such, would lose its rhetorical punch? Could it be argued as a case of poetic metonymy or something of the kind? [more inside]
posted by Busoni on Aug 8, 2009 - 27 answers

There seems to be a trend among older women, at least in Baltimore (mainly African-American ladies, but I have seen Hispanic and Caucasian women do this as well), of matting down hair with some sort of oil. The goal seems to be to get as much hair as possible as close to the scalp as possible. The bangs are then stuck to the forehead, and it looks like this is purely oil based. As I haven't yet had the kahones to ask one of these lovely ladies what's up with the hair, I was hoping someone knew: A. What sort of product is being applied to get this "just out of the oil bath" look? B. Is this an every morning thing, or do you apply just once a week? Once a month?
posted by ichthuz on Jul 23, 2009 - 22 answers

Assuming that I believe that the U.S. economy will not recover in the near future, what's a relatively simple way to make a bet that would profit from my belief? [more inside]
posted by realpseudonym on Jul 17, 2009 - 18 answers

Waste Oil Diesel. Any satisfied users? [more inside]
posted by Jon-o on Jun 27, 2009 - 4 answers

First time homebuyer - "its customary to purchase the unused fuel from the seller" urf? [more inside]
posted by SirStan on Jun 22, 2009 - 39 answers

Are Trader Joe's Salmon Oil capsules still good for you even though they are so much cheaper then health food store brands? [more inside]
posted by bobbyno on May 25, 2009 - 12 answers

A couple of my mirrors at home have stubborn, sticky stains from drips of a resin-y oil. How can I shift them? [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos on May 21, 2009 - 18 answers

Finding deceased parent's Texas "mineral rights?" How can I do this cheaply? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 11, 2009 - 8 answers

Staining/treating pressed/sanded pine chairs. On the cheap. [more inside]
posted by porpoise on May 2, 2009 - 7 answers

Check Engine light is on and there is a ominous whirling sound coming from my engine? [more inside]
posted by slowtree on Apr 14, 2009 - 13 answers

[(50 Garlics + 3/4 teacup of Olive Oil) * Food Processor] + Long Term Storage = Botulism? If yes, what could be used to replace the oil? [more inside]
posted by Memo on Apr 8, 2009 - 11 answers

Can anyone recommend some good resources (articles, books, DVDs, websites) about oil that are appropriate for a secondary school curriculum? [more inside]
posted by lily_bart on Mar 30, 2009 - 7 answers

What are the dangers and benefits of non stick cookware (teflon/generic teflon type)? It's obviously healthier to cook without using lots of oil, but I've heard rumors of health problems such as cancer being linked to long term use of non stick pans. [more inside]
posted by thewalrus on Mar 22, 2009 - 21 answers

Do hot oil treatments for hair work? Are they good for curly/frizzy fairly thick hair? Will they make my hair silky smooth? Or do they do nothing? [more inside]
posted by bluefly on Mar 18, 2009 - 21 answers

How can I wash oil/grease out of my leather gloves? [more inside]
posted by autojack on Mar 10, 2009 - 5 answers

What are the pros and cons of trying to switch heating systems from a traditional furnace to a waste oil heater that burns used gasoline engine oil, particularly for an automobile repair garage? [more inside]
posted by franklen on Feb 27, 2009 - 10 answers

What exactly does it mean for paint to be formulated "for metal substrates only"? Can I use it on wood? [more inside]
posted by torticat on Feb 24, 2009 - 7 answers

Where can I buy large quantities of peanut oil in New York City? [more inside]
posted by soy_renfield on Feb 22, 2009 - 5 answers

gmaps filter: what am i looking at? [more inside]
posted by sponge on Feb 20, 2009 - 5 answers

How can I prevent or remove polymerized oil from aluminum sheet pans? [more inside]
posted by saeculorum on Feb 17, 2009 - 14 answers

Is too much oil in a car engine something to worry about? [more inside]
posted by ghost of a past number on Feb 11, 2009 - 6 answers

DIY home repair - I would like to re-paint the walls in my apartment by myself. [more inside]
posted by alice ayres on Feb 10, 2009 - 16 answers

Nerdy-science-geek question: What kind of pressure am I looking for if I want to bust algae cell walls by sending a algae-concentrated liquid through a small aperture? I mean, behind the aperture, size of aperture, etc....knowing that the sudden reduction in pressure *should* bust things up. Any thoughts? Of course, I am wondering about doing this in terms of what I've read, and may experiment with in future, but don't have firsthand knowledge of. Thanks in advance!
posted by Kickstart70 on Jan 28, 2009 - 12 answers

What simple pasta dish has just mushrooms and garlic and olive oil and some spices? [more inside]
posted by davathar on Dec 20, 2008 - 22 answers

Can anyone explain this website which shows the prices of crude oil options? [more inside]
posted by fantasticninety on Nov 26, 2008 - 5 answers

Not that I'm complaining, but why have gas prices dropped so dramatically in recent weeks? I understand how they rose so high-- chaos in the Middle East disrupted the oil supply and hurricanes destroyed some processing capability in the US-- but I'm seeing close to $1.80 a gallon now when I thought I'd never see under $3 again. Forgive me for my ignorance, but I feel like I missed something.
posted by Faint of Butt on Nov 25, 2008 - 24 answers

So the price of oil is ridiculously low right now. But since we're running out of the stuff in the mid-to-long-term, can you explain to me why i shouldn't pour a nice big chunk of my investment egg into oil futures? [more inside]
posted by snortlebort on Nov 23, 2008 - 15 answers

Artfilter: I've decided to take up oil/canvas painting. I have good artistic sensibilities, but no formal training and no supplies. What do I need to know/own? [more inside]
posted by charmston on Nov 16, 2008 - 18 answers

Where can I find crude oil charts online? [more inside]
posted by fantasticninety on Nov 11, 2008 - 7 answers

Is there a resource anywhere that will give me either (a) historical data for the last year or two on the price of oil (b) similar data for airline tickets or (c) ideally, both? [more inside]
posted by ricochet biscuit on Nov 9, 2008 - 3 answers

I remember reading about these spectacles that'd let you control their focal lengths by varying an oil film between two rectangles of glass that were held together by the frame ('oil inside the lens'). Links?
posted by Taksi Putra on Oct 25, 2008 - 5 answers

What would it take of an alternative energy to make a serious impact in current global energy consumption? What cost/benefits would it need to demonstrate over and above existing sources? Who would need to seriously start using it? Anybody have some good sources of information or discussion on this topic?
posted by zaebiz on Oct 22, 2008 - 19 answers

For Massachusetts residents: Do you have experience with using the Mass Energy consumer alliance for heating oil? [more inside]
posted by dreamphone on Oct 14, 2008 - 2 answers

If we lowered the speed limit nationally to 55mph, how much fuel would we save? [more inside]
posted by mikeyk on Oct 13, 2008 - 31 answers

We had some coconut oil in containers in our freezer (we use the oil for popping popcorn - we buy it in bulk and then freeze it for later) and for some reason this latest batch has all turned green. [more inside]
posted by An Infinity Of Monkeys on Oct 7, 2008 - 8 answers

I'm looking for thoughts on whether I should lock-in a heating oil rate of 3.79 for the season. [more inside]
posted by madamjujujive on Oct 1, 2008 - 11 answers

Please supply me with a transcript of this Australian interview. [more inside]
posted by UnclePlayground on Sep 24, 2008 - 16 answers

Oil Filter: I'm resurecting a bike that's sat for 5 years. Do I really need to replace the engine oil? Surely modern oils are pretty stable and won't have degraded significantly in 5 years? [more inside]
posted by BadMiker on Aug 11, 2008 - 6 answers

Why is there so much talk about dependence on "foreign oil"? (Meaning, as opposed to "domestic oil," not alternative energy sources.) Is there really any meaningful distinction between foreign and US oil, given that the oil market is mostly global? [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Jul 31, 2008 - 17 answers