September 18
Denver vs Sacramento
I have the option of relocating to either Denver or Sacramento, but I have only briefly visited either location. Tell me what's awful / great about both places? [more inside]
Whom am I writing to?
We're a small office with some people working from home, and we use Thunderbird for email. I'd like to setup a common address book to be shared and updated between the clients, and be able to include photos of the addressee in the contacts. [more inside]
Got screwed over by my boss, but I still have to work with her
I got screwed over by my boss but I still have to work with her. How can I move past my feelings and work better with someone I now feel is untrustworthy? [more inside]
Skincare 101
I have a hopefully straightforward skincare question but I am getting confused by the information overload available on the web. Very simply: how long does it take for skin to adjust to a new (but still, very basic) skincare routine? I have added a couple extra steps to my routine and now my skin looks good but feels dry and tight. Should I give it a week or two, or is this a clear indication that it isn't working? [more inside]
September 17
What's this job called: building tech across cultures
A big part of my work in the Tech world has been to act as a sort of cultural translator between business owners in the U.S. and software developers in other places (like India). Are there people who do that for a living? Agencies? Who are they? What are they called? [more inside]
Help me not hate LA?
Please don't take offense to this but I've received a wonderful job offer in LA and completely and utterly hate the city after 2 weeks. I lived in a lot of places and even places I didn't particularly like, I didn't seem to hate it. A lot of people live here and love it, so I'm missing something. Details within. [more inside]
Leaving for Antwerp and Amsterdam in early October - what to do there?
Assume I know about Amsterdam's hash culture yadda yadda yadda already. If I only get this one chance to visit Belgium and Amsterdam - I want to hear what you absolutely love about it if you live there or have extensive travel stories. And OF COURSE I want your best beer and frites rec's, please and thank you. [more inside]
Visual hairstyle glossary?
I would like to expand my repertoire of hairstyles. Snowflakes below. [more inside]
Jews of Metafilter, lend me your opinions, please.
You're Jewish, but you're not planning on going to temple for Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur. Your kid attends a public school where these are not days off. Do you let them stay home, knowing you're not really observing? Just on the principle that no Christian kid ever has to go to school on Christmas or Easter, irrespective of the fact that they might not attend church that day? Opinions wanted as I consider what to do with my kid. [more inside]
"Speed Kills", but what did it kill first?
I've seen and heard the phrase "Speed kills" in a few different contexts, and I'd like to know where it originated. Where did it come from? [more inside]
KitchenAid oven hum?
A few online reviews say the KitchenAid range (dual-fuel double oven) I want to buy makes a humming noise at all times. Is this for real, or did a few people get lemons? [more inside]
What Was The Subprime Mortgage Crisis Song On NPR's Marketplace?
About a decade ago, a radio show presented a catchy song, to explain to the layman what caused the sub-prime mortgage crisis. I distinctly remember "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac couldn't get their money back." But that's all I remember of the lyrics. The show was probably NPR's Marketplace, but it may have been another similar radio show. The song was posted online, but now I can no longer find any record of it. Can you help me find it?
Art Therapy degree, woo idea?
Has anyone here gotten a degree in art therapy, and if so, how did that work out for you? [more inside]
Dealing with a jerk boss
My boss is a jerk. Within 5 weeks of joining the team he had told me twice that I wasn’t suited to the role and should look for another job; he is dictatorial and has a command and control leadership style, is more comfortable with the blokes than the women but hates me especially and every time I have to interact with him it gives me a bad day. [more inside]
What clothing should I wear in Peru? (31, female)
I'm traveling to Peru (Lima, Nazca, Huacachina, Arequipa/Colca Canyon, and Cusco/Machu Picchu) in December. What is most appropriate for a 31 year old, single, white, female tourist to wear? [more inside]
Throwing over the brassiere industrial complex
Seeking your recommendations and suggestions for bra alternatives that meet my needs/criteria. [more inside]
The Most Boring Girl in Las Vegas
Are there any good, fun places in Vegas to sit and work on my laptop with good connectivity and possibly outlets where I can people watch? [more inside]
Examples of senses used in the pursuit of expertise
Polytalented professionals of MetaFilter, what is something specific that you discover, detect, discern, diagnose or deduce through a sense. [more inside]
If it was the right decision, why does it feel so bad?
I just ended things with this guy I was seeing very sporadically over about a year, and just for sex. Logically, he was bad for me in every way. So why do I feel so emotional about it? (more juicy details inside) [more inside]
EU audio art project & intellectual property - how to navigate?
What obligations do I have with respect to copyrighted works included in an audio art project that will be submitted to festivals or broadcast in the EU? [more inside]
Sweaty face/head. How to wear moisturizer, sunscreen, makeup?
I sweat a lot, mainly from my face/head. Please help me figure out a way to wear sunscreen and/or moisturizer without looking like I forgot to close my car windows during a car wash. [more inside]
A question about skin, and also about anxiety
I'm having a fairly minor cosmetic skin issue that I'd really like to solve. I'm also having intense and disproportionate anxiety about it that I'd reallyreallyreally like to solve. Looking for advice on either/both of these issues. [more inside]
Skincare for Men - Instructions Included
I am a guy in his mid 40s. I would like take great care of my face and neck. I really don't want to do a bunch of research. I simply want to be told EXACTLY what to buy, where to buy it, and the exact steps I am supposed to do from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. [more inside]
Help with Mexican Spanish/Spanglish cursing?
Profanity filter: For a story I'm writing, I need some help with a bit of cursing in Spanish (specifically Mexican).
Putting the rest behind the cut for bad language.... [more inside]
Whose autographs are on this dollar bill?
A new therapist with a strict timetable
I'm looking for a new therapist. I've found one that I like, but at our introductory session, she told me that I can't cancel my regular slot if I can't make it - so if I'm on holiday or out of the city, I would need to pay for a slot that I can't use. Is that normal? Or are therapists normally a bit more forgiving with their schedules? I'm in the UK, if that makes a difference.
Less stress less money
Did you quit your high paying stressful job for a less money and less stress? Do you regret it?
Should I reschedule this gyn appointment?
I have a "well woman" appointment on Thursday where they'll do the pelvic exam and pap smear. Over the weekend, I had very rough sex and he came inside me (all consensual). Things are tender and likely swollen, and there is still semen slowly coming out. Should I reschedule my appointment, or will things be back to normal by then? I mostly just want the appointment to be able to be completed, and also not get comments from my gynecologist, who I don't have reason to suspect would actually make comments, but you never know.
Carry-on Luggage for "Non-Commuter" Amtrak Trains
I will be taking Amtrak's Texas Eagle line from Chicago to Austin, Texas next month to start a week-long bicycle tour with full camping gear. I have made a reservation for my bicycle on the train. But will I have trouble carrying on all my bike bags and camping gear? [more inside]
No Soup For Moon
I have a very strong childhood memory of a song/video/poem that features the following couplet:
Animal crackers in the sky /
Moon nibbles one, and so do I.
It is not the Shirley Temple song "Animal Crackers in my Soup." The melodies are similar, but the one I am thinking of is almost lullaby-like - gentle and light - whereas "Soup" has a sort of galumph to it. It is also associated with an illustration of a mouse, just black lines on a white background, with a simple efficient style, like Boynton, Silverstein or Lear. Leads and possibilities inside. [more inside]
September 16
Identifying a spider in my garden
This attractive lady appeared on my arm when I was doing some yard work. I put her on some wire netting so I could get some pictures, but the light wasn't very good. She has the body shape of one of the widow family, but the belly doesn't have the orange/yellow of a black or brown widow. [Album link, in case urls don't work] [more inside]
Learn to Read Music, Online?
Mr. McGee has joined a community choir, but does not read music. He would like to learn to read music. Can you point us to an good (free) online course that he could work his way through? A book would also be okay, but I feel like there's probably a great web-based course with YouTube videos out there somewhere so he could see it AND hear it. [more inside]
Trying to buy a house but everythig is terrible and nothing is good.
I'm buying a house but my mortgage is about to expire and the seller keeps pushing the closing date! What do I do? [more inside]
Is there a job recruiter for weirdos?
In NYC, looking for a recruiter/headhunter to help me find a job, but I really don't fit into normal categories, nor do I know what kind of job I'm looking for or how to find it. [more inside]
D/C Expereinces
After 2 instances of unexplained vaginal bleeding, my GYN wants to do a D/C. [more inside]
Dam this dam
I'm looking for first-person accounts (or long-reads) about the experience of being forced to abandon a town in a valley that's scheduled to be flooded as part of a dam/hydroelectric plant project. [more inside]
Backing Greta
Where can you and I donate to support the work of Greta Thunberg?
Christmas in Spain (and environs)
I will be spending both Eve and Day in one of the following five cities: Granada, Cordoba, Madrid, Seville, Lisbon. Help me figure out which is best (or feel free to recommend your own). [more inside]
What are your best hiking/backcountry camping recipes?
I'm going camping with my kids and some friends in a couple of weeks. We usually go car camping but this time we'll be hiking in to our site. If it was just us adults we'd be fine with getting some dehydrated food packs and calling it a day but our kids will want tastier fare. What exactly is that? [more inside]
DIY cute little Mac-compatible mechanical keyboard
I would like to customize my own little (tenkeyless) mechanical keyboard with pastel keycaps and the usual Mac functions (need to have: basic command shortcuts, nice to have: audio player controls (skip, play/pause, volume up/down). I'm a fast touch typist planning on using the keyboard at home, and I don't intend on bringing it into the office, so it's ok if the keys are somewhat noisy as long as they can hold up to a lot of typing. How should I build such a keyboard and where should I buy the components? [more inside]
on climate change
I get paid to park commuter bicycles at a really big bicycle valet parking lot. We each have to make a video about climate change for Twitter. My video will be entirely text. What useful and memorable snippets should I include?
Should I take a pay cut to escape a toxic job?
I’ve heard of people jumping to other jobs in order to be happier, but money is also no small thing... would it hurt my career earnings in the future to take a big pay cut? [more inside]
Women artists with characteristics I like about Steely Dan?
Lately I've been binge-listening to Steely Dan, even though my usual taste in music runs more toward spare, angular post-punk. Are there any women artists with qualities similar to the ones I admire in their music -- the obsessive perfectionism, the complex arrangements, the cold, sardonic feel with an occasional hard-earned bit of warmth underneath? In any genre -- doesn't have to be jazz-influenced pop/rock at all.
like the acapella app, but on Windoze....
How can I make multitrack synced video collages (like the acapella app) on my windows computer? [more inside]
Explain this Social Security issue to me, please.
How does Social Security work for people who haven't worked/earned much? Details inside. [more inside]
Help me learn about these my grandma's antique peasant statues.
Who ARE these odd little hobbits that my grandmother loved so much? [more inside]
GoFundMe Lebanon
A close friend of mine knows a Syrian family in Lebanon who has been through tragic circumstances in the past few weeks and is in a dire financial situation as a result. My friend wants to set up a GoFundMe for them. None of them qualify for setting up a GoFundMe, but I do. Does anyone have experience setting up an international GoFundMe, and do you have any advice? [more inside]
How do I move forward from a poor performance at a place I want to work?
I've been in my industry nearly 10 years, director level. I fell in love with a little offshoot of my giant company, where they operate much the way a start-up does as they develop new business concepts: gather insights, ideate, do rapid prototyping, test/learn and eventually implement the best concepts. I do have pretty significant experience on the insights side, and in an objective sort of way (or so say past bosses and colleagues in anonymous peer reviews), I am really strong/known for good work in the ideation space: brainstorming, dreaming up new solutions/concepts, getting everyone to think differently, take risks, and get inspired. My recent projects have had excellent results. A contact invited me to an ideation workshop there. And my group did a terrible job. Help! [more inside]
Help me find the right Android messaging app
I bought a brand new Android phone from Verizon about 6 months ago. It's a ThinQ. I've been using their messaging app by default. But the GIF app I downloaded never shows up on that keyboard. Can someone identify a good app for me that will let me use GIF with it? I'm kind of stumbling around and not knowing what I'm doing. Thanks!
Cleaning Steps for Young Adult with Autism?
I have a friend (early twenties, shares an apartment with another friend of mine) with autism who needs help learning to clean up her living space. What are good resources for this? I'm especially interested in charts and stuff that break down exactly what "cleaning" means in a way that will be easy for her to follow. [more inside]
Friend suddenly distant and short with me, how to handle it?
My dragon boat team is on a trip to Ireland for a race. There are three of us who are the same age (in our 30s) while the rest of the team ranges in ages from 40s-70s. We have a great group and were all looking forward to this trip to have fun and enjoy one another's company. Prior to the trip, my friends who are my age (I'll call them D and S) for short, were all texting each other and had good rapport. I was especially friends with D; we sit together on the boat and had been texting on and off getting to know one another. She, D, S, and I have even hung out a few times outside of dragon boating.
We're now halfway through our trip. I'm not sure what I did (though I think it's due to my horrible social skills), but D has become noticeably (at least to me) less friendly and distant with me. [more inside]
Out of London Adventure...Along This One Train Line
Due to a poor mix of research, ambition, and logistics, my mom and I have train tickets between London and Oxenholme (and back) next Tuesday. I hoped to see the Lake District, but we'll only have about 3 hours between arrival and departure in Oxenholme. Any thoughts on how to best use our time out of London (vacationing from the US)? [more inside]
YANMD: Cold sore, zit, canker sore, angular cheilitis?
On very rare occasions (e.g. once a year, maybe every other year) I get a small "sore" spot in the corner of my mouth, right on the outer edge of the lip, but just barely. It is barely visible to others, which doesn't seem to correlate with what I think of as a "cold sore." I think it might coincide with that "time of the month" , stress, and/or feeling a tad rundown. If I open my mouth too wide, it's tight and kind of feels like I've split the skin. It gets a slightly rough scab-like texture to it and then goes away within a few days. What is this?!
Um, what is programming?
BigLifeQuestionFilter: How long does it take to learn to be a decent professional programmer/developer/software engineer/whatever? And if so, do I want to? [more inside]
How to transport a steak dinner?
How does a lone person grill a steak dinner and transport to a nursing home? (Snowflake details under the fold) [more inside]
Help: Construction vocabulary
In construction engineering, can the following be correct? [more inside]
Airbnbs in Rome
My mom and her friends are doing a quick trip to Rome at the end of October and have solicited my help in the planning. Mom and friends are in their mid-60s and it will be their first time in Rome (and Italy). [more inside]
Buying a 2011 MacBook Air Power Adapter in Germany/Denmark?
I brought my 2011 MBA on a trip to Europe, not realizing that the cheap knock-off power supply that I use for it only works on 120 V. Do any of you happen to know if there is an electronics/computer store in, around, or between Wilhelmshaven Germany and Copenhagen Denmark where I might be able to buy a replacement power supply?
I won’t be staying in the same place for very long on this trip, so mail order is not ideal.
Sedation or Anesthesia?
I have to have a hysteroscopy to remove some uterine polyps. My doctor has offered sedation or general anesthesia. What are the benefits/risks of each? [more inside]
How to support kids with a suddenly injured parent?
A good friend of mine co-parents two elementary age children with the other parent. Until recently, they shared custody evenly and live blocks apart, so the children spent regular time with both parents at two homes. Sadly, the other parent got into an accident that left them with some very serious head injuries. How should my friend support their kids? [more inside]