June 29
My partner knowingly exposed people to covid -- How to feel about it?
My partner of two years got covid while on vacation, and her elderly mother got it too. Then they got onto a plane to fly home. This was only a day after the mother started showing symptoms, and four days after my partner did. She knows what she did is wrong, but she did it anyway. My feelings towards her have shifted, and I don't know how to deal with it. Any thoughts or advice? [more inside]
Why is the water tank in my ventless drier suddenly not filling?
I have an LG ventless drier. It has a removable water tank that normally collects the moisture from the clothes, that we pull out and dump into the sink. In the past few days, every time I dry a load of clothes, the tank is completely empty. The clothes come out dry. There is no evidence of any water collecting on the floor. The drier doesn't alert us to any errors/problems. What is up? What should I do? [more inside]
Fiction Writing Guides for Someone Who Wants to Write
I'm looking for recommendations for specific types of books about writing fiction and structuring a novel. I'm doing a content read for a friend who wants to write a novel (I think it's YA, but honestly, at this point I can't tell) and is just...not a good writer. The type of help I'm looking for is different from the usual writery type stuff, so please take a look at the details inside. [more inside]
Nihil dicit choco
What is this (perhaps faux/imitatio) Latin on a chocolate coin I am eating? One side reads "HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS" with his bust, which is obvious enough, but the other: "OXONIA BRITANNIA PRIORA TEMPORES" around a Roman centurion with spear and shield. What does it mean, if anything?
Not frugal, perhaps prudent?
I love spending money. This needs to stop. I am inspired by minimalism, don't have children or a car, and I rent my home, so housing expenses are relatively low. Fortunately, I have a secure-ish job, but I haven't always, and know there are no guarantees in this day and age. I want to pay off debt and start spending more responsibly. Please do not recommend Dave Ramsey. [more inside]
Please help me find replacements for my favorite work sneaker-boots!
I've been wearing a lightweight, non-slip pair of sneaker boots on the job for the last two years, but they're beginning to fall apart. Can anyone recommend replacements? [more inside]
Help me Patreon as both a patron and a creator
Before the pandemic, I signed up to become a patron for two different creators, both writers. I didn't do anything other than just sign up, and now I can't figure out how to sign in to read their work. [more inside]
Why have I been getting spam calls one after another all of a sudden?
I had a slew of about ten spam calls one after another (intervals of about 1 minutes or less) and from all over the country. I picked one of them up and they just hung up. One of them left a message and it was just a few seconds of silence.
Quad roller skate shops in Chicago
Can you recommend a woman/minority-friendly skate shop in the city of Chicago that sells quad-skate gear? [more inside]
Planning memorial service way ahead in times of COVID
How does one go about planning a memorial service for a partner when you know they're going to die (in times of COVID) but not when? [more inside]
Donating Magazines NYC
Where can I donate magazines in NYC? [more inside]
How to be more kempt
I feel like I come across as being an unkempt person. How to be more kempt at work, especially when on the move? [more inside]
sources for quotations in "How To Win Friends and Influence People"
Dale Carnegie in How To Win Friends and Influence People liberally quotes (sometimes rephrasing) lots of other people. Often -- at least in the cheap paperback edition I have -- there's no citation. Is there a bibliography somewhere that attempts to track down the provenance of these quotations and anecdotes? Sometimes I'd like to cite a story or aphorism from the book, but I'd like to know if I need to add a "may be made up by Dale Carnegie" disclaimer, and when possible I'd prefer to be able to cite the original source.
How to stop hurting myself in my sleep?
While I'm asleep, I seem to be doing things with my hands that cause me pain when I'm awake. Balling my hands into fists, grabbing things (like pillows), sleeping on my hands. I wake up with my hands stiff and sore. This is starting to cause pain during my waking life. How to stop doing these things? [more inside]
What is knocking LAN devices offline?
Replace my agate
I am looking for a daily roundup of all MLB games, on a single page, with brief summaries of each game. [more inside]
Apartment water pressure is abysmal - options?
I rent the third floor of a multi-family house that was converted into a multi-unit apartment. The water pressure is absolutely terrible. What can I do about this? [more inside]
Music device for kids
Kid is turning 7. She loves the Kaossilator app. She would like a stand alone device to make similar music with. [more inside]
Any tree-experts in the house?
We're replacing some lawn with native plantings, and we'd like redbud and shadblow trees that are smaller than the straight species, yet still native-friendly. Can you recommend cultivars or where to buy them? [more inside]
When to book a flight: post pandemic edition
Flights from London-Tokyo seem to be going up. If I want to go next year, should I be booking right now? [more inside]
June 28
Flying from U.S. to Italy w/ CBD a bad idea?
I'm flying from the U.S. to Rome soon and would like to pack a few CBD and Delta8 edible gummies. After much googling - it seems medical CBD and 'marijuana light' as they call it, is legal and plentiful in Italy. (Doesn't look like Delta 8 is though) Seems like I could easily just throw these into a jar w/ my other meds etc.
But I'm a little spooked about it all since I don't travel internationally and frankly don't know if my bags will be searched/ sniffed out for such items. Any advice/ recent experience? Grazie
How do I store artwork safely?
I need to store a house's worth of framed prints in an outdoor, non-climate controlled but covered shed for 8 months. How can I do this? [more inside]
That list of funny one-man tribute bands...
This is killing me! I've been trying to find this particular MeFi post and/or comments for months, and I'm completely out of ideas. [more inside]
Any good Futility Closet podcast substitutes?
I need recommendations on some good podcasts for family road trips to replace Futility Closest, and we leave tomorrow! [more inside]
How to start on Marvel/DC Comics?
This may be asking too much, but how does a neophyte dive into the world of Marvel and/or DC comics? [more inside]
How should we spend the 4th of July in NYC?
We are heading to NYC, staying in mid-town and are looking for a place not too far away from that area for a picnic/fireworks. Optionally, we could be in the Chelsea neighborhood. We will be a group of 8 ranging in age from 15 - adult. Is riding the ferry up and down the river an option? Other suggestions? This question has popped up before, but all from several years ago so things may have changed.
it's medical, it's ethical, it's novel
I have a screenshot saved of something from somewhere (maybe a mefi article from this week?) that talks about how:
"Some professionals have entire genres devoted to their workings: the police have the procedural; lawyers have legal thrillers; doctors have medical ethics novels (mostly shelved under women's fiction)[...]"
The only comparable sort of story I could think of, from my own reading history, is Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper. Any recommendations for medical ethics novels?
Series I Bonds
U.S. Government I Bonds are currently paying 9.62% due to inflation. A family of four can purchase up to $40k of these bonds every year. Outside of thinking I could yield higher than 9.62% in a index fund or real estate, if I have $40k in cash sitting around, why would I not want to invest in these? Even if I sell after one year, I only lose 3 months of interest. What am I missing?
Please Don't Shed On My Head
How often do people in cities like New York that have sidewalks alongside densely packed tall buildings get hit with various types of falling debris? [more inside]
What type of things does my equivalent in Spain typically eat and drink?
I've signed up for Spanish Beginners 2 adult education classes beginning late August and am preparing by listening to Radio.Garden stations from Spain etc. To enjoy the culture as well, I want to have light summer snacks and meals similar to what a similar guy to me in Spain would be eating and drinking (midlife bachelor, "can't cook won't cook"). What would that be? [more inside]
3D scanner to produce model and drawing - LARGE Scale, though
How do I produce a series of drawings or 3d CAD compatible models on the cheap - is it possible? [more inside]
Origin, age, quality of this rug?
There's not much to go on, but I'm curious about this oriental rug (photo 1, photo 2). Kind of rug, age, quality, value when new? [more inside]
Apply different designs to 3D model of a Headscarf
I have almost no experience in 3d modelling, but I would like to try some designs on a headscarf and see how the flow of the fabric affects the design. So, given I have/buy something like this, is it easy to try other patterns for the scarf? How did the 3D artist who made this go about it, did he start with a flat surface and then scrunched it up? So that you could easily switch out the pattern in the beginning and then reapply all the scrunching steps?
Make My Excel Dropdown a Little Less Dynamic
I am making a workbook in Excel that has multiple sheets. On the first sheet, which is called "Hierarchy" I list categories for companies. We'll call them A, B, C, D, and E. They are in cells A4:A8. On the next sheet "Companies" I list companies, with a column for assigning them into one of those categories. I need to populate a dropdown for that with the values I created on the previous page. I'm stuck though, because although I can do this swimmingly for the first row, I do not know how to get the exact same values to show up in rows below that. [more inside]
Where can I get video of Westminster dog show group judging?
Our dog Ethan recently showed at the Westminster dog show. He won his breed and appeared in the televised Terrier group judging on FS1. I would like to have a permanent copy of his appearance. How? [more inside]
Help me find this article about unenumerated Constitutional rights
I read a lot of responses to the horrifying Supreme Court Dobbs decision this weekend. One of them was an article explicitly addressing the conservative argument of "show me where abortion is mentioned in the Constitution" and included a list of other, basic rights that are not explicitly named in the Constitution to show how dangerous and ridiculous that argument is. I think it was maybe on Slate or The Atlantic but I haven't been able to find it there or on Google. Help?
A week of vegetarian/vegan meals for one
Looking for tasty, fun to cook vegetarian/vegan lunches and dinners sized for one person! [more inside]
Simplest way to saffron
I’ve got some Spanish saffron from Trader Joe’s and I understand there are many delicious recipes I could make with it, but I am interested in taking it just for health benefits, in the simplest way possible. Could I just… eat a strand? If not, what’s the best way to consume it without cooking an elaborate dish?
Health insurance company settlement - is it legit?
Received a relatively large settlement from a class action suit involving a health insurance company. Please help me determine if this is legit or some kind of scam. [more inside]
How to deliver taste training?
I am working with someone who would benefit from taste training. I can't find out much about this but know it has evolved, particularly since Covid. Where do I start? Interested in basic theory and also practicaly applying it - whether from longstanding sensory deficits or as a consequence of covid/long covid.
Thanks.
What is this vegetable?
I get a weekly vegetable box, and I don't recognise this one. It's made up of thin, hard stalks that taste a bit like leek. (photos inside) [more inside]
Hairy men, what are your coping strategies?
I’m a very hairy man and this produces problems like shedding, over-heating, looking gross, blocked drains, limiting clothing choices, shame, and more. I would like to hear from other very hairy men about what they do to live better with a ridiculously hairy body. [more inside]
Why Do I Give So Much of Myself So Easily? (Possible Codependency?)
I am recently single after a 5+ year relationship. I have realized that monogamy is not for me, and have begun seeking out companionship on an app. There is one person in particular who I have fallen for emotionally, and have been giving all of myself to them (not fully reciprocated due to details inside). Why do I continue to do this with people? [more inside]
June 27
Daily word games or puzzles
I play wordle, the nyt mini, and the daily set every day on my phone. I love that there's only one game available per day each and that I can easily complete each game by myself in under 5 minutes. I also like that they're browser based. What other daily word games or puzzles are available for me to play alone on my phone browser? [more inside]
Do you have an easy, light recipe involving rice?
We just got a rice cooker, and I need some inspiration because this change in diet is new to me. Please help me with rice-based or rice-additional recipes that are not heavy fall/winter food. I do love a good rice stew but, I am trying for lighter things. [more inside]
Working remotely and moving to another country
I live in the United States and work remotely. Theoretically, if I decide to pack up and move to another country where I qualify for temporary residency, where my employer currently has no employees, and I don't tell them, how likely is it that they'll find out and how likely is it to cause problems for me (aside from being fired)?
Help me add to my walls
Where can I find art in this style? It's proving hard to google. Bonus points if the art also has foxes.
Muscles have forgotten how to grow after surgery
I had shoulder surgery on my left arm in October 2020. In terms of range of motion and functionality it's about 95% of what it was, but all of the muscle on that side just never catches up to my right side, despite doing workouts that load them equally (weights, yoga, etc.). And when I flex that side, it can't really engage those muscles to form, say, a hard bicep. It's just kind of puny and soft. But it lifts the same weight, etc., that the right side does! What is happening and how can I fix it?
Hypoglycemia question (YANMD)
How concerned do I need to be about a couple of hypoglycemic incidents? [more inside]
Is there a word for the not-fantasy-but-odd genre?
You’ve got speculative fiction, you’ve got fantasy. What do you call fiction that is kind of fantastical—nothing impossible or magical, yet also not regular fiction? I mean the opposite of kitchen sink realism but without being supernatural. Like what about whimsical Wes Anderson movies?
Dishwasher vs wall oven for a tiny kitchen in an urban apartment?
I'm considering a total renovation of a tiny galley kitchen (5.5' or 6' wide, on part of one wall of the living room). I'm trying to prioritize things that renters of a little urban apartment would prefer. I'm trying to decide between a wall oven, or a dishwasher plus some kind of over-the-cooktop microwave/convection oven combo. Also: minimum sink width? Help?! [more inside]
How can I see posts from actual people on Facebook?
Weird question yeah, bear with me. Turned on the Facebook App on mobile a few minutes ago and it was glorious, I saw posts from actual people/friends that I rarely ever see. It was like FB had done an update or design to show me posts from friends. [more inside]
What Does Sen. Warren Mean About Providing Abortions On Federal Land?
Senator Warren has been quoted, (for example, here) suggesting that the federal government could provide abortion services on federal lands in states where it’s now prohibited. Does anyone understand what she means, legally?
That is, this would be terrific if it worked, but I am a lawyer, and as far as I know state laws still operate everywhere within a state, even if the land you’re standing on is owned by the federal government. There’s no gap in the coverage of state law that lets you, e.g., commit acts that would be battery under state law so long as you’re standing in a federal office building. On the other hand, while I am a lawyer, Senator Warren is a better one, so maybe she’s thinking of something I’m missing.
Does anyone get this on a legal level so that they can explain it to me?
Looking for (very)YA literature about being lesbian/bi/pan/etc.
My 10 year old, god love her, is looking for books for kids her age about being lesbian/bi/pansexual... [more inside]
Desserts without chocolate
Sadly, chocolate appears to be a (sometimes) migraine trigger for me, so I'm trying to avoid it. I'd love your suggestions of chocolate-free deserts - both packaged and recipes. [more inside]
Story where magic is like fuel you ingest?
This is a vague memory and unfortunately it's also second-hand; someone told me about a book? (I think? Might have been a series or manga or something, they consume a LOT of media that I never see) -- where 'magic' is like this essence or fuel or liquid or something, so magicians have to 'fuel up' by drinking/sucking/absorbing raw magic in order to cast spells. Ring any bells?
Eyeglasses help
Where can I find an eyeglasses store or nonprofit that will sell me frames to fit existing lenses? [more inside]
How much should I spend on social media advertising for this event?
I'm part of a non-profit and we're holding an event that starts tomorrow and runs for up to about three weeks and someone said they want to help us out financially (they said they're an accountant and can easily help out economically).
Since it seems like money is not going to be a major hurdle as far something like social media advertising is concerned, how much should we ask for without asking for an overly excessive amount? Is it indeed "the more you spend" the better or is there a limit? [more inside]
Recession proof me. Again.
What are you doing to prepare for economic downturn? It looks like we're in for another spot of stormy weather with the global economy (shout out to my fellow graduates of 2008). I've been doing some research on how to prepare for a recession and would love your tips, for example, get a dental check up now, or learn to cook X cuisine. Global-filter appreciated!
So soft, so cool
I'm getting a new mattress and I want one that is cool and soft. Suggestions? Also snowflake details... [more inside]