March 17
Love my wool clothes, but the holes and the pilling... help!
I have several wool t-shirts and thin shirts that I love, but half of them got a couple of tiny holes after just a few uses. The shirts are too expensive for that! I do not think it's moths because my wool sweaters don't get any holes and they're hanging right next to each other in the closet and touching. And not every shirt has holes. The thicker wool sweaters don't have any tiny holes but they pill so badly that I am afraid they are going to wear out and get so thin in a couple of years. Is this just the deal with wool? [more inside]
Nice in July
We are going to Nice (France) in July because both kids are francophiles. They will be 11 and 14. Our interests are to experience French ways of doing things (14 yo wants to sample all that the boulangeries have to offer, for instance). And we tend towards amusing modern art, Japanese food and nerdery, well, food and nerdery in general, interesting non-stuffy museums but also maybe having one day on a beach. Hit me with recommendations please? [more inside]
Fine dining in CDMX
Looking for high-end restaurant recommendations for Mexico City. [more inside]
NYC Agenda for 1 Day with 12 year old, details inside
I am seeking specific suggestions for places to go during a surprise 1-day NYC visit for my kid's 12th birthday in early April, focusing on things a kid into video games, manga, anime, candy and especially Japanese candy, boba tea, blind boxes and horror movies/spooky stuff, etc. would like. He likes, and I say this in an affectionate complimentary way, 'weird' neighborhoods and people, street art type vibes versus museum art, offbeat stuff. [more inside]
Killing of Nobles in Florence?
Reading a link from the post about the Vasari corridor, there was a single sentence that said "After many civil wars & watching neighbors fall to conquerors, the Florentine Republic decided to secure its liberties by *massacring all the nobles and putting their heads on pikes!*." Where do I get details about this? [more inside]
What should a Cindy Lee fan check out in terms of wonky inaccessibility?
I'm in love with Cindy Lee's music for the music itself, yes, but I also love how hard it is to get hold of and actually hear. It makes me feel like a teenager. What else should I be checking out? [more inside]
March 16
Project management for the resistance?
A group in my small, red-state US city have started a nonviolent, pro-democracy organization. In just about a month we've grown from 0 to over 600 members without signs of slowing down. Most of us have never done this before and are still figuring out how to make it work. Currently we have little infrastructure for organizing effort around members' very creative ideas. We need project management. What kind of resources or options can I bring to our leadership? [more inside]
Plucked from Obscurity by a Collapsing Regime?
I’m looking for stories (fiction but preferably nonfiction) about individuals who have been selected for favor by a collapsing regime. A tale of takes the test / runs the race / wins the award and is whisked to the capital where a full re-education occurs. Only after our heroine has fully identified with her new overlords does she learn the regime is on the way out. She eventually has to adapt to a new world and laments her prior “fortune”.
Natural wood shelf project, not flush against wall?
Mrs. HeroZero got some lovely natural/driftwood cutting boards on deep discount at Home Goods. Her idea is to turn them into shelves for small knick-knacky things (i.e. nothing heavy) by putting brackets on the bottom. However, the side edges of the cutting boards are not straight but "natural". Will the brackets alone be enough to hold up the shelves, or does the self edge itself being flush with the wall provide stability? [more inside]
Do I have an autoimmune situation?
I thought I was developing an autoimmune disorder and was all set to book a workup with my doctor. I changed my diet and the problem 95% resolved. What might be going on here? [more inside]
How do I look for/apply for jobs outside of my field? I don't get it.
There's been a lot going on with my current employer lately and, I think, the writing's on the wall and my position could be in danger. I can see myself being potentially let go soon. Which means: job search. I work in libraries and job searching is usually tough enough, but I'm ready to look for jobs in other places/other fields. However... I don't "get" how to do this. Advice? [more inside]
Virginia to Buffalo, NY Road Trip- Suggestions for Stops Along the Way
Planning a trip from Virginia to Niagara Falls. Looking for suggestions for things to do along the way. [more inside]
Budget lodging for self-styled solo recharge getaway? PA/OH/IN
Trying to roll-my-own 3-4 night mental-health-break solo stay, mostly just need to be by myself, with most modern conveniences, bot no spiritual or community programming. Limited budget, though, so trying to find a really affordable place to do this. [more inside]
Replacing a small piece of plastic
I've got a plastic casing that is missing a small piece of plastic. I need to replace it The Right Way. Details inside. [more inside]
E
WTF ChatGPT?
How long to leave a knock-off Command strip to test it?
My condo is held together largely with 3M command strips. But now given *gestures vaguely* I am not buying command strips. I bought some knock-offs on Temu. There are different versions and I bought some that say they're good for walls with latex paint (most say explicitly no painted walls). I have put one up in an invisible place in a closet wall painted with the same paint as the intended location. How long do I leave it there before pulling it off to see if the paint comes with it? 24 hours? 48 hours? A week? [more inside]
Delicious Goo I Can Eat With A Spoon
I go through phases of spoonable-dessert making - puddings, jellies, parfaits, etc. - and I'm looking for recipes or ideas. [more inside]
ElectricCuriousityFilter
Why do electric outlets outside the US have switches? I’ve seen this in Spain, Portugal, Australia, and New Zealand so I expect it’s pretty common globally. Like, if I plug something into an outlet presumably I want power to go to it. Asking because sometimes the switch is close enough to the outlet that it blocks my big global power adapter.
March 15
Blocking sound from nearby bar’s outdoor area
My 2nd floor bedroom window overlooks the beer garden of a brewpub/cafe. They’re open till 10 weeknights and 11 on weekends. Now that the weather is nicer, there’s people out there from like 4-10 every night, and it’s bothering me. I want to muffle the sound without obscuring my only bedroom window. Best suggestion for easy and effective muffling?
Can [small children] eat this? Elderly dried chanterelles.
A “can I eat this” but for kids! Topic: pre-pandemic dried mushrooms. [more inside]
My brother-in-law just lost his mother. I want to help.
He's in his early twenties, and the death was unexpected. I feel so angry and sad for him. I lost a friend at that age, and that was so hard. I can't imagine losing a parent when you're that young. [more inside]
Old cat sleeps so deep
My old cat sleeps sooo deeply. This is making me panic. [more inside]
Words With Friends without the sensory nightmare.
Is there a Words With Friends-style ios/android app out there that is devoid of gimmicky clickbait cruft/animations/in-game currency? I just want to play Scrabble with my friends. I will pay to remove ads. No, I do not want to login with Facebook.
where to buy vitamins that ship from Canada
Due to recent ~issues~ I don't want to order from iherb as they ship out of the states. But they really did have the best online selection and prices. Which online vendor should I switch to? I am looking for: variety and price. Details within. [more inside]
Help me remember a poem
It’s about men and women. The bulk of the poem is about how men and women are basically incompatible, then the last line is something like “the cars drive by, each one containing a man and a woman”. I read it years ago, so it’s not new. Thanks!
Simple e-ink bluetooth display?
The product I want is an e-ink screen with a bluetooth connection, whose contents I can frictionlessly change from my computer, and which will then display those contents indefinitely after the computer is off. [more inside]
Help me help my friend create a budget
How can I help my money-management-challenged friend get on top of monthly spending? [more inside]
GardenFilter: What's wrong with my bean plants?
I am growing fava beans and bush beans. They both seem to have the same problem- yellowing leaves with brown spots. What is this and how do I get them healthy again? [more inside]
Where should I get my US political news from?
The usual sources don't appear to be reliable narrators, so where do I go now? [more inside]
March 14
Low carb substitutes— but TEXTURE!
I’m looking for low carb substitutes that will scratch the itch of a nice toothsome noodle, or a chewy hunk of sourdough. I’m looking for foods that have the satisfying mouthfeel of a good hunk of carbs. Think chew and tear and stretch. Yes I know about zoodles and cauliflower mash and bread alternatives, and I’m aware that most of that delish high-carb texture comes from the starches and gluten of high-carb ingredients. Recipes not necessary but welcome, ideas and suggestions are great!!
Whither Canada?
I'm trying to find immigration records for some ancestors who emigrated to Canada from Eastern Europe somewhere around 1910. Might they be online? [more inside]
Streaming with fair payout models - what's out there besides IDAGIO?
IDAGIO has a "pay per second" payout model that pays artists more the longer their tracks are, as opposed to "pay per stream" employed by other streaming services. But how much exactly is IDAGIO paying out, and are there other services out there doing the same thing? [more inside]
Explain batteries to me like I’m Jesse Pinkman
Can rechargeable Ni-MH batteries cause actual damage to small electronics? How? [more inside]
Birthday traditions
It's my son's first birthday in early May and I'm starting to think about how to celebrate/mark the occasion. [more inside]
Have I been a bad friend ? # BOUNDARIES
Hi everyone, I have relocated to a different country in the last two years.
I am also not working since relocation , and live near a smallish town . As a result I have only one friend / person i have become close to , thus far. [more inside]
How realistic are "revert gender markers" orders?
I am curious about how practicable "revert gender marker" orders are, such as the one issued by the Texas attorney general? How trivial/non-trivial would it be for a state ID database, for example, to find these cases? [more inside]
Friend Faxes
What would it take for my long-distance friends and I to set up a fax system for us to send hand-written letters to each other? [more inside]
42 - The Answer to the Ultimate Question
My husband is turning 42 soon, and as a birthday celebration, he wants to celebrate his 21st anniversary of turning 21. For various reasons his birthday has gotten overshadowed the last few years (and birthdays are a big deal in his culture), so I would like to make this a fun, memorable event. I have the basic idea of what we want to do, but could use some creative help for the extra things. [more inside]
Can I upgrade the burner heads on my gas stove?
We have a 3 year old Whirlpool gas stove. The burner heads produce hot and cold spots. They're not blocked - it's almost as if they're intentionally designed to do that. Are there aftermarket burner heads I can get to (safely) produce more even flame? [more inside]
Can you help me find this hat my child loves?
My kid loves this hat (link to pic inside) and lost it last month. I would love to find it again. Here are the details that I remember [more inside]
Slimming down the horde - help my food stealing cat?
I have four cats from a single litter. They're all slightly overweight, but one has a far bigger food drive after a steroid treatment a couple years ago, finishes off everyone else's bowls and is now chonky to the point of hygiene problems. Vet provided me with tools to calculate their caloric requirements but the logistics of N's food stealing are defeating me. Any ideas? Have you managed to slim down a food stealing cat without starving a mostly normally eating one? [more inside]
What's up with planes?
There have been several high-profile aviation mishaps lately. Is this a weird blip of coincidences, or is there anything to suggest this is something to actually be concerned about, and if so, are there ways to stay safer when flying? [more inside]
Can my dad safely use my old phone?
I have a tech-averse father who has never owned a computer or a smartphone. However, he loves to play around on mine when I visit. Since he can tie into his neighbor's wireless (a close friend who would approve), I was thinking of giving him an old phone so that he can surf the internet, take photos, and finally get an email address. [more inside]
Sleep earplugs in the UK
Hello! It occurred to me I could try to update my sleep earplugs. Any recommendations? Available online to UK please, ideally under let’s say £20. [more inside]
March 13
Prevention is better than burnout
What actions can I do to give myself enough of a reserve in energy or resilience such that when I hit the last straw on a pile of problems, I am not immediately catastrophizing and end up in burnout? [Modifier: am autistic/ADHD] [more inside]
Better Living Through Data
How do you use your smartwatch, fitness band, and/or Strava or similar app to improve your life? I track seemingly vast amounts of data about myself through an iphone, Garmin Vivoactive watch, Polar heart rate monitor, Wahoo SYSTM using a KICKR bike trainer, and Wahoo bike computer. But, I don’t really do anything with it other than looking at bike routes or distances. How have you used these tools to improve your performance in your sport, general health, sleep, mental health, or in some other way? Any specific advice for the gear I’m using would be helpful, too.
Study: over 50 percent of dead males over forty have prostate cancer
My urologist told me that in Wisconsin or maybe Minnesota a study was conducted where the 40-something male victims of auto accidents had their prostates biopsied and something like 50 percent of them had prostate cancer. Try as I might I can't find that study. Any urologists out there who have heard of this? Thanks. [more inside]
Potty training audio books?
The next hurdle in my parenting journey is potty training. I’ve got a road trip coming up. What should we listen to? [more inside]
My sidewalk been down so long
The sidewalk in my backyard is between 4 and 6 inches lower than the surrounding yard and my neighbor's yard. When it rains, the water pools on it and it's a river. During the winter, meltwater collects on it, freezes, and it's an ice ribbon. Can I just lay another sidewalk over it to bring it above the flood plain so we can walk on it in all seasons? [more inside]
What long-ago illness could this have been?
Someone just reminded me of a mystery illness I had about 25 years ago. Near the end of a month-long trip in Egypt and continuing for 2-3 weeks after returning home I had reoccurring fevers — mainly nights, with massive night sweats — as well as splotchy red spots on my torso and noticeable weight loss. No other symptoms. I did also have a brief, hellacious stomach bug while traveling, but only for a day and seemingly unconnected to the fever which began a couple weeks later. Based on this limited info, what are the likeliest candidates for this fever? [more inside]
(How) can I remove the hood & tail logo ornaments from Tesla model Y
Can I, a non-mechanic, safely remove the Tesla logo from my Model Y?
Would that leave any opening that would be prone to corrosion?
Would I need to cover the spot with something else? (Maybe an A in a circle...) [more inside]
Give me your hot takes: Can I buy this shirt?
Seen outside of Seattle. Very much want. But does the brand give “don’t tread on me” vibes? [more inside]
Pro-social comics/comic books for preschoolers
My son and daughter-in-law asked me to query the MeFi Hive Mind. Here's their question regarding their son, my grandson, who is 3½, very bright, with relatively sophisticated language skills. He loves books and being read to (I read to him over Facetime). Their question: [more inside]
Why does my mac m1 air slow down and how do I narrow down why?
When I restart, even when checking "reopen/keep all windows", it comes back zippy—I'm restarting with the same apps and windows being open as when it was slowed to a crawl. But then it always gets slower and slower over time until it's barely usable. [more inside]
What was that comic series? Brightly coloured dragonball Z homage.
A couple of years ago I read two volumes of a comic that was a very clear expy of Dragonball Z. An alien world where invincible martial artists glow and shoot beams. Very vivid use of colour, almost James Stokoe-like, but with oranges, greens and purples everywhere. [more inside]
Looking for running/exercise headphone or earbud recommendations
I'm hoping to find bluetooth exercise headphones/earbuds that will stay put for running, lifting weights, and yoga. My priorities are to hear my surroundings (open ear design, not noise cancelling) and not break the bank (budget around $100). Good sound quality and longer battery life would be nice, but I can't see paying $300 for all the bells and whistles. [more inside]
Ungated Weather Radar Website that doesn't fry my CPU
I am currently using radar.weather.gov to watch weather radar.
Though functional and ad-free, the site is horribly coded : it is maxing out 100% of a M-series CPU core on my MacBook (Activity Monitor/ the 'Safari Graphics and Media' process hits 100% or above) when this page is visible and playing. If I pause and hide the browser window, cpu usage goes back to zero). [more inside]
Why have an axle that doesn't touch the road?
I see this every so often: a truck or trailer has an axle with wheels off the ground. Example (the axle behind the fuel tank). What's this axle for?
UK employment with Canadian Librarian skills
Does anyone have any tips and tricks for looking for work around Manchester - currently searching online but will be in person later this year. [more inside]