October 25
Ideas / advice 3 weeks in Brazil, Sao Paulo to Rio
We're thinking of going to Brazil for 3 weeks next February, flying into Sao Paulo, staying for a few days, then going on a road trip to 2 or 3 beaches on the way to Rio, staying for a few days there and flying out. [more inside]
winter getaway to...more winter
What are your favorite festive, winter-y places to visit around Christmas/New Year's? [more inside]
Have Kitchenaid, need ideas
I am stoked to have received a Kitchenaid stand mixer. Please give me your favorite recipes and uses, and must-buy attachments!
I love cooking and have intermediate to advanced skills, but am a busy working professional. Therefore, I am looking for all recipes, great and small. I am probably buying the sausage-stuffing attachment as it's cheap and sounds fun. [more inside]
Flicking brights as signal to other driver?
When I was a kid (in the Midwest) my dad would flick his brights/high beams on and off at an oncoming car to signal to them that they were driving with their lights off when driving at night. More often than not, the oncoming car would then turn their lights on. I have adopted this habit (on the East Coast) and it doesn’t work. Is this a regional thing? If someone flashed their brights at you, would you know what it meant? Should I stop doing this?
Can I eat it?
Fourteen years into my membership on the site, and I have a “can I eat it?” question—with a twist! [more inside]
October 24
Tempered glass tea pot with a BIG infuser?
I'm looking for a tempered glass tea pot with a mesh infuser insert. The infuser should take up almost all the volume of the tea pot. For some reason, everything I've seen has a tiny infuser, maybe half the pot's depth and a fifth of the pot's volume. So I can't make a half pot because the infuser isn't even in the water, and if I make a full pot my tea will be cramped. Additional criteria inside. [more inside]
Anxiety about a job I messed up at, because of anxiety
I really underperformed at an internship because of my intense introversion and social anxiety. How do I talk about this job in interviews? [more inside]
Hispanic Acquaintance Missing. Help Me Find Him!
Jose has been in this country for two years. He did not show at his place of unemployment on Saturday. We have not heard from him since and are unable to get in touch with him by phone.
We are concerned that he may be detained by ICE. Is there a way to check online? What can we do?
Et tu, Pixel?
Help me pick a new Android phone! Picky details inside. [more inside]
Allowing dogs to roam free on rural property
My boyfriend are in the midst of a major disagreement about whether or not dogs should be allowed to roam free outside, without supervision and without a fence. [more inside]
“Cyber” documentary from the mid nineties?
I’m trying to recollect or hopefully re watch a short series (3 or 4 episodes) of tv documentaries first aired in the mid nineties. They were on an assortment of technological/futurist themes, all aired under the same title. [more inside]
Can you tell me what this growth is?
Can you identify this growth of some sort on a pot plant in Sydney Australia?
Gendered Insults
Is there a gendered insult for men as ugly as... you know the one. [more inside]
What should I do about this broken iPhone?
What should I do (if anything) about this broken iPhone? Please help me figure out the best option. [more inside]
Google+ alternatives for small community
Our daycare has been using Google+ to communicate with families, post pictures of children, post announcements, etc., but now that the service is ending, we need a replacement. What should we look at? [more inside]
Name that tune, emo rock edition
I've got a song stuck in my head, and the only line that I can remember is the chorus which repeats the line "You are here." Male vocals, alternative-emo rock, came out in the late 2000's, probably before 2010. [more inside]
Why does wikipedia hate mp3's?
Why are audio files on wikipedia (generally) encoded as Ogg Vorbis instead of mp3 (or some other format that's generally supported by the browsers on iPhones and other mobile devices?) [more inside]
A Cottage of One's Own
Two of my Canadian friends are going in on a 10 acre property in BC, Canada. There has been some discussion of us building a small cottage for me on the property that I would pay for. I (an American citizen) need to draw up a contract for all this. . .but I'm not familiar with how these things work north of the border. Snowflakes below. [more inside]
Installing a hybrid water heater
My Rheem Warrior Glass water heater is giving me water that get colder faster. In anticipation, I bought a A.O Smith 50-gallon hybrid water heater about a month ago. I've watched a lot of YouTube videos and see there are four basic connections on both; hot water out, cold water in, power and pressure valve/drain pipe. The new water heater recommends an expansion tank even though the old one doesn't have one. [more inside]
highlanders
Can you recommend to me books, articles, videos, websites, and other resources about the peoples, ethnic groups, and tribes called "hill people" or "highlanders" around the world? [more inside]
Look for a quote about questions being orders
I'm looking for a quote I only vaguely remember, but the gist of it was a General (US?) saying something like "When I became a General, I learned that every request (question?) I asked was heard as an order".
Or something along those lines, basically the idea being that because of the power imbalance they had to be very cognizant of how and what they said because people took it as a direct command otherwise.
Can I still use this Speedball fabric ink?
Can I still eat use this Speedball water-soluble fabric ink? It's a huge container -- like a quart -- and the ink is sort of a gel inside now. I tried mixing some with water and it thinned a bit but it's still not easy to use. (I am not a print-maker, just a guy who would like to experiment with using this to color some Tyvek.) [more inside]
How do states influence other states' statutes?
Hi MeFites, I recently started a paralegal program and the introductory class has me thinking about some things I would like to know more about. If you can provide any information yourself OR refer me to a resource that would help, I would be grateful. [more inside]
Syncing CalDAV to Google Calendar?
I have a CalDAV feed with a username and password with events that I need to show up in a Google calendar. I understand Google doesn't support CalDAV natively, but surprisingly all of my searching around this seemingly simple issue has not turned up a solution. [more inside]
Helping a high schooler with organization skills
My niece is a senior in high school, and is in danger of not graduating due to her grades. It's not that she isn't getting concepts, it's her organization. What can we do at this point to help her establish a system for getting her assignments done and turned in on time, and improve her test-taking skills? [more inside]
The ethics of volunteer crowdsourcing
Acknowledging the irony of posing this question here… What's the status of debate in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) sphere on the ethics of volunteer crowdsourcing? Are there any guidelines? Especially thinking about things like transcription/tagging, i.e. where the tasks are predefined and often rote, rather than something like Wikipedia, where the volunteers can define the tasks. [more inside]
Stop me if you've heard this one.
I'd like to write a story. How can I do 'due diligence' to make sure I'm not ripping off someone else's story idea? [more inside]
Is there a name for this kind of old-timey floating dock?
I'm currently looking at a photo of the beach in English Bay in Vancouver in 1919. What would you call the square dock those people are on? Any information about these things would be appreciated.
The candle from Copenhagen
I am part Danish but have never been to the motherland. Yet, all of the US is huge into hygge and therefore, candles. I am having a real difficulty understanding how candles (plain candles! not scented!) are apparently such a huge part of life in Denmark and want some insider tips, now that I’m trying to proactively face the wintertime and make it something to get excited about and seek inspiration from my people. [more inside]
Cheap Temp Options for Wifi + Issues of Nonpayment
What are my cheapest options for getting temporary wifi? And how do I ensure that my roommate doesn’t skip out without paying the last month’s rent? [more inside]
Career change-social work or nursing?
For a few years now, I've been thinking about pursuing a career change. My background: 6 years experience in digital marketing, with a useless liberal arts degree that I regret getting. I'm hitting a point in my career where I'm struggling to progress any further in my field. [more inside]
Recycled cycle questions
Historically, bicycles have not ended well for me, but I've purchased this elderly lady and decided to give it one more go. Unfortunately, I know nothing about bicycles and would appreciate some advice. [more inside]
Am I being blinded by love?
I love this condo unit that I'm about to rent, but the building was built in 1995. Should I be concerned? Or am I being overly cautious? [more inside]
Is it reasonable to go to the doctor for feeling mildly tired?
I've been feeling extra run-down and tired for the last few months, despite generally getting what should be enough sleep. I know standard advice is to talk to a doctor, but I'm having imposter syndrome. Is this really serious enough to talk to her about? Should I just suck it up and try to be better about sleep hygiene? [more inside]
Project / "Dependent" Calendar / Grouped Items That Move With Each Other
I'm looking for functionality (highly preferably one that works with Google Calendar) where I can say that Item A takes 5 days, Item B takes 13 days, Item C takes 5 Days, etc., and if I have to bump Item A forward, Item B and C are automatically bumped forward by the same number of days – but that isn't much more complex than that, i.e., not some of the highly complex Microsoft Project-esque monstrosities. [more inside]
Mefites gave me links, I was enlightened, we lived happily ever after
Tell me more about Preferred Futuring, Preferred Future Visions, Ron Lippitt, Edward Lindaman, and visioning - especially for individuals and small informal groups. [more inside]
Does a remote have to sync with device?
My remote and its big boombox are wonky [more inside]
Creativefilter: Add verses to my lullaby
I sing a little made up song to my child and need additional verses from the hivemind.
Please add your own and make me not repeat the same exact thing over until the end of time. What would you add? [more inside]
Proper recourse against former employer speaking bad about me publicly?
My former employer (and her husband!) are discussing details regarding my employment and termination on a very public, highly followed local social media forum. This is happening on a thread that has absolutely nothing to do with me and the comments are becoming disparaging. What do? [more inside]
Front load washer tricks needed!
We're adjusting to a HE front load washer with hang to dry clothing and free and clear detergent - tips and tricks needed! [more inside]
Easiest ipad music player (for local files on ipad, not streaming)
I want the easiest IOS music player to make a playlist ONLY using a few downloaded files, not connected to the internet or streaming any music. [more inside]
Rage Anger - Trying to Find an Obscure Album from the 90's
I am trying to find an album I must have gotten in the mid 90's. I think the band may have been from the Philadelphia area but not certain of this. [more inside]
High-Key Horror
I'm looking for references for high-key (brightly lit, think Hallmark Christmas Movies) horror films. Ideally, the scariness lives in the brightly lit world, not in the shadows. Is there anything like this out there? [more inside]
Persistent Nightmares from Cycling Off of Adult ADHD Medication?
This one`s for tne non-neurotypical cool kids out there:
Trying to cycle off my ADHD meds and ever since I stopped the regimen, I`ve been experiencing a non-stop parade of hideous nightmares that seem to be escalating in tone and content.
Wondering if anyone else with this diagnosis, and who`ve tried to stop taking it, have experienced something similar and what you did about it?
Dora the Explorer, Conan the Barbarian, and blank the blank.
I'm looking for people or characters who go by '(name) the (profession)', for comedy reasons. Can you think of any, other than Dora and Conan? [more inside]
Am I there yet? Old therapist check-in filter
I moved to a different country for a new job 3 months ago. I'll be visiting my own city for work in early November for a few days. I really want to get in touch with my old therapist and check in, but I am not sure if it's a good idea. [more inside]
Insomnia causing depressive symptoms
I have a chronic illness that impacts my sleep. Exhaustion is bringing back depressive symptoms which I haven't suffered from in 18 months. When I am well-rested I don't feel these symptoms, how can I deal with them when I am tired? [more inside]
Has a multivitamin cured my procrastination issues?
I started taking a decent quality lady-formula multivitamin a couple of weeks ago. No previous supplements taken. Now, with no other changes in diet, routine or exercise habits, some dire and longstanding procrastination problems just aren't an issue any more. I decide to do a task, do it and it's done. This is unheard of for me. Is something in the vitamins causing this or just a coincidence? Obviously I want these effects to continue!
Do you let your cat see you naked?
I did not realise this was a thing, or an issue, until an emotive debate in the pub between cat-owning friends (in rural England). Some don't see it as an issue, some think it too weird, some say yes but not in the bedroom during intimacy, or yes but no pet-to-human contact, while some think it permanently changes the relationship between you and cat e.g. cannot be unseen. What are the reasons and concerns - either for or against - over letting your cat (or other pet e.g. dog, goat, ferret, horse) seeing you naked?
October 23
NYC moving company recommendations
So, I'm in the market for a moving company. All of my previous moves have involved fairly informal, relaxed building regimes where it was OK to use a "man with van" service from the Village Voice classifieds or random strangers from TaskRabbit to move in or out of the building. This new place is a little different. They're more uptight. Among other things, they require a certificate of insurance from the moving company in order to approve the move-in. [more inside]
What are some good but free ways to incentivize donating?
What are some good but free ways to incentivize donating to a community-chest type fund? [more inside]
Bedspread solution for hairy, dirty dog
I need to find bedding that doesn't show either dog hair or dirt/paw prints/general dinginess. [more inside]
Poor Philippe Égalité
Looking for book recommendations for French history between Napoleon I and Napoleon III. [more inside]
What vegetable dish to serve with coq au vin?
Hello chefs of Metafilter! I am cooking coq au vin for a birthday dinner. I'm making cauliflower mashed potatoes to simulate a starch, but am stumped as to what recipe to make for a real veggie side dish (preferably something green). I would love to hear any ideas you have. [more inside]
Where can I see Fall leaves in the Northeast US *this Thurs & Friday*
I live in Philadelphia, I have Thurs-Sunday off work (but Sat & Sun are supposed to be rainy) and I want to take a road trip see some great fall foliage displays. I’ve wanted to see fall in New England for *years*. BUT I’ve been hearing/seeing mixed/conflicting things, including from the foliage predictors. So: have you seen great fall foliage displays in the past 48 hours? Where, very specifically? Also, bonus points for very cheap places I could stay nearby (is camping a crazy idea? I haven’t camped in cold weather before.)
Should I move to Providence, RI, to save on rent, or somewhere else?
I've lived in Boston for several years and would love to stay if it were not for the fact that I need to live alone for my mental health but only make 40k annually. I have heard from several friends that Providence is like a "mini Boston" with cheaper rent and I'm strongly considering moving. On my salary, would I actually be able to live alone, are rising rents there making this a pipe dream, or should I expand my horizons? [more inside]
Exciting audiobooks, please
I need recommendations for exciting audiobooks. My last long car ride I listened to Dead Wake and it was wonderful for building anticipation. Non-fiction or fiction, something that will entertain for a long boring drive.
Cell-phone-based scam
My 72-year-old father has been taken in by a scammer and it is ruining his marriage and damaging his finances. I am not sure how to help (from out of state). [more inside]
How can I break a habit of touching/ messing with my hair?
I have long hair that sheds a lot naturally. But I also have a bad habit of touching/ running my fingers through my hair that results in more hair loss. What can I do to break this habit? [more inside]
Elusive German cookie
Decades ago in elementary school we had an international food day. Someone brought in (apparently) German cookies which I have since thought of occasionally, but unable to identify and find recipes for. [more inside]