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]
posted by dabadoo to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 11:45 AM - 3 answers

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]
posted by Omnomnom to Travel & Transportation at 11:17 AM - 0 answers

Fine dining in CDMX

Looking for high-end restaurant recommendations for Mexico City. [more inside]
posted by supermedusa to Food & Drink at 9:00 AM - 10 answers

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]
posted by fennario to Travel & Transportation at 7:20 AM - 12 answers

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]
posted by Hactar to Society & Culture at 4:01 AM - 2 answers

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]
posted by kensington314 to Media & Arts at 12:34 AM - 4 answers

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]
posted by Sorites' pair of ducks to Computers & Internet at 8:22 PM - 9 answers

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”.
posted by jefficator to Media & Arts at 7:19 PM - 7 answers

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]
posted by HeroZero to Home & Garden at 3:43 PM - 6 answers

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]
posted by ficbot to Health & Fitness at 3:09 PM - 8 answers

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]
posted by VirginiaPlain to Work & Money at 11:15 AM - 15 answers

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]
posted by JennyJupiter to Travel & Transportation at 11:09 AM - 10 answers

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]
posted by leticia to Travel & Transportation at 10:48 AM - 9 answers

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]
posted by Tell Me No Lies to Technology at 9:32 AM - 11 answers

E

What would you call the 3rd chord? [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri to Media & Arts at 9:17 AM - 13 answers

WTF ChatGPT?

What happened here? [more inside]
posted by Lemkin to Technology at 7:31 AM - 15 answers

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]
posted by If only I had a penguin... to Home & Garden at 7:17 AM - 8 answers

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]
posted by EmpressCallipygos to Food & Drink at 6:32 AM - 23 answers

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.
posted by billsaysthis to Technology at 1:29 AM - 14 answers

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?
posted by mermaidcafe to Home & Garden at 7:21 PM - 8 answers

Can [small children] eat this? Elderly dried chanterelles.

A “can I eat this” but for kids! Topic: pre-pandemic dried mushrooms. [more inside]
posted by rodneyaug to Food & Drink at 6:55 PM - 10 answers

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]
posted by toucan to Grab Bag at 5:40 PM - 14 answers

Old cat sleeps so deep

My old cat sleeps sooo deeply. This is making me panic. [more inside]
posted by St. Peepsburg to Pets & Animals at 5:39 PM - 4 answers

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.
posted by RisforKickin to Computers & Internet at 3:02 PM - 5 answers

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]
posted by St. Peepsburg to Health & Fitness at 1:32 PM - 5 answers

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!
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon to Writing & Language at 11:51 AM - 0 answers

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]
posted by foursentences to Technology at 11:28 AM - 10 answers

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]
posted by MelissaSimon to Work & Money at 10:03 AM - 7 answers

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]
posted by firemonkey to Home & Garden at 9:25 AM - 5 answers

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]
posted by essexjan to Media & Arts at 3:58 AM - 24 answers

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!!
posted by Grandysaur to Food & Drink at 6:57 PM - 23 answers

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]
posted by Admiral Viceroy to Law & Government at 5:53 PM - 5 answers

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]
posted by curagea to Media & Arts at 2:48 PM - 0 answers

Explain batteries to me like I’m Jesse Pinkman

Can rechargeable Ni-MH batteries cause actual damage to small electronics? How? [more inside]
posted by katieinshoes to Science & Nature at 2:44 PM - 19 answers

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]
posted by toebeans to Human Relations at 1:54 PM - 15 answers

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]
posted by SarahSarah to Human Relations at 12:22 PM - 25 answers

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]
posted by Well I never to Law & Government at 11:17 AM - 6 answers

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]
posted by loonietrillium to Computers & Internet at 10:39 AM - 15 answers

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]
posted by Sparky Buttons to Grab Bag at 9:56 AM - 11 answers

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]
posted by under_petticoat_rule to Home & Garden at 9:25 AM - 4 answers

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]
posted by Ideal Impulse to Shopping at 9:18 AM - 2 answers

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]
posted by I claim sanctuary to Pets & Animals at 9:14 AM - 17 answers

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]
posted by vanilla.extract to Travel & Transportation at 7:55 AM - 9 answers

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]
posted by Don_K to Computers & Internet at 7:16 AM - 12 answers

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]
posted by lokta to Health & Fitness at 5:19 AM - 6 answers

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]
posted by creatrixtiara to Health & Fitness at 11:48 PM - 14 answers

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.
posted by fieldtrip to Health & Fitness at 8:59 PM - 10 answers

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]
posted by mecran01 to Health & Fitness at 6:37 PM - 11 answers

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]
posted by Uncle to Grab Bag at 4:08 PM - 3 answers

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]
posted by goatdog to Home & Garden at 3:57 PM - 12 answers

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]
posted by theory to Health & Fitness at 3:26 PM - 8 answers

(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]
posted by anonymous to Travel & Transportation at 2:59 PM - 20 answers

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]
posted by St. Peepsburg to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 12:34 PM - 19 answers

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]
posted by angiep to Media & Arts at 11:28 AM - 13 answers

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]
posted by zeek321 to Computers & Internet at 11:23 AM - 12 answers

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]
posted by Lorc to Media & Arts at 10:56 AM - 3 answers

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]
posted by medusa to Shopping at 9:44 AM - 17 answers

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]
posted by soylent00FF00 to Science & Nature at 7:50 AM - 10 answers

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?
posted by mkb to Travel & Transportation at 7:30 AM - 10 answers

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]
posted by saucysault to Work & Money at 6:25 AM - 4 answers