November 20
Can we just have this person's car towed?
YANML, however: My girlfriend's roommate made felony criminal threats against her. He's in jail right now. He's also in her parking spot - should she have his car towed? [more inside]
Door Identification
What's the best, online, basic Yoga experience?
What's the best online Yoga learning tool? I'm not against paying money for a class or a series of courses, but a quick google brings up eleven thousand options and I'm looking for a vouch! More deets inside. [more inside]
More music like this?: womp womp edition
I'm in love with the "womp womp" sounds starting at :31 in this remix. Is there a genre that encompasses this song? Any other specific songs y'all would recommend if that's my favorite part of this song? [more inside]
What does this say? Deciphering Historical Handwriting
I am researching a genealogical dead end in my family and recently found a death record with the names of the parents of the person I'm stuck at. Exciting! ... But I can't read the names. [more inside]
Battery heated vest recommendations
I'm looking to give a battery heated vest as a gift this holiday season, but finding it difficult to locate the perfect match. Ideal product would be a women's fit extra small with a not-too-bulky battery and layer well with other clothing. [more inside]
Vendor beware
A local merchant had been selling my art and gifts in her shop on commission. Then she suddenly moved and downsized without telling me. I've been having a really hard time getting my merch back, and now she's blocked my number. How should I proceed to get my things back or be compensated for them? [more inside]
How to make international teams feel close
Have you worked within an international team in a business sense? Did you feel emotionally close and friendly with them? Tell me how you made that happen. [more inside]
Is there a Persian Percy Jackson?
My 8-year-old loves Greek and Norse mythology, and contemporary fiction based on them. What books might she like that engage with non-Western mythologies? [more inside]
What do businesses do when purchasing from bots? Hope me accountants!
Our accounting department always expects to get a W-9 for any new vendor and gets very bristly if this is not provided. This causes a lot of delays when the vendor is an automated web site (e.g. providing a software license key) and there are almost no humans involved (or contact emails are scarce). What is the modern way to purchase things quickly in an IRS-compliant way from nearly virtual companies without weeklong delays? (This is for a US-based business, some of the purchases could be international.) [more inside]
'They' changed my lined paper. Recommendation needed
For years and years I have kept work notes on pads of lined paper. These are supplied to me by the office, I don't purchase them myself. The past few months, something has changed with the quality of the...adhesive isn't quite the right word, but the rubbery stuff at the top that holds the papers together. Now, when I fold pages back to get to the next page, the used pages fall off after a few days. This never used to happen. I've tried both office provided options available to me yellow pads and white pads (all from a big box stationary / office supply place), and they both have this fault. [more inside]
Should I drink it? Pet and/or Carnation evaporated milk version.
Evaporated milk adds so much to coffee, esp coffee with chicory. I had a hot cup ready to go 12 hours ago, set it down "over there" and over there it sat. I threw it down the drain a few minutes ago; I wanted to drink it but didn't, and won't, not without The Official MetaFilter Seal Of Should I Drink It Or Not approval. [more inside]
Wonky and Political Podcasts About How Society Works
I love wonky and political podcasts that have experts come on to analyze current social/political events and trends from the perspective of their expertise. And every time I find myself running a little dry of new episodes like that to listen to, I get tipped off to another fascinating podcast by you find folks on the Blue. So would you please do me a favor and turn this thread into a treasure trove of cool things for me to listen to over Thanksgiving? [more inside]
What does a parent need to know about XBox?
My teen-age son wants to buy an XBox. What does it really cost (console + games + subscriptions +??)? And what do I need to know about it, as a parent? We don't own any consoles now, besides the RetroPi I put together. [more inside]
best way to buy off contract iphone?
I would like to buy a new iphone 8 or maybe XR or pixel 3, but I am not on a major carrier and do not wish to be on one. All the black Friday specials appear to be for new or renewed activation on one of the four major carriers (in the U.S.). Am I missing anything? [more inside]
The history of TinyLetter?
I am writing something which requires a bit of information about the digital newsletter platform, TinyLetter. I'm really after fairly basic stuff: who made it and when, when it was bought by MailChimp, perhaps a couple of sources/citations which help me understand when it became popular. [more inside]
Signals to Boost
Who or what do you link to rather than bothering to respond to something wrong on the internet yourself? Please recommend compelling online commentators. [more inside]
Low Carb High Fat Veggie-centered Recipes?
After the success of this question, I'm turning to the green to look for veggie-centered low carb dishes that can be made and eaten as leftovers for a few days. [more inside]
Should I cut my losses or give friendship a chance?
I hung out with a guy from a dating app a couple of times over the past week. He was kind of hot and cold. Almost immediately after we hooked up for a second time he said he thought we should just be friends because of a recent break up has left him all over the place. At first I was okay with how things went but upon reflection I'm kind of upset and feel a bit used. Is this reasonable? Should I give him the benefit of the doubt? More inside. [more inside]
Need new tires for my sedan. Know almost nothing about tires. Help!
I'm replacing all 4 of my Michelin Defender tires (215/55R17 94T) on a 2007 Lexus ES350 sedan. I've had the tires several years (also probably didn't rotate them often enough) so they're due for a change out.
At about $150 a tire, I can replace them with the same model. I live in Atlanta, so I'm only dealing with rain and maybe ice on occasion. I drive about 5-8k miles a year in this car.
Should I stick with these same tires or is there a better alternative in this price range? Thanks!
I miss Favstar. Do you know if there is something similar?
I used to go to twitter hit parade,Favstar for daily laughs. It's gone and I miss it.
Any hivers here know of a similar site that's replaced it?
things to do in Philadelphia
I would like to visit Philadelphia. But I have no plan; help me make one! Difficulty level: Thanksgiving-adjacent. [more inside]
Can I store my refrigerator in an unheated space in the winter?
I have a refrigerator that I don't need to use right now. It's only about 2 years old so I would like to keep it for when I move out of this rental. Right now it is in an unheated and uninsulated storage shed attached to my carport. I live in Maine. Is it going to survive the winter? [more inside]
ISO this very specific earring
I have 3 of this earring, and I want to find a place to buy more pairs of it. I got it in Forever 21 in 2010. The main part of the star is plastic faceted like a gem. There's metal on the back that makes it reflect like and look all sparkly. [more inside]
Save my bacon! Or don't!
Fletcher's bacon from Costco, been in the fridge since we bought it, never frozen. Two weeks or so past it's use by / freeze by date. Looks fine, smells fine, fwiw and I know that's not definitive. What say you, Metafilter, bake it up today or toss it? (I tend to eat stuff like this which is why I felt I'd better ask what others thought.)
Hi, how do I make the Peter Principle happen to me?
How do I get my employer(s) to stop promoting people to management because they aren’t very good at individual contribution? [more inside]
I've found security holes in a cloud service. Now what?
With the best of intentions I reverse-engineered a cloud service's API and found it extraordinarily poorly secured. I would like to do the ethical thing and, if possible, not end up prosecuted. [more inside]
November 19
Hand and Arm Protection For Working in Meat Lockers
I am working in a butcher shop and am looking for protective and warm covers/mittens for forearms and hands. First thought were cycling gloves. Fingers need to remain open. Any suggestion upper Midwestern MeFites?
Uvula, I hardly knew ya.
I’m 10 days post-tonsillectomy, and am generally recovering well. However, my uvula is still pretty swollen, and I’m not sure if I should be concerned. [more inside]
Thanksgiving for Two
So I’ve gone from “all my friends are out of town I’ll do nothing “ to “oh hey cooking all day will keep me distracted!” So whose got thanksgiving for two recipes? We’re thinking turkey breast, stuffing, one appetizer, one side. Fussy and or distraction providing recipes a plus. Novel approaches like a turkey curry encouraged. Less prep work the better, all day-of. Minor condition, he doesn’t like stuffing with bread in it.
Boyfriend of 8 years possibly hinting at marriage
My boyfriend of 8 years seems to be hinting at marriage. Should I wait in the next couple of months to bring up the topic of marriage again? [more inside]
Sci fi as self care
I want sci fi or fantasy novels that are like a big, warm hug. Ideas? [more inside]
Expanding academic job search to EU
I'm applying for jobs teaching CS, want to broaden my search to include EU countries, not sure if I'm going about it right. [more inside]
My Mitsubishi remote doesn't let me set it as a thermostat.
We have a relatively new single zone Mitsubishi heat pump. It has the normal wall mounted wireless thermostat. I just bought and connected a wireless controller. I know it's connected because a change on either controller is reflected on the other. According to the manual, I should be able to choose to use either controller's thermostat but this option is not available on the remote. Does anyone know why this might be? Or where I could even go to ask this question?
Very specific purse request
Looking for a small purse/wallet with a long adjustable strap. Must be big enough for a normal sized phone and a set of keys, maybe 7” wide? Bonus if it has a clear ID slot. This is for my tween daughter so nothing too pricey. Thanks!
Silver is also very nice and should be something to be proud of
I’m in a newish relationship. My partner admitted I’m not the best lover they’ve had. I am having some feelings. How do I deal? [more inside]
Phase/word for "really looking forward to"?
You're really, really looking forward to something. Is there a single word (any language) or phase you'd use to communicate this?
How to handle a friend's unhealthy eating/exercising obsession?
A friend is struggling with feeling she's fat, is doing some extreme dieting things and has a history of binging and purging. I'm looking for some tips for dealing [more inside]
Ideas for learning musical instruments as a family?
I'm interested in encouraging regular playing with my family. Here's the rundown: my 4th grader is learning flute but struggling. Wife grew up playing piano but hasn't for many years. I played trumpet thru high school & college, but haven't picked it up for a loooong time. I also made a stab at acoustic guitar but didn't stick with it. I think we'd all be more motivated if we were working together on pieces. Musical MeFites, help me with ideas on what (music/instruments/iOS technology) could get us up and enjoying playing together fast.
Tread replacement for favorite shoes
My favorite pair of shoes can’t handle the amount of walking I do, and the tread on the soles wear out super quick. Instead of buying a new pair of shoes (the top of the shoes are still in perfect condition), I’m Looking for a way to rebuild the tread. There has to be an industrial glue/caulk/construction adhesive/boat anti-slip paint I can apply to the bottom of the worn out sole/tread to give me another few weeks/months of walking, right?
I’m thinking something that chemically bonds to the existing sole. Doesn’t have to be pretty, I can use some chopsticks to make a few horizontal lines to serve as treads :-)
Any thoughts?
For eloquent nerds, please
Mosquito A bites you and injects a nasty virus into your system. After the acute infectious period subsides, you are left with antigens which (hooray!) confer immunity upon you for that particular virus in the future. Is this the end of the matter? [more inside]
Talking with recruiters for the first time but not actively job-seeking
How do you talk to recruiters when you have a job you like, but want to keep your options open? [more inside]
Transportation Options from Chicago to NNE Indiana
In Chicago, I’ve not needed to drive for 20 years now. When I visit my parents in north-northeast Indiana (46703) for the holidays, they’ve been kind enough to drive 90 minutes each way to pick me up from the South Shore terminal in South Bend. I’m trying to discover options to take that burden off them, but I think my only reliable, reproducible option will be to re-learn how to drive and then rent a car. But I’m wondering if people know of other options. What I’ve already explored, after the fold. [more inside]
Feminist adventure and action movies
What are some feminist action/adventure/heist/exciting movies for me to watch at the gym? Minimal torture preferred. Streaming somewhere a plus. [more inside]
Are there resources to find environmental internships for teenagers?
My son is in high school and beginning to look for a summer internship loosely related to the environment or doing work in the woods. The location needs to be in the Boston metropolitan region (and outskirts) and he's struggling to figure out where to start. Is there any central location (i.e. website) to help track down these sort of internships? Again, geography is an issue: looking for something in about a 20 mile radius of the Boston area. [more inside]
After the Flood (journals edition)
How do I save water-damaged journals? [more inside]
Yummy Dessert, Instant Pot Edition
What are your favorite desserts to make in the IP? I'm looking for tried and true recipes, otherwise I'd just Google it. Thank you!!
How to help my (male) child with long hair?
My 10yo boy has long hair (mid back, has had it for two years). He is very comfortable as a boy, he just likes long hair. Recently, he's been asking to wear a face balaclava, and when pressed, he broke down and cried and said it's because he's tired of people commenting on his hair all the time. How do I help him deal with other people? [more inside]
New Year's Eve in Santa Fe
Two thirtysomething women will be in Santa Fe for New Year's Eve. What should we do to ring in 2019? We'll be in town for three nights, including New Year's Eve. Our other plans for the trip include a lot of eating, a little drinking, walking around, art, Meow Wolf, and on the way home, Ojo Caliente. Any and all recommendations are welcome, but specifically, I'm trying to figure out where we should spend the evening of New Year's Eve. [more inside]
Earliest date to travel through Rockies snow-free
We'd like to drive from Toronto to LA and back as early as reasonably possible next year. To LA through Canada and back to Toronto via Arizona (Grand Canyon), Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, etc. But we don't want to die on a lonely Colorado mountain in a snow storm.
What's the earliest time of year we could reasonably expect to be snow-free on each of these routes? [more inside]
Help identifying electrical connector
Hello.
I have an electrical device, the power connector of which I’m trying to identify. [more inside]
I hate the new Gmail
After being happy with Gmail for a long time, the forced switch to “new Gmail” hasn't gone well. In short: it sucks and it’s full of bugs. It loads slowly, it reloads on its own for no reason while I’m in the middle of doing something and it keeps having me send attachments back to people who just sent them to me when I reply, which is embarrassing. On Twitter, people are asking to revert to old “classic” Gmail but Gmail’s response is that a switch isn’t possible. Well, I’m making my own switch... [more inside]
How do spacey millennials save for retirement?
Hello! I have a couple thousand in an old 401k at a company I no longer work at. I'd like to roll it into....something, where I can keep track of it, and be able to add additional amounts from my paychecks. My current employers do not offer retirement benefits, but I'm finally making enough that I can and should be saving for retirement. [more inside]
Mac woes
This seems like a simple thing but I can't find the answer online, so I'm relying on the collective wisdom of y'all. Please help - should be a simple one! My macmail keeps sending emails as if they are coming from one account when I wanted to send them from another account. In the macmail app it looks like it's been sent by the correct account, but in people's inboxes it's a different story. This is really messing with my conversational threads and bad for client management.
More detail inside... [more inside]
Tell me about personal air purifiers (no, I'm not in California)
There's been much discussion of personal air purifiers on a cancer support board I participate in. I'd really love some insight and links from MeFites. The most recent related discussion I found on AskMe was in 2015, and it seems like things may have changed since then - apologies if I've missed something. [more inside]
Can you help me see the Northern Lights this Christmas?
Can you help me find a good, all-inclusive hotel + flight package so I can enjoy the Northern Lights for the holidays this year? [more inside]
What is THE best travel laptop purse/backpack?
I've got a new job that requires travel every week. I need a laptop purse/bag that can be my home office on the road. I typically travel M-Th every week and need to carry everything with me at the end of every day. It needs to be durable for flights, remote office travel, and my general abuse. [more inside]
Is this website legit?
In an attempt to be cautious, I’m turning to Metafilter to assess the credibility of this retailer based in Australia. Please, only answer if you have experience in this area. Thank you very much.
Searching for a specific cookie recipe
When I was a kid (late 80s/early 90s), we made a cookie from a book called something like "Cookies" that I would love to recreate. The finished cookies were decorated to look like peaches even though they did not contain peaches nor have any peach flavor. Help me indulge my cookie nostalgia? [more inside]
Why do our friends always try to convince us to be just like them?
My spouse and I have been pretty close friends with a couple for the last 6 years. We have kids the same age. They are constantly, constantly trying to convince us to do what they do, travel where they travel, buy what they buy. I have been trying to figure out this behavior for as long as I've known them and I need to get closer to understanding it or my head will explode. [more inside]