Ask MetaFilter

What has been the easiest-for-computer-novices videoconferencing solution for you and your family (both immediate and extended) that does NOT have a time limit for larger groups? [more inside]
posted by WCityMike2 to Computers & Internet at 2:33 PM - 3 answers

I'm curious to know who are the top LDS comics and who are the ones who work for the church?
posted by parmanparman to Media & Arts at 1:50 PM - 1 answer

I haven't been able to locate an internet site for older people regarding personal mental health challenges, specifically, lifelong problems with General Anxiety Disorder and their strategies for living with it day to day. Thanks very much.
posted by Tullyogallaghan to Health & Fitness at 1:13 PM - 0 answers

I've come into some money. Should I use it to pay on student loans and other debt now or wait? [more inside]
posted by Apropos a pro's pose to Work & Money at 1:04 PM - 8 answers

Asking for a friend - my friend (Person A) recently discovered that their friend (Person B) received a positive COVID-19 test and identified Person A as a recent close contact to the state's contact tracing program. (This is in Rhode Island.) How long does Person A have to get a COVID-19 test? Will the state contact Person A? (They haven't yet.) Person A and I are both fortunate that this hasn't happened to them yet since the pandemic began, so we have no personal experience. Thank you!
posted by Seeking Direction to Health & Fitness at 12:20 PM - 3 answers

This question sounds terribly silly on its face, but I have a few books that I've bought over the years that I'm very interested in, but I stop reading for one main reason: I take a break in reading them for a few days and forget critical names or other information and have trouble patching things back together. This is particularly true with history books. More below. [more inside]
posted by unid41 to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 12:02 PM - 13 answers

I'm thinking of purchasing a used LC (actually a LX450). I have the compression results and I want to get an opinion on what they mean. I am coming from a Land Rover 110 which I just sold as it was a basket case. My intention is to not get into something that needs a ton of work right away. [more inside]
posted by burlsube to Travel & Transportation at 10:42 AM - 4 answers

My partner, the most gentle and nonviolent of men, has an REM issue where he flails, punches and kicks during nightmares. Last night, not for the first time, I received the blows while sleeping. [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness at 10:37 AM - 20 answers

My partner brought home a bottle of ginger turmeric milk. It is very gingery - really just tastes like someone chucked a bunch of raw ginger in some milk, and neither of us are a huge fan of ginger on its own. Trying to google for recipes, uses, etc only produces articles on how to make it (not helpful) and its purported health benefits (not particularly interested). Does anyone have any ideas on what to do with this stuff? I just tried putting a bit in my coffee and was not pleased.
posted by btfreek to Food & Drink at 10:28 AM - 10 answers

Is it safe to use a plastic scrubber sponge on a stainless steel cooktop? [more inside]
posted by Nelson to Home & Garden at 9:17 AM - 9 answers

My home (desert southwest US metropolitan area) has an outdoor faucet situated right above an outdoor electrical outlet on the patio. This seems like a bad idea. The solution that occurs to me is to move the outlet higher up the wall, though I’d be open to whatever is easy that has a result that allows safe use of a hose. Photo [more inside]
posted by zepheria to Home & Garden at 7:48 AM - 6 answers

Looking for cool-weather meal ideas that are hearty and vegetable-forward. (Poultry ingredients are okay. No four-legged meats, please.) All cuisines are fair game. Classic dishes preferred, but not required. [more inside]
posted by escape from the potato planet to Food & Drink at 5:06 AM - 37 answers

I teach Art and Design at a Special Needs school, my classes are small, however I'd like to reduce the amount of dissolved paint and ink going down the drain. I currently have the opportunity to upgrade the wash area in my classroom; I'm looking for any ideas that can help me redesign the system to introduce better environmental cleaning practice. [more inside]
posted by BrStekker to Education at 3:26 AM - 6 answers

I really like to use the shop app to keep track of my deliveries/orders… usually it just knows I’ve made a purchase and adds that purchase to its queue of my waiting deliveries and begins and continues to update me on its progress. But… [more inside]
posted by jitterbug perfume to Computers & Internet at 10:58 PM - 2 answers

I will be writing a score in about 6 months and am looking for inspiration and ideas for it. I don’t know much about organ music, but I am looking for anything that’s like Bach’s legendary Toccata and Fugue in D minor AND/OR the Interstellar soundtrack. [more inside]
posted by gucci mane to Media & Arts at 9:18 PM - 7 answers

I need to choose siding for a family home. For reasons, the majority will be vinyl (deep bronze). The entry way and fascia will be a cedar colored/textured vinyl. Instead of faux stone or brick, we would like to have a cedar-look material around the foundation and about 2 feet up. Any suggestions for what would work there? I haven’t seen anything like that before. Thanks for any ideas!!!
posted by Kalatraz to Home & Garden at 9:16 PM - 9 answers

doing a big re-watch of THE WIRE with a friend and looking for single films that will be good interludes between seasons. [more inside]
posted by wowenthusiast to Media & Arts at 8:55 PM - 6 answers

Looking for good ricotta cake recipe. [more inside]
posted by Crystal Fox to Food & Drink at 8:27 PM - 5 answers

I'm dealing with a new PTSD symptom due to a recent traumatic experience. It’s a strong panic response whenever any of my friends text me about their emotions, whether it's heavy issues or day-to-day annoyances. I don’t experience this response when I talk to them about their emotions in person. In the meantime, while I work on reducing the panic in therapy, I'm thinking of asking them to stop texting me about their feelings, and to wait until we can see each other in person. Is this a resonable boundary? If not, how can I make it fairer?  [more inside]
posted by runnerfive to Human Relations at 6:45 PM - 25 answers

I have a fixture that takes standard A19/E26 light bulbs, but the ones I can find are all a little too long. How can I find shorter bulbs? [more inside]
posted by bfields to Home & Garden at 6:45 PM - 3 answers

I'm looking for durable duvet covers and throw blankets that have large bold abstract patterns, and due to SEO algorithm hell, all I can seem to find are products that look eye catching on screen but are seemingly printed with a low res inkjet on thin fabric and look shabby in person. [more inside]
posted by oxisos to Home & Garden at 5:40 PM - 11 answers

Young dancing lamb (YDL) has been sick for almost two weeks now with what was originally diagnosed as tonsillitis but it's not better. School is in the Beverly/Salem, MA area and Doc in the Box (a/k/a Urgent Care) is jerking them around. How do I help from NJ? [more inside]
posted by dancinglamb to Health & Fitness at 4:26 PM - 20 answers

I have an inflatable hot tub that will not stay fully inflated. About everyday, I have to attach the air pump to get it firm from about 70-75% firm. I found a place around the air valve that seems to be where the leak is coming from, but I need some help to be confident this is it. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind to Science & Nature at 3:42 PM - 4 answers

Is it possible to hire a service or person sort of like an independent social worker, who would have the appropriate expertise to try to help a specific houseless person get into housing, when city services are too overwhelmed to be able to do much? This is in San Francisco. [more inside]
posted by dreamyshade to Human Relations at 2:09 PM - 4 answers

If I buy an HP Zbook Studio G8 laptop with the 3840 x 2160 IPS display - will I be looking at a mirror image of my own face? How glossy or matte is this display? [more inside]
posted by Termite to Computers & Internet at 1:14 PM - 1 answer

I am a professional musician who makes a significant portion of my living through music sales. A lot of these are through iTunes and Spotify. There is a problem. [more inside]
posted by jitterbug perfume to Media & Arts at 12:44 PM - 2 answers

I want to write a story about someone who volunteers for the neighborhood or community watch program. Does anyone have experience with this? If so, I want all the details!
posted by writinginmontana to Law & Government at 12:12 PM - 1 answer

I'm in the process of transitioning my personal psychotherapy private practice into a group practice (with a few licensed peers and eventually a trainee or two). My primary focus is trauma, and I work with all genders and ages. We are looking for a nature inspired name for this practice that also connotes healing, resilience, or support. We are located in a coastal California town. Current ideas include: - "Heartwood" (maybe too common, a quick google shows this has been used) - "Cairn" or something to do with the piles of stacked rocks that guide hikers. - "Monarch" after the migrating butterfly (also might be too common in our area). - Something to do with tides ebbing and flowing? We will probably attach "Therapy Group" or "Therapeutic Services" or something similar. Any and all ideas welcome!
posted by anonymous to Work & Money at 11:01 AM - 30 answers

I am considering buying a counter-height refrigerator for my loft. I cannot afford a new one but often see them for sale on out-of-biz-restaurant auction sites. Caveats and other advice? I live in a loft in Toronto, Canada, if that matters. Most ones I see are by Nella, True, or similar brands. [more inside]
posted by dobbs to Home & Garden at 10:51 AM - 12 answers

Our dishwasher does not seem to be doing anything with its lower spray arms. Diverter motor? [more inside]
posted by Mid to Home & Garden at 10:35 AM - 4 answers

My mom likes well-written books that aren't too heavy. Previous question here. [more inside]
posted by Mavri to Media & Arts at 10:15 AM - 13 answers

I live in an expensive city and I'm trying to move to a much more affordable area where I can afford a (tiny) starter house for the first time. For reasons (I work in an uncertain industry, etc), I want to buy a house that's quite a bit less expensive than a lender says that I can afford. [more inside]
posted by pinochiette to Home & Garden at 9:00 AM - 12 answers

I am a contributing podcaster for an arts publication. I need some assistance with beverages... I'll explain. [more inside]
posted by nayantara to Shopping at 8:35 AM - 14 answers

Before pregnancy, I used to run for exercise, but I haven’t been able to do it regularly since then, and that was a few pants sizes ago. Life is settling down now and I’ve begun biking and running regularly again, but cold weather looms. What should I wear? [more inside]
posted by eirias to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 8:25 AM - 5 answers

I have these grody bathroom fixtures (soap holder, towel rack) that I would like to remove and replace with tiles. Is it possible? Pictures inside. [more inside]
posted by jeremias to Home & Garden at 8:22 AM - 9 answers

Every so often there's poop on my carpet. What's the best steam cleaner I can get? [more inside]
posted by blnkfrnk to Home & Garden at 10:08 PM - 6 answers

I'm a teacher, and one of my students brought these to class. She said that she found them in a crawlspace of a house that her family rented in San Jose, CA. We've spoken to another social science teacher, but we are no closer to an answer. Any ideas? (If it helps, this is for a fabulous student, and I'm thrilled that she brought this to me!)
posted by dfm500 to Grab Bag at 8:04 PM - 13 answers

I want to to buy one of those magical machines where you put stuff in the top and noodles come out the front. Which is the best? [more inside]
posted by jeffamaphone to Home & Garden at 6:59 PM - 13 answers

A dentist did some shoddy veneer work on my top front teeth recently. Wondering how to evaluate treatment plans for rework (obviously by a different dentist). [more inside]
posted by Sheydem-tants to Health & Fitness at 6:07 PM - 2 answers

My father has been living on a shoestring for most of my life (divorced), and I've always been worried about how/whether I'd be able to support him in old age. My hometown is a relatively cheap place to buy a house, and I've been wondering for a few years how feasible this would be. Do you have experience doing this or thinking about doing this? I'd love your thoughts on the idea in general and our specific circumstances below. [more inside]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt to Work & Money at 5:42 PM - 13 answers

Through the pandemic I have been recording GPS tracks of exercise walks, now adding up to 272 tracks and 2895 km. I am curious what I can do with them in GIS or data processing software. It's easy enough to roughly overlap them all in Google Earth Pro, but I would like to see a heat map of the probability of any particular area being visited. It also occurred to me that it would be neat to see a representation of the inverse of the pedestrian-walked area: the places which are obstructed to a person on foot. [more inside]
posted by sindark to Technology at 4:46 PM - 15 answers

Just diagnosed with symphysis pubis dysfunction and really struggling - was there anything that worked for you? [more inside]
posted by Synesthesia to Health & Fitness at 4:03 PM - 11 answers

My kid is having a 7th birthday party with a cat and dog theme this weekend. Please help me make a playlist of kid-appropriate music for freeze dancing or general entertainment! (Please nothing where cat actually means people’s junk, there are some oddly conservative parents involved.) not in English is fine, any genre is fine. Thank you!
posted by centrifugal to Media & Arts at 3:26 PM - 45 answers

Locals and recent visitors.. what's Portland OR like these days? [more inside]
posted by kanuck to Society & Culture at 1:45 PM - 14 answers

So, my relationship has been fantastic at times, and troubled at other times. My wife has a short fuse at times; arguments over big and small things have devolved into screaming, and I'm usually the one who calms things down. This has happened maybe, on average, bi-weekly over two years. It floods me with adrenaline, reminds me of some childhood trauma, and takes me days to recover from. The latest time this happened, I didn't really recover fully. My wife, after some time away, agrees that things need to change, and has committed to change quite earnestly, but I feel like my heart isn't in it. Has anyone else been here? Do you think this is over? [more inside]
posted by insteadofapricots to Human Relations at 12:50 PM - 39 answers

I'm looking for a durable backpack for hauling groceries home. I'd much prefer a single, large compartment than a bunch of pockets. [more inside]
posted by xedrik to Shopping at 12:48 PM - 9 answers

I have a question about mutual intelligibility of Sign Language around the world. [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne to Society & Culture at 12:21 PM - 7 answers

i'm was born in china, lived there until i was 10, and have since then have completely forgotten how to write/read chinese (though the times i've spent traveling in china, i started picking up reading comprehension quickly), have a very limited vocabulary, but...really advanced every day speaking comprehension...i would really like to relearn chinese, but it feels like taking a beginner's class isn't the right move when i have this old, forgotten foundation... any ideas on the best ways for me to pick up my lost language?
posted by lightgray to Education at 11:49 AM - 7 answers

I'm in Italy, and need to leave for a few weeks for visa reasons (to avoid running out of my 90 days in the Shengen zone while paperwork sorts itself out). Covid-wise, is the UK a safe place to wait this out? [more inside]
posted by niicholas to Travel & Transportation at 11:17 AM - 16 answers

I'm looking for a replacement for a pair of magic shorts. [more inside]
posted by RobotVoodooPower to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 11:09 AM - 2 answers

Found a bunch of debit cards, likely related to fraud of some sort. Is it a waste of time bringing them to a police station? What should I do with them? [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Law & Government at 11:07 AM - 14 answers

Thanks to the pandemic, our kid has been at home with a nanny during working hours most of her life save for a few months at daycare. She's now two and a half, and we would like her to have social interaction and structure, but feeling like the cons of switching to daycare outweigh the pros. Interested in hearing your experience if you haven't sent your kid to school before pre-K. [more inside]
posted by redlines to Education at 10:49 AM - 17 answers

Looking for an example from a book, movie or tv show where a character repeatedly deliberates about which action to perform, and each time makes the same choice. So, every Friday after school Suzy's dad takes her out for ice cream and Suzy looks carefully at all the flavors to decide which one to have. And each time, she chooses chocolate. [more inside]
posted by jebs to Media & Arts at 10:09 AM - 9 answers

I need some outside perspective on whether I can stick around in this work situation. I'm hoping I can... [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Work & Money at 10:06 AM - 19 answers

I live in a small country that is outside of the United States, UK, Canada or Europe etc. I work for an online business that has been bought by a big US company and has now changed from a relatively small family business to a huge global enormity. One of the results is that they are changing the way we are paid and how many hours we can work per week. I have no idea how to approach this process, how do I negotiate, when as far as I can see my only leverage is "if you do x I will leave" and an ultimatum seems like a bad idea, especially if I don't think I can afford to leave? [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Work & Money at 10:05 AM - 3 answers

I've always loved de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, and a large part of the appeal (to me) is his perspective as a non-American and his attempt to be detached & non-judgmental. Can you recommend equivalents for other countries? 19th or 20th century books where someone visited from a third country and wrote about the politics and national character in a respectful/non-colonizing manner? [more inside]
posted by ZaphodB to Society & Culture at 9:16 AM - 12 answers

I haven't had a Netflix account in years, so consequently I'm one of (apparently) few people who has never seen Hannah Gadsby's "Nanette" special on Netflix. I'd love to watch it, but due to the Dave Chappelle transphobic special that recently aired I don't want to give Netflix any of my money. How can I watch Gadsby's special without breaking any laws or signing up for Netflix? [more inside]
posted by mezzanayne to Media & Arts at 9:15 AM - 9 answers

New tea drinker here. I ordered PG Tips online and it smelled strongly fishy when it arrived, so I threw it out. Then I went to the corner store and bought Lipton Decaf Black Tea. It's got a similar fishy smell and taste. With milk and sugar it's not as bad, and I'm trying to imagine it's made of a leaf and not a fish. Do I just need to acclimatize? What might that smell / taste be? There's no aftertaste. Tea tips appreciated.
posted by circular to Food & Drink at 9:07 AM - 27 answers

I need to replace my beloved, highly functional Baggallini Mosey bag, but I can't find a single other bag on the market that does the shoulderbag-to-backpack conversion as elegantly. [more inside]
posted by wintersweet to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 8:51 AM - 7 answers

GenX music snob here, wanting to give a friend some recorded music in the age of "all streaming, all the time." If it was up to me and the year was 1998, I'd hand him a CD (or cassette!!) mixtape with a custom cover, but my friend seems to be mostly using his phone or Pandora. No visible CDs at his condo. I'm ok with full albums of music rather than a mix, but how do I give this in a way that guarantees it's going to work with whatever he has available? Any ideas about how to gussy it up in a way that it feels special?
posted by SoundInhabitant to Shopping at 8:08 AM - 9 answers