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We passed this...structure on Highway 1 in California, and I really want to know what it's for. It has a poster attached, depicting different aspects of a planned building. There is no other verbiage or information anywhere on the lot. My question: why would someone build a 1:1 scale maquette like this? What is the deal, here?
posted by german_bight to Grab Bag at 4:24 PM - 4 answers

I bought a new-to-me condo and am sprucing it up a bit before I move in. The current toilets are probably from 2010 (when the condo was built). They are 1.6 GPF but you have to hold down the handle to completely flush even just toilet paper. All I'm seeing at big box hardware stores are 1.2 or 1.28 GPF toilets. Will these newer but lower GPF toilets give me the flush I crave? [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah to Home & Garden at 10:42 AM - 12 answers

What are the legality issues of a teenager working for a friend's small business and getting paid in cash (i.e. under the table)? I understand no one will really care, but is it actually illegal? They would not earn enough to have to file taxes. [more inside]
posted by roaring beast to Work & Money at 10:07 AM - 14 answers

If your readers/listeners/viewers need background information to understand your story, there are lots of ways to give it to them: characters speaking exposition, environmental clues, overly-detailed maps, omniscient narrator references, sequels, etc. I'm looking for radical approaches: interactive quiz before the story; infographics; author-to-reader messages; reader selection -- these are me brainstorming, but has anyone tried nontraditional approaches in this vein? [more inside]
posted by amtho to Grab Bag at 9:55 AM - 26 answers

This is a question I’ve long wondered but haven’t found a good answer to. If the US govt spends approximately $2t more than it takes in, and the total US GDP is about $25t, then I think you can say that +/-7% of GDP is just debt creation? [more inside]
posted by karst to Work & Money at 9:01 AM - 4 answers

My wife and I are traveling to these locations * London, * Prague * Vienna over 8 days the first week of July this year (2024) and are looking for ideas on what to see and do when we are there. A couple days in each location. Relatively flexible. [more inside]
posted by GernBlandston to Travel & Transportation at 7:17 AM - 13 answers

Here's a photo of my 10 year old Duralex glass next to one I bought last week. Is there any way to make the old one look new again? By the thin scratches my guess is that years of scrubbing with a too-strong brush have dulled the surface. It's possible that some of the cloudiness is due to hard water but I don't see that level on my other glasses.
posted by gwint to Home & Garden at 7:02 AM - 4 answers

I'm an oil painter and intend to paint the illustrations from the Rider-Waite tarot deck to sell directly to potential clients. I'm uncertain if there are copyright or trademark limitations to redistributing portrayals of these images. Please inform me (if any) appropriate channels and formalities to venture to avoid any legal repercussions in the future.
posted by dea to Media & Arts at 5:47 AM - 5 answers

[Massachusetts, USA]: at what stage in the rental application process is typical for property management companies to do a credit check? What if there's a waitlist? [more inside]
posted by needs more cowbell to Grab Bag at 4:40 AM - 5 answers

I just read this article about kids who read for pleasure no longer reading for pleasure at around 9 years old. I have a 7 year old who reads for pleasure. What should I be doing over the next two years to make sure he stays a reader? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... to Grab Bag at 8:18 PM - 49 answers

Somehow I ended up with a few dresses with large arm holes. They are so large I can't wear a normal bra and they show a surprising amount of side boob. How am I supposed to wear them? [more inside]
posted by Toddles to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 6:43 PM - 13 answers

I have a question about the following sentence: "The journalism that I hope to participate in would go beyond simply identifying our world's problems, whether it be investigating their root causes, writing about potential solutions, or simply focusing on things currently going right." [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust to Writing & Language at 6:07 PM - 19 answers

I want to eat out less. Making food requires so many decisions. I'd like to create am excel or googlesheets database of favourite recipes, be able to select what I want to eat for the week, and have it generate a grocery list of items. (I don't need it to track my inventory, I will never keep that up to date.) I feel like this should be a done thing but my googling is just giving me Aesthetic Templates that would work just as well printed as on the computer and isn't giving the interconnectedness that I'm looking for. Also open to any systems to help my probably-adhd-self plan food better.
posted by platypus of the universe to Food & Drink at 1:05 PM - 9 answers

I have a website that requires a lot of product photography in a lightbox, around 200-300 pics per week, usually done all in one day. When it was just me, I used my iphone with Lightroom and that worked fine. Now I have employees and need a dedicated camera for product photography without spending a fortune. [more inside]
posted by dripdripdrop to Computers & Internet at 1:00 PM - 6 answers

I am a frequent traveller and have been for many decades. I've recently become conscious of becoming much more nervous when I fly. I date this to the time of when we started travelling again post the global shutdown. How can I become a confident traveller again? I find travelling less rewarding and enjoyable now because it has started throwing up so many things to worry about. [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser to Travel & Transportation at 12:42 PM - 14 answers

I think I'd love my commute better if I could bike in most days, but I'm nervous about finding the right bike that fits me. Researching this has been a bit overwhelming as a beginner, and I'm not sure how to get the right fit for me. [more inside]
posted by Carillon to Travel & Transportation at 11:45 AM - 7 answers

I’m trying to edit a photo in Photoshop 2023 so it looks like a Polaroid. I’m having some trouble with the frame part. [more inside]
posted by pxe2000 to Computers & Internet at 11:07 AM - 1 answer

I’m searching for a super thick body cream or butter but I have so many nitpicky requirements I want to fulfill. [more inside]
posted by tatiana wishbone to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 10:51 AM - 18 answers

I have to replace my mother's decade+ old PC with new hardware, preserving all her files and apps and everything as faithfully as possible. The last time I did this myself, it was difficult and extremely time-consuming. This time around, I want to find someone who (1) can be trusted to (2) do it properly with (3) minimal supervision on my part. Who am I looking for? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie to Computers & Internet at 10:17 AM - 5 answers

It's not hard to find movies shot in Newfoundland, and even set there, but they generally go light on the local Newfoundland dialect, known as Newfinese. What movies and books have an accurate representation of it? I have some books on the dialect itself, but it would be nice to see how it all comes together -- especially how it came together in the early 1900s.
posted by musofire to Society & Culture at 10:07 AM - 8 answers

I’m trying to unpack the bits of my upbringing that occured in a convent school. You know, morning prayers, Sunday mass, and a whole lot of guilt. [more inside]
posted by antihistameme to Media & Arts at 7:08 AM - 14 answers

For a teaching job application, is it normal for a potential employer to request to do a lesson obervation for your potential job AT the job you are leaving? How would you respond? [more inside]
posted by transient to Work & Money at 6:44 AM - 16 answers

Having read about the horrors of UV lights going wrong (Cancer! Scalding retinas! Mercury poisoning!) I am now too scared to use a blacklight lamp at public events. Can any one offer wisdom on how to do this safely? [more inside]
posted by freya_lamb to Technology at 5:03 AM - 6 answers

A nice low-stakes question for a Sunday evening. I'm going travelling soon to destinations that will require a tonne of walking. I am a bit blister prone sadly, so trying to be prepared. I have seen lots of people online recommend moleskin bandages for blister prevention when touristing so I thought I'd check it out. I have discovered it's about 4 times the price of the regular fabric style bandaids that you cut to length that won't move for love nor money (like this). [more inside]
posted by BeeJiddy to Health & Fitness at 12:48 AM - 20 answers

I throw like a person who can't throw a ball. My son (7 yo) plays baseball and his throwing skills aren't great. Primarily he needs to work on getting some distance/a nice arc instead of just bouncing the ball in front of the target (detail below the fold). Please point me to resources, ideally videos, that can help him learn to throw better. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 9:29 PM - 16 answers

What sources, books, essays, can I read or watch that explain Japanese history from an anti-imperial and decolonial perspective. Is there a book for Japan like what Howard Zinn did for the U.S. or the Indigenous Peoples history of the U.s. but for Japan? [more inside]
posted by mxjudyliza to Society & Culture at 7:38 PM - 6 answers

If so, please come in and share your experience! [more inside]
posted by Eyelash to Home & Garden at 7:25 PM - 18 answers

I'm caring for a dog and am supposed to give him a cardiac med on an empty stomach every 12 hours. I f'd up and forgot to give it to him before eating. Can I give it to him on after he's eaten, or should I wait until tomorrow?
posted by swheatie to Pets & Animals at 6:51 PM - 5 answers

I understand that not all organic cotton is equal. Which brand(s) do you trust for their procurement and ethical practices? [more inside]
posted by splitpeasoup to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 3:26 PM - 6 answers

I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Peak Design Out Front Bike Mount. I recording one ride and turned on "action mode". It's very shakey, not at all smooth like I see in videos on YouTube. What settings should be on on the video? Thanks!
posted by dobbs to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 3:14 PM - 0 answers

Myself and others who I’d consider very senior have been wholesaled laid off. These aren’t lower level developers, though that’s happening, these are people who fundamentally or at least were part of teams that created the modern software SLDC. The question isn’t whether software engineering is going away but is it moving to lower cost of living areas because for most software the “hard” problems have been solved? Similar to textile manufacturing? [more inside]
posted by geoff. to Computers & Internet at 2:13 PM - 32 answers

This is just a request for perspectives to broaden my own and I realize there's not objective answer but here goes. I'm in a relationship that is ethically non-monogamous, though not poly. This is as it should be, for me, except there's kind of a bump in the road... [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Human Relations at 10:03 AM - 15 answers

99% of books I look at on management seem like garbage. I am looking for resources (books, articles, etc.) specifically on how to identify talent within an organization and promote those people or find better roles for them. [more inside]
posted by skycrashesdown to Work & Money at 9:38 AM - 8 answers

Hi Mefites, Last year I posted a question regarding raising our kid in two locations and you all were very helpful. With another year of parenting under our belt, and with pretty robust attempts to get closer to some other families in our immediate area without much success, I am now leaning towards just moving closer to family. [more inside]
posted by Sophiaverde to Human Relations at 6:42 AM - 17 answers

A colleague keeps taking my parking space despite several discussions over it, with me politely asking her not to and offering a solution. Now it feels personal and like she is trying to send a message. Should I ask if we need to clear the air or let it go? It's just a parking space, right? [more inside]
posted by Blissful to Human Relations at 3:46 AM - 49 answers

I live in Canada I am a Canadian citizen. I have lived in the US and have a US SSN. I am looking to move into freelance/consulting/contract work. While I am happy to work for contracting organizations located anywhere, I know there is a lot more work available in the U.S.. I am planning to incorporate. Should I incorporate in the U.S.? Instead of in Canada or also in Canada? [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Work & Money at 2:22 AM - 4 answers

Having discovered via this earlier question that the Camera app supplied with this Android phone saves photo location information somewhere outside the actual photo files, I now need a way to fix up existing photos so that they can be copied off the phone with their geotags included. [more inside]
posted by flabdablet to Computers & Internet at 2:15 AM - 2 answers

At a crossroads with my career. Opportunity to move in-house, but in the cryptocurrency industry. [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Work & Money at 10:32 PM - 23 answers

This question is about the current spread of H5N1 influenza ("bird flu") among cattle in the United States. Is it known whether (a) this is a result of a single bird-to-cow transmission event, after which the (presumably new) cow-infecting sub-strain of H5N1 is spreading solely cow to cow, or (b) a cow-infecting sub-strain is also circulating among birds and each herd that is getting infected is being infected by separate bird-to-cow transmission events? [more inside]
posted by heatherlogan to Science & Nature at 8:52 PM - 7 answers

The name may be controversial, but the meal, which is made out of a variety of convenient things, is popular with everyone in my house – especially those of us who do the cooking. I'm happy to do some meal prep, though, so that's what I'm looking for ideas about. What could I make ahead of time that keeps well and would be easy and delicious to add to a plate of different things? [more inside]
posted by lgyre to Food & Drink at 8:12 PM - 27 answers

When she notices the spoon is not where she left it ... her spinal column draws as tight as Euclid's jockstrap... [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri to Writing & Language at 7:25 PM - 14 answers

Something I've always wondered about USPS mail delivery routes: why are 2 very close areas delivered hours apart? [more inside]
posted by cozenedindigo to Grab Bag at 6:24 PM - 3 answers

I'm new to gardening. I was growing some pepper plants in containers. They were doing great until they weren't. Their leaves started growing in curly with black and grown streaks. Now they are falling off. What did I do wrong? [more inside]
posted by firemonkey to Home & Garden at 6:15 PM - 9 answers

Thanks to all the help in this thread, I am leaving tomorrow for a week in Arizona to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday. He likes good food, but nothing overly fancy, spicy, or too unfamiliar. Where should we eat for his birthday our last night, when we will be in Phoenix? [more inside]
posted by TrarNoir to Food & Drink at 4:26 PM - 5 answers

I booked a flight on Southwest. I cancelled the flight on Southwest. I edited by inbox a bit carelessly. I now cannot find either the booking or cancellation emails from Southwest. This means I don't have the magic code that references my cancelled reservation which would get my funds freed up for me to use on a new flight. Am I completely out of luck? Did I throw away money with my mouse? I think I know the answer.. but I'm asking out of an abundance of hope.
posted by hippybear to Travel & Transportation at 1:28 PM - 29 answers

I'm organizing an online silent auction as part of a fundraiser. Please recommend an auction site you've been happy with. [more inside]
posted by Well I never to Computers & Internet at 1:24 PM - 1 answer

I really want a tool that stores and displays my own notes and ratings when I'm browsing lists of things - books and DVDs on the library website, recipes, Discogs, whatever. Is there anything that will do that for me? [more inside]
posted by kristi to Computers & Internet at 1:23 PM - 2 answers

I have a mid-20ish year old family member who recently has been drawn into conversations with what I think of as (possibly ungenerously) “FaceBook Christians” - people who reference Bible-quotation memes as support for their political beliefs. This young person is smart, and reads poetry, but is unfamiliar with the Bible in general. I want to give them a Bible to support their desire to learn more on their own: it needs to hit that sweet spot between… [more inside]
posted by Silvery Fish to Religion & Philosophy at 12:31 PM - 20 answers

I got a tiny garden plot in my community garden (yay!). What should I plant? Wanna try for some edibles. [more inside]
posted by greta simone to Home & Garden at 10:39 AM - 16 answers

Any advice for a spray type weed killer, cat friendly, would be appreciated. [more inside]
posted by Czjewel to Home & Garden at 10:31 AM - 6 answers

I ran across a tweet from a self-described anarchist historian that discussed how the early days of the first American civil war were typified by a lot of militias making incursions into other states and all kinds of fluidity that after the fact was constructed into a narrative about both sides coherently choosing sides, that the war had its beginnings long before Fort Sumter. Can anyone help me find that tweet thread, or perhaps point me to some alternative anarchist interpretations of the beginning of the war? [more inside]
posted by craniac to Law & Government at 8:23 AM - 6 answers

How can I stop an Android phone from stripping GPS information from photos in the process of copying them? [more inside]
posted by flabdablet to Computers & Internet at 3:54 AM - 17 answers

My sister and I live on opposite ends of the country and want to meet halfway for a sisters weekend. We have very fond memories of Colorado from a long ago family vacation, and have booked our flights to Denver ... only to realize neither of us knows squat about the area. Also, due to schedule wackiness, we're going over the 4th of July weekend. Whoof! [more inside]
posted by DingoMutt to Travel & Transportation at 8:49 PM - 5 answers

YANMD. I am biting the inside of my mouth, on the inside of my cheeks, on both sides. I am also biting my tongue. I do this at night while I am sleeping. Why am I doing this and how do I stop? [more inside]
posted by furtheryet to Health & Fitness at 8:40 PM - 17 answers

I'm sure this makes sense, I'm just wondering how. Taken in Vancouver, BC if that helps.
posted by Tell Me No Lies to Grab Bag at 6:56 PM - 7 answers

I'm pretty sure nothing else like it exists, but if it does I feel like MetaFilter people are my best bet to find it! [more inside]
posted by Eyelash to Media & Arts at 6:24 PM - 29 answers

I want to go to Phoenix in the summer. I’m looking for a website that lets me compare flight information if am flexible on when exactly this happens. [more inside]
posted by ficbot to Travel & Transportation at 5:39 PM - 7 answers

What were the live shows called that used to play between movies in the silent/early sound era?
posted by pxe2000 to Media & Arts at 3:12 PM - 8 answers

Mac users: for me, edges and separators for resizing windows (especially vertical separators between panels, but often also the outer edges of ordinary windows) are frustratingly narrow in width and difficult to grab. I've tried TinkerTool but doesn't seem to make any difference. Are there any other apps, extensions, setting, or something that would make the grab edges/response regions wider? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie to Computers & Internet at 2:57 PM - 10 answers

on a pdf created from INDD, I've added several link-outs to web pages, there are also a few email addresses. On my Mac, upon click, those emails set up an outgoing email populated with that email address in Mail. Client is saying when he clicks it (on a PC) "just opens a browser". Is there a method to making the email links work on a PC?
posted by pmaxwell to Computers & Internet at 2:39 PM - 4 answers