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I am teaching an ESL class and want to show a movie or TV show for an upcoming class, but I only have about 95 minutes in total. What are some good short films or TV episodes that are in the 30-60 minute range? [more inside]
posted by zardoz at 11:38 PM PST - 12 comments

Book recs for the new year! I have recently been enjoying a lot of books that riff on fanfiction tropes or just read like really good fanfiction (I will explain properly below the fold). Can anyone recommend more like these? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 10:52 PM PST - 20 comments

Where can I find a dress like this? Thank you!
posted by Jacen at 10:17 PM PST - 4 comments

Two weeks ago my partner was bitten by their pet. Within 20 minutes their hand had swelled, face was swollen and hives all over. We went to ER, and they were admitted to the hospital for a course of IV antibiotics. Today we got the "not medically necessary" denial. [more inside]
posted by Sophont at 7:42 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm looking for podcasts or videos of more contemporary, conversational mindfulness videos. Something similar to this. I'm running into trouble finding search terms to find what I need. [more inside]
posted by gilsonal at 6:13 PM PST - 1 comment

I can’t believe I’m wasting a question on this, especially when I know the answers will likely all be speculation, but it’s been bugging me for too long so I’m letting it go with the new year: Why do they still call Kate Middleton, “Kate Middleton”? They’ve been married over a decade, everyone knows which Kate she is when they write about her, she doesn’t call herself that, so it’s not out of respect… I thought the practice would at least stop since she’s now the Princess of Wales, but apparently not? I don’t remember anyone ever calling Princess Diana “Diana Spencer” after her marriage. What gives? Is this a class thing?
posted by Mchelly at 6:10 PM PST - 18 comments

An acquaintance seems to be having a manic episode and has left his home state. What can folks at home do from afar? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:14 PM PST - 7 comments

Looking for cost and space efficient dumbbells for women [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 5:12 PM PST - 22 comments

I need to order some PCBs. Very simple. Two layer. Nothing exotic or unusual. For the sake of planning, I'm wondering what is the typical turnaround for places like PCBway or JLCpcb. A few days? A couple weeks?
posted by trevor_case at 4:57 PM PST - 7 comments

I just got promoted into a job I'm not technically qualified for (it's fine, they know), but the one thing I'm super insecure about is that I can't do a basic journal entry without googling it first, and I don't know how to learn this. I have an accounting degree, I do get the concept, but how does it get to be second nature?
posted by emumimic at 3:24 PM PST - 6 comments

The LastPass hacks have me thinking of going back to a desktop password storage app like KeePassX or just Mac Keychain. But I wonder how to get my Firefox to autofill passwords from a local password file. What are some good solutions? [more inside]
posted by johngoren at 2:15 PM PST - 7 comments

I haven’t played a video game in like a decade and am extremely out of the loop. I’ve been feeling the itch lately to swap my evening TV with a computer game. I don’t have or want any consoles but I have a shiny new M2 MacBook so I assume there’s something good I can play. Games I enjoyed back in the day: Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls Oblivion, D&D games like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights, Legend of Zelda series, some of the Final Fantasies, I also have fond memories of the original Myst games. What should I be playing now? [more inside]
posted by vanitas at 12:23 PM PST - 25 comments

On Wordpress, I'm planning to switch from one "team" directory plug-in to a new one. Any recommendations for migration software or tricks? I'm mainly hoping to not need to re-enter every name, title, bio, and photo.
posted by Unsomnambulist at 12:21 PM PST - 4 comments

My university is ending our google drive storage (thanks to google making it expensive). I want to migrate everything off google drive from a drive account that everyone in my lab has contributed to (lots of shared ownership). This is proving harder than expected. Have you successfully done this? I have ~130 GB of data spread across many folders. [more inside]
posted by lab.beetle at 12:01 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm planning to take a trip to Europe for a classical music concert tour. The tour is to travel to different European cities by train, and attend a classical concert in each. [more inside]
posted by In The Annex at 9:55 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm looking for a symptom tracker app for iPhone that does not link any personal info. It seems like all of the top apps are privacy invasive. I'm willing to pay a small fee for the app.
posted by O Time, Thy Pyramids at 9:49 AM PST - 5 comments

I’m doing a deep dive on the evolution of Ivy Style and I’m looking for a book-length biography of Brooks Brothers that I might be able to check out through the library. [more inside]
posted by pxe2000 at 9:39 AM PST - 3 comments

How do I bulk access and download every iMessage photo I’ve ever sent or received. [more inside]
posted by Captain Chesapeake at 9:16 AM PST - 2 comments

In February (or possibly January) 2020 I read an essay on the internet by a woman who had recently figured out that she was autistic. I've been trying to find it again but I can't. (I thought I had gotten there from a Metafilter post, but I've trawled through all the autism-tagged posts from early 2020 and haven't found it.) Details within. [more inside]
posted by heatherlogan at 7:49 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm about to become president of a local chapter of a professional association. How do I make it a success? [more inside]
posted by pear at 7:26 AM PST - 5 comments

I made plum cakes today and wonder now what fresh tropical fruit could replace my bleh air-flown plums. There must be a handy substitution list I can refer to at that will swap $20 kale for a $2 bag of local asian greens - by flavour and cooking methods, but google is giving me only individual substitutes or very generic short lists!
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 3:21 AM PST - 6 comments

I am working on a novel and want to take a one-off fiction writing workshop that will both provide feedback/critiques and help me finish it, would love suggestions that are based on personal experience. [more inside]
posted by virve at 10:12 PM PST - 5 comments

I've just been told that my mother has days to weeks to live, probably the former. She is a devout Hindu but I am not. I want to honor her wishes for her last rites but am having trouble understanding the pragmatics, and I do not have family here to guide me. Any information on practical processes, rituals, the reasoning/religious significance of said rituals, etc. would be greatly appreciated. [more inside]
posted by KarmicKintsugi at 7:13 PM PST - 20 comments

I finally found my holy grail toothpaste and it's being discontinued :( Help me find a replacement please? Picky criteria below the fold. [more inside]
posted by serelliya at 4:49 PM PST - 10 comments

The guidelines for what will fit in one UBox at UHaul are basically "a one-bedroom apartment." I'm moving my half of a two-bedroom apartment and am not good at mental tetris and don't want to have to figure out what to do if I've got too much stuff. [more inside]
posted by less-of-course at 3:57 PM PST - 20 comments

My iphone was stolen from my car recently, and because all my passwords were in a Note (I know, I know!), it's been a nightmare trying to get set back up, now that everything's requiring 2-step verification via text or call to the LOST phone. [more inside]
posted by mmiddle at 3:54 PM PST - 6 comments

Why do (some) fight scenes in (some) movies from the '70s and earlier seem so plodding? Were there film making techniques and skills that people hadn't learned then? Or is it a matter of budget, technology, etc., that were unavailable? Or am I off-base, and it's mostly a matter of modern tastes? [more inside]
posted by mark k at 3:15 PM PST - 24 comments

I’m looking at an Android tablet for $170. It’s has 64GB built-in storage & an SD slot. Or I could get the same model with 256GB for $230. How important is built-in storage for tablets? Are SD cards a sufficient substitute? [more inside]
posted by trevor_case at 2:35 PM PST - 5 comments

This nicely-framed round plate is in the wall in my lower-level bathroom. [more inside]
posted by Joleta at 12:35 PM PST - 3 comments

I think I'd like to get a new or used brother thermal label maker, since i've had good experiences with the P-touch line in the past. I'm using this to label things for an aging relative with not the greatest near distance and distance vision so my needs are: [more inside]
posted by elgee at 11:55 AM PST - 3 comments

I’ve had terrible anxiety for much of my life. CBT and meds didn’t help (though I also drank on them). I drink more than I should and I have for over a decade — in my early 30s now. I’m feeling pretty pessimistic about my mental health right now, and I’m hoping for some anecdotes and information about how cutting the booze might help and how I can proceed. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:51 AM PST - 41 comments

I'm going to interview my dad to create an oral history, and I'm curious about how others have done this. We have a good idea about the topics we want to cover (we'll tackle them as small segments) but I still haven't decided on the best output. [more inside]
posted by Pademelon at 11:16 AM PST - 3 comments

I need to have cataract surgery. Medicare will pay for one-distance lenses but I don't know which distance to pick. My doctor also says I could pay for newfangled lenses that supposedly cover all (?) distances. Looking for personal experiences (or expertise)... [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:29 AM PST - 10 comments

I have a super awkward living room space to make sense of. Basically, I have a central fireplace going up through the center of the "living room" which splits it into two distinct sections with small connecting corridors on each side of the fireplace. [more inside]
posted by Anonymouse1618 at 8:53 AM PST - 14 comments

I want to have a nice cosy new year's weekend - good food, crazy cats, and something nice to read/fun to watch. The first two are covered, but suggest me something for the rest? [more inside]
posted by Nieshka at 8:12 AM PST - 29 comments

ISO an app, website, or low-install-need software that gives visual feedback on voice volume (from microphone input). [more inside]
posted by Paper rabies at 8:03 AM PST - 5 comments

What is the most gracefully direct way to ask one or more couples to join you for dinner, and pay our own way? [more inside]
posted by nandaro at 7:01 AM PST - 27 comments

I wonder what I should search for to find jazz in this style (this is a YouTube link to one of many sort of generic-sounding "cool, relaxed" jazz pieces put on YouTube by an entity called Cafe Music BGM Channel. [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:44 AM PST - 12 comments

Hi everyone; Im wondering if there is a free app/program to show how often I open favorites on Chrome? I have over 800 favorites,and I would really like to know which ones I open the most. I don't want to sort them-just to show the top 100 for example. Thanks for all your help :-)
posted by LOOKING at 4:26 AM PST - 3 comments

How can I turn down a coworker who is very insistently trying to invite themself onto my weekend plans? [more inside]
posted by sick pippit at 7:57 PM PST - 25 comments

What mobile provider is best for a short-term stay in and around Stanford, California? [more inside]
posted by vernondalhart at 1:57 PM PST - 10 comments

How do I deal with the difference in required power outlet? [more inside]
posted by bananapants at 12:41 PM PST - 5 comments

So a friend mentioned this in passing that this site has free streaming movies. It seems of course too good to be true. How do they make their money? Is it legal? Is it a security risk?
posted by storybored at 12:36 PM PST - 9 comments

I’m planning a family trip to San Diego in April, just after Easter. We want to see the zoo and Legoland. Looking for tips and advice on hotels, transportation, and tickets. (Family is two adults and a 7-year-old traveling from Austin.) [more inside]
posted by erloteiel at 12:10 PM PST - 10 comments

As in this five year old question I have two carving boards that are more or less severely cracked around the edges. Clearly I need to be oiling them "more," but how often do I need to be oiling them and how much oil should I be applying? [more inside]
posted by fedward at 11:42 AM PST - 13 comments

I went for a masters of social work intending to become a therapist, but didn't get much clinical experience. How do I get (back) on track to become a clinician? [more inside]
posted by switcheroo at 10:01 AM PST - 7 comments

I registered the .net and .org versions of my fledgling small business name for cheap. But the .com version is "premium," and GoDaddy is the registrar. Is it worth the time and expense (and navigating the possibly scammy vibes) to get it? [more inside]
posted by mostly vowels at 8:00 AM PST - 15 comments

I have found myself in a situation where I probably need legal advice but don't know who to call. I have inherited a basically worthless business that I don't want but can't figure out how to shut down or get rid of it. [more inside]
posted by southeastyetagain at 7:40 AM PST - 14 comments

I write standardized test questions, and I like to put them online, in a question bank database for my students. I want to be able to administer tests and quizzes using the questions–and to have students create accounts and log in. What's the best way to do this?
posted by matkline at 7:29 AM PST - 12 comments

I need a new alarm clock - a physical one, not an app. All the alarm clocks I've recently seen have very bright faces but I remember growing up with much dimmer ones. I'm also a light sleeper and would rather not wake my kids up, so I would like a fairly quiet alarm. Any suggestions? Thanks! [more inside]
posted by Easy problem of consciousness at 7:19 AM PST - 14 comments

I read a story online (probably linked from MF) describing a struggling farmer preparing for a visit from the bank. His wife spent time sprucing up the indoors, maybe laying a gingham tablecloth, and this convinced the visitor from the bank that they didn't need to call in the loan, and the family avoided bankruptcy... Can you help me find it? Thank you!
posted by limoncello at 7:06 AM PST - 2 comments

On Friday 12/23 I booked a last minute one-stop Southwest flight for my sister to try to get her to my place for Christmas. One of the legs of that itinerary was cancelled. She went to the ticket desk and was rebooked on another one-stop flight the next morning. One of those legs was cancelled as well. She ended up getting up here another way (Alaska FTW) and we are VERY grateful. But I'd like my money back! [more inside]
posted by potrzebie at 2:03 AM PST - 10 comments

I have an iPhone 11. I take all my photos the same way, with the phone sideways (landscape), using the volume down button to take the photo. I take lots of photos. When I plug into my laptop (Lenovo T15, Windows 11) and transfer the photos via USB, they end up all sorts of ways--some are sideways, some are upside-down, a few are right-side up, but not many. [more inside]
posted by Slinga at 8:32 PM PST - 5 comments

I will be caregiving for a very sick and deconditioned parent who could pass within the next few months. Anyone who has been in this situation - any tips, tricks, or resources that helped you caregive for a very ill loved one, even until the end? [more inside]
posted by KarmicKintsugi at 8:08 PM PST - 16 comments

I love “The Goodbye Girl” and the red and white poster in the background of this scene always catches my eye. Anyone know what it is? My guess is some theatrical production? This has been rolling around in my mind for years!
posted by stefnet at 7:35 PM PST - 4 comments

What are some positive models of people living life without romantic relationships (ideally, asexual+aromantic, or similar identities)? In particular, do you have any tips on "a well-lived single-by-choice life," whether from personal experience, people you're close with, or fictional portrayals? [more inside]
posted by elephantsvanish at 6:52 PM PST - 17 comments

My dad, mid-70s, recalls a character in a movie singing a song that goes "don't hit your mother with a frying pan - it'll leave a bad impression," but he can't remember the source and Google is yielding zero results. [more inside]
posted by Ms. Toad at 6:19 PM PST - 4 comments

This front page post reminds me: when I was a child watching US network TV in the 1990s, I used to watch the evening national newscasts (ABC and CBS more than NBC, as I recall). I remember that, on the last weekday of the year, the news show would usually broadcast a collection of clips summarizing the year's news, often using a soundtrack of pop music released that year. I've tried and failed to find some of these online. How can I find and rewatch these montages? [more inside]
posted by brainwane at 6:12 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm trying to brainstorm better use of two spaces in my house (home office/guest room and kitchen nook) and could use some suggestions. I'm tired of reading the same old thing on generic blogs and websites. [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 4:50 PM PST - 12 comments

Looking for recommendations to manage deadlines that recur every few months to few years. Can be software, app, Excel spreadsheet method, etc. [more inside]
posted by aquamvidam at 3:22 PM PST - 8 comments

If someone tells me something or asks me to do something while I’m already doing a task, I will say “sure” and immediately forget the thing they told me, forever. Since most of my time is spent in tasks, that means I forget almost everything. Please help. [more inside]
posted by slutze at 2:12 PM PST - 33 comments

I've been trying to get a grip on my spending. Please could you recommend any genuinely useful books or other resources that perhaps gave you a light bulb moment and helped you to change your spending habits? I'd love to hear personal stories with specifics of where you were then and where you are now to help boost my motivation!
posted by Sunflower88 at 1:54 PM PST - 18 comments

Flying from AUS to CMH on SW2272 on 12/30/2022. Flight here Shows that every version of this flight has been cancelled since Dec 23, and tomorrow's flight is already cancelled. I'm gonna book now on another airline if I can reasonably assume my southwest flight will be cancelled. Anyone have better info? Thanks!
posted by maxexam at 1:27 PM PST - 12 comments

The current limit for purchasing IBonds is $10,000 per year. However, if the IRS owes you a tax refund, then you can use up to $5,000 of that refund to purchase IBonds beyond the $10,000. Is it ok to intentionally overpay estimated taxes in the last quarter to ensure a $5,000 refund thereby making possible the additional purchase? I'm thinking of legal/IRS issues and not what is financially optimal.
posted by Kevin S at 1:22 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm interested in hearing about online movement classes which are:

• accessible for beginners
• skill based, rather than workout-based. It's ok if it includes a conditioning component, but that shouldn't be the main focus
• not too expensive

It would be great if they were off the beaten path too, adding variety to one's movement diet. I realize that this is akin to saying, Surprise me!, but well, what's out there?
posted by portabella at 12:07 PM PST - 8 comments

Some years ago I learned about this not-recent book about N things a kid should/do learn before certain age. It was more on the practical side of things. I can't remember its title. [more inside]
posted by edmz at 11:41 AM PST - 6 comments

I looked into taking a ceramics class or buying some studio time and everything near me is currently booked up. I've never played around with "home oven fire" or "no fire" clay options before, like polymer clay, but now I'm curious about this as a low-key option I could do at home. In high school I had a ceramics class where they just had a big ol' bin of clay and a locker of glazes and we just freestyle made whatever we felt like (no instruction, no throwing wheels) and the teacher would fire it in a kiln. I'm looking for a similar vibe, buy some clay and just spend a few hours on a weekend playing around making fun stuff. [more inside]
posted by forkisbetter at 11:34 AM PST - 10 comments

As I look to changing my use of time in 2023, I'm interested in learning from the examples of notable people who have limited or ended their use of online and social media. [more inside]
posted by Miko at 11:13 AM PST - 12 comments

Please hit me with your best stories about writers and journalists in competition and/or conflict with each other. Fiction or non-fiction welcome, published or personal, the nastier and more intense the better. [more inside]
posted by rpfields at 10:56 AM PST - 9 comments

I have been dealing with some serious health stuff over the last few years. The specialist I'm working with has been difficult. My father (who is a family doctor) says this is normal and to suck it up. My husband (who is not a doctor) is incandescent with rage and wants us to switch practices. I am sick and scared and could use perspective. (also some GI details to follow...) [more inside]
posted by jeszac at 10:18 AM PST - 15 comments

I stepped on a tiny piece of glass and it’s burrowed into my foot and I can’t get it out. Who should I go to to remove it? My GP doctor, an urgent care clinic (CityMD), a dermatologist, a podiatrist, or someone else? Glass piece was like a third the size of a tic tac. Thanks!
posted by andoatnp at 9:39 AM PST - 18 comments

I am in the market for a used car for around $6,000 or less. This will be for city or suburban driving, about once or twice a week. I realize that isn't much, but there isn't enough mass transit here to do otherwise, and it's not a good area to bike in. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 8:37 AM PST - 16 comments

I've been having a really annoying problem that I haven't had any luck figuring out. Hoping someone here might be able to help. Early in the pandemic, I purchased a peripheral sharing switch and occasionally my keyboard won't switch over when I use the toggle button. This leaves me unable to type and I'm stuck resetting my pc. [more inside]
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 8:32 AM PST - 6 comments

I have an aging MacBook Air that is running Mojave, the last macOS to support 32-bit apps. I would like to continue to run some 32-bit games and music apps that haven't been updated in a long time, while also getting security updates. Are there ways to run Mojave in a VM? [more inside]
posted by mkb at 8:15 AM PST - 4 comments

As a professional development project in 2023, I want to create a wiki of information related to the work that I do. I'd like it to be hosted on a web server and I'd like the hosting / setting-up of it to be as turnkey as possible. Additional requirements within. [more inside]
posted by gauche at 7:54 AM PST - 6 comments

I am a little obsessed with The Bells of Christmas by Loreena Mckennitt, from the 1995 movie The Santa Clause. I want an .mp3 to add to my collection. What I have tried, and complicating requirements, inside. [more inside]
posted by evilmomlady at 4:53 AM PST - 9 comments

Bipolar parent resisting treatment. Seeking perspective on how to deal with this. [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 1:39 AM PST - 5 comments

Someone wants to work with people who have been traumatized - but they are older and have no credentials. They are super-aware, have many years of self-taught healing modality training via books and teachers, have huge insight into the human condition and psyche, but no diplomas or credentials to put on a wall. They are also older, over 60. [more inside]
posted by watercarrier at 9:36 PM PST - 26 comments

Please help me find this "life plan" workbook again. I started it in October of 2018 so it existed before then. It was free online, and it had somewhat odd questions like "What is your father's sense of life?" "Which of your father's good qualities would you like to adopt?" "How did your father's parents influence him?" "How far back are you influenced?"
posted by HotToddy at 6:13 PM PST - 6 comments

A player I can place on a hosted HTML page which plays mp3s from a list stored in a simple text file (or pulls all mp3s from a folder). Already searched The Goog, could not find the specific thing I'm looking for. [more inside]
posted by 4midori at 6:04 PM PST - 3 comments

What upgrades over the minimum specs would make the biggest difference in user-perceived speed while using QuickBooks? [more inside]
posted by Jacqueline at 5:36 PM PST - 8 comments

I have a table lamp that uses "A" type lamps (standard-size Edison-base light bulbs). The lamp has worked fine for years using incandescent bulbs. Now I've put an LED equivalent bulb in it instead. When the lamp is on, the bulb lights up like it should. But when the lamp is (supposedly) switched off, the bulb remains lit - but at a very low brightness. And it remains at that low level, never going dark. What's going on here, and is there a way I can make this lamp work normally with LED bulbs? [more inside]
posted by Mechitar at 5:13 PM PST - 10 comments

When I log in my bank sends me a 7 digit confirmation number via SMS. I've noticed these are not random. They don't exactly conform to Benford's Law, but a leading digit of 1 is much over-represented (42% of all numbers), as is a leading 2 (26%). See the table of my last 137 confirmations here. I would have thought these would be generated by a random number generator. [more inside]
posted by Rumple at 3:39 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm looking for recommendations for any podcasts or podcast episodes discussing technological developments in AI, interesting applications in different fields, and ethical and regulatory issues. Bonus for content specific to the legal industry or similar. [more inside]
posted by lookoutbelow at 2:51 PM PST - 5 comments

I've successfully culled my wardrobe, bookshelves, furniture and clutter. But I'm haunted by boxes of paper ephemera. What systems do you use to sort/cull the paper detritus of a life? [more inside]
posted by happyfrog at 1:29 PM PST - 26 comments

Help me become literate of the increasingly digital and web based reality growing larger around me. [more inside]
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 12:32 PM PST - 4 comments

What’s the best tool these days for popping in OTHER PEOPLE’s twitter username and sorting its most successful tweets by reach and engagement? Date filtering would also be handy. (I know, I know…I have to be there for work! Trying to find what’s worked for similar accounts to a client’s.)
posted by The Last Sockpuppet at 7:07 AM PST - 1 comment

I am interested in learning to sing. I have no experience singing and have never been to a singing teacher, except many, many years ago in elementary school. I'm doing this for fun. And because I have social anxiety and very little funds for this, I'd like to do it as cheaply as possible. I searched on Youtube for relevant videos and was a bit overwhelmed with the number of results. Are there any specific Youtubers who I should follow to try to learn to sing?
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 5:54 AM PST - 5 comments

I love Dylan's output since Time Out of Mind. Is there any biography yet, either book or documentary film, of his later years? Anything in the works? I've read the Heylin and other books, which only go so far. Thanks. A book about the man and his song styles would be great. Sooner or later there's got be a volume exclusively on these gravelly voiced years.
posted by noelpratt2nd at 11:25 PM PST - 2 comments

Pronounce the name like it's a fabric, and you get my drift... Help me rediscover my sense of style and figure out where to find said clothes, postpartum and WFH edition. Snowflakes inside. [more inside]
posted by OhHaieThere at 10:18 PM PST - 11 comments

I like to catch up on the Instagram users that I follow, and I have lately been doing it by viewing multiple users at once. So have many tabs open for each. And I use the shortcut key to switch tabs. But when I have a lot of Instagram tabs open, the site becomes unresponsive, which is not how other sites work. [more inside]
posted by ggp88 at 9:42 PM PST - 3 comments

I’m thinking of going from an iPhone 8+ to an SE. Same amount of storage in both phones, and I could use something smaller for my poor wrists. Other than the camera, there doesn’t seem to be a difference? Has anyone made a similar “backwards” step in iphone model? Was it fine? I’m not too keen on faceid and like that the SE still uses fingerprint. I use a separate camera 90% of the time, so I don’t think I will care about the downgrade in camera tech. Is there anything I am missing or should I go ahead and get the current gen SE? It looks like the chip and other things are a step up from what I have, but I’ve never really understood the difference with the SE models.
posted by Bottlecap at 8:23 PM PST - 11 comments

I have covid. I'm taking Paxlovid. I have what is called "Paxlovid Mouth" which is the horrible acrid flavor in your mouth that is a side effect of Paxlovid. It makes it so that drinking water is hard because it tastes terrible. Have you personally had any success with something that helped counter the flavor? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 6:42 PM PST - 25 comments

Came back from the holidays and my smoke alarm is chirping. So it needs a new battery. landlord charged $150 to unjam my garbage disposal so I'd love to change the battery in this myself. Details inside. [more inside]
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 6:34 PM PST - 6 comments

After reading Frans de Waal's book, Mama's Last Hug, which discusses the function of emotions, I'm wondering how hallucinations can be helpful. I can't find evidence of them being a survival strategy, but I imagine they do perform some function. Can anyone recommend articles/media on this?
posted by mermaidcafe at 4:47 PM PST - 19 comments

I'm looking for a phone case that holds the Google Pixel 6a that has a cover for the front camera. [more inside]
posted by twelve cent archie at 2:00 PM PST - 4 comments

Which liquor stores in Denver are most likely to have a bottle (or two) of hard-to-get, allocated bourbon? I will be in the city on 12/29 and am prepared to pay well.
posted by John Borrowman at 1:30 PM PST - 9 comments

We are looking for our next streaming drama series on Netflix. More on our tastes inside. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 1:16 PM PST - 35 comments

My community has *ahem* a problem with sh!tty parking. Drivers routinely park blocking crosswalks, and unfortunately, we also lack any meaningful enforcement of the rules. I would like some resources for making "guerilla" signage that can be non-destructively attached to existing sign poles, sometimes trees. Signs must be durable and solidly click preview weatherproof. [more inside]
posted by 4midori at 12:52 PM PST - 9 comments

I’m making New Years Eve dinner for 8 people and my theme is “decadent”. Complication: 3 of the diners have Celiac and can’t eat gluten. Fancy chefs of MeFi please help me plan a menu! [more inside]
posted by rodneyaug at 12:18 PM PST - 32 comments

How do I track down sheet music for Caroline Shaw's Cant voi l'aube? [more inside]
posted by cnidaria at 12:08 PM PST - 5 comments

I’ll preface this by saying I understand how hurtful this can be. Yet this is the situation I’m in. [more inside]
posted by hnl_u at 8:59 AM PST - 22 comments

Alright, so I moved to Canada to do a masters degree in CS (specialized in software for ML) at Queen's in Ontario. My degree is done. It's time to find a job in Canada so that I can move forward with my other plans here. [more inside]
posted by Tarsonis10 at 7:41 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm wondering what the best possible outcome is for someone deeply addicted to Meth, given that Meth formulations are now apparently different and worse than they have ever been. [more inside]
posted by crapples at 6:34 AM PST - 15 comments

I have two events in the first quarter of 2023 that have a cocktail dress code stipulated. (One is a wedding and the other is a farewell event for a boss.) However I own nothing suitable to wear (including footwear) and I'm pretty clueless as to how to go about acquiring it. What should I buy, and where would you recommend I buy it from? I'm a man and I'm willing to spend more for nicer clothes (up to a point).
posted by Panthalassa at 5:56 AM PST - 12 comments

What is the name of the island in the South Pacific that looks like a huge craggy spike rising steeply from the sea. It has hardly any shore, and has been declared a protected natural area (IUCN?). It looks like something from a fantasy novel, forbidding and majestic. [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:50 AM PST - 3 comments

I got two aura frames. I intend to display one in portrait mode and one in landscape. I made a Google photo album of some photos to include. Now I need to sort them into two separate albums by orientation. What's the best way to do this? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 1:43 AM PST - 8 comments

I have a ton of video files (mp4s) on my Windows 11 laptop. I did an experiment by taking one of many folders (this one had 18.1gigs) and ran it through 7zip. About 13 minutes later, I got a zip file that was 18gigs. Surely there's a better way of doing this and saving more than just that .1gig. Any tips?
posted by ggp88 at 11:03 PM PST - 17 comments

I have a playlist of a kind of spy rap/Brit hop/electro vibe that I'm slowly building since asking this question. Something a bit more current than 60s gangster film soundtrack remixes. Can you help me add more such tracks? [more inside]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:52 PM PST - 13 comments

I want to attach charms I have via jump rings to a silver chain that I don't have. I want to buy a silver chain around 18" long with a clasp, but I don't know what shape and size the loops on the chain should be. [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 5:23 PM PST - 9 comments

An aunt of mine is dying, probably in the next few days. Jewish Tradition means there will be a funeral pretty soon after she dies, followed by seven days of Shiva. I'm not sure whether I want to go to the funeral/shiva, I feel a bit obliged to, but don't really feel like I want to. Looking for suggestions [more inside]
posted by PersonPerson at 5:23 PM PST - 66 comments

Please help me make sense of (or possibly even change?) my fanfic reading habits [more inside]
posted by sequel at 4:46 PM PST - 23 comments

I am looking for this wooden picture frame with inlaid and edge coloring (any range of sizes): one | two. I'd love to get another precisely like it in the same or similar colors; however, there is no maker's mark on the frame itself, which is why I am asking here. [more inside]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:54 PM PST - 1 comment

I have a foggy memory of seeing a build post of beautiful polyhedral lamp-type thingy. I think it might have been made by a person here but I cannot remember the terms used to describe it to be able to search for it well. Have you seen this? [more inside]
posted by crossswords at 12:04 PM PST - 4 comments

Can anything interesting be done with an ancient Mag-Lite flashlight? [more inside]
posted by Rhomboid at 10:43 AM PST - 11 comments

I have a bunch of winter gloves that are OK for walking around or driving in cold weather, but yesterday I wore them while cleaning off my car in 7 degree (Fahrenheit) weather and my fingers got cold enough that they ached for several minutes after I came inside. Would like recs for something inexpensive and better for this kind of situation. Doesn't need to be touchscreen compatible or be great for very fine motor skills, but needs to be flexible enough to hold an ice scraper (obv no mittens.) I usually wear a medium in latex/nitrile gloves.
posted by needs more cowbell at 7:49 AM PST - 18 comments

Just got a Behringer RD-6. There's a 'quick start' guide, but no full manual. Where can we find a description of all it's functions?
posted by signal at 7:15 AM PST - 6 comments

What is the best magazine available for a subscription for a skilled serious home cook who really likes classic French cooking? Also likes international vegetarian ideas. [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 6:48 AM PST - 5 comments

My son asked for gamepads as a holiday gift to play games on my computer with friends. Both connect just fine to the computer on their own, through both USB ports. However, when they're both connected, Windows 10 only accepts inputs from one gamepad at a time, whichever one was plugged in first. If both are plugged in, and I unplug the one that's working, Windows immediately starts accepting inputs from the other one. I thought maybe that Windows was only turning one USB port on at a time, so I went into Device Manager and turned power management off for the USB ports, but that didn't work. How do I solve this? [more inside]
posted by Kattullus at 4:42 AM PST - 9 comments

How to move forward in a relationship after a near breakup and a one night stand with someone else. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:16 AM PST - 8 comments

My brother and I have always had a volatile relationship. It so happened that I found myself drawing a boundary just when he was at his worst. I feel hugely conflicted about it - grateful for ideas on how to handle this both for the holidays and going forward. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:15 AM PST - 12 comments

In the late nineties I was visiting my dad and watched an incredibly uncomfortable comedy sketch in which a flamboyantly gay character gave advice for those visiting family at the holidays. Given that it was EXACTLY what I was doing at the time it was simultaneously intensely uncomfortable and quite possibly the funniest thing I’d ever seen. I would have SWORN it was a Kids In The Hall skecth- after searching, I’d think a buddy Cole monologue- yet my Google fu is failing me and not turning up what I remember. The one bit I’m sure of is that the speaker asserts that one should “GET A HOTEL.” Any idea what it is? THANK YOU
posted by carterk at 11:52 PM PST - 8 comments

I have a nice Sony Trinitron in my living room, currently used to play NES and watch DVDs. It's amazing for that, but it would be nice to occasionally play YouTube on it, or Netflix, maybe Apple Airplay. It has Composite Video, S-video, and Component Video inputs. [more inside]
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:38 AM PST - 6 comments

I've been a very guarded and rough person in the past, to the point I didn't like sharing emotional things or being vulnerable in front of people. I had a complicated childhood and many times when I was like that people shamed me or mistreated me. I grew up in a society where machismo was common, and boys/men displaying those feelings was a huge no-no. [more inside]
posted by Tarsonis10 at 11:06 AM PST - 13 comments

Earlier this year, my supervisor (not academia) submitted a proposal for funding for a research idea. However, having dug into it a bit more, it looks to me like big chunks of the projects will be unfeasible, or at least not feasible to an acceptable standard. How to proceed? [more inside]
posted by Clyde Sparrow at 9:43 AM PST - 6 comments

I want to contact the owner of a specific property in NY as soon as possible. It's a very large multi-family residential building (about 60 apartments in the building). [more inside]
posted by fantasticness at 9:14 AM PST - 11 comments

Which video games feature stage magicians, either in the storyline, characters, or even development team? [more inside]
posted by creatrixtiara at 6:24 AM PST - 12 comments

Trigger warning for childhood SA and past incest. Details inside. Please skip this if it's triggering. Apologies for the heavy question during the holidays. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:13 AM PST - 9 comments

You are not my lawyer, but maybe you know this. I have heard you can quit the moment you have closed and I have heard you have to wait some unspecified amount of time and I've heard you have to wait until the lender has funded the purchase/paid the seller, which....doesn't that happen at the closing? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:13 AM PST - 17 comments

I'm making a rock tumbler and I need a specific geared motor (RB30 or RB35). Can someone tell me where in the UK I can get one from? [more inside]
posted by popcassady at 1:10 AM PST - 3 comments

I replaced my mechanical HD in my PC with a SSD about a year ago. Six months later, it did what I was told they never do, which is fail. I had another one installed. I don't know if that had anything to do with this problem, but the timing is suspect. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind at 11:43 PM PST - 4 comments

I am having problems with MicroSD cards somehow getting corrupted when inside my phone. Android OS suddenly prompts me to "get them set up" even though they contain lots of my ebooks and photos and things. Is it likely that my shaking the phone for camera & flashlight gestures is causing corruption? Tech details inside. [more inside]
posted by circular at 10:05 PM PST - 5 comments

I have a four year old cat. He had a VERY traumatic beginning to his life. After being a pretty chill kitten/teenager cat, over the last few years, he’s become increasingly stressed by relatively common place occurrences. Is this a time we should consider some sort of medication or holistic care for him? Our primary goal is his life quality. [more inside]
posted by arnicae at 6:44 PM PST - 16 comments

More details inside, but my partner’s brother family is visiting the house and they have a bedbug infestation. It is not my house, so I don’t think I have say, but my partner wants to visit my parent’s house and we also live together, but I feel like I’m being unreasonable there. [more inside]
posted by buttonedup at 6:19 PM PST - 17 comments

I am looking for either the publisher or illustrator of a book I read in 1978/79 from my elementary school's library (very small town in Southwestern Ontario). The book itself was The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde and while there are hundreds of versions of his text readily available, I would like to find a copy of the specific edition I read and loved as a child. [more inside]
posted by Ceridwen at 5:49 PM PST - 5 comments

What are some good books on the evolution of Chinese culture (both high culture and material culture), particularly during the T'ang Dynasty? When I look up "Chinese cultural history" I get histories of the Cultural Revolution, which is about 1300 years too late...
posted by musofire at 5:33 PM PST - 5 comments

I have a ten-minute video. I would like to add a URL as a watermark in the bottom right corner of the entire video. I have an iphone and a macbook pro. What is the easiest way to do this?
posted by andoatnp at 4:23 PM PST - 2 comments

I bought some art in Berlin this summer for Christmas presents. I bought these prints at either Neurotitan or Many Tentacles in Mitte (pretty sure these are from Neurotitan). The originals are photocollages with details sewn in thread. They are all by the same artist, I’m somewhat confident it’s a woman. I thought I wrote her name down… but… maybe not. I would really like to be able to tell my family who made these! Photos (1) Photos (2) Artist’s signature [more inside]
posted by sixswitch at 3:13 PM PST - 5 comments

Hi! I have a software development project idea I want to bring to life. I've read a couple of books on programming and cobbled enough code together to consider myself an advanced beginner, but I realize I need to build up new and more advanced technical skills/knowledge if I want the project to have a chance at success. I'm looking for someone I can pay who can understand where I'm at skill-wise and the technical requirements of the project I want to get launched and advise me in what areas I need to improve and maybe even point out some helpful learning resources for me. Does anyone know where can I find someone like that? Thanks!
posted by Gosha_Dog at 1:37 PM PST - 13 comments

My kiddo is looking to record and release music online. Current setup to record is through the smartphone, which is obviously not ideal. 30 years ago, I would have suggested a 4-track analog recorder and mic. The recorder would have ran ~$200 at the time. As we have moved to so much digital, what would be the best economical purchase in this day and age? Kid has an iPhone with Garageband, but everything else in the house is Windows/Linux. [more inside]
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 1:23 PM PST - 10 comments

I want to buy some kindle books for someone in the Netherlands. I am in the US. [more inside]
posted by bq at 11:53 AM PST - 5 comments

I need to buy a region-free Blu-ray player for work, and am seeking recommendations so I'm not selecting one entirely at random. Since it's for work, I will probably have to purchase it through Amazon instead of the more specialty kind of place I would personally prefer. [more inside]
posted by theatro at 11:11 AM PST - 2 comments

Is the Just Eat gift card the best digital gift card in terms of being accepted by a wide range of London restaurants, for eat in, delivery and takeaway? Buying from the U.S.
posted by ojocaliente at 10:15 AM PST - 8 comments

I am sure the answer to this could be derived from other questions but I am so worried, please bear with a potentially basic question. [more inside]
posted by Tandem Affinity at 10:12 AM PST - 7 comments

Supposed to visit elderly parents, but 2 of 4 have illness, and parents would like us to reschedule to avoid them getting sick. [more inside]
posted by 101cats at 9:31 AM PST - 5 comments

Back around March/April this year I made two Christmas puddings from scratch. We ate one at the time and saved the other (a mistake, I now realise). Checking on it today, we found the pudding has developed some kind of weird dusty substance on top. What is this stuff? [more inside]
posted by terretu at 9:27 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm a cis woman in my late 40s, diagnosed with ADHD several years ago, and on a lowish dose of a stimulant med (Vyvanse 30 mg most days, skipping some days here and there). My doctor has been concerned about my blood pressure, and through regular readings, it's become clear that my high blood pressure is associated with my stimulant meds (this is apparently pretty common). My doctor is recommending that I go on a medication for the high blood pressure--taking the blood pressure meds on days I take my stimulant--but I'm resisting it and thinking instead about going off the stimulants, but that feels like a bad idea too. Can you help me think through this? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:24 AM PST - 16 comments

Rainy weather this morning created a leak above a window in our old house. The window juts out, sort of like a bay window, and there is an angled roof section that is shingled above it. This isn't the first time this has happened. [more inside]
posted by walkinginsunshine at 7:37 AM PST - 6 comments

No matter what I do, it won't let me in to put my mail on hold. I can get as far as the security questions and being sent a temporary password, but no matter WHAT I put in as a new password, it won't accept it or recognize it. This applies if I make up my own or if I use one of their "suggested" ones. I get no response from attempting to contact usps.com for assistance and I'm not going to blast usps.com on Twitter. Has anyone ever been able to get this POS to work?!? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:55 AM PST - 11 comments

I’d like to buy my husband some affordable men’s shirts for him to wear to work. Dress code is business very casual so I’m interested in quirky prints. Both long sleeved and short sleeved options are welcome. [more inside]
posted by sciencegeek at 6:28 AM PST - 18 comments

I’ve had an unopened bottle of this sake sitting on the counter for about a year. Was it a decent bottle to begin with? Will it still be good after sitting next to a window for a year? [more inside]
posted by cilantro at 5:53 AM PST - 5 comments

I was gifted a MasterClass subscription. Have any MeFites used MasterClass and have recommendations about particularly great ones? Assume I'm willing to learn about any topic (except maybe whatever Kris Jenner is talking about). Thanks!
posted by nkknkk at 4:49 AM PST - 10 comments

I have recently noticed what looks like some condensation drips on my (rented apartment) bathroom ceiling. What's the best way to clean them? [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:27 AM PST - 5 comments

I want to buy a wide flexible hose to stop my Roomba from eating my power cables/power cords. (At the moment I regularly have to free the Roomba after it has eaten a powercable.) I am envisaging something roughly the same diameter as the hose from a CPAP machine, but longer (and obviously it doesn't need to be pressure resistant like a CPAP hose.) What term or phrase should I be googling for?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 11:23 PM PST - 7 comments

I’m trying to find a cover of the Matt and Kim song Daylight from a while back - I remember the music video but not the artist. The music video was set in a moving van, and the singer(s?) were black. I can’t find it on youtube! Can anyone help? Thanks!!
posted by catcafe at 8:51 PM PST - 2 comments

Just heard this and cannot remember what it is. A ballet? Tchaikovsky (misspelled?)
posted by DMelanogaster at 7:24 PM PST - 8 comments

I'm in Austin where it rarely gets this cold, it's also very windy, so windchill is probably like 5 Fahrenheit or something. I'm house- and cat-sitting for a friend who is out of the country. Kitty, sweet older female, is used to going outside to do her business but it's too cold. [more inside]
posted by mareli at 6:48 PM PST - 12 comments

My basement ceiling has a few holes in it that were punched for an olde timey burglar alarm system that is gone now. They look like this one (though that particular hole has to stick around to let the wiring through). I think this is sheetrock, but I'm not sure. Anyone know what it is and how I should patch these holes?
posted by ignignokt at 6:25 PM PST - 5 comments

Most years for Christmas I make simmered-all-day red sauce with assorted meats, then use the sauce to construct a lasagna. This year we have unexpectedly been invited to a potluck Christmas Eve. I figured the easiest solution for not having to cook extra would be to cook earlier and bring half the lasagna as my contribution, since we always have more than two people can sensibly eat, anyway. But...how should I best do that, logistically speaking? Hand-wringing inside. [more inside]
posted by LadyOscar at 5:31 PM PST - 10 comments

Our 11-year-old cat, Dashiell, has pancreatitis and we want to find decent wet food for him. He's been ill off and on for several months, and of late seems to be having a flare-up. We thought he might have kidney disease, but his labs are all good -- better than there were when we had them last done, in August. He's affectionate and friendly, but he's not playing as much as usual. Can anyone recommend a good wet food for cats in his situation? [more inside]
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:04 PM PST - 4 comments

I recently bought some metal pads for playing Dance Dance Revolution. They're lovely except for one thing - they sit close to the ground, which makes them very hard to pick up and move. (They don't have a permanent space on the floor.) I would like to find some sort of stick-on handle that I can use to pick them up and lift them. This seems like a product that should exist. Challenge: The adhesive will need to hold a fair bit of weight - probably 30-40 lb! What's my best bet?
posted by LSK at 3:06 PM PST - 7 comments

My landlord replaced a perfectly functional Honeywell thermostat with a Nest (I think the E, it's white with that frosted face). I feel like I'm back in the hellish frosty offices of the Before Times. Help me make it follow the damn schedule and also just generally turn on the heat without downloading the app (and hopefully without just manually turning on the fan constantly). Details and swearing below the fold. [more inside]
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 3:06 PM PST - 17 comments

I'd like to do a photo transfer with ModPodge photo transfer. This requires something printed with dry toner, not liquid. Apparently all laser printers work but only some inkjet printers. I have an HP tango colour printer. Will that work?m
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 1:20 PM PST - 3 comments

Over a two-hour period today, I got 12 “neighbor spoofing” calls on my cell phone - calls where the spoofed number has the same area code and three-digit prefix as mine, but four different digits at the end. In no two cases were the last four digits the same, and no voicemail was ever left. I get that neighbor spoofing is intended to fool you into thinking you’re getting a call from someone who lives near you, but why would the scammers try this 12 times in a two-hour span? I’m prepared to write it off to sloppy execution in their automated calling system (plus not all crooks being masterminds), but is there some reason they might have wanted to do it this way?
posted by Epixonti at 12:23 PM PST - 10 comments

How can I schedule an annual physical in the last week of 2022, with no prior established doctor relationship? [more inside]
posted by serelliya at 12:04 PM PST - 3 comments

We planned to fly from San Francisco to Minneapolis tomorrow afternoon, then drive north and stay for the night. What exactly is going on weather-wise? [more inside]
posted by stoneandstar at 10:53 AM PST - 25 comments

Where in the Philadelphia area (broadly construed, I'm willing to travel up to 2 hours) can I buy a tall, fluffy cheesecake for my mom? [more inside]
posted by eleanna at 10:12 AM PST - 6 comments

I've always paid my health insurance premium online each month. Beginning a few months ago, I began to have problems doing this. Can you help me figure out what's going on? [more inside]
posted by swheatie at 9:26 AM PST - 8 comments

Myself and two friends want to get dim sum on Christmas Day, but the place I always used to go to (Hop Shing) has shut down. Where can we go that will be very good and also open on Christmas? Ideally they would either take reservations (this seems silly to ask for, since the place I used to go to would never in a million years take a reservation), or not have a crazy wait at around 11am.
posted by nevernines at 8:04 AM PST - 3 comments

Can anyone help me find either first-person narratives of LST-656, or else the January 2008 issue of "LST Scuttlebutt" (mentioned here)? [more inside]
posted by wenestvedt at 8:02 AM PST - 1 comment

A friend was telling me that his parked car had been scratched by another car, and that fortunately the other driver had left a note. He then said, "it's a good thing he did, because I would have found out anyway, and it would have been a hit&run." (The damage was below the driver's door, and literally just a scratch.) He was evasive when I asked how he would have found out; there are no security cameras in the area. How would he have done this?
posted by mmiddle at 6:17 AM PST - 14 comments

I have some vacation time and I'm going to regret it if I spend the entire time staring at a screen...need some ideas! [more inside]
posted by Eyelash at 4:53 AM PST - 7 comments

Though he is doing fine in school and socially, I think that this is holding him back a bit. [more inside]
posted by melamakarona at 3:23 AM PST - 18 comments

I need resources for dealing with the devastation of my dog dying within the next few months. [more inside]
posted by Salamander at 1:51 AM PST - 20 comments

While reading Stephen Fry's Mythos, I found an odd claim about the Titan War. Looking for confirmation. More details inside. [more inside]
posted by queen anne's remorse at 11:12 PM PST - 3 comments

What would folks say are the most recent Christmas songs to have become standards on/near the level of "White Christmas", et al (i.e. performed by several bands/singers and not just associated with a single act)? [more inside]
posted by gtrwolf at 10:04 PM PST - 20 comments

Do you work in ministry, and/or have you ever had a call from God urging you to make a big change in your life? What advice can you give me? [more inside]
posted by Erinaceus europaeus at 6:51 PM PST - 13 comments

I'm on Mac/iPhone. The Photos apps on both platforms can make movies from specific user created albums or people it recognizes within the Photos app. However, those movies are the exact same, meaning they use the same photos for the movie. Is there a way to force said Photos app to randomize the photos or at least choose some different movies each time it plays the movie? Is there a Mac/iPhone/web based app that can do this? [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:21 PM PST - 0 comments

I'm almost done reading "The Mirror and the Light" by Hilary Mantel, and I'd like to read a book that tells what happens between Cromwell's execution and Henry VIII's death. Is there anything you can recommend? Either non-fiction or fiction would be fine.
posted by drezdn at 5:02 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm making roasted vegetables for Christmas. I can cook them at my host's house, but it'd be better if I could pre-cook and warm up. What's my best way to reheat roasted vegetables?
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:35 PM PST - 8 comments

Been friends for about 20 years. I do really value the friendship but have sometimes questioned whether she really has my best interest at heart. Have always chalked up to paranoia but in this case - an odd comment to my boyfriend she was meeting for the first time when I went to the bathroom - I’m not sure and would welcome your perspective. [more inside]
posted by starstarstar at 3:44 PM PST - 28 comments

What are some novel hobby projects one can do indoors? Things like: mushroom-growing kits, ant farms, cheesemaking, infusing liquors... [more inside]
posted by escape from the potato planet at 12:42 PM PST - 25 comments

Can you help me find a video of a man singing a Christmas carol that he's rewritten so that every word is "penis"? [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu at 12:27 PM PST - 4 comments

You work in a museum or library special collections or similar—something having to do with the curation, cataloguing, conservation, etc. of important objects. What's your work like? What are the significant goals, obstacles, triumphs, and frustrations? [more inside]
posted by babelfish at 11:11 AM PST - 7 comments

Can you recommend some printed collections of erotic visual art by women? Any combination of medium, style, and specific subject matter is okay as long as the art is the focus of the book, not just a few incidental illustrations. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:59 AM PST - 6 comments

My power is still cycling on and off and it is super stressful and also 20 degrees out. Since my last question, the apartment management has taken the following steps:

• replaced the problematic outlets (didn't help)
• replaced my very expensive LEDs with incandescents (didn't help)
• replaced all the breakers in my breaker box (didn't help)
• made me unplug literally everything except the fridge and one light because i "had too much plugged in" (didn't help, fridge and light still cycled off and on)
• replaced one of the outside breakers apparently the one on my unit's meter or something (helped for about a month)

now the problem is back and it's as bad as it ever was. [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah at 9:44 AM PST - 19 comments

I broke up with a long-term partner of 5+ years earlier this year, and am now in a new relationship of a little over 4 months. My previous relationship may have had a codependent dynamic, and now I'm wondering what is actually healthy in a relationship, versus what should still be considered a red flag. (Lengthy post to follow.) [more inside]
posted by Jangatroo at 9:37 AM PST - 75 comments

Trying to solve a last-minute pressing work problem. I have a webpage in which I want to display/embed a spreadsheet (.xlsx). That spreadsheet is hosted in the assets for the CMS I use for said website/webpage. Webpage is in HTML. I can only find tutorials on how to embed a spreadsheet via OneDrive, but I need to reference this spreadsheet file that's not on OneDrive. [more inside]
posted by rachaelfaith at 8:47 AM PST - 11 comments

What are some words that you've heard that are just one word regionally but elsewhere use multiple words or words that are not specific. May be a word that is used differently in other places. Example I can think of is in Appalachia we use "toboggan"(in many places, a sled) to describe the knit hat that you wear on your head when it is very cold. Every where else i've lived (Midwest, South, North East) uses "hat", "knit cap", "winter hat", or specifically "beanie" (which to me is too specific).
posted by sandmanwv at 8:04 AM PST - 61 comments

Since it's just my wife and I this year for Christmas, we wanted to try and make it a bit more unique of a day. We are going to be mostly unplugged from TV/movies/social media but we have decided what is 'allowed' is music and "radio shows" (aka podcasts or the like) and are looking for suggestions. We already have a copy of Neil Gaiman reading "A Christmas Carrol" so would love more stuff along those lines....good podcast episodes with Christmas short stories or radio plays that we can stream. What are some of your favorites?
posted by Captain_Science at 7:16 AM PST - 18 comments

I am having people over for dinner soon and have decided to make a few different Frittatas. These people do not have any food issues (except one is gluten-free). I am very good at making Frittatas so don't need instruction, I'm just curious what other people like in theirs. Be as specific as need be.
posted by dobbs at 6:57 AM PST - 23 comments

I want a 2023 Prius, which has yet to be manufactured. Dealers in my area want deposits of $500 to 1000 nonrefundable, upfront. Some will agree to sell for MSRP (which apparently isn't known yet?), others probably are going to add a markup (I've heard $2500). Obviously if I'm sure I know what I want I'd like to put down the deposit for an agreed-on price of MSRP, but I have some concerns... [more inside]
posted by genmonster at 6:23 AM PST - 5 comments

I can't figure out what is triggering my painful eczema outbreaks. What should I ask about when I return to the doctor? [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 5:49 AM PST - 16 comments

I have chronic migraine and PTSD and am going to go inpatient to a psychosomatic Klinik at a hospital where I live in Europe. I am hoping that intensive treatment will help resolve my migraines. Research is sparse. Anyone know of research or have insights? [more inside]
posted by catspajammies at 12:48 AM PST - 9 comments

Due to a bunch of reasons, I have A LOT of leftover Flexible Spending Account (FSA) dollars that I need to spend down by end-of-year. I'm gathering ideas of how to best spend it down. [more inside]
posted by carpyful at 11:10 PM PST - 24 comments

Ideas / suggestions for making sure my frogs don't freeze in the event of a power outage? Like raccoon409, I'm in the Raleigh area. I have several terraria with little frogs living in them. They probably wouldn't survive being frozen... and it's super hard to put their little puffer coats on (which wouldn't work anyway since they're cold-blooded). [more inside]
posted by amtho at 9:31 PM PST - 12 comments

I’ll be out of town for several days around Christmas. Given the upcoming cold weather, should I turn off the water to my whole house? If so, how exactly? (Raleigh area, NC) [more inside]
posted by raccoon409 at 8:09 PM PST - 14 comments

Who is the earliest historical person that many or most Americans have heard of? My candidate is Tutankhamun (c. 1332 – 1323 BCE). I'm excluding Abraham and Gilgamesh (and for that matter, Adam) as probably not historical. I don't think there's an earlier pharaoh who's widely known. I think the characters in the Iliad, even if historical, come after Tut. Any other candidates? I recognize that this question is somewhat subjective.
posted by Jasper Fnorde at 7:51 PM PST - 32 comments

A question for experienced foodies. There is a brand of extra virgin olive oil I like very much. It is available in 3 litre tins as well as the 1 litre bottle I usually buy. The unit price for the 3l tin would be ⅔ of the 1l bottle so a pretty good saving. My only doubt is... by the time I'm down to the last half litre or so, there will be a lot of air in the tin. Will the oil noticeably degrade? I estimate we would take around 4 months to use 3 litres.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 5:01 PM PST - 14 comments

Has anyone had success with nighttime potty training? I see it's a thing in all the potty training books, but our pediatrician said they will naturally stay dry on their own when their bodies are ready. [more inside]
posted by Gravel at 4:51 PM PST - 18 comments

Please help me adjust my cookie recipe; I'm lousy with estimations! See inside ... [more inside]
posted by Melismata at 3:33 PM PST - 10 comments

Is there an online coloring activity site that can be shared e.g. I would share a web address and then everyone can simultaneously work on coloring in the same picture? I can think of ways to hack this myself, but it seems like someone would have already invented this for me.
posted by AnnaRat at 3:24 PM PST - 2 comments

I've been streaming a lot of Christmas and other music from SomaFM over the last week, and I find that I'm enjoying the listener funded, no commercials, no algorithm, streaming radio experience. What are your favorite streaming radio stations? If you know of one that plays a lot of music from the rockier end of the roots music spectrum that would be awesome, otherwise just throw out your favorites and maybe I'll end up expanding my musicical horizons.
posted by COD at 12:56 PM PST - 55 comments

Do you have guidelines or references for putting more than one thing in the oven at a time? Specifically, a quiche and blueberry muffins, but I'd like a general idea of when it's okay and whether I need to adjust anything. [more inside]
posted by kristi at 12:34 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm collecting examples for a project of writing throughout history that has accurately predicted or at least portended some of the issues we deal with today relating to tech: distraction, information overload, social networks, AI and related ethics, robots and their killer or other variants. I'm canvassing all of history so whether it's Thales, Burton, Forster or Bradbury I'm here for it! [more inside]
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 11:42 AM PST - 24 comments

I am looking for good quality wool or natural material undershirts and long underwear that will help keep me warm even when sweating. [more inside]
posted by carrioncomfort at 10:55 AM PST - 16 comments

I'd like to have a spreadsheet highlight a row one color if the date is between the 1st-15th of a month, and another color for the 16th-31st of a month (there will be multiple rows with each date), but I can't figure out how to do it and google is failing me.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:30 AM PST - 5 comments

My niece had to move in with her father while my sister recovers from cancer treatment. Niece is 3 hours away so it would be nice if she could video chat from her own device. Now she can only do so from her father's phone and only if her very unpleasant step-mother is not home. My niece has a laptop and a tablet. Sister only uses her phone. What's the easiest, safest way to set up video calls?
posted by i_mean_come_on_now at 9:43 AM PST - 9 comments

What house plants would cause cats severe illness or even death? I see lots of "toxic to cats" info on the Internet, but my cats have got into a few of those over the years and been totally fine. [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 9:32 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm looking for a song/artist from the past 20 years and def. 12+ years ago, Crown Land might be the artist? Def. not Crown Lands! Details inside. [more inside]
posted by elkevelvet at 9:24 AM PST - 0 comments

So I've been scouring everywhere looking for an ornament on a particular theme for a Christmas stocking. And of course today, on December 20th, it occurs to me to just find an image and have a custom ornament printed by one of the many many places that do that. But it's december 20th. Is there anywhere that can do this same day? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:59 AM PST - 5 comments

I have some questions about training my new pup, Dice. The questions are about the "leave it" command and about potty training. Much, much more inside. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 8:47 AM PST - 18 comments

I've been given four days by my employer to review a new agreement that my employment is conditional upon*, and the general advice here on metafilter and elsewhere is to get a lawyer to review such documents. I found what I think are good leads at nela.org. But every lawyer I've contacted so far says it may be 3 days before they even review the info (that I've relayed to their answering service). Am I doing this wrong? [more inside]
posted by Tandem Affinity at 8:17 AM PST - 15 comments

I'm looking for a practical bag that fits the following quite weird criteria. It must hold a cylinder that's 7.5" in diameter and 5" tall in its own dedicated compartment. It must be easy to carry messenger-bag-style and reasonably water resistant. You get bonus points for any of the following: a separate compartment that fits a pair of sneakers; a compartment that would fit a few diapers or t-shirts; a water bottle holder on the outside; a cell phone pocket on the outside. [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:12 AM PST - 7 comments

My car won't start today and I don't know the best way to proceed. [more inside]
posted by shocks connery at 7:45 AM PST - 25 comments

My family (all 18+) have a 5 hour layover in Vegas New Year's Eve. We get in at 10:30 pm. Need recommendations for travel to a great buffet and good spot to celebrate the change of year (provided no delays.) [more inside]
posted by 101cats at 7:41 AM PST - 11 comments

My mom's Windows XP laptop is nearly dead. She uses it for very specialized industry software that doesn't work on newer versions - I've tried. The software company stopped supporting this too. I have all the original CDs. I'm fine with buying a laptop from eBay. But... how do I find the newest / lightest laptop that I can reformat and reinstall this 2004 era software? (Don't worry, this will almost never be connected to the internet. She has an iPad for that.)
posted by Mushroom12345 at 12:37 AM PST - 15 comments

I suspect there may be no way to do what I want, but I thought I'd ask anyways. If I have an RSS feed, is there a way to apply a filter to remove items that don't match some parameter and then send each new item as an email? [more inside]
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 10:03 PM PST - 4 comments

I read about James Burke's "Connections" series on the BBC in the '70s and it sounds very cool. Are there podcasts like it?
posted by musofire at 9:15 PM PST - 9 comments

My 13 year old son is leaving a mess on his pillows, often. It's very evident. It's gross to walk in and see it. I tell him he needs to change his sheets but even if he changes them once a week, the rest of the week i'm seeing this mess because it happens daily. I don't think he realizes we know what's happening. I have no issue with his activities, only the mess it leaves behind for all to see. I also want him to understand this is not cool so he doesn't gross out a roommate or romantic partner in the future. Is there a way to talk about this without embarrassing him or causing him to feel shame? I'm his mom. His dad doesn't want to talk to him about it because he thinks it will mortify our son.
posted by wurly at 7:42 PM PST - 35 comments

Via Chromecast, I can cast from my Android (Google) phone to my TV, which has a Chromecast device on it. I can also cast from my Lenovo laptop to my TV, via the Chromecast extension on my laptop. HOWEVER, I want to do something else: [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 5:17 PM PST - 9 comments

How can I make Chinese fried rice healthier? (or other kinds of fried rice healthier). I love fried rice but I have gained quite a bit of weight from eating greasy foods and from the emotional turmoil of the pandemic. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 5:17 PM PST - 22 comments

Help! I need some browser-based games to play when I'm trying to kill time. I have a bunch of criteria inside the thread. [more inside]
posted by bondcliff at 4:59 PM PST - 33 comments

I am in the UK and have an Amazon.co.uk account. I have the Amazon app installed on my iPhone and it’s signed in to my Amazon.co.uk account. Last month, I received a notification from the app advertising a promotion where I would receive £10 off if I spent £25 in the app. However, when I tried to use it, it seemed to disappear from the app and Amazon customer service says there was no such promotion. Did it ever exist? [more inside]
posted by kyten at 4:34 PM PST - 1 comment

I was looking at some FPPs, and I realized that I'd rather listen to the articles posted than read them. So it seems I need a text reader. I know nothing about text readers. I'd prefer a free app but I'm willing to consider paid options if they are much better. Must be compatible with Android.
posted by Archipelago at 3:59 PM PST - 6 comments

I can manually write a check in Quicken. But I have 500 checks I need to write and print. I have an Excel with all the payee details for each check. Can I somehow get Quicken to write and pay all the checks, by importing the Excel in, or something? (If this can be done using .QIF files I am missing it) Thanks!
posted by lockedroomguy at 3:23 PM PST - 1 comment

In my zeal over my lunch, I took a drink of a soda and breathed in some of it. I coughed and recovered. But for some reason, that made me wonder how many animals, either in the wild, or in some form of captivity (zoos, shelters or preserves) die of choking. Any guesses?
posted by CollectiveMind at 2:45 PM PST - 7 comments

My daughter is in her college application process. She received a large tuition waiver (based on need) from a private liberal arts college for her first year that actually makes it more affordable than state school. But just for the first year - how likely is this to continue for all four years? [more inside]
posted by RajahKing at 2:38 PM PST - 17 comments

I just rewatched "Wolf of Wall Street" on Amazon Prime and I somehow remember from the first time I watched it that somebody gave a really impressive answer to diCaprios the iconic "Sell me this pen" schtick. But the scene wasn't in there? There was the one scene at the beginning with all his old pals, then the scene at the end. Did I imagine this? It was an very elaborate answer, and diCaprios character was impressed by it...
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon at 2:33 PM PST - 7 comments

In this performance of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, the stage is decorated with yellow six-pointed stars: youtube @57:24. Please convince me that this is not some antisemitic dog whistle. Sometimes a star is just a star, right?? [more inside]
posted by mpark at 1:50 PM PST - 13 comments

Which genuinely popular and well-known Christmas songs are not from the most popular Christmas songwriting eras? [more inside]
posted by plonkee at 1:16 PM PST - 39 comments

In the past, I've been able to sell mildly used camera gear and electronics on Amazon with almost no exceptions. Recently I tried again, and every product I try to sell (by clicking on the "Have one to sell" button) sends me to a page saying "You need approval to list this ASIN". Has there been a serious change recently in Amazon policies or methods, or am I doing something wrong? What does an individual have to do to sell single items on Amazon now? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 1:06 PM PST - 2 comments

Can anybody help me find resources for researching whether you can claim the solar tax credit in the year in which the solar panels were installed on the roof (and inspected by the city, if relevant), or if the interconnection agreement must have been approved by the utility so the panels can start providing power to the house as well? [more inside]
posted by unus sum at 12:50 PM PST - 4 comments

I would like to be able to watch some sport highlights from how they looked in other countries. For example, I would like to see what the Argentina broadcast looked like in Argentina when they won the world cup yesterday. Searching on twitter and youtube goes no where-- the best i can do is the Andres Cantor call which is from USA (Telemundo). Is a VPN my only choice? What other ways can one search for things like this?
posted by sandmanwv at 11:03 AM PST - 3 comments

I have a trivia night category idea that is fun with parentheses songs, e.g. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". There are a million lists out there of parentheses songs, but they tend to focus on stuff up to the '90s. The last time I hosted a trivia night some of the younger people in the crowd bellyached that we were too focused on old stuff so I'd like to sprinkle in some newer stuff. So do you know some good and quasi-famous recent songs with parentheses in the title?
posted by AgentRocket at 10:08 AM PST - 28 comments

I am interested in getting my child and myself two Pokémon CCG decks to play. UnfortunatelyI am also overwhelmed with the choices. A lot of the deck sets seem geared and priced towards collectors and I'm confused by the editions (I assume it's like MtG where cards from any expansion can be used, but who bloody knows). Please recommend basic starter decks/sets that are relatively cheap for people who just want to play the game. Any related tips, resources, or purchasing recs welcome!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:15 AM PST - 2 comments

I am running Outlook for Mac - Version 16.68. I have about 1800 contacts with notes. I'm trying to export them into Excel. My problem is even with 3rd party software (such as OLMinator), it's not transferring all the data (more specifically, missing city, state, & category). I've exported, converted to CVS, & then imported into excel. That shows all my contacts, but only some of the info (co. name, contact name, phone#, email), but again, missing city, state, category. Is there anyone out there that can help me solve this problem? (I had to pay $500 to someone just to add city, state, category)....
posted by foodybat at 7:16 AM PST - 2 comments

The Council in Cambridge made a new cycle path, and lined the path with saplings. Why are these trees planted so close to one another? [more inside]
posted by Quillcards at 7:06 AM PST - 9 comments

My friend has a coffee machine with a portafilter and they make coffee for us all when we go over there. The only problem is, the coffee tastes rubbish. SO so so different to when you go to a good indie coffee shop and the coffee has interest, body, character, flavour and depth - all that good stuff. [more inside]
posted by dance at 4:25 AM PST - 26 comments

what is the name of this type of hinge that is often used on lecture hall seating that incorporates a fold up and down table? The hinge allows you to bring the table top from hanging on the side of the seat perpendicular to the floor, to a raised and locked position as a side table /small desk parallel to the floor. [more inside]
posted by MT at 3:28 AM PST - 1 comment

For more than half of 2022, our director has been on paid leave while being investigated for various misdeeds and our acting director has been careening from one nightmare crisis to another. As a result, I have been left without the agency to move one of my huge projects forward for basically the entire year. This has been pleasant for my workload but now it's annual evaluation time. What do I say? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:59 AM PST - 6 comments

I really like when a city has one big mountain that's visible from lots of places in town. Think Seattle, Tokyo, or Yerevan. What other cities could be described this way? [more inside]
posted by potrzebie at 1:37 AM PST - 54 comments

Between 1973 and 1976 I read a children's fiction book about a boy on an old-fashioned wooden ship. It may have been set in the 1700s. The ship's name may have been Mystic, but at any rate it was homeported out of Mystic, CT. The book had black and white illustrations that contributed to the spooky, dangerous feel of the novel. I'm pretty sure the ship sank before the end of the story. Anyone know what I read?
posted by bryon at 1:31 AM PST - 5 comments

Looking for stageplays that end with a violent death, or portray one in the final act. Details within. [more inside]
posted by desert outpost at 11:55 PM PST - 22 comments

What it says on the tin. When Trump was Twitter's Main Character I felt I had to be at least somewhat aware of his tweeted rants, because he could literally be declaring war or making some sort of dangerous decree. Now, major newspapers are breathlessly reporting every thing Musk tweets, he's seeming increasingly unhinged, and it's making me feel scared. Is it ok to totally tune him out? [more inside]
posted by rogerroger at 10:16 PM PST - 25 comments

Id like to buy a replacement hot water bottle in person in Portland, Oregon. [more inside]
posted by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 8:23 PM PST - 2 comments

I've just read Ben Aaronovitch's Amongst out Weapons (Enthralling, and more serious in part, apart from the not serious bits). Anyway, canal boats are a subtopic reminding me of an 'electropunk' novel I read about ten years back (and I think was newly published, and I read a hardcopy). Setting was the UK - almost certainly London in the 2000's. [more inside]
posted by unearthed at 7:50 PM PST - 3 comments

Heirloom seed companies. Umbrella repair. What other examples of niche direct-to-consumer manufacturing and repair can you name? [more inside]
posted by aniola at 7:07 PM PST - 17 comments

My partner's One True Skirt is made from a nice durable light wool fabric, and we want more of it for making more skirts. Where can we get it? We usually work with whatever secondhand fabric we can find, so buying new fabric is a learning experience! [more inside]
posted by sibilatorix at 7:02 PM PST - 9 comments

I found out this past week that Trader Joe's has discontinued my favorite salsa, the Organic Tomatillo and Roasted Yellow Chili salsa. I didn't even have any reserve bottles in my cabinet, so I'm absolutely bereft. [more inside]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:54 PM PST - 3 comments

I think my neurodivergent kid has been friend dumped. What is my role as parent? [more inside]
posted by sockrilegious at 6:42 PM PST - 24 comments

My father-in-law is not very good at using his iPhone -- he's one of those people who decided ten years ago that he was too old to learn any new tech skills. He can check his email and make calls on his iPhone but that's about it -- WhatsApp is beyond him, and he certainly couldn't find a picture that someone sent him last week. We'd like to find a patient teacher who can give him one-on-one in-person training on using his phone. It doesn't need to be a computer professional... an average college student should do the trick. How do we go about this? He's in Tucson, AZ. [more inside]
posted by goingonit at 6:22 PM PST - 12 comments

My brain freaks out at relaxation. How can change my brains association to relaxing? I’ve tried everything I can think of. I posted about this a while back, but had it removed because I felt that it identified me. I’m asking again because I’m desperate. [more inside]
posted by ygmiaa at 5:33 PM PST - 5 comments

Way back in 2011, I was an ESL teacher in S. Korea. I did an alphabet clothes line with a class of new students. Fast forward to today, I'm a preschool teacher and our next unit theme is clothes. I want to do the same activity. Here is a picture of the final result. I [more inside]
posted by kathrynm at 3:23 PM PST - 5 comments

I will be in Greece in February and March for an event. I'm looking for a lovely spot (an island?) outside of Athens to relax for a few days afterwards. Where can I go that's a bit special and still has things to do in the off season and isn't too, too cold? (I know it will not be warm.) [more inside]
posted by artisthatithaca at 3:21 PM PST - 5 comments

My small houseplant collection needs more light, and I've been hunting for some standalone grow lights (i.e., can be placed in a table, floor or clamp lamp rather than suspended from a shelf or ceiling above). I don't know why, but I'm finding this purchase inordinately difficult. Do you have a set up that works for you? [more inside]
posted by Sockrates at 3:18 PM PST - 10 comments

I picked up this carved wood dragon from the trash ages ago and was wondering where it might be from and what the other creature the dragon is fighting might be. It looks beakier that most images of phoenixes. Searching has not brought up a good match for the style of the feathers or faces. photo of the carving
posted by oneear at 2:50 PM PST - 1 comment

What usually happens when large corporations don't pay their bills to smaller companies? Things like rent or software or services, not salaries or small contractors. Does this just get settled in court years later? How often does this happen? [more inside]
posted by meowzilla at 1:06 PM PST - 8 comments

I live in Vancouver, and my partner and I are planning to visit the island for Christmas weekend and take the bus from Nanaimo to Ucluelet this Friday the 23rd. The forecast shows a lot of snow coming down between now and Thursday. Should we rethink our plans? [more inside]
posted by hoist with his own pet aardvark at 12:47 PM PST - 3 comments

Having problems transitioning between versions of Sigma Plot? [more inside]
posted by ragtimepiano at 12:21 PM PST - 0 comments

I’m applying for jobs, will have a gap from 2020 to now (was caregiving full time). How should I address it? [more inside]
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:45 AM PST - 17 comments

My family and I loved Misty Mints but Allan candy was bought out and Misty Mints don't seem to exist anymore. Is there a good dupe out there? I've tried the Hickory Farms melty mints and they're a fairly close match, but I don't like the crunchy sprinkles on them. I'm not willing to order from the US. Yes, I've checked Bulk Barn. [more inside]
posted by Stoof at 11:33 AM PST - 1 comment

Can you recommend a good, FREE, online resource for explaining music theory to kids?
posted by HotToddy at 11:26 AM PST - 1 comment

Thinking about making some changes for my health and general mood. I'm on the lookout for an iPhone app that makes tracking progress across multiple domains intuitive, easy, and fun. [more inside]
posted by forkisbetter at 11:17 AM PST - 5 comments

Sorry this is a very specific question, but I recently got a job as a junior management accountant (wahey!) after years of being accounts payables. I'm based in the U.K. The role is temp to perm, please could you give any advice or recommend resources (books, courses etc) that would help me to get to grips with management accounting and ace this job? By the way I have 3 exams of my ACCA left. Thank you!
posted by Sunflower88 at 10:51 AM PST - 3 comments

A while ago, I was in a Reddit thread where someone said, basically, "I want this job, but it sometimes requires a really hard skill. That sounds stressful. I just want a career where I don't need to worry about it." I often remember it because it puzzled me a little. Are there careers like that currently? Have there ever been jobs that pay you enough to live comfortably, that are easy enough to obtain without difficult training or nepotism, and that don't cause stress? [more inside]
posted by elzpwetd at 10:26 AM PST - 28 comments

After years of waffling around (and, you know, the pandemic), I'm getting ready to cross off a big bucket list item: I want to rent a camper van and follow part of the Tour de France this summer! [more inside]
posted by otenba at 9:21 AM PST - 5 comments

I would like to start a (short-lived, no doubt) business who's title would be poking fun at a political figure. Help me figure out the risk vs reward. [more inside]
posted by plinth at 7:56 AM PST - 10 comments

My 5yo and I will be at Lawrence and dufferin in Toronto in an appointment until noon. He's a huge Argentina fan. Is there somewhere nearby I can take him to catch the end of the Men's World Cup final game? For bonus points, if Argentina wins, where can we go honk?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:48 AM PST - 4 comments

I want to do some baking involving cream of tartar, and I don't know if I should. I have a dog who is extremely good at hearing food hit the floor and beating you to it. Tartaric acid appears to be the toxic ingredient for dogs in raisins and grapes. But how much? Would stolen bites of a cookie or piece of meringue hurt her? [more inside]
posted by Countess Elena at 7:24 AM PST - 7 comments

We sold our house in an expensive housing market this week, and now have a little over $1M in a 3% savings account. We will use this money to buy a house in a different expensive housing market sometime in the next 18 months. While we're living in our rental and searching for our next house, in what kind of account(s) can we safely store such a large amount of money? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:31 AM PST - 15 comments

A friend from China is in the US and is interested in having quintessential American experiences. If you lived in New Jersey and owned a car, where would you consider going (four hours or less) on a weekend in the first half of January that you could show someone a uniquely American experience via? The caveats being that we can't leave the US that weekend and I don't own camping gear.
posted by wurl1tzer_c0 at 6:29 AM PST - 16 comments

If you're outside of North America, is a high five something you would expect the average person to recognize? (Slapping your palms together, usually either high in the air or at handshake level, with many variations and sometimes accompanying phrases, as a friendly gesture of congratulations or greeting.) Any idea where you first learned it? [more inside]
posted by eotvos at 6:29 AM PST - 14 comments

I would like to eat more of it, especially in recipes that don't require too much time/prep and don't rely heavily on carbs. But I've never really been a fan. I'm okay with it in, e.g., a spicy Korean stew, but otherwise my consumption is close to zero. Out of the soup or dessert context, I find soft versions unappealing texturally. And even in soup I need some contrast with it; I enjoy the taste of miso soup but will often avoid the sad lump or two of tofu in it. [more inside]
posted by praemunire at 9:50 PM PST - 46 comments

I had the possibly bad fortune to discover a subreddit about the putative real estate bubble. It's full of people who think it's madness to buy a home right now because basically it's 2008 all over again now and the market is going to tank next year. For complicated reasons, right now is when it makes sense for me to buy. [more inside]
posted by less-of-course at 9:44 PM PST - 25 comments

As the title says, how do I unfuck my career? I quit a horrible job almost a full year ago and I still haven't been able to get myself back on track due to low self-esteem. Today I realized just *how* depressed I truly am about everything. I need to get a "real" job and get on with my life. But how do I do that when it just feels *impossible*? I'm just depressed about it all. [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 7:24 PM PST - 17 comments

All we know is bits of the trailer and my mom is desperate to see it but didn't get the title or network. It has a vibe like the quirky detective shows that USA produced from about 2000-2010, but it seems to be new-ish. A man says something like "I can solve this case in ten minutes flat." The guy is arrogant or not clued into social cues in some way. Cut to a woman saying "That guy's an asshole." A woman who seems to be a professional colleague says, "Yeah, but he's legit hot." Any ideas?
posted by rednikki at 6:50 PM PST - 6 comments

I have a batch of peanut caramel that was cooked with a poorly calibrated thermometer and is too soft to cut or wrap. How can I repurpose this into something usable and delicious?
posted by ms_rasclark at 6:40 PM PST - 8 comments

I have a number of PDAs from years past. They all power up and run, and all are in good-to-great condition. It seems a shame to recycle them. What can I do with them? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 6:30 PM PST - 5 comments

I lean pretty heavily left wing socialist, but I feel like I understand and have a (modicum of) respect for capitalism: "My stuff" is my stuff, right? That shall be whole of the law. [more inside]
posted by soylent00FF00 at 5:30 PM PST - 14 comments

I have finally landed an off-the-record interview with a highly experienced investigative journalist at a major national news organization. I hope they use my story to crack widespread civil rights violations that impact a vulnerable group. The story is complex and I don’t tell it especially well. How can I excel as an interview subject, and how do investigative journalists do their jobs? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:25 PM PST - 4 comments

Characters in fiction drinking watered wine is a common trope. Are there modern cultural traditions of this, or is it relegated to anachronism/fantasy? [more inside]
posted by curious nu at 4:03 PM PST - 23 comments

My new boss will be starting on Monday. I looked them up and I'm worried that I am not setting myself up to have a good relationship with them because I am concerned about what they will do and because I feel a kind of contempt for them. I am new, too. I want to do well in this job and stay here a long time. I need a good relationship with this person. Help me change my attitude. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:53 PM PST - 25 comments

I have an old single story flat roofed house. I’d like to be able to sit and walk regularly on my roof (great views, quiet) and the contractors we’ve had over have said it would require major structural work in the 20-30k range. Instead of renovating my roof so I can walk on it, could I install a metal roof deck that doesn’t place any weight on the roof? [more inside]
posted by arnicae at 2:45 PM PST - 9 comments

My butter toffee failed - now I have more than 4 cups of a caramel-ish sauce. What are some uses I could put it to? [more inside]
posted by euphoria066 at 2:33 PM PST - 18 comments

I have some lines from a poem in my head that I'm trying to identify. It's probably really well known, but Google isn't coming up with anything, so I'm hoping someone can help. [more inside]
posted by Laura_J at 2:28 PM PST - 2 comments

What's your favorite vegetable side to bring to Xmas dinner? I don't know what the main will be, so any and all suggestions are welcome. No dietary restrictions, though we don't like peas. There'll be 6 adults total. Thanks folks!
posted by cozenedindigo at 2:01 PM PST - 22 comments

This was me! I got me some Xbox controllers and managed to pair them with my television via Steam Link running on my computer. Now...I NEED GAMES TO PLAY! Requirements: 1) Controller Supported; 2) Remote Play Optimized 3) Local Multiplayer preferred; and 4) NOT TOO HARD, I am a gaming novice, and haven't used a controller since the 90's. Hope me! [more inside]
posted by tiny frying pan at 12:47 PM PST - 10 comments

My partner and I both have perfectly good iPhone XRs. But both our cases are falling apart, and I'm having a LOT of trouble locating new ones now (in 2022, in Canada). [more inside]
posted by TangoCharlie at 12:37 PM PST - 11 comments

I'd like to give a few 80s themed classes to the kids I teach. They're in the 11 to 16 yo vicinity. I'd like to present them with cultural treasures, pearls of wisdom, cult scenes or dialogues excerpted from 80s material, be it music, movies, books, comics, you name it. [more inside]
posted by nicolin at 11:46 AM PST - 47 comments

I'm looking for recommendations for apps/utilities (or maybe even alternative window managers?) for Windows 10, or perhaps guidance on practices that will help me more easily and quickly find the window(s) I'm looking for at a moment's notice, without having to wade through (and get distracted by) windows that aren't relevant to the particular task I'm working on (but need to keep open to be ready at a moment's notice) [more inside]
posted by jerome powell buys his sweatbands in bulk only at 10:27 AM PST - 5 comments

I am baking cookie bars this weekend with a recipe that calls for (unsalted) butter to be melted, before returning to room temperature. Why? [more inside]
posted by SquidLips at 9:59 AM PST - 7 comments

Hi, I have a clicking sound in my head that is a steady 400 beats per minute (I’m a musician and used a metronome lol) that I can hear only when my one ear is occluded by a pillow. [more inside]
posted by dunkin at 8:11 AM PST - 14 comments

I suffer from chronic muscle tension that periodically flares up into a dull heavy ache that I feel most strongly at the base of my skull and down the right side of my head, jaw and neck (always in exactly the same place). When I get this pain it’s always accompanied by constipation and a lack of energy/motivation, and it feels hard to think and to process language (my brain feels dull and slow). Sometimes I feel nauseous but not always. I’ve noticed that muscles in other parts of my body (particularly my legs) are also sore and tender at these times, but the pain that I notice and bothers me the most is in my head, jaw and neck. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:35 AM PST - 16 comments

I need some inspiration to make my training webinars relatable and recognizable. [more inside]
posted by pearlybob at 4:13 AM PST - 10 comments

I would like to find a place that I can buy or rent (legally download or legally stream) the film Kiss Me Before It Blows Up (2020). I'm in Australia, but happy to poke at overseas websites to see if they will work for me.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 1:38 AM PST - 5 comments

My brain has started doing this horrible new thing every night and it's torture. [more inside]
posted by Jacqueline at 9:32 PM PST - 26 comments

I’m looking for free online surveys of music, in general or in a genre. These could just be major works, or they could include one or more people talking about the works and context, etc. These could be just audio or video, but I would mainly play it in the background while I work. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 7:47 PM PST - 11 comments

I know the basic steps, but want to know the average amount of time it takes, from when a bill is drafted to when it goes to a congressional floor debate and vote in the U.S. I'm curious about both state level and federal bills. [more inside]
posted by CancerSucks at 6:19 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm wondering about feedback on a list of places to visit around Los Angeles (included on the more inside). Is there anything you would give a strong thumbs up to or say to skip, since we won't be able to do all of it? [more inside]
posted by andoatnp at 3:56 PM PST - 23 comments

Howdy fellow mefians. We moved on a boat this year. Ya! I gave up a cushy home office. I guess that's a yay and a boo... Right now I sit at whatever table and chair aren't covered with boat projects and it's killing me. Suggest portable work stations to help me? [more inside]
posted by chasles at 2:01 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm on the organizing committee for an in-person conference that will be held next year, and we'll need to sell tickets. I'd also like to have web pages for each session where speakers can distribute materials and participants can talk about it. I seek your suggestions for conference ticketing and online presence. [more inside]
posted by adamrice at 1:05 PM PST - 4 comments

My partner enjoys wine so I'd like to give the gift of a monthly bottle delivery. Ideally from local (pacific northwest) producers and catering to their particular tastes. Recommendations desired! [more inside]
posted by Cogito at 12:50 PM PST - 8 comments

I want to replace my old 70s tube am/fm radio receiver with a small compact digital one. [more inside]
posted by Liquidwolf at 11:28 AM PST - 6 comments

My husband’s company is having a destination “retreat” and they are also paying for spouses to attend. Only legally married spouses. People’s long term unmarried partners or newer relationships are not going to be paid for. This feels illegal to me- is it? [more inside]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:26 AM PST - 25 comments

I'm looking for music to fall asleep to. [more inside]
posted by pdb at 11:04 AM PST - 15 comments

If you make Asian soups pretty often, I'd like to hear your tips. I'm a bit hung up about doing it the 'right' way. [more inside]
posted by kitcat at 9:53 AM PST - 47 comments

Twitter's card validator tool (which shows a preview of what a link will look like on Twitter) has been broken for some time—since before Musk, in fact. Are there any third-party tools that replicate its functionality? Thank you.
posted by DavidNYC at 9:42 AM PST - 2 comments

We're going on a long road trip with our 7 and 9 year olds, and we'd love some ideas for audiobook/podcast entertainment that isn't too kiddy (nothing that will make my spouse want to tear their hair out). I think it needs to be more geared to the 7 year old, who tends to be the limiting factor on these trips. She does NOT like Harry Potter (I think she finds it dense and boring). Games and other physical diversions also welcome. Thank you!
posted by malhouse at 9:03 AM PST - 20 comments

After a recent experience, I'm interested in reading about how labor and delivery teams work. Everything I've found online is very general and meant to describe the team in broad strokes to expectant parents--I'd like to know more about who is responsible for what and how they handle contingencies and emergencies. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:05 AM PST - 9 comments

Two buddies want to fly from San Francisco to Europe summer 2023 for three weeks. Problem: 1. They have about 5,000 USD each to cover flights and travel and 2. They want to visit London, Rome, Venice, Paris, and maybe Amsterdam. Is that even possible with that budget? [more inside]
posted by Bella Donna at 7:52 AM PST - 17 comments

Is dying at home actually bad? How can I make dying good? or.... not so bad? [more inside]
posted by Jenny'sCricket at 6:52 AM PST - 46 comments

It could be you, or someone you know, or an artist you know of, but I'm looking specifically to commission someone who understands how to design for emoji sizes specifically (eg discord/mastodon) while maintaining an "anime style" [more inside]
posted by damedeshou at 6:06 AM PST - 6 comments

I have a small bedroom that I want to make smell nice, but I run a split aircon 12-18 hours a day in it for Reasons and the local aircon repair blogs are all "essential oils and candles gunk up your unit!" so I'm unsure what I can use that isn't a) weird chemicals and b) safe for an air conditioner.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:07 AM PST - 9 comments

I need one more gift for my 5 year old. Interests: Math, Dinosaurs, Robots, Space, Soccer, Baseball. Book-making. Likes board games, but we got to a board game cafe weekly so unless it's something really unique, we're probably playing it there. If there's a math-based board game that might be perfect. A journal/diary of some sort would also be welcome. Hoping for a mid-range addition (like say $30-75) List of existing and pending toys inside. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:41 PM PST - 25 comments

Seeking book recommendations for healing the inner child. For a person who might be wary of "self help" type books.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 5:50 PM PST - 11 comments

What are you general tips for using an ereader / e-ink tablet and finding the best deals on ebooks and / or other apps / uses for an e-ink tablet? Specifics after the jump. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 4:50 PM PST - 14 comments

Enterprise, National, and a few other car rental agencies reduced the coverage of their supplemental liability insurance (that you pay extra for) from $1 million to $300,000 per incident a few years ago. Is this enough in case of an accident? I'd prefer using Enterprise as it's local to me, but the lesser coverage makes me nervous. [more inside]
posted by thoughtful_analyst at 4:45 PM PST - 10 comments

My husband passed away this year. We have a trust and our home is in the name of the trust. I don’t know if I can leave it in the name of the trust or if I am supposed to change it over to my name. And I don’t know who to ask questions about this.
posted by cda at 4:27 PM PST - 20 comments

There's not a good way to ask this; I'm looking for examples of a strong female character's response to rape or the threat of rape. For preference, ones where she not only survives but becomes stronger, and gets revenge. This is for a fiction story. [more inside]
posted by The otter lady at 4:08 PM PST - 52 comments

So I have this friend. We've been good but somewhat rollercoastery friends for a long time. I don't understand why he's so inconsistent. He goes back and forth between incredibly affectionate and generous vs. cold and distant on a regular basis. It's like he's two different people. I've asked him about it, and the reasons he gives don't make any sense to me. [more inside]
posted by Questolicious at 4:06 PM PST - 30 comments

Our two-month-old shows signs of rolling. He can probably do fine in our Halo bassinet with mesh sides a bit longer. But what are good bedside cribs for bigger babies that encourage cosleeping and breastfeeding?
posted by SandCounty at 4:00 PM PST - 1 comment

I'm wanting to make a flag for our backyard, where we get a lot of nocturnal visitors passing through - skunks, opossums, raccoons mostly. To make it super fancy I'd like to add a motto in Latin, or if not a motto, something like "Skunk Island" or "Critter Sanctuary." I don't know Latin. Can anyone help me?
posted by queensissy at 2:43 PM PST - 6 comments

What’s your fatal flaw, how have you embraced (or changed?) it and how as it influenced and shaped the outcome of your life? [more inside]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:13 PM PST - 18 comments

I've got lots of exciting work and personal projects scheduled for 2023 and I'd really like to make a conscious effort to include some fun and joyful activities in my plans too. [more inside]
posted by limoncello at 2:03 PM PST - 9 comments

Is a Stipulation of Licensure for an M.D cause for concern? [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 1:47 PM PST - 5 comments

I have had many Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) through prior employers. I have not done a good job of keeping track of them. How can I look up these accounts and get them transferred to one account? [more inside]
posted by Narrow Harbor at 1:36 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm going to be travelling internationally, to Rome, for the first time since the pandemic, right at the New Year. It looks like all testing requirements have been lifted at the border crossings into the EU, and there are no mask requirements for public transit in Rome, but what's the general vibe otherwise? [more inside]
posted by dis_integration at 1:34 PM PST - 2 comments

This year, for the first time, I'll be flying long-distance with my toddler for Christmas with my extended family. I'm not interested in schlepping every single one of her gifts there and back again. I'm wondering: how did you handle this with your young family? [more inside]
posted by notquitejane at 11:28 AM PST - 20 comments

I want to make red rice - specifically, a red rice somewhat like this only with Beyond / Impossible vegetarian sausage - to serve in a crockpot at the holiday potluck lunch at the office. If I make it tonight, how do I reheat it so as to avoid killing my coworkers tomorrow? [more inside]
posted by mygothlaundry at 11:19 AM PST - 5 comments

I know there is no real answer to this question, but: is there any reason to believe that Ethereum will return to the value it had about a year ago? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:02 AM PST - 19 comments

We have 6 kids and 6 adults who live in St Louis, Chicago, and Omaha and would all like to get together for 5 days this summer. Everyone wants to drive and we would like to find a place where no one has to drive more than 6 hours, so where should we go? Renting a house together (e.g., on a lake) would be nice but we're open to other ideas.
posted by Tehhund at 11:00 AM PST - 8 comments

I am trying to calculate the number of unique paths through a grid that loop back to only one starting point. I think of this as an extension of the old telephone game. If I tell one person, and they tell the next person, what are all the possible paths for the message to travel through the group and return to me? [more inside]
posted by gnossos at 9:48 AM PST - 6 comments

I have a well-paying job that has really taken a turn for the worse in the last 6 months. I want to look for a new job, but it would almost certainly be a 50%+ pay cut. This would have been fine, except that I am in contract to buy a condo with a fairly big mortgage, bigger than I honestly feel comfortable with now that I am looking at things with clearer eyes. Is there anything I can do in this situation? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 9:35 AM PST - 14 comments

If a bag's dimensions are greater than their required limits but the bag isn't completely full and still fits in their metal container for checking item size, will they let that bag on as a personal item? [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 8:08 AM PST - 8 comments

I am studying a degree programme via distance and a fellow classmate keeps bugging me for information. From simple things like who to email to ask queries to “Can I see your essay?” before the submission. I feel so used. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:27 AM PST - 30 comments

I started a project using ginkgo leaves. Sadly, my town did all the leaf blowing and there don’t seem to be any left. I know herbal shops and craft shops sell whole leaves, but I don’t want to pay so much when there are probably plenty lying around somewhere. What part of the US is likely to still have fallen ones so I can ask friends? Can you think of any other creative way? I can press and dry myself.
posted by mermaidcafe at 7:15 AM PST - 9 comments

There is probably a blindingly simple answer to this (especially as I know there are Internet Archive experts on MeFi) but how do I use the WayBack Machine to get a snapshot of what a website looked like years ago? [more inside]
posted by sardonyx at 6:49 AM PST - 5 comments

I am planning to make lemon and mint cordial and am finding conflicting information regarding sterilisation of the bottles. Some sites say it is OK to just wash them in hot soapy water, some say I must boil them, others say I should put them in the oven... So what is really necessary? I plan to consume the cordial within a month - not sure if that makes a difference? I don't have a pot big enough to boil the bottles on the stove so hoping I can get away with something else but also don't want to put anyone at risk! [more inside]
posted by toebeans at 2:26 AM PST - 14 comments

Needs to sleep two and be comfortable enough to use every night. I'd prefer a sectional, I want it to be a cozy lounge spot for working during the day. [more inside]
posted by lloquat at 2:23 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm usually pretty aware that I'm wearing a hat or my glasses. But it sometimes happens that when I'm wearing a mask, I'm not always sure about what else might be attached to my head. What, exactly, is failing me when this happens? [more inside]
posted by maudlin at 10:02 PM PST - 8 comments

My grandma is dying. She is in comfort care at the hospital. How can I best advocate for her pain, anxiety, meds, and care during her final days? [more inside]
posted by cursed at 8:43 PM PST - 18 comments

In search of a recipe for sturdy (layerable, cake-mold friendly), non-chocolate sponge for a holiday cake. No restrictions on allergens. [more inside]
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:32 PM PST - 6 comments

What is the name of the big band end-of-song flourish commonly heard on older Christmas songs? [more inside]
posted by glaucon at 7:53 PM PST - 7 comments

I tried a regular heavy-duty stainless steel nutcracker and ended up with pieces of shell and pistachio all over me. [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 7:30 PM PST - 29 comments

In the "Intruders Detected" metatalk thread about random objects appearing in your home, I mentioned that the prior owners of our house left what I think is probably a Vietnam War era smoke grenade in the basement. The smoke grenade in question. It was pointed out to me that this might not be a safe thing to store in the house. [more inside]
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:24 PM PST - 17 comments

My kids fight on a daily basis, because kid1 loves to sing and kid2 doesn’t want to hear kid1 singing. I have tasked them with finding a solution, but they haven’t found one that sticks yet. Can you please help suggest a solution? More below [more inside]
posted by leslievictoria at 5:56 PM PST - 21 comments

Fellow Teachers of MeFi - what's the weirdest stuff that Kids of today are doing in school? For bonus points: why does their behavior actually make perfect sense? [more inside]
posted by soylent00FF00 at 4:57 PM PST - 15 comments

I've decided I need to find a new PCP because my current PCP isn't meeting my needs. I know how to find PCPs in my insurance network who are accepting new patients, but what I don't know how to do is find one that will actually work with me on my health issues and not reduce me to a few numbers on.a chart (at least in any sort of efficient manner). [more inside]
posted by noneuclidean at 4:22 PM PST - 16 comments

I started one today. Someone replied and we had an exchange. But does that mean everyone else in my Twitter Circle will see our exchange?? I hope not.
posted by noelpratt2nd at 4:00 PM PST - 2 comments

My mom just spent more money than she can really spare to get a La-Z-Boy Pinnacle rocking recliner. She is incontinent. I am worried the recliner will be ruined and she will be unable to afford a replacement. Snowflakes inside. [more inside]
posted by commander_fancypants at 3:55 PM PST - 4 comments

I know that qualified lawyers in Germany often (always?) have the title doctor, and I know that doctor is a heavily regulated title in Germany. But when I am reading German filings with the BfDI, they are often signed by two or more lawyers, but only some of the lawyers use the title doctor. Is this a difference in education, registration, or personal preference? [more inside]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:50 PM PST - 10 comments

Doing our first solo trip sans child to Philly late December and looking to get some recs for a bar. What is your absolute friendliest bar? (I.e if you sit at the bar your bartender will chat you up and maybe even engage you with your local bar neighbors, or your bar neighbors are super friendly). The bar can be an old man dive if it's welcoming (I loved these in NYC, they don't really exist in DC and south). Most of anywhere in the city is doable but staying near Rittenhouse.
posted by sandmanwv at 1:29 PM PST - 12 comments

I’m looking for experience-based gift ideas for a couple of retirees who are going on some big/long trips next year: Ireland, England, Caribbean cruise, Portugal, Spain, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and NYC. They enjoy learning things, seeing cool engineering marvels, gardens, etc. Not the type to be impressed by a fancy/trendy restaurant. I’m also open to something that will help them travel in comfort/safety, like car service at certain airports.
posted by acidic at 1:16 PM PST - 5 comments

My girlfriend and I recently moved into a rented house. It has a fancy jacuzzi tub on the second floor which, we discovered on our first night in the place, pours water into the kitchen ceiling whenever it's drained. This is separate from a perfectly functional shower stall. After finding out that the plumbing for the tub would need to be re-done to fix this problem, the landlord has informed us (though the handyman he hired) that he does not intend to "invest" in fixing this problem. I am in the process of getting him to confirm this in writing. Help me figure out what my game plan should be going forward. At the very least I would like to pay less rent per month if the tub we expected the house to have is entirely nonfunctional. (Details inside) [more inside]
posted by bridgebury at 11:24 AM PST - 29 comments

I just moved into a new apartment and purchased some renters insurance for coverage. I am now looking into basic life insurance to cover funeral costs. What other insurance may be necessary? While I don't need health insurance, catastrophic coverage would be an example of necessary insurance.
posted by goalyeehah at 9:41 AM PST - 15 comments

This thread on the blue has me trying to remember a poem about how moving isn't always what you hope it will be. I want to say it's by Carl Sandburg, but I may be wrong. In the poem, a young woman (I think) hates her rural life. She dreams that if she just moves to town, everything will be better. She does and it isn't. Then she decides she needs to move to the city. Surely that will improve everything. She does and it does not. She sets her sights on a really huge city, thinking that will fix everything. She moves there and it does not. I think at that point, she kills herself. Do you recall this poem?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:57 AM PST - 2 comments

My husband will be spending two weeks in Brazil in January, and I'd like to get him some helpful items to take with him. What would be a good gift for someone spending two weeks playing samba in Rio de Janeiro? [more inside]
posted by TrarNoir at 8:19 AM PST - 12 comments

Can you do anything with a microwave oven to make a 'bake from frozen' croissant even slightly edible? Bought some by accident. [more inside]
posted by Flitcraft at 7:36 AM PST - 13 comments

We need to replace the hardwood floors in our (owned) apartment. They've been here long before we moved in (so at least 30 years), when we had them refinished but couldn't afford to replace them. But now, in addition to overall wear and tear which we've tried to overlook, there are actual holes in some places. These aren't beautiful original-to-the-brownstone floors that can be saved. But we need to live here. How do we do this? [more inside]
posted by Mchelly at 7:00 AM PST - 9 comments

How risky is it to use a 3.7V lithium polymer battery with the plastic outer wrapping mistakenly removed? [more inside]
posted by nthdegx at 6:55 AM PST - 6 comments

I’m fascinated by books that masquerade as unique found objects. Sometimes they pretend to be a collection of separate items (like Dennis Wheatley’s Crime Dossiers); other times, the conceit is that you have found some fictional character’s unique personal copy of a book (as with Ship of Theseus, Battle Bunny, or Quidditch Through The Ages). Can you recommend other examples? And is there a widely accepted term for this kind of book that I can search for? (Note that "metafiction" is not the term for reasons explained below.) [more inside]
posted by yankeefog at 6:00 AM PST - 48 comments

Having constant issues with Apple usb lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapters - I can't be the only one?? Any suggestions?? [more inside]
posted by dbirchum at 5:30 AM PST - 12 comments

I go through jeans like every 5 months. I know, it's horribly wasteful, but they have holes in them. I already have a denim blanket. I did some crochet projects recently and enjoyed it. Is there anything I can make combining crocheted yarn and denim? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:56 AM PST - 8 comments

I just put some wakame in a glass of water, then boiled my kettle, poured hot water in a bowl, stirred in a teaspoon of dashi powder and a tablespoon of miso paste and added the drained wakame. Am I going to miso soup jail? [more inside]
posted by Adifferentbear at 2:08 AM PST - 16 comments

Only child caregiver of a socially isolated mother. Moving back home where I don't have any connections. Trying to sort through grief, fear, uncertainty, and resentment while anticipating a resumption of toxic mother/daughter patterns. ...Help? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:52 AM PST - 19 comments

I am constitutionally freezing and need a warm coat. The warmest coat. One that feels like wrapping yourself in a warm, warm bag of warmth. I won't overheat. I am willing to throw some money at this, but not, like, Canada Goose levels of money. Please hit me with your recommendations! [more inside]
posted by artisthatithaca at 12:27 AM PST - 24 comments

in london for the holidays with some friends, planning on taking the eurostar (and have tickets) to paris on the 27th. apparently there's a rail strike going on. is this going to affect the eurostar, or just local trains? should we get a plane ticket to our final destination? (paris is a night-long layover)
posted by maighdeann mhara at 11:00 PM PST - 5 comments

I am seeking a stylist to help improve my wardrobe. I am 60 years old and wear women’s size 18. I tend to dress in an androgynous style, but I would like to spiff up a bit, while still staying within a moderate budget. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 8:35 PM PST - 6 comments

Last question was about a UHaul trailer because a friend with a CDL was going to drive me. Just the same, I decided I'd rather let a company do it. I sort of started the process and have....questions. [more inside]
posted by less-of-course at 7:39 PM PST - 10 comments

Invite my parent over at a time that is highly inconvenient, but not impossible? [more inside]
posted by Armed Only With Hubris at 5:01 PM PST - 16 comments

I am looking to purchase a travel guide about Japan for a 12-13 year old. Google is no help. Can you help me? [more inside]
posted by brookeb at 4:31 PM PST - 9 comments

If I give money to my civil partner for living expenses, do either of us need to report that on our taxes? [more inside]
posted by Cogito at 3:24 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm the kind of person who likes to send an assortment of tasty delicacies from my local area (PNW) to family members. I've put this off quite a bit, so now I'm panicking and I need HELP! because I need to send things ASAP to make the Christmas/Hanukkah cutoff. [more inside]
posted by daikaisho at 11:41 AM PST - 21 comments

I am looking for more pop music (broadly construed) that features a vocalist with a high-pitched voice and a strong focus on the specifics of the production. That is, I'm looking for music that some might call "overproduced." Here are some bangin' examples, each from an album full of the sort of thing I'm looking for: Aqua - Around the World (2000), The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Out of Frequency (2012), Japanese Breakfast - Be Sweet (2021).
posted by 4th number at 10:20 AM PST - 26 comments

I'm always, always behind the curve in gaming. For instance, currently I'm playing Witcher 3 for the first time. The game I played last year was The Last of Us (part 1). I have access to a Nintendo Switch, an Xbox One, a PS5, a PC that was great for gaming five years ago, a Mac Mini M1, and an Oculus Quest 2. I want to play TODAY'S best game. What would that be? [more inside]
posted by invincible summer at 9:56 AM PST - 37 comments

My 49 year old sister just graduated with a second bachelors. What is a thoughtful gift for the middle-aged second-time graduate who has otherwise had a tough few years and is ready to move on? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 8:30 AM PST - 14 comments

I recently heard a song on the radio and would really like to know what it was. The station does not have a playlist available. I have Googled to no avail so think I must have some details wrong. Here's what I know for sure: Repeated refrain about 'good news', good news in the morning, all good news. [more inside]
posted by ninekinds at 8:19 AM PST - 12 comments

Hoping to learn which specific retail chains, in this 2022, are currently hiring part-time staff as young as 14. Loblaws? Metro? Dollarama? McDonalds? [more inside]
posted by walkinginsunshine at 7:15 AM PST - 7 comments

I’m trying to remove dried drops of a Sherwin-Williams acrylic latex paint from unsealed marble flooring? Its been there for two weeks or so. Suggested methods to remove this, including using acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and Goof Off, have been extremely conflicting online and I was hoping to find some consensus as to what is the gold standard.
posted by cashman at 6:44 AM PST - 10 comments

I have a text file filled with test questions for an English test. Each question is separated / delimited by a tilde. I want to put the questions into Excel spreadsheet with each question being a separate cell in a new row. However, every method I seem to use to do this breaks the formatting of the questions. The questions are all several wines and they are word wrapped.
posted by matkline at 12:13 AM PST - 21 comments

Hi, have you found any communities where narcissistic people are less prevalent? Feeling a little burnt out dealing with these kind of people, but still want to make connections with other people. Thanks!
posted by Gosha_Dog at 11:43 PM PST - 25 comments

I'm trying to find a movie based on a single remembered scene. It was some sort of action movie, and I must have seen it while channel surfing at least five years ago but it's impossible to google with the info that I have so far, and I cannot remember anything about the title or lead actor. [more inside]
posted by ninazer0 at 11:24 PM PST - 2 comments

Posted it to Facebook, already had a Zelle scammer attempt to swindle me. Help me figure out a way to sell this really good condition Schwinn Air Dyne please? [more inside]
posted by yueliang at 10:00 PM PST - 9 comments

My old friend and I see the world differently. Over the years, I’ve become more frustrated (and also more afraid I’m being overly judgmental of him.) How do you balance making space for change and growth in old friendships with just realizing you hold different values? [more inside]
posted by Sock Meets Body at 7:29 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm growing increasingly vigilant about eliminating single-use plastics in my house. I already have a liquid soap dispenser (that I honestly really like) and am on the hunt for refills that have, ideally, zero plastic packaging. There are a lot of seemingly eco-friendly dish soap brands out there, so I am looking for personal experiences, please. I don't think I'm interested in a bar soap, but I could be convinced....
posted by Charity Garfein at 6:50 PM PST - 15 comments

I bought a cheap milk frother (just the whisk, not the kind that also steams/heats the milk) and want to indulge myself with non-coffee drinks. [more inside]
posted by skycrashesdown at 4:16 PM PST - 7 comments

When I'm on hold and they play music I, as any reasonable person does, sing along. Can the person who put me on hold hear me singing? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:04 PM PST - 9 comments

Countersinks are a conical flare-out at the top of a hole drilled for a screw. They're created so that the wood screws with the flared-out heads can sink far enough to make the tops of the screws flush with the surface of the wood. But why are they called that? A hole with a countersink doesn't counter sinking any more than a hole without one does. I have not seen any etymologies that explain this for me. Let me know if you have one!
posted by ignignokt at 3:36 PM PST - 12 comments

I would like to label my outdoor plants and have it be permanent. Some plants I ordered from a nursery came with a paper-like tag with black marker writing and these tags have not faded in three years - I know it is possible. I am open to paper, metal, plastic, tied to the plant, staked in the ground, whatever. Ideally the medium would support writing the plant's botanical name (i.e. fine point writing), but if I need to just write A-32 and have a directory where I look the plant up, that's fine too.
posted by xo at 2:28 PM PST - 16 comments

I'd like to buy an unlocked iPhone 12 or 13, to use on an existing plan with a carrier that is not offering any good deals. Where in the U.S. can I get the best deal on a new (NOT refurbished) unlocked iPhone? [more inside]
posted by skewed at 1:19 PM PST - 12 comments

Is there a fun drone or drone-like toy that can be operated without a phone and costs less than $50? Bonus points if it has a camera and/or will help a child learn some drone-piloting skills before it gets lost or destroyed. [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:03 AM PST - 5 comments

I watched like three episodes of "Joe Pera Talks to You" on the recommendation of a funny friend who likes funny things, and I did not really get it. [more inside]
posted by kensington314 at 10:28 AM PST - 16 comments

In my ongoing game of Real Estate Scavenger Hunt, yet another mysterious item has been seen that I can't identify. Does anyone know what this thing is?
posted by DrGail at 9:10 AM PST - 3 comments

My boyfriend (M/55) and I (F/33) are both introverts, and have been in a relationship for 4 months. We share core values, and are compatible in many ways. A dispute yesterday has left me wondering if what I desire in a relationship is unrealistic or unfeasible. [more inside]
posted by Jangatroo at 8:28 AM PST - 86 comments

I accidentally booked a meeting over the WC Semi-Finals tomorrow. I want to watch game from start to finish without getting spoilers. I do not have DVR cable, but have access to a login for Fox and think I can download TUBI to watch on Roku and/or Computer. I also can find out scores from other ways that I need to stop myself going to (i.e Guardian min by min, random texts from friends). [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 8:12 AM PST - 2 comments

My little princess (tax) comes home from day care smelling like she rolled in pee all day, almost certainly because she rolled in pee all day. We shouldn't bathe her every week, so what to do in the meantime? What's Febreze for dogs? [more inside]
posted by babelfish at 7:46 AM PST - 12 comments

I'm looking for an online subscription site to give as a gift that teaches people how to draw/sketch. The person I'm giving it to (my wife) has little experience drawing but is interested in learning. Ideally, there would be progressive lessons and coaching would be a plus. Thanks!
posted by GernBlandston at 7:40 AM PST - 5 comments

Hello! I would like to detail my car. What products do I need? Do you have advice on the best way to go about this? I would like to use products that are non-toxic. And, I would like to buy products, rather than having to make cleaners. Thank you!
posted by Boyd at 6:59 AM PST - 4 comments

At 0:37 of this collection of movie clips there is a scene depicting a figure falling into or within a red, abstract landscape; can anyone tell me which film it's from?
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:18 AM PST - 4 comments

Inspired by this recent thread plus my own small business musings: What basic food or household items do you buy at the store but dislike buying because of the way they're made/sold? And what is it about them that you don't you like? [more inside]
posted by marlys at 6:07 AM PST - 56 comments

This has been a very tough year for my spouse (they/them), and as we get towards Christmas, things aren't really easing up. As a result, they've flat out said "I'm not doing Christmas this year; I can't face it." I don't want to disrespect that, but I still want to do something to celebrate the season, for my own reasons. [more inside]
posted by six sided sock at 1:57 AM PST - 38 comments

My father was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer one year ago and it seems statistically likely he will die in the next 1–2 years. My parents live in Hometown City, USA (where I grew up, was deeply unhappy in, and chose to leave) and I live in a New City in Europe (where I have, for all intents and purposes, my ideal life). I plan to move home to be with family, but the thought of leaving New City is horrible—I'm desperate for words of comfort or advice to cope with this choice. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:28 PM PST - 25 comments

My dear friend is getting married around easter-time in Edinburgh (where they live). I'd like to send a gift/gifts. I heard Cerys Matthews on a podcast and she talked about her cookbook which includes recipes, poems and stories. I am thinking about getting it because they love to cook together and read poetry. My question is twofold: [more inside]
posted by My Kryptonite is Worry at 8:32 PM PST - 6 comments

I really like small and lightweight versions of household items, both for practical reasons (apartment living, difficulty carrying heavy stuff, I'm not very big) and aesthetic ones. Give me your recs for tiny beautiful useful items! [more inside]
posted by ferret branca at 6:58 PM PST - 15 comments

I had been having a great deal of trouble with my diverticulosis/gluten intolerance/post-gallbladder (take your pick). Recently I found out about kiefer water, which has been amazing. No drugs, no side effects, a calm digestive system. [more inside]
posted by intrepid_simpleton at 6:14 PM PST - 11 comments

What's your favorite internet yoga these days that is not influencer-y? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 5:25 PM PST - 18 comments

We are planning to spend December 26 in Manhattan with kids - age 5, 6, 10 & 12 - and are looking for itinerary suggestions. We do celebrate Christmas and are going to see the Rockefeller tree, possibly ice skating. But not everything has to be holiday themed! [more inside]
posted by cessair at 4:42 PM PST - 10 comments

This came into a chat for friends of mine. I'm wondering if others have advice or articles or anything they could share that I could share with my friend to help them navigate this really difficult time? Details under the fold. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 2:54 PM PST - 11 comments

I am looking for a natural or artificial down coat in the 16W/18W range. Requirements: at least mid-thigh length, will keep someone warm down to at least 10 degrees F, can be shipped to the USA, will last more than one winter. Nice to have: hood, bright colors. Bonus points if it is made from recycled materials or ethically sourced. Recommend things to me!
posted by rednikki at 2:31 PM PST - 13 comments

I know a very bright 11-year-old girl who is obsessed with The Good Place, loves history, and asks lots of big questions. The book “Sophie’s World” was what launched me into caring about philosophy as a kid, and I’m wondering if that is still the go-to book to get someone like her as a gift, or if there is a more current book that will engage her in a similar way?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 2:12 PM PST - 8 comments

These days a phone or a computer seems to sum up everything a kid would want. What do you offer a teenager if you don't want her to get stuck to a screen ? I'm looking for offbeat ideas for my 12 yo daughter. [more inside]
posted by nicolin at 12:51 PM PST - 27 comments

I'd like to produce an app that lets you run through your flash card deck in a particular way. Neither Anki nor Quizlet make it easy to import their decks and I'm looking for ideas. My fallback is the first two (or maybe more) columns of a Google spreadsheet. Is anyone aware of a standardized format I could use instead? [more inside]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 12:40 PM PST - 2 comments

Like is says: Have you find ways to use ChatGPT or similar tools to get better/faster results in your work or life? Advice on how others can do that? Resources to learn from? Applications and use cases? Tips? [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit at 10:48 AM PST - 18 comments

You are not my doctor. I'm interested in trying these treatments for gastritis (possible ulcer?). Is there a legit webshop selling them that ships to Lithuania? - Sucralfate / carafate - L-Glutamine - Zinc L Carnosine [more inside]
posted by KMH at 9:59 AM PST - 2 comments

Inspired by this SFW meme, I'm interested in learning more about Michel Foucault. Difficulty level: I have a "read Sophie's World 15 years ago" level of knowledge about philosophy. Can you recommend a primer, or alternatively, suggest who and what else I should acquaint myself with before approaching his work? [more inside]
posted by miltthetank at 9:12 AM PST - 17 comments

Planning a trip to Southern Spain over the Christmas and New Year holiday. Malaga, Seville, Granada. [more inside]
posted by geegollygosh at 9:10 AM PST - 4 comments

Which is better: dividing stock between inheritors or selling stock and splitting the money? [more inside]
posted by Mesaverdian at 8:14 AM PST - 6 comments

My cash stuffing rabbithole (see here) led me to the world of debt snowballs and debt avalanches. People's demonstration of the math never seems to take accruing interest into account - when I try to model this for myself, it seems the debt just keeps getting higher and higher both ways. But clearly both methods have worked for people. What am I missing? [more inside]
posted by creatrixtiara at 3:11 AM PST - 13 comments

I have one of those canvas Jansport backpacks that has a padded section at the back for a laptop. The backpack has lasted very well for nearly 15 years, but is looking quite dirty. I've never washed it. How should it be cleaned? [more inside]
posted by snarfois at 1:38 AM PST - 9 comments

Looking for recommendations for luggage that is light and manageable. Do you have one you like? [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 11:19 PM PST - 15 comments

I have about 9 files in .ogg format. I want to join them together, one after another to create a single mp3 file. I have a windows PC. Is there an "easy" way to do this?
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 8:21 PM PST - 9 comments

I messed up my left shoulder and neck on Thursday and the only way I can get everything from totally locking up and leaving me frozen in pain is staying active. I gotta get sleep, though, and I can't figure out how to do that because even sitting is dangerous. What now?? 😩
posted by The Adventure Begins at 7:25 PM PST - 17 comments

I was going to hire movers but it's a fortune. I'm looking at hooking up a Uhaul 8' x 4'8" x 5'4" trailer to the back of my car instead. I have inane questions. [more inside]
posted by less-of-course at 6:57 PM PST - 28 comments

Help me find a carry-on bag that is 21"x14"x9" including wheels and handle. I need it to be as close to those measurements as possible without going over. The motivation is multiple flights over the next year with various airlines and I want to be compliant with rules on all of them. I'd prefer soft sided and our budget tops out at ~$150 each, although if.some magic allowed us to find winners for less, that would be cool. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:34 PM PST - 11 comments

I need to mount a music stand on a horizontal shelf, and need help finding the right clamp or widget for it. [more inside]
posted by 4midori at 3:34 PM PST - 9 comments

Anyone have a recommendation for a freight forwarder in Tijuana or similar border locations? I'd like to order from a seller on Mercado Libre but it looks like they no longer accept US addresses. [more inside]
posted by wnissen at 12:31 PM PST - 2 comments

Looking for budget friendly, cotton women's underwear. Smaller sizes, preferred style hipster, but some bikini styles ok. Ideally something that is cute but not the overly priced or fragile "sexy" undies. Something that stands up to regular laundering. [more inside]
posted by [insert clever name here] at 11:57 AM PST - 24 comments

About a month ago, I noticed a pending charge on my online credit card statement for nearly $500, for a purchase I hadn’t made and from a vendor called Triboo Digitale (which, according to google, is an Italian IT company). I immediately called my credit card issuer to report a fraudulent charge. They posted a chargeback to my account while they investigated the claim, and issued me a new credit card with a new account number. I assumed it was a simple case of someone having skimmed my card number, and didn’t think about it further. Until… [more inside]
posted by paper scissors sock at 11:53 AM PST - 12 comments

I've always been fascinated by mixing particles and fluids... How many turns of a spoon does it take to "totally" mix dough's dry ingredients? If you switch to a new brand of litter by gradually adding new, how long until the last of the old is still in the bin? What is the science that researches this, and are there any fun IRL or online content to follow? [more inside]
posted by rebent at 11:05 AM PST - 8 comments

For some reason, when I copy my photos and videos from my iPhone 13 running OS 15.6.1 to my Windows computers (both running versions of Windows 10 Pro), the process never fully works. I have no idea why, but I'd like to resolve the problem. [more inside]
posted by sardonyx at 11:04 AM PST - 7 comments

How can I get rid of the smell of bleach from using Clorox toilet bowl cleaner to clean shower tiles, and how long will it take? [more inside]
posted by ljs30 at 10:55 AM PST - 2 comments

Our two-year-old has very limited screen time, but on the occasions when it's inescapable, we prefer stories being read aloud or quieter, process-oriented videos that aren't necessarily overtly educational, but show creativity, thoughtfulness and are not switching camera angles or scenes every half-second like many of the videos specifically targeted for kids. Do you have any favorites you can share that might fit that criteria? [more inside]
posted by secretrobot at 9:58 AM PST - 23 comments

I read an article within the last three or so years wherein the author describes creating a new journalism organization that focused on local news in daily digest format; the model was (at the time of the article) successful and relatively inexpensive, and I'd like to read the article again, but I am having no luck finding it. [more inside]
posted by VeritableSaintOfBrevity at 9:00 AM PST - 4 comments

Ausomorlet (12) wants to build a computer with Dad, so that is his Christmas gift. We are traveling for the holidays so it makes no sense to schlep out a bunch of computer components and then bring them back. Still, I'd like to have *something* for him to unwrap Christmas morning. Any ideas for a smallish, thematic gift that relates to/evokes the upcoming project? He wants to learn from Dad so a 'how to' book doesn't quite strike the right note....
posted by Ausamor at 8:48 AM PST - 13 comments

My wife and I (cishet male), late 30s/early 40s, are having some marital issues and would like to find a couples therapist to work with us as soon as possible. We live on the Upper West Side in NYC, so that would be our preference, but could potentially travel a bit. We'd prefer in-person in the morning after we drop our three young kids off at school, but any recommendations are welcome. Anyone who has helped you out that you can recommend? Throwaway email: couplestherapyplshelp@gmail.com
posted by anonymous at 7:44 AM PST - 2 comments

More details inside. [more inside]
posted by hepta at 7:24 AM PST - 9 comments

He is a big fan of Minecraft on iPad and some Mech battle game, as well. However iPad games all seem to endlessly be "pay to play" and he's constantly asking for $$ to move ahead. [more inside]
posted by jdl at 7:05 AM PST - 12 comments

I successfully followed a tutorial to download Stable Diffusion 1.5 locally. I want to use lotsa community made Checkpoint models now. I'm looking at a list of models on HuggingFace (link below), but I don't know how to install. // Also, how do I take Screenshots on Windows? "Windows-key + G to take screen captures" method isn't working anymore. [more inside]
posted by ggp88 at 2:15 AM PST - 5 comments

As a Chanukkah gift for a couple I’m good friends with, I have acquired a set of cute soup crocks with handles so they can maximize their meal coziness. I would like to also give them a cookbook full of tried and tested soup recipes because they are not very good at improvisational cooking. Caveats: seafood, dairy and eggs are okay, no mammalian or avian meats. They also have two young kids so simpler recipes that freeze well, and things that are a little easier to eat so maybe not long noodles or spicy focused. [more inside]
posted by Mizu at 1:48 AM PST - 16 comments

My vacuum cleaner is constantly breaking. I don't want to get a new one right now. What kinds of fixes and diagnostics can I do myself even though I am unusually unhandy, to avoid taking it in to be repaired when it stops working? [more inside]
posted by ojocaliente at 8:30 PM PST - 15 comments

I have a bit of a crush on the web framework Django, and am learning and coding in it currently, although I have a ways to go. I'm coding on PythonAnywhere.com, and trying to figure out if the Django debugger (the one that loads stuff in the browser) can work with that system. Where is the best place to ask Django/hosting questions like this? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 7:33 PM PST - 6 comments

Wow, pregnancy is ROUGH. Argh! Up to 15 weeks I had hyperemesis gravidarum – was hospitalised a bunch of times, could barely eat or drink and felt like I was dying. I'm now 18 weeks and the nausea/vomiting is mostly controlled by medication, but the indigestion is something else. The feeling of food rotting in my throat/esophagus/stomach all day, every day is horrendous – and I can't find any way to make it bearable. Please help! [more inside]
posted by Ella_Bella at 4:11 PM PST - 20 comments

When we were together for Thanksgiving, my mom enjoyed doing a Minecraft coloring book that my nephew brought. I'd like to get her a nice coloring book or two and some colored pencils/markers to go along with them. [more inside]
posted by sciencegeek at 2:54 PM PST - 13 comments

When I type the first name of a gmail recipient, it suggests somebody -- but it's not that recipient's correct address. I want to delete this suggestion. The entire internet tells me to delete that name from Contacts. However, it is NOT a contact. The name exists ONLY when I type in that person's name (it does not suggest a second email address, which IS correct). How can I get rid of this "suggestion"?
posted by DMelanogaster at 2:22 PM PST - 8 comments

We have one outdoor electric outlet and have an illuminated house number sign plugged into one side of the outlet. We set up holiday lights (plugged into the other side of the outlet) and while they work - the number sign is no longer is powered on. When I unplug the holiday lights, the numbers light up again. Do I need to call an electrician? Why might this happen?
posted by Lescha at 12:52 PM PST - 7 comments

2023 is going to be my year of reading about how we as a culture understand mental illness. I'm most interested in the history, social construction and cultural and political meaning of mental illness. What should I read? [more inside]
posted by latkes at 12:35 PM PST - 28 comments

What's the best drinking water filtration/purification system for a small family that can be stored where it will freeze? [more inside]
posted by blnkfrnk at 12:12 PM PST - 7 comments

My home's natural gas boiler did something weird. What happened? [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:09 PM PST - 5 comments

I was playing a record, and went to raise the cue lever on my record player and it just...came out. Can it be fixed? [more inside]
posted by firemonkey at 11:36 AM PST - 6 comments

I'm getting a special person a folding whittling knife for the holidays this year. The brand I've selected has a personalization option with a limit of 30 characters, and I'd like to use a phrase from science fiction, fantasy, or something. [more inside]
posted by BrashTech at 11:14 AM PST - 27 comments

I’m looking for recommendations for online CBD product resellers. That is sites that aggregate products from different brands and then resell them through an online store while keeping the brand identity intact. Basically sites like Amazon or Etsy but that will actually sell the product and ideally be less evil. [more inside]
posted by sevenless at 10:59 AM PST - 0 comments

I know the Aura Mason Luxe cannot be wall-mounted. However, can I put it on a picture-ledge? So this question basically amounts to: Is there something long and stiff that sticks out the back that would make this difficult or is the cord relatively easy to position off to the side?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:45 AM PST - 1 comment

I've seen the footage of the Tampa police chief flashing her badge to get out of a ticket, and I'm confused. [more inside]
posted by Marky at 10:18 AM PST - 2 comments

Where in NYC can I both use a laptop and eat until 11pm or midnight on a weekday? [more inside]
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:07 AM PST - 11 comments

I am looking for educational science-culture-history podcasts that use crimes and other community-disrupting events as narrative framing to tell the story of something more meaningful. [more inside]
posted by headnsouth at 9:41 AM PST - 21 comments

I can't fly drones so i need an auto-levelling drone that has some follow-me function. I don't need to fly it out of my own line of sight. [more inside]
posted by Iteki at 8:56 AM PST - 1 comment

I'm writing my first book (non-fiction) and I will have dozens of sources I need to keep track of as well as outlines/brainstorming stuff. What do I need? What is the best approach to organization? [more inside]
posted by nezlamnyy at 7:07 AM PST - 8 comments

My kid is 6 and really enjoys math. Her teachers have already given her a solid understanding of basic multiplication, division and algebra. But we haven't done much at home, and I'm wondering how to support her interest. I'd like to educate myself a bit first. Could you recommend things I can read/watch to better understand doing math with kids? My own skills are solid (technical career) but I don't know much about teaching! [more inside]
posted by jebs at 5:30 AM PST - 15 comments

I currently have 16 separate collections on my Kindle with nearly 1000 books divided between them. However, every time Kindle on my laptop updates, it loses most of the collections and I have to recreate them and reassign the books to them. Does anyone have any ideas on how to make sure the collections on the laptop remain in place despite updates? [more inside]
posted by purplesludge at 4:28 AM PST - 2 comments

Know any fun photography course online? I'm looking for a course with weekly assignments that are artsy/expressive rather than technical. [more inside]
posted by mirileh at 12:59 AM PST - 2 comments

Help me help my friend find the kind of Superman and Batman (and Superman&Batman) stories she's looking for. Snowflakes inside. [more inside]
posted by Tamanna at 10:50 PM PST - 17 comments

We would like to get our 13 year old son an Apple Watch for Christmas-probably the SE with cellular. Our main purpose is to have a way of contacting him and finding him-without giving him internet access that we have even less control of than we do already. So he won’t have an iPhone to go with it. I have questions. [more inside]
posted by purenitrous at 8:12 PM PST - 12 comments

Where do the internet radio experts hang out? I have a new radio and I know that it has capabilities that I'm missing out on. I can't find much information.
posted by notned at 7:48 PM PST - 4 comments

Is there a way to reduce the internal margins when I'm printing multiple pages per sheet? Basically, reducing the space here. I have a MFCL6700DW printer, but there doesn't seem to be an obvious option in the printer interface here. I could also "print" the word doc to PDF if that makes it easier. I'm on a mac, but could also probably get this file to a PC.
posted by davidstandaford at 5:38 PM PST - 9 comments

I've taken a mostly in person job at the sort of workplace with a heightened risk of domestic terrorist attack in today's USA. Given that, what kind of life insurance should I be looking into purchasing? [more inside]
posted by Wavelet at 5:31 PM PST - 14 comments

I have a site where I often update the content - sometimes adding a new page/entry, but more often updating an existing entry. Right now everything is done by hand: a text editor and an FTP client. After I update the site I often then go to Mastodon and hand-write a post talking about the update. But I wonder if there's a way to automate that with a publishing platform - for blogs, or wikis, or otherwise - that would post to Mastodon any time I updated or added a page, linking back to the updated page. [more inside]
posted by mark7570 at 5:13 PM PST - 7 comments

My parents have an old PC that runs Windows 7 Home. They still have the product key for Windows 7, but I cannot find a free way to update to Windows 10. Chrome (their current browser) will only continue to support Windows 7 with security updates until January 15. What's the best path forwards? [more inside]
posted by nat at 4:50 PM PST - 9 comments

Scenario: Holiday party coming up, my one nice tailored party dress has a halter neck. I no longer own a strapless bra. [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 3:52 PM PST - 8 comments

As a reading project for 2023, I want to read through a list of classic/foundational/influential science fiction novels and short stories. The problem is, I have to make the list first, and there is so much science fiction. What should go on my list? [more inside]
posted by darchildre at 1:39 PM PST - 70 comments

I'm looking for a mac desktop app (not a mobile app, though it can be both) that will notify me of tasks I need to do at specific times of the day. I know this is a function of all calendar apps, and, I assume, some to-do apps, but my needs are a little specific. [more inside]
posted by grumblebee at 1:13 PM PST - 8 comments

we have two options to send our 1.5 year old to daycare. As someone who is on the other side of this, can you give us some thoughts on our pros and cons below? Assume both are high quality, well regarded daycares. [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 12:52 PM PST - 23 comments

ISO thick, loose fleece trousers. (And I do mean thick.) In the UK. [more inside]
posted by sailoreagle at 12:52 PM PST - 9 comments

As a part of our office end of year party, we'll be doing a White Elephant gift exchange (also known as Yankee Swap and Bad/Dirty Santa). Originally we were going to do White Elephant and a Trivia/Pub quiz type game separately, but we've decided to try and smoosh them together and it would be great to crowd source ideas on how to do this well. [more inside]
posted by BeeJiddy at 12:37 PM PST - 4 comments

I’m in a long distance situationship with a person whom I’ve known forever and who is very important to me. He’s blowing hot and cold and I don't know if I should do something different or call it quits. Mess inside [more inside]
posted by Riverside at 12:19 PM PST - 37 comments

I would like to apply some retroreflective tape to my black winter jacket to increase my visibility to cars when walking at night. I have a 3"x20" strip of the stuff that I can cut and stick onto my jacket - do you have suggestions of shapes/placement that would be most effective? As a night-time driver, what would be the most eye-catching to you? Ideally leaving the jacket looking relatively normal and non-OSHAcore during the daytime. Thanks!
posted by btfreek at 11:23 AM PST - 26 comments

Hello, all! Thanks to the resolution of the "family glitch", getting my wife insurance through the ACA rather than taken out of my check through my employer could save us many thousands of dollars a year. I'm not very familiar with the ACA, so looking for any hive mind tips. [more inside]
posted by AzraelBrown at 10:03 AM PST - 12 comments

I want to get my husband some great speakers to stream Spotify to. We have the Sonos Five--the sound is good, but the streaming is not seamless. My husband gets particularly frustrated when the sound drops out/music gets interrupted. This seems to happen when his phone or tablet is doing something else (like receiving an email while playing music). Is there speaker/system that does not have this problem?
posted by CiaoMela at 9:55 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm interested in buying a cordless vacuum. My preferences are, I would think, standard: long battery life, lightweight/comfortable to use, powerful, hair doesn't clog it, etc. My husband previously saw a Dyson one at a friend's house with some sort of a swivel head, and he's interested in that especially. Any brands to choose or avoid (Dyson, Shark, etc.)? Any more specific recommendations (or ones to avoid) from personal experience?
posted by ClaireBear at 9:28 AM PST - 22 comments

I am planning on taking a trip to San Francisco from December 26 - December 31. I am looking for inexpensive ways to do this, (primarily through by air but open to other options outside of bus) that goes beyond booking on Kayak... - Ride shares on charter airlines - Ride shares on private planes - Auto driveaways Anything that would be considered outside of the norm
posted by goalyeehah at 9:28 AM PST - 8 comments

Writing a letter to yourself is a nice exercise - it puts you in quite a different frame of mind, more forward-/far-thinking and less concerned with the minutiae of the present. What other techniques are there like this? [more inside]
posted by osmond_nash at 8:50 AM PST - 8 comments

I want to get a small hot tub, for 2 people, something like this. What can you advise about hot tubs in general and smaller ones like this? [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 8:48 AM PST - 12 comments

(I feel like I'm over-using this forum during a turbulent time, apologies if so.) I want to try and buy a home in another town but there are some factors that make it somewhat unlikely. Help me figure out if it's unlikely or impossible? [more inside]
posted by less-of-course at 8:23 AM PST - 23 comments

I've been invited to a large party (upwards of 300 people in attendance at a private home) but have declined going due to Covid. However, I am curious about the... "logistics" of attending since I've never been to such a thing. Questions inside. [more inside]
posted by dobbs at 7:10 AM PST - 18 comments

You all really came through with great answers to my last question about upgrading my running tech. I’m hoping you can help me again. I need headphones to listen to music via my Garmin 245 music while I run. The Shokz headphones have failed me and I have no idea where to start looking next. Please help! [more inside]
posted by August Fury at 7:02 AM PST - 10 comments

Something I thought is going to be an easy, 4-day project, turned out to be a whole pile of work, probably at least a solid month of work or more. It's the kind of work I don't enjoy doing, I have a ton of other work to do, I was hoping to finish this quickly so I could move on to other (more fun!) things. How can I motivate myself to slog through this?
posted by gakiko at 12:37 AM PST - 15 comments

I have some degree of social anxiety. I am currently doing talk therapy and I am exploring the choice to take medication.  If you have social anxiety and have taken medication, how did it change your thoughts, behaviors, and physical responses related to social interactions?  If you have taken medication and quit, did you maintain any of the positive effects you got from the medication? What do you think helped to maintain these long-term effects after you stopped?
posted by thecampushippo at 10:01 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm absolutely obsessed with a Spotify playlist that intersperses Taylor swift's folklore and evermore albums. I can't get enough! I like reputation too but not in the same way. Haven't explored her other albums. I'm also obsessed with both of Julien Baker's albums, and with Banks as well. What else should I listen to?
posted by bookworm4125 at 6:41 PM PST - 12 comments

A very, very dear friend of mine who lives overseas is having a rough time these days caring for aging parents. I have a go-to gift idea for people in this situation, and wanted to do that for her for Christmas - but I'm looking for a way to make it a little less...utilitarian. (Or, if you have an alternate idea, go for it.) [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:28 PM PST - 6 comments

I just recently (like, this afternoon, while pondering why anyone eats wedding cookies when they make a bad sound) realized that I have never heard anyone else acknowledge that powdered sugar makes a really terrible sound when you touch it, like nails on a chalkboard. The fine powder crunches together in a way that sets my teeth on edge. I am wondering if this is a "me" thing or something everyone experiences but doesn't talk about. [more inside]
posted by potrzebie at 5:13 PM PST - 54 comments

What am I doing wrong here? I've lived here in the DC area for the past ~15 years, including college. In 2016/2018's timeframe, I was invited to parties (ugly sweater parties, Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving events, etc). However, this has stopped completely. It's really breaking my heart. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 4:57 PM PST - 29 comments

There's money left over in the annual budget that needs spending, and I'd like to load it into my organization's Facebook Ads account. When I Google for help on how to do this, I only find pages that contain instructions that don't match what I have on screen. What am I supposed to do? [more inside]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 4:56 PM PST - 1 comment

Recently bought a 900 sqft condo in the US and I appreciate thoughtfully furnished spaces and want my place to look great. But I have no idea how to decorate on my own. Willing to spend $50K+ on furniture, etc. But I don't know where to start in looking for a good interior decorator / viewing portfolios to see if we have similar tastes, etc. I move into the place in 10 months. Any advice on how to get started?
posted by jtothes at 3:52 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm a novice fishkeeper. I inherited six common feeder goldfish in April. For REASONS (which I'm sure you can guess), these six five 29-cent goldfish now live in a well-filtered 70-gallon tank with a pleco, four molly (plus fry), and five four cory. Here's my question: How can I tell when my fish are actually hungry? [more inside]
posted by jdroth at 3:39 PM PST - 12 comments

I'm making an effort to replace internet browsing with reading! What can you recommend that is good, easy to pick up on the spur of the moment, and paced in a way that makes it easy to put down again after 10 or 15 minutes? [more inside]
posted by velebita at 3:32 PM PST - 27 comments

I'm teaching an upper-year course of about 20 university students. Marking [or grading, for the Americans] the midterm exam was emotionally devastating. What self-care measures can I take to make marking the final exam less painful? [more inside]
posted by heatherlogan at 12:57 PM PST - 26 comments

"Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head." Absolutely. But how do you actually do it? [more inside]
posted by El Curioso at 12:34 PM PST - 23 comments

My wife needs mechanical white noise to sleep, a lot of it. The typical setup used to be a 12,000 BTU window air + two Marpac mechanical white noise machines. This was barely enough but did the job. Our new bedroom has central air so the window air is gone, it also has hardwood floors and tends to be a bit dustier. I'd like to find the loudest air filter possible, my search results keep turning up the Honeywell HPA200 and the HPA300 but I'd like to know if there is something louder.
posted by jmsta at 11:15 AM PST - 20 comments

I've been using Twitter for some months now, but I still have what feel like basic questions about how to interact with people and tweets. I know it's meant to be more of a live conversation and less of a searchable archive, but having access to some/any better search tools would be great. And I just have so many questions. [more inside]
posted by Questolicious at 10:06 AM PST - 9 comments

Asked an acquaintance in a community I'm part of for a referral for a lawyer. The lawyer didn't meet promised deadlines or keep other promises and has put me in a very awkward position because of it. Do I let the referrer know about it?
posted by Jon44 at 10:06 AM PST - 11 comments

I am looking for some advice on the security aspects of adding another Google account to my Chromebook. [more inside]
posted by charlen at 10:06 AM PST - 3 comments

I've attended a few workshops where the facilitator does some form of turning feelings into something you can physically act out or see/touch/interact with. I'd like to find a therapist to work with who uses this kind of technique. Workshops, books, and online resources would also be very helpful. What should I be asking for? [more inside]
posted by danceswithlight at 9:39 AM PST - 4 comments

More or less just the subject line. I looked on Redfin and listings were sparse; looked on Craigslist and a lot of them looked fake. Where should I be looking? I haven't looked for an apartment anywhere in 15+ years.
posted by less-of-course at 7:35 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm trying to figure how how to interpret, and fairly handle, what strikes me as an unreasonable refusal to take the bus. How should I think through what's going on here and what would be an appropriate way to engage it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:57 AM PST - 89 comments

Should we preemptively rule out chemo and/or a biopsy for our cat? [more inside]
posted by daisyace at 6:40 AM PST - 21 comments

What's the best Pokemon game for a 10-year old who's new to the franchise? [more inside]
posted by saladin at 4:41 AM PST - 10 comments

I have a PhD in the humanities but have decided I'm done with uni teaching and am no longer affiliated with a college. I'm curious about doing independent archival research and/or collecting oral histories, skills I'm good at and enjoy. I have a small local grant for a current project, but am wondering where to look for other opportunities in the future. [more inside]
posted by CancerSucks at 9:55 PM PST - 4 comments

My kids loves their 3d glasses. They also love minecraft, dinosaurs, pokemon, Dogman, jokes, nature, books. Any ideas for a gift they might love? (Hopefully that I can get in Toronto by Dec 18)
posted by ManInSuit at 7:44 PM PST - 12 comments

My friends and I go skiing every year around late February. We have done Utah (Park City, Deer Valley, Brighton) and Montana (Big Sky). I am looking for a new resort that is easy to get to from a major airport as guys are flying in from Austin, D.C. and Charleston. Park City is perfect for this but we have done it multiple times. What resort would you recommend that is not to difficult to get to, has a decent amount of runs, with a high probability of snow in late February?
posted by jasondigitized at 5:17 PM PST - 11 comments

My friend (black lesbian cis woman in her early 50s's) and I recently has a long discussion about feminist spaces and trans women's rights. The conversation was hard for me as she definitely has some trans exclusionary beliefs. She did however appreciate the conversation for how it made her think and she reached out to me afterwards to see if i knew of any articles she could read to help her move past her current thinking. [more inside]
posted by lips at 3:46 PM PST - 9 comments

My parents will soon be moving house and paring down their belongings. My mom is the type of person who says she doesn't want or need gifts, but will be disappointed if you believe her. I'm looking for fun gifts that aren't objects. [more inside]
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 2:07 PM PST - 36 comments

I need to plan a small pot luck dinner for my library. I am unable to use the free signup genius because of the ads and it's not worth subscribing for this one thing. I have Google Forms and Jotform and am willing and able to customize those to get what I need. Do you have advice? [more inside]
posted by Biblio at 2:05 PM PST - 6 comments

Some years ago I asked for the best cookie recipes and have baked many of them. Now I am looking for the fanciest cookie recipes. [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 1:32 PM PST - 43 comments

I live in Canada, but my income is now in US dollars. I have to decide when to pull the trigger and exchange USD to CAD at the most favourable exchange rate (i.e., sell USD for the highest amount of CAD). But I don't really understand the 'market watching' lingo... [more inside]
posted by Beardman at 1:17 PM PST - 11 comments

I am going to New Orleans with 90 of my closest friends (most of the company I work for). We will be there in early February. I am researching to options for a dinner cruise for us all, either a charter or a private room. Do you have any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 1:13 PM PST - 2 comments

Best way to teach bilingual kids english spelling? [more inside]
posted by conifer at 1:10 PM PST - 5 comments

My hands are weirdly dry this year and I've started trying moisturizing at night and wearing cotton gloves. I have so many questions. [more inside]
posted by kristi at 12:24 PM PST - 15 comments

Tell me about your dumbphone / "feature phone" that connects stably to 4G so that calls can be made over VoLTE! My combo (Nokia 225 + tello) is supposed to work, and did briefly, but now falls off the network constantly. I'm willing to switch networks but need a very cheap monthly rate as the phone is only used occasionally. Any Jurassic technology users out there? [more inside]
posted by ogorki at 12:03 PM PST - 10 comments

I'll be in Chicago from early to mid January 2023, staying at a place with no parking spot, but I'll have a car. Can you recommend a hopefully cheap place to keep the car for that week? [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:39 AM PST - 17 comments

There's an exhibitor list on this website; it's a picklist. I'm trying to grab the entire list of options from this picklist. [more inside]
posted by eggman at 10:36 AM PST - 4 comments

Help me understand a seemingly bizarre argument I had with someone about my communication skills, or lack thereof. [more inside]
posted by kevinbelt at 10:31 AM PST - 45 comments

I have Skype and Google phone numbers, but they don't offer sufficient flexibility to be used for a business phone. For instance, neither allows me to set # of rings before transferring to voicemail. I want the USA number, but I don't want to have to travel to USA to do this. BTW, I am a US citizen. Thanks in advance for advice, recommendations, reviews, etc.
posted by lometogo at 10:24 AM PST - 3 comments

The Brooklyn Public Library has ended its popular non-resident library card program, which really sucks, because their e-book selection is excellent. Does anyone know of another large library system that allows non-residents to pay a fee and receive a library card in exchange? [more inside]
posted by msali at 10:22 AM PST - 14 comments

My parents are heading to Iceland in a few weeks, and I'd like to get them a Christmas gift that's related. [more inside]
posted by hydra77 at 10:13 AM PST - 13 comments

What is this short Spanish novel about a man (in Spain) who thinks his wife has disappeared and been replaced by a woman who looks just like her? I read it in translation before 2015 but not before 2002 - likely around 2010. When I read it, it had been recently published and had been reviewed most likely in the NY Times or New Yorker.
posted by vunder at 10:07 AM PST - 2 comments

How do I tell a family friend that I have changed my mind and do not want him to be our financial advisor? He's being very persistent and I need to let him easy but firmly. [more inside]
posted by zoomorphic at 9:44 AM PST - 17 comments

I started this morning with No Children in my head. A great song, if a little dark in lyrical content and therefore not great to listen to on repeat. What I am really after is dramatic, high energy piano. Combined with dramatic guitar strumming is ideal but optional. Aiming more for rock than classical but all suggestions welcome. Tried some Tom Waits but it was too low-energy. Please give me your recommendations!
posted by ewok_academy at 9:29 AM PST - 40 comments

How are you running work meetings/events where attendees join remotely (e.g. Zoom or Teams) while others have gathered in one or more location/s. Interested in the gear you use and importantly, how are you managing meetings to get the most out of the experience? [more inside]
posted by elkevelvet at 8:36 AM PST - 7 comments

I would like to take a vacation with my partner and our baby, who will be about 6 months at the time. The adults are both a little burnt out and we would like to do something that was relaxing and de-stressing, but the idea of a beach vacation with a small person who would just eat sand and get sunburned does not appeal. [more inside]
posted by jb at 8:13 AM PST - 10 comments

My new job has me Zooming a lot and my laptop camera set up is just not cutting it. Please give me recommendations for a light source and camera that can be attached to and used with a Dell Curved monitor!
posted by tafetta, darling! at 7:48 AM PST - 9 comments

There are three of us traveling to Spain at the end of March. We only have 7 days and it seems like Madrid and Barcelona make sense. I would like recommendations in which neighborhoods to stay, hotels, etc. [more inside]
posted by waving at 7:28 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm expecting a UPS package and wanted to schedule delivery on a day I'll be home. Went to the UPS My Choice site and signed up using an email address and a new password. They created an account for me using those login credentials. [more inside]
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:11 AM PST - 3 comments

I have an Instagram account. My posts have stopped appearing in hashtags. What have I done to upset The Algorithm? [more inside]
posted by Glier's Goetta at 5:50 AM PST - 4 comments

Can't remember his name. I do remember he was in his late 60's, developed this modality, did interviews on YT, wrote books and spoke at length about *finding portals in the quantum field through which you can manifest* and no this is not Joe Dispenza. [more inside]
posted by watercarrier at 2:41 AM PST - 2 comments

I live in Canada and work for an American company. I use my own Mac and iPhone to access the company email, and the company requires that I use an app called Okta to login. How much of my other activity can they see? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:59 PM PST - 9 comments

I’m going through my second miscarriage and trying to figure out how to get from here to the other side. What helped you through your miscarriages? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:59 PM PST - 12 comments

After a breakup this year, I went through a long period of time where I hated myself and put my ex on a huge pedestal. Now, after lots of therapy and self-work, I’ve knocked him off of this pedestal but to the point that I’m kind of disgusted by him and I’m concerned by this. [more inside]
posted by cruel summer at 10:35 PM PST - 23 comments

So that "Cougar Gold" cheese that comes in a can and lasts forever because of the WSU19 bacteria that means the can won't explode? WSU says they won't share the culture. I don't understand. Can't anyone just buy a can of the cheese and... use it to culture more canned cheese, and rinse/repeat indefinitely?
posted by aniola at 10:30 PM PST - 6 comments

I got an email which looked like phishing from Experian, saying "Vehicle detected. Sign in to confirm your car. There is a car that matches the info in your Experian membership. Sign in to confirm it's yours and check out free auto benefits." I didn't click on anything, and instead logged to my account on the Experian website. But even though an email isn't phishing by a third party, can Experian be doing the phishing as themselves? [more inside]
posted by oxisos at 10:14 PM PST - 4 comments

At my session last week, the therapist I'd been working with (and working well with, or so I thought) for the past year told me I should seek a new therapist. We're having some sort of "close down" session on Thursday. What should I expect, do, or ask for that could make it worth doing? Bonus question: how do I keep myself safe with my next therapist while still having productive sessions? [more inside]
posted by DingoMutt at 9:54 PM PST - 19 comments

What was that creepy indie Windows game from several years back that started out as a sort of generic Super Mario style side-scroller but got weirder and more unhinged the further you got? [more inside]
posted by glonous keming at 8:22 PM PST - 7 comments

Say you wanted to successfully age a mass-produced cheese in the back of a refrigerator. For like a decade or two. What would you look for in a cheese? How would you do it? [more inside]
posted by aniola at 6:55 PM PST - 14 comments

Here is a picture of me with my mother in 1964. Here is a close-up of the book behind my head. I want to know what I was reading when I was six months old. What is this book? Thanks!<
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon at 6:27 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm in New York this week, willing to travel ~20 mins from Chelsea on foot, and will probably hit the Union Square holiday market Thurs. My work holiday party is on Friday back in Denver. I would like to bring back the most coveted white elephant gift, in terms of uniqueness and/or deliciousness. $10 limit w/o tax. Perishable items okay if they can survive travel and still be tasty 30-some hours later. Hit me with your ideas.
posted by deludingmyself at 5:31 PM PST - 9 comments

I don't understand what leftovers should go in the fridge, and what can be left on the counter. North America, heated house, no dogs, no particular health concerns. Please advise. [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:49 PM PST - 26 comments

How dangerous is it to receive a COVID booster only a few weeks after a previous dose of the same kind? [more inside]
posted by rouftop at 4:25 PM PST - 5 comments

I am looking for a keypad door lock that can be installed on a space that multiple people need access to. The people will change somewhat over time. I know nothing about keyless entry and I'm overwhelmed by the options. Help point me in the right direction. [more inside]
posted by geegollygosh at 4:23 PM PST - 12 comments

A lovely person who was installing my new water heater caught my fiber optic cable with his truck and now I have no internet all week. What do I demand and from whom? [more inside]
posted by centrifugal at 3:39 PM PST - 6 comments

Please help me, an atheist who was literally never indoctrinated to any religion, compile a holiday playlist for the time that my Catholic in laws will be in my home. [more inside]
posted by bilabial at 3:34 PM PST - 31 comments

My home is exhibiting signs of a plugged vent. I really don't want to go up onto our steep roof in the winter to mess with it. Can I do this from below? [more inside]
posted by Acari at 3:29 PM PST - 9 comments

I am looking for books about dealing with the effects of childhood neglect in adulthood. [more inside]
posted by brook horse at 2:53 PM PST - 9 comments

I am getting married soon (5 months from today, eeek!) and my reception venue has a LOT of extra interior space. What are some neat, fun, or creative things we can do to use it? Things like a bridal lounge, groom lounge, kids room, and dance floor are already covered. The space is wide open and has hardwood floors, windows, all brick walls, and is well-lit. [more inside]
posted by Sparky Buttons at 2:00 PM PST - 12 comments

I turn 40 in eighteen months. What are some things I should do between now and then? [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot at 1:40 PM PST - 23 comments

I saw this image on Instagram earlier today (direct link if insta is being screwy) and now I'm curious what WOULD actually happen? [more inside]
posted by phunniemee at 1:38 PM PST - 6 comments

I'm currently under Kaiser (HMO). My employer is offering quite a swath of health insurance plans, with a mix of HMO's and PPO's. I'm very overwhelmed. I've never used a PPO before, but might want to for 2023, as I might want to do an advanced operation that I'd feel more comfortable with, using a PPO with. Kaiser wouldn't cover it as they're a HMO and it's out of network. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 1:36 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm writing an essay to submit to https://aftertheart.com. I'm writing about a Mvnch painting, paired with my own recent diagnosis of keratoconus, a cornea disease. However, the editors also want "a text" (can be any kind). I haven't found one that works. [more inside]
posted by mermaidcafe at 10:52 AM PST - 7 comments

I am a relatively new supervisor in my organization, and someone on my team has had a very difficult year outside of work, with 2023 looking equally hard. I'm struggling with whether to say anything about this in a holiday card to them. [more inside]
posted by gauche at 10:39 AM PST - 14 comments

Is pet insurance worth it? I adopted Dice this weekend. The vet says she thinks he's 1-2. We had a $670 pet visit (some of it was flea/tick meds and some dental chews) but we did a urinalysis for like $400. I don't really expect to have many more medical issues with him, but if he has urinary issues, maybe I will. If you have pet insurance you like, what is it?
posted by bookworm4125 at 9:59 AM PST - 14 comments

Can you point me to religious podcasts or reading material that focus on virtues, doing good deeds, and living a good or moral life? [more inside]
posted by loveandhappiness at 9:51 AM PST - 21 comments

I have three books with seasonal titles sitting in a pile: Autumn Light by Pico Iyer, Wintering by Katherine May, and Summer on the Lakes by Margaret Fuller. I'm looking for a non-fiction book with the word "Spring" in the title that is similarly slow and contemplative. [more inside]
posted by laze at 8:19 AM PST - 7 comments

My very bright daughter is struggling with the transition from kindergarten to first grade. I think? We struggle to have her do homework, she doesn't seem to retain what she has studied, and I sense that her reading and math acquisition is slower than it should be. I don't have many data points so I'm hoping for some perspective. [more inside]
posted by ohio at 7:54 AM PST - 41 comments

I work for a government organization. Windows 10. Our IT people seem to think constantly adding icons to the desktop is helpful. I hate it. I am seeking some method of hiding SOME (but not ALL) desktop icons. Help? [more inside]
posted by caution live frogs at 6:51 AM PST - 7 comments

So I want to make a fantasy rail system for Iceland. I'm not an engineer. A very rough estimate of feasibility. And not just lines over a map, but rough calculations of feasibility. Like, where you'd need a tunnel, how much you need to build under the tracks to have an acceptable low inclination. That sort of thing. [more inside]
posted by svenni at 6:22 AM PST - 7 comments

I ordered a mechanical keyboard from a US distributor at the beginning of November. It arrived at UK customs on November 17. As far as I can tell, it's been sitting there ever since. Is there anything I can do to find out if there's a step I'm supposed to take to release it? Or do I just wait? [more inside]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 6:00 AM PST - 6 comments

My friends and I (eight women between ages 30-50) are planning a couple of weeks in Europe - we definitely want to see Paris and do a bit of Switzerland, but we're a bit fuzzy on the details/how to structure the trip. We might like to add in Amsterdam as well. Half of us like museums and pottering around the streets, while the other half is snazzier (and may want to shop?). What is a nice probable itinerary that has the hits as well a few offbeat things we can include? Bonus question below the fold. [more inside]
posted by Nieshka at 3:48 AM PST - 35 comments

I would love to find a fabulous and original gift for a special little boy. I would like to spend $50.00. I am not sure what he already has so I don’t want the most popular toy of 2022(which he may already have). It should be safe, something he absolutely loves, and something that can be returned. Help me be original! If you are a parent, what is your little boy’s favorite posession from this age (the one thing that makes his eyes light up). Thanks in advance!
posted by Lylo at 9:38 PM PST - 34 comments

I have been trying to identify a perfume I own whose label has rubbed off. Is there somewhere/someone I can send the nearly-empty bottle, who has a more knowledgeable nose than I do? [more inside]
posted by wintersonata9 at 7:37 PM PST - 13 comments

I just bought a house and my mortgage rate is 7.25%. Until I can refinance, should I aggressively overpay my mortgage, or put that money towards house maintenance, repairs, and eventual renovations? [more inside]
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 7:31 PM PST - 22 comments

The federal requirement seems to be that we're all entitled to 8 Covid test kits a month, covered by insurance. I tried to obtain some today when I got a booster, but the pharmacist said she couldn't get it to go through my insurance. I know there's a reasonable chance this is specific to my insurance, but does anyone have guidance or suggestions?
posted by lapis at 7:26 PM PST - 16 comments

I did a terrible job explaining myself in the last question. Revamping. I have these images. I would like to make Christmas cards from them, but I can't find any digital backdrops that work with the photography angles etc. So I'm looking for design ideas about how to make these either without a backdrop or with some kind of alternative backdrop, or what do you suggest? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:08 PM PST - 6 comments

What is going on when white supremacists ally with individuals who are members of minorities whom they would normally hate, and vice versa? [more inside]
posted by Leontine at 6:33 PM PST - 21 comments

Are there reputable sources like betterhelp.com for an experienced provider to extend online care to people seeking bereavement counseling or spiritual direction—without the credentials that site requires? [more inside]
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 6:13 PM PST - 4 comments

There are two types of holiday songs I like; traditional religious/winter carols as outlined in capricorn’s recent ask, and songs that are extended immature sex jokes. Please help me find more songs in the latter category to make my Christmas playlist of extremely jarring tonal shifts complete. [more inside]
posted by ActionPopulated at 5:44 PM PST - 29 comments

We're thinking about spending a month in Europe with our toddler in the spring (he'll be 2.5). Looking for location suggestions for a small city to make our home base, probably in France or Italy. [more inside]
posted by imalaowai at 5:16 PM PST - 9 comments

Somebody was giving away some boba pearls recently, and we decided to try making our own boba. Our favorite boba flavors are peach and passion fruit. What should we use to make boba using those flavors? [more inside]
posted by unus sum at 5:12 PM PST - 2 comments

When testing an audio system what music tracks, audio files or albums would you use to test the system? [more inside]
posted by jadepearl at 5:02 PM PST - 20 comments

I would like to have my own website where I can post short links to interesting articles I’ve read online, interesting podcast episodes, and so on. I should be able to add new links very quickly from the iOS share menu on iPad or iPhone, and they should be taggable (or somehow organisable) by topic (e.g. ‘movie’, ‘society’, ‘internet culture’, ‘cooking’). I’m not happy with any options I’ve found so far and wonder what else is possible? [more inside]
posted by d288478 at 3:52 PM PST - 10 comments

I want to click a heart on any image displayed in my browser and save it online and locally [more inside]
posted by Sterros at 2:49 PM PST - 2 comments

I would like to see examples of Christmas cards (ideally) or other photography design things, in which images are "cropped" (is that even the word?) around the shape of the person. That is, there is no background. I took my son's xmas portraits and I got some nice ones, but now I can't find backdrops that fit the angle/size etc. etc. Considering my options. Alternatively, what do I google to find such designs?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 2:32 PM PST - 10 comments

Present for my partner. They can not see what the image is supposed to be. Their guess is WAY, WAY different than what I see. (They love the bag regardless.) So... what is it? Bonus points for anyone who has corroborating evidence. [more inside]
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 2:10 PM PST - 46 comments

In (I think) April I posted a question about when I should quit my county job that I hate to be a therapist full-time. I didn't have the courage of my convictions just then but I'm taking the leap soon. I need some advice about getting health insurance through a system that isn't THAT complicated but is the kind of thing I find daunting. So, questions: [more inside]
posted by less-of-course at 1:37 PM PST - 5 comments

So I finally logged in to buy Elements 2022, which I saw just a few weeks ago for $99, and today it appears I have to buy Elements 2023 for $149. DAMMIT. [more inside]
posted by Glinn at 1:36 PM PST - 2 comments

I hate the new interface. It's harder to read, it takes more time to read, there is less actual content, the content isn't as varied (news, sports, entertainment, business, etc.). What's the best alternative that doesn't require me to log in or set up an account (which I also refuse to do with Google) and includes at least some Canadian news in the overall roundup? I don't want to limit myself to just one source (i.e. one news channel or one newspaper) as I like having a diversity of sources presented.
posted by sardonyx at 12:51 PM PST - 10 comments

Am I struggling with cognitive speed and if yes, can I improve it? [more inside]
posted by any_name_in_a_storm at 12:10 PM PST - 14 comments

I want to construct a birthday adventure for a creative kid. [more inside]
posted by goodsearch at 11:31 AM PST - 10 comments

If you have been through the mediation process, how did you prepare? And in retrospect, what do you wish you'd known and/or pushed harder for? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:10 AM PST - 11 comments

How do you change a default setting on a USB input device without controlling software? [more inside]
posted by wile e at 9:42 AM PST - 3 comments

Any suggestions for high-quality Stollen available to purchase online? (I'm located in U.S.) I can't tell from google searches what are decent options and what are mass-produced "factory" options. Don't have time/skills to make from scratch this year, unfortunately. TIA!
posted by carlypennylane at 9:33 AM PST - 9 comments

I have a Samsung S22+. I can take a picture. I can make a video and while making a video take a still. I can also take the video and then in Google Photos export stills from the video. Are these equivalent resolution and quality or are they different? How do they compare? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:36 AM PST - 4 comments

If you consider the total US equity market capitalization, what fraction is in each of the 6 asset categories; large cap growth, large cap value, mid cap growth, mid cap value, small cap growth, small cap value?
posted by grahahw at 7:23 AM PST - 5 comments

There is a very good chance I will need to fly from Massachusetts to Florida in the next few days for a funeral. I haven't flown in almost ten years. What is the current thinking on the best way to get plane tickets on short notice, without breaking the bank? [more inside]
posted by cellar door at 5:34 AM PST - 10 comments

To put some stuff into context. I've been working non stop for almost 5-6 years. I set out to accomplish a great deal of things back in 2018. I made plans to move to Canada, get my master's degree, learn French, machine learning and settle there permanently. [more inside]
posted by Tarsonis10 at 4:24 AM PST - 13 comments

Inspired by this question. Looking for books on sex, sexual relationships, consent, self-knowledge and consent for teenage girl. Doesn't have to be 100% about sex and sex alone. Looking for something direct and funny and not finger-waggly but that talks to the reader respectfully, intelligently, and in detail. [more inside]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:56 AM PST - 14 comments

A 2-year-old has asked for a ball to play with and I'd like to get them a couple as a gift this season. What types of ball would a 2 year old most appreciate? [more inside]
posted by arcolz at 9:08 PM PST - 10 comments

My beloved retro Vellux blanket has died. I can't replace it with another Vellux blanket because the ones they make these days are poor quality. What reasonably budget-friendly blanket might be a doable replacement? [more inside]
posted by SageTrail at 8:52 PM PST - 5 comments

If I really like this song (Grace Kelly by Mika), what other songs am I likely to like?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:38 PM PST - 10 comments

I am looking for free or low-cost media with which to practice my neophyte skill in Spanish. I have been doing a 15-minute DuoLingo lesson most days for about half a year. I am a native English speaker in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. [more inside]
posted by NotLost at 8:33 PM PST - 12 comments

I recently discovered some covers by a band named Brasstracks that were like nothing I'd ever heard before. There's this Mariah Carey classic cover of Always Be My Baby, Drake's In My Feelings redone and what I think is an original song, XO Tour Llif3. Is this a genre that exists, or just this amazing band? [more inside]
posted by rogerroger at 7:40 PM PST - 8 comments

My brother is visiting and mentioned he’s been trying to remember a movie we supposedly watched when we were kids with our dad. Details within. [more inside]
posted by kevinbelt at 6:02 PM PST - 1 comment

I’m in the market for a new countertop oven/toaster, and have my eye on the well-liked Breville Smart Oven line. The Smart Oven Pro convection oven (on sale elsewhere) is substantially less expensive than the Smart Oven Air, which has a dedicated “air fry” setting that seems to run at a higher temperature and/or faster air circulation. Is this one function worth the additional cost? [more inside]
posted by btfreek at 5:20 PM PST - 12 comments

I don't play video games, mainly out of concern about developing RSI and other hand/wrist problems. However, Pentiment looks great and I'm really interested in playing it. Are there adaptive devices that let you play games using voice commands? And would they interact OK with Pentiment? [more inside]
posted by cadge at 4:57 PM PST - 3 comments

Kiddo just picked up a vintage Polaroid Spirit 600. He'd like to give it a shot. Two quick questions: will any Polaroid 600 film work with that? And what's the best deal I can get on that film (which seems to be in production again) without having to buy in bulk? [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:51 PM PST - 1 comment

A relative of mine suffered a stroke several years ago, and still suffers from chronic pain, probably nerve pain. I'm interested in whether CBD or CBD+THC might help. [more inside]
posted by egregious theorem at 3:33 PM PST - 6 comments

Frank the Adorable Wombat is officially in heart failure and we've moved from palliative to end-of-life care. He's on a ton of diuretics and is flooding the house, which is fine, but... this doesn't seem like urine? [more inside]
posted by DarlingBri at 1:41 PM PST - 3 comments

I'm almost certainly going to be single within the next month or two. We've been together ten years. I know the next part is not going to be a walk in the park but I want to do all I can to make it a soft landing. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:02 PM PST - 18 comments

When a user I've blocked on Mastodon clicks on a tag I've used, what do they see? Do they see a message that my post is blocked? Or does my post just not appear for them in those results? Thanks!
posted by mediareport at 12:54 PM PST - 6 comments

Please recommend anime or anime-adjacent Science Fiction slice-of-life shows. Nothing too sexist, ecchi, or militaristic, please.
posted by signal at 12:05 PM PST - 10 comments

I've got to find a very specific type of house for a low budget indie feature shot completely inside the house, but the location can be in any state or country where there are good tax incentives. Since professional location scouts are area-specific and we haven't narrowed it down to an assigned region yet, I can't just hire a location scout generalist. So I'm trying to find websites with lots of filming locations listed so I can eyeball houses without having to pay a subscription to do so. More inside. [more inside]
posted by egeanin at 11:12 AM PST - 7 comments

I am a returning college student in my early 30s, currently in an undergraduate degree program in environmental studies. My previous work background is in education-related paraprofessional roles. I would love to find a way to combine my interests in sustainability, environmental justice, and evidence-based education and/or communications, but I am not certain what roles and academic preparation would be a good fit. I greatly appreciate suggestions for how to narrow and focus my academic and career path. [more inside]
posted by beryllium at 10:58 AM PST - 6 comments

In Matt Taibbi's "Twitter Files" thread he included a screenshot showing Twitter employees making $968,749 in political donations in 2020, the vast majority of which went to Democrats. Twitter had around 5,500 employees in 2020. How many of them made political donations?
posted by bdk3clash at 10:53 AM PST - 5 comments

I found a lucky bamboo in a dumpster about a week ago. It was covered in yellow leaves but still had some green. I left it outside in the rain and sun for a week. Its soil has been drenched the entire time. [more inside]
posted by aniola at 10:52 AM PST - 5 comments

What are your favorite extra ingredients/spices to add to boxed pancake mix? Sweet or savory—I want to hear about them! No allergy or diet restrictions. (Not looking for toppings only—I’m interested in learning about additional things to add to the boxed batter)
posted by bookmammal at 10:37 AM PST - 34 comments

I am wondering if there are any fashionable brands that sell non-cotton women's jeans that can be bought online and shipped to Canada? [more inside]
posted by RearWindow at 9:11 AM PST - 4 comments

I like to go out on daily walks for about 30 minutes or so and I am always treading the same route just for convenience. Is there an app that will help me get out of that rut and get me to randomly choose new streets to take? [more inside]
posted by nanook at 9:04 AM PST - 10 comments

Looking for books that give the same feel as the Andor show. [more inside]
posted by fryman at 8:24 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking for a parody Mark Zuckerberg Facebook post from about five years ago (although it could have been be earlier). I saw it as a screenshot on Twitter so it's difficult to find. The two distinct things I remember are that he had some funny parenthetical asides like "(I kill my own meat)" and that he said "you fix your uncle" or something similar. Anyone remember this?
posted by sockpup at 6:53 AM PST - 3 comments

I play Oculus Quest 2 games with a couple of friends every week. One of them is disabled and can only play seated with the right hand controller, and with limited motion and limited energy. We're looking for more games to try. [more inside]
posted by credulous at 9:40 PM PST - 5 comments

I think the action takes place in the l960s. There’s first a banquet at a long table, with lots of conversation. Later, the dinner party take a walk along a road with a seemingly endless line of wrecked cars. The movie is either French or Italian. Please put me out of my misery trying to remember the name of it!
posted by BostonTerrier at 3:49 PM PST - 7 comments

I was just out with for lunch with a friend at a busy place and did my usual eye-contact-hand-signal request to clear out to the passing server, and that turned into a conversation about what, exactly, that hand signal actually means in like semantic terms. [more inside]
posted by cortex at 3:16 PM PST - 51 comments

The title track of Beach House's Once Twice Melody, about 30 seconds in. The synth arpeggio reminds me of something so much that I thought it was that song playing. [more inside]
posted by hwyengr at 2:09 PM PST - 4 comments

We would like to include vegan relatives in our latkepalooza this year. Anyone tried them with success and want to share the recipe or process? [more inside]
posted by charmedimsure at 12:57 PM PST - 19 comments

What would you tell a first-time Baltic traveler about Latvia and Lithuania? [more inside]
posted by Violet Blue at 12:54 PM PST - 8 comments

We have owned our 1913 era home for more than 25 years. We need to pretty urgently completely gut and remodel the only full bath in the house. I don't know where to start. Help. [more inside]
posted by anastasiav at 12:44 PM PST - 19 comments

I'm learning how to use OpenRefine and would love your suggestions on videos, courses, or other tools that you've found helpful. Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 12:23 PM PST - 4 comments

I find call-outs deeply triggering of a long trauma history and they activate so much shame that I can barely even absorb whatever was the subject of correction. Please help me address this without retraumatizing myself. [more inside]
posted by crunchy potato at 11:19 AM PST - 48 comments

I have three languages I would like to learn in the coming years. Which should I prioritise/which order could potentially benefit me the most? [more inside]
posted by socky_puppy at 10:49 AM PST - 19 comments

My parents established a trust, and the deed listing their home has the wrong address. The attorney says this isn’t an issue, but is it? YANML - more details inside [more inside]
posted by glaucon at 10:25 AM PST - 14 comments

I need to remember these letters in order: d i m e s e p d s d l a h h b. If anyone is feeling clever, can you come up with a mnemonic phrase/sentence to help me remember them? [more inside]
posted by davidstandaford at 9:35 AM PST - 30 comments

Trying to stir up some nostalgia and revisit some toys from my childhood in the 80s/90s. I have thought of a few and was delighted that they are even able to be found on Amazon, like this penguin slide toy, this fiber optic light wand, and this pin hand mold thingy that was all the rage. Any other fun suggestions/memories?
posted by Forty-eight at 8:48 AM PST - 38 comments

I have a great cover letter layout, and I know how to write a cover letter, but how do I write one that is as much of a copy/paste quickly repeatable formula as possible? [more inside]
posted by ggp88 at 8:39 AM PST - 13 comments

I have semi-accidentally, but semi-snoopy if I'm being honest, discovered that my son (15 in a matter of weeks) is sexually active with his girlfriend (same school year). They have recently had a pregnancy scare. How should I handle this? Ideally: how did you handle this, and what specifically worked, and what would/could you have done differently? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:16 AM PST - 60 comments

Can these 'splotches' on the mirror be fixed, or do I need to replace? Brand new mirror, not even sure what to call this type of defect. Image here [more inside]
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 7:15 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm trying to cut down on dairy, mostly for environmental reasons, and one thing that I feel like I *should* be able to replace but I'm having trouble with is yogurt as an accompaniment to savory food. I've found a couple of brands of coconut-milk-based yogurt that I enjoy in sweet contexts but the main way I enjoy yogurt is in savory sauces or as a dollop alongside e.g. roasted chickpeas and veg, and the coconut versions seem too sweet for this. [more inside]
posted by mskyle at 6:23 AM PST - 27 comments

My wife has a copy of Oranges by John McPhee next to "oranges are not the only fruit" by Jannette Winterson. What cheap paperback fiction books could I buy her that could add to this conversation? [more inside]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 3:53 AM PST - 46 comments

How can I help talk to my friend (via email) who's been pulled down the conspiracy routes of the earth is flat, chem-trails, etc.? [more inside]
posted by many-things at 2:13 AM PST - 11 comments

Has anyone a favourite vegan feijoada recipe that tastes close to the street cafe recipes in Rio? [more inside]
posted by many-things at 1:37 AM PST - 14 comments

I want to listen to orchestral music but don't want to have to think. So give me performances etc that you think are particularly good! More details within. [more inside]
posted by wooh at 12:16 AM PST - 30 comments

I am working on an art installation using 100 WS2812b RGB LEDs (will draw about 6A at 5V at theoretical max brightness). The project is mounted on a wall (like a picture frame), and so the power cord is visible. Right now it is powered by a very plain looking 5V power supply with a black plastic cord like this one (you know, the type of power supply that every printer, router, doodad comes with). I would like to find a more aesthetic way to get power to my project! [more inside]
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 9:45 PM PST - 12 comments

I want to give a relative a subscription to Ancient History magazine by Karwansaray Publishers. Do you have experience with this publisher? If so, I'm interesting in your opinions about their work, how academic the articles are, if at all, and whether you picked up on any political or religious leanings. [more inside]
posted by happy_cat at 8:09 PM PST - 3 comments

Are there innocuous questions that will identify young men who have been infected by regressive and repellent engrams? [more inside]
posted by porpoise at 7:25 PM PST - 29 comments

Mainly going potty outside. I may adopt a senior. [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 at 7:16 PM PST - 6 comments

Back story!

This past year, I have been blessed to be part of an eclectic online Movie Club group. Our ages span three decades. Our backgrounds are all radically different. We cross three time zones. And yet, for the past 12 months, we gather every Wednesday night to talk about a movie that one of us has chosen for the group to view. They have become cherished members of my world. [more inside]
posted by Silvery Fish at 3:52 PM PST - 12 comments

Headache is bad, want to take Ibuprofen for the headache, then NyQuil severe tonight, but not sure if it's safe (seems the baseline is ~4 hours?)? Took a full 30ml DayQuil earlier this afternoon. Kaiser advice nurse was useless — asked what the ingredients are in NyQuil. After Googling this, was told to call. I'm Deaf, so calling is a hassle. I'm annoyed, cranky, in pain. Please advise, and yes, I know, YANMD, but this should be a simple straightforward question. Tried Googling but Google sucks these days.
posted by dubious_dude at 3:41 PM PST - 16 comments

My friend wants to sign me up to help people sign up for Employee Retention Credit from the government. We get commission by getting companies government funds to pay for employees or something. We get 2.5% commission. He showed me a statement that he made over 20k recently. He said if he signs me up, he gets equal share of my commission but it comes out of the government's pockets. Is this a scam?
posted by maxexam at 2:43 PM PST - 9 comments

My landlord wants me to electronically transfer money to his account each month for rent, and he has given me his bank name, company name, account number, and routing number (ABA number). How do I do this without paying a wire transfer fee? [more inside]
posted by twelve cent archie at 2:16 PM PST - 16 comments

A friend is moving soon (likely within 6-8 weeks), but is living with a roommate who has shown concerning behavior. This friend needs to take a trip and will be gone for10 days, and would like to lock their room to protect their belongings. The doors have no locks, and the letting agency has refused to add any. A local handyman they contacted estimated 250€ for putting a lock on the door. I'm trying to come up with a makeshift solution for them, and would appreciate ideas. [more inside]
posted by unid41 at 1:31 PM PST - 11 comments

When I was much younger, I watched a show called Square One on PBS. I've managed to find an episode or two on Youtube, but I'm wondering if there's anywhere to access the complete series?
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 12:47 PM PST - 17 comments

Had an interview today for a (mostly admin) coordinator role working the the state I reside in (Southeast USA). I flubbed a fairly easy question at beginning, tried to reference it a little at the end, and left not feeling good about the result. Because it’s a state position, I know there won’t be a second interview, it’s just interview, (decision), reference check and offer. A thank you email is the only way to address it. Should I? And if so, how? [more inside]
posted by raccoon409 at 12:20 PM PST - 14 comments

I want to bake stollen. I have baked yeasted bread before, just nothing like this. The recipe I have has a step that goes "work butter and remaining flour together; knead into risen dough." I have no idea of the correct way to do this step. [more inside]
posted by Crystal Fox at 11:58 AM PST - 8 comments

I (45F) have been together with my partner (44M) for nearly three years. He's never introduced me to his parents. [more inside]
posted by (F)utility at 11:21 AM PST - 68 comments

Yesterday I took my cat Harley into the vet. There were a lot of recommendations and I don't know how well I did fielding them. This question is about (a) making better decisions under pressure at the vet's office and (b) generally does my vet seem to be acting more or less reasonably. Not asking for vetinary advice. Details inside. [more inside]
posted by bluesky78987 at 11:05 AM PST - 10 comments

I have an either too-specific or too-vague request for art/media about the feeling of imagining the many lives of people one sees as one passes through a busy street, or generally in a dense place... [more inside]
posted by nightcoast at 10:47 AM PST - 22 comments

My workplace’s cybersecurity training provider heavily emphasizes the problem of cyber criminals sneaking around companies’ sidewalks and parking garages, leaving malware-infected USB drives on the ground. This is supposedly meant to trick unsuspecting employees into plugging them in and giving the bad guys access to the company’s network. I have never heard of this happening in real life and it seems like a really inefficient way to do crime - is this a genuine risk or a creative hook to keep trainees awake?
posted by centrifugal at 10:39 AM PST - 22 comments

I have a friend who makes soap. I'd like to give her a book with pretty picturesof different kinds of soap, perhaps in a "soaps of the world" kind of way. Searching for this gives me either soap-making or soap opera books. Do you know how to find what I want? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 10:34 AM PST - 2 comments

My friend looked up a potential Investment Advisor on the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website and Broker Check/FINRA. [more inside]
posted by ebesan at 10:11 AM PST - 3 comments

I really like bullet journaling, but I also want a monthly view with actual dates that I do not have to draw/fill in myself. Is there anything like a blank journal that has a separate section that is monthly planner for the actual year? I suppose I could DIY it with a binder and a print-out of the months, but would prefer to buy something pretty for inspiration.
posted by haptic_avenger at 7:40 AM PST - 10 comments

This London Explorer Girl will be exploring New York City for a long weekend next weekend (Thurs - Mon). Looking for a spot of dancing, ideally a funk/soul night - any night of my stay. Basically I'm after some funky music with good vibes. I'm not LGBT+ but open to anywhere with nice atmosphere! Staying in Brooklyn but ok to travel by metro. Know a good spot? [more inside]
posted by london explorer girl at 7:16 AM PST - 6 comments

i (25 F if that matters) recently moved to another country for graduate school. i've met people i'd like to befriend but am not sure how to do so for reasons both to do with myself and the circumstances. please help! [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:04 AM PST - 13 comments

I am assembling a podcast that will be available to a small, private audience. I have access to web space, so I was planning to host it locally and share an RSS link. So the challenge is updating the RSS feed each time an episode is added. I'm familiar with the syntax and could code my own tool, but this has to be a solved problem. Is there software (preferably free) that can generate the RSS files easily?
posted by LSK at 6:02 AM PST - 2 comments

I have been messing around with photo editing programs for 20 years. I can basically follow the menus and change shapes, insert text, copy and paste, mess with hues and maybe use a matte. But their deep magic still eludes me. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind at 1:42 AM PST - 7 comments