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Looking at house listings across the US on realtor.com has been pandemic entertainment for my sister and me. We want to make a game of it with a scavenger hunt and need help coming up with things to find in real estate pictures. There's a preference for items that aren't necessarily found only in high-end homes but otherwise anything goes. So far, we've got things on our list like dishes in the sink, a corded wall phone, bunk beds, a cat tree, a room painted purple, etc. Please suggest some others!
posted by DrGail at 1:13 PM - 55 answers

I'm sending wedding invitations and would like to create the look of multiple vintage stamps, but more affordably with one real stamp and stickers printed like vintage stamps. Will the USPS mail my invites if the envelopes have stickers on them, near the real stamp?
posted by Phatty Lumpkin at 8:05 PM - 12 answers

How are concrete structures like these made? Are they poured in place with towering forms or are they built from discrete pieces?
posted by donpardo at 1:51 PM - 8 answers

Looking at my recent bank statement, I received a refund from this merchant: GOOGLE*CABLE TV OR RAD SUPPORT.GOOGLCA. I've never heard of this entity before and a google search was not productive. I presume 'CA' stands for California and not Canada, but I could be wrong. [more inside]
posted by kinoeye at 10:46 AM - 6 answers

I get tremors when I try to hand write and the more I try to stop them the worse it gets - probably a mental thing. Pencil works way better for me than ink in this regard but is there a style of pen that might help?
posted by ftm at 8:56 AM - 6 answers

Can you help me make a list of 20 quirky things to photograph while walking around a city? [more inside]
posted by Omnomnom at 4:32 AM - 27 answers

I have two family members (wife/husband) in their early 70's going thru chemo at the same time, alternate weeks. I'd like to send a "thinking of you" package. They of course say they don't want or need anything, are not hungry. Can you suggest perhaps hard candies, sweets (I know chemo affects taste?) and perhaps games or fiddly/fidget things to amuse for the long hours of infusions? Thanks so much! <3
posted by alwayson_slightlyoff at 12:33 PM - 13 answers

Thanks to the ongoing pandemic and super slow rate of vaccinations in my province, weddings are still restricted to 10 people or less, including the officiant. We have a venue booked for 2 hours. What are we supposed to do with those 2 hours? [more inside]
posted by keep it under cover at 11:24 PM - 9 answers

Our family have taken to bringing a grabber thing on walks so that we can pick up garbage. We do not have a non-gross way of holding the (small) bag. What works for you? [more inside]
posted by Acari at 11:07 AM - 9 answers

I have a set of speakers (Philips CSS 5530) and they have some sort of mounting holes on the bottom, but I know nothing about speakers and without the right terms I can't find matching stands/mounts anywhere. Please help identify this mounting standard. [more inside]
posted by tiamat at 5:51 PM - 4 answers

I want to send my sister-in-law in Oakland CA flowers on her birthday. Can you recommend anyplace that does pretty, creative arrangements, and isn't over the top expensive?
posted by swheatie at 6:44 AM - 6 answers

DCist tweeted someone saying, "I guess I’m vaccinated so I don’t have to wear a mask outside but … I really don’t want people to think I’m a Republican." Ted Cruz responded, "Speaks volumes." I don't get how Cruz meant that. I get how those words could be interpreted from a progressive politician critical of the GOP, but obviously that's not Cruz meant it. So I'm finding myself curious almost from a rebus/"word problem" perspective how to interpret that in a GOP-ish way.
posted by metabaroque at 2:51 PM - 11 answers

I have a number of boxes of books from my childhood and high school years. Many have been sold or given away; the ones that are left are books that would not be good choices for donation/resale (e.g. very old versions of reference works, books that have been written in extensively, books that handle their subject matter poorly.) What is the best way to responsibly get rid of these? Can we just put them in the recycling?
posted by LSK at 6:42 PM - 13 answers

Nazis, and fascists more generally, are a familiar historical/cultural trope that we often use to think about current events. What historical models did people at the time use to make sense of them? [more inside]
posted by zeri at 4:07 PM - 15 answers

I'm doing some research into an oral history story that says: person X was a slave-owner/enslaver who, at the outbreak of the Civil War, was so outraged by secession that he freed his slaves and joined the Union Army. Are there confirmed real stories of this happening? Or were there fictional/popular stories like this, that might've been the source of a trope that got incorporated into this family myth?
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:36 AM - 10 answers

A close co-worker (Stacey) is pregnant and I'm co-planning a virtual baby shower for her. The event is about a month away. This is not my thing, so would love your tips/suggestions on the virtual part. [more inside]
posted by widdershins at 10:13 AM - 12 answers

What can I do with 5 liters of rancid, deodorised coconut oil? [more inside]
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 6:05 AM - 9 answers

I want some very large waterproof material that will hold creases, and can be folded/unfolded lots of times without breaking. Bonus points for not plastic or other petrochemicals. [more inside]
posted by sibilatorix at 9:48 PM - 9 answers

It seems like many of the city and state-run vaccination sites in New York City have their own custom stickers. Is there an online gallery somewhere where I can see all the sticker varieties? [more inside]
posted by Fuego at 1:09 PM - 3 answers

Asking for a friend, who is having to sadly plan a relative's funeral. She's after some nice poems or readings to choose from, that befit someone who didn't practise a religion. They may be especially fitting if there's some reference to travel, which was one of the relative's main interests. Thanks for any suggestions!
posted by FifteenShocks at 12:52 PM - 15 answers