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So my kid really loves toys that have a lot of switches or buttons that, when activated, give an immediate response, either visually or through a short sound. [more inside]
posted by thelasttango at 11:23 AM - 3 answers

Many of my coworkers are having existential crises right now and I guess it's my turn. We work in the fitness industry, though I am hopefully leaving for a different space in about a month that I like and care about. However, I don't feel like I have anything outside of work that makes me go, yeah, my life has meaning. If you've been through your own crisis of faith, what helped you move forward and find what gives you life? [more inside]
posted by Hermione Granger at 10:23 PM - 21 answers

For Reasons, I have several pounds of baking soda. What can I do with it that doesn’t involve baking, a craft, or a science experiment?
posted by bookmammal at 5:50 AM - 27 answers

I'm looking for essentially a clear stiff ribbon about 3/16" - 3/8" wide, and at least three feet long (a roll of a few yards would be better). I'd love silicone, but I can only find super thin/stretchy elastic, and that will be too difficult for my use case: using it with some thin double-sided tape to slightly extend the edge of glass terrarium doors. [more inside]
posted by amtho at 10:35 PM - 8 answers

On Saturday night, I had a frustrating and confusing experience that I'm trying to unpack. I also have a short video of someone doing something uncool-but-not-illegal, and I don't know what to do with that, either. [more inside]
posted by Mayor West at 7:02 AM - 24 answers

I've come to terms with the fact that Covid isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and rather than planning out how my family is going to survive the next 3 months or 6 months (because going back to "normal" is just around the bend!), we should make a plan for what the next 3-5 years with covid is going to look like for us. We are on the more cautious side, and plan to stay so. Have you done this? What decisions have you made? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 8:26 AM - 31 answers

I've long believed that parking lots and urban road systems are designed by people who do not drive. After reading this from the Blue, and her comment that the kitchen was designed by someone who doesn't cook, I'm looking for the critical equivalent for roads and parking lots. [more inside]
posted by archimago at 8:06 AM - 18 answers

I just found out today that while Ellis Island technically closed in 1954, the concept of "Ellis Island" as an "immigrant inspection station" that most people were taught in school in the US essentially ended in 1924 due to changes in the law. But we were always taught 1954. This came as a shock to me, since several family members emigrated to the US (specifically NYC!) in 1925-1954, and I always assumed they must have passed through Ellis Island. Putting aside simple pedantry (as in this awesome thread), "common misconceptions", tall tales that our parents taught us, and of course any political/religious issues, what are some other common oversimplifications that are at least partly true but misleading?
posted by Seeking Direction at 5:54 PM - 21 answers

My kid would like to make a few t-shirts of their own design, to raise money for a specific good cause. Is there a company that will do all the hard stuff for us? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:47 PM - 6 answers

A while back - time has lost all meaning - I read an article online that was about how to improve your self-image and self-confidence. The gist of the article was to move through life as though everyone finds you irresistible. Does this ring any bells? [more inside]
posted by VioletU at 2:26 PM - 2 answers

There existed a Javascript bookmarklet of the John Gruber Title Case code, which title-cases but takes into account those parts of speech you're not supposed to capitalize in a title. I can no longer find the right Google terms to surface that bookmarklet. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
posted by WCityMike2 at 6:16 PM - 5 answers

Today we were driving through Colorado. A truck with a big American flag pulled in front of us and had a white sticker that said “Riders of the Storm - 2021” above an American flag. It almost looked like a political campaign sticker based on the design. When we Google that phrase and year, nothing pops up except “riders of the storm” which is not tied to any political or American campaign that we could find. We wondered if it was part of the people who “stormed” the Capitol in January? Does anyone know what the sticker means?
posted by buttonedup at 5:06 PM - 9 answers

My husband waterproofed our new sneakers on the terrace (using some generic spray). Within half an hour, our shoes were crawling with slugs. Like, 5 slugs on each shoe! Why??
posted by Omnomnom at 7:52 AM - 3 answers

Would it be appropriating or offensive to get a tattoo in the style of a tarot card when I am not interested in tarot readings or a believer in divination? Would this be akin to intruding on another's religion, culture, or language? [more inside]
posted by BespokePuppet at 2:10 PM - 13 answers

I graduated college in spring 2020 and have been living with my parents for a year now. I'm non-binary, but not out to my parents. I'm unemployed and feel ashamed about the time I've wasted over the past year. I don't feel comfortable moving forward with HRT until I move out, which is frustrating. Recently I've been working on improving my mental health, but I feel overwhelmed by the possibilities for living independently. How can I make myself weigh the pros and cons, avoid procrastinating, and decide? [more inside]
posted by Lurch at 12:28 PM - 15 answers

I regularly host a quiz night at my local pub, and I like to include a "what's the secret connection?" round in each quiz. In these rounds, I ask nine disparate general knowledge questions, the answers to which all have a hidden connection, and then the last question is "what's the connection between the previous answers?" I've done it a few times now and I'm running out of ideas for the secret themes. Do you have any ideas? [more inside]
posted by littlegreen at 7:00 AM - 31 answers

Who is the woman between Groucho Marx and W.C. Fields on the cover of the Portable Curmudgeon? [more inside]
posted by Pater Aletheias at 4:28 PM - 4 answers

I've been gifted a 2001 Hyundai XG300 4 door sedan [!] and I need to get a local mechanic to whip it into shape. [more inside]
posted by Space Kitty at 12:26 PM - 3 answers

We having a camping trip this weekend with some of my daughter's “rising second-grade” class. Wondering if anyone has some good ideas for games of a group of about 10 seven-year-old kids could play together? [more inside]
posted by bitdamaged at 1:50 PM - 10 answers

The darling daughter of one of my dear coworkers has COVID. She's only four, and it looks like it may be hitting her hard. I'm very worried and want to send little things to her via snail mail to keep her company while she recovers. Taking care of her mom in some way is also on my list. What would you recommend? [more inside]
posted by Hermione Granger at 12:13 PM - 11 answers