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There is an out-of-print woodworking book on puzzle boxes that I would like to buy as a gift for my father, an award-winning woodworker. However, the cheapest copy I can find online is +$80. There is a $14.99 Kindle version, but that won't do for Dad Swan, who doesn't own or use any internet devices. Is there a cost-efficient way to have the Kindle version printed in full colour? (My printer is least 18 years old and is only up to the job of printing word documents, so that's not an option.)
posted by orange swan at 4:02 PM - 7 answers

I went to see a play recently and managed to catch a couple of Fox's Glacier Fruits that an actor threw into the audience. I know the perishability of boiled sweets might make this impossible, but can you help me brainstorm an offbeat way to preserve and display them? [more inside]
posted by Orkney Vole at 1:35 PM - 7 answers

[UK filter] Did some grocery shopping at a supermarket. Bought approx 10 items which were roughly £2-5 each with a total of £40. Paid by credit card. Came home, checked the receipt and lo behold, I paid for (but did not receive) a food luxury item that cost £10! Let's assume this was deliberate and not a mistake. How did the cashier steal from me? [more inside]
posted by moiraine at 4:10 AM - 17 answers

I've been travelling for a month, and am desperate to sleep in my old, familiar bed under my old familiar sheets, not the too-firm mattress with the too-thick duvet and too-thin pillow that I'm sleeping on tonight. Which got me thinking; Bill Gates and the Pope travel a fair bit, is this a problem we share? [more inside]
posted by Superilla at 3:17 PM - 14 answers

I have two nephews (ages 3 and 6) who love Halloween. Since they live in LA and don't have a ton of opportunities for autumnal activities, I wanted to send them a care package themed on the five senses of Halloween. It would contain small gifts and experiences that can be spaced out over the month of October to help them get excited for the holiday and season. Examples inside. [more inside]
posted by egeanin at 10:25 AM - 11 answers

Which musical artist/group is named ___ACH BRY___ and played Dublin on April 18, 2023? [more inside]
posted by Pater Aletheias at 1:35 PM - 4 answers

Apologies if this question comes off silly, but the other day I was in a public bathroom stall and saw a small scribble and it struck me that it had been years since I'd seen bathroom graffiti. Of course, I've also been in less public bathrooms due to the pandemic. On the other hand, given that bathroom graffiti was always at least partly a product of idleness, and now many people bring their phones everywhere, a decrease in bathroom graffiti seems plausible. Particularly keen to hear from Mefites who are Gen X and older, but all observations welcome.
posted by coffeecat at 7:50 AM - 16 answers

I have a perfume oil that comes in a somewhat leaky glass bottle with a twist-off cap. The slight leakiness is fine at home, I just keep it on a tray--but I'd like to transfer at least some of this oil into a more secure container for travel. Do you know of a good container for this? Googling produces a dizzying array of options and I have no idea which ones are trash. Note: would prefer not an atomizer nor a rollerball, as both end up overapplying this particular oil.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:47 AM - 9 answers

If you are a person of limited mobility who does not drive, how are you getting your USPS packages? [more inside]
posted by A Fine Kettle of Socks at 6:23 PM - 6 answers

What's the perfect hand-carved wooden gift for a beekeeper? [more inside]
posted by saladin at 12:22 PM - 13 answers

I have a 2012 Honda CRZ and the alarm has been randomly going off. Can I disable it without involving a mechanic and opening my wallet? [more inside]
posted by archimago at 11:50 AM - 9 answers

I'm searching for the most Un-tacticool MOLLE compatible bags and pouches. [more inside]
posted by furnace.heart at 11:26 AM - 12 answers

I'm back, baby. Once again seeking group feedback from MeFites who can ask their real, human children: what atypical things would you like to trick or treat this year? [more inside]
posted by phunniemee at 7:56 AM - 21 answers

#metafilterfundraiser2023 I finally figured out my chatfilter question! [more inside]
posted by Jenny'sCricket at 2:45 PM - 49 answers

Can you recommend a good, inexpensive pen that you've bought recently so you know it's still good? I had liked the uni ball jetstream, but the last time I bought a box they were all gloppy with lots of mess. I want something with a nice fine point for writing in a notebook.
posted by swheatie at 11:51 AM - 38 answers

#metafilterfundraiser2023 As things in my life arise, I often find it helpful to think about what advice would be useful and how I'd frame the question to strangers on the internet, aka Metafilter. I'll work out which info is pertinent and which is superfluous. And then I... just never actually post the question. Maybe I'm anxious about posting, maybe I get distracted, who knows. But I've periodically wondered if I'm not alone, if other folks also are wandering around composing questions to ask the Hive Mind and finding just this thinking helpful. [more inside]
posted by wyzewoman at 7:04 AM - 32 answers

I am at an event that is using those light bulb letters. In the room the individual bulbs are clearly visible. But on screen with the video feeds on the monitors the letters are just a solid white. Why? How? [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 9:54 AM - 7 answers

Getting notifications for packages I didn't order that claim to be delivered but don't exist - is this a scam or stolen mail? [more inside]
posted by leslies at 8:43 AM - 7 answers

My son has a backpack he loves. It's cheap. It's made of some kind of vinyl-ish material on the inside and something with a look like a canvas-y fabric on the outside but based on the way it's wearing, I think this is actually just fibres (maybe the kind the softer re-usable shopping cards are made of) sprayed on to the vinyl with an adhesive in between. I'm thinking of buying him a second identical backpack. How do I keep it from falling part like the first? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:53 PM - 6 answers

Link to the image. Or are the markings just decorative? I can't figure it out. It's just a circle of glass otherwise.
posted by Borborygmus at 8:45 AM - 5 answers