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I have a 14.4v Ryobi cordless drill for which the battery just gave up. I have replaced the drill because I really need a hammer drill and not just a driver, but what do I do with the old drill now? [more inside]
posted by fedward at 4:10 PM - 11 answers

I don't know where I heard/read this, but it may have been on MetaFilter. I'm trying to find a recent (< 2 years old) news piece about a new invention, company or discovery, where there was a woman central to that invention but excluded from the narrative about it. There was a separate, meta, essay/investigation piece about why. Trying to Google to no avail. [more inside]
posted by rogerroger at 9:34 AM - 21 answers

I was named as the father. I did the DNA test. It's mine. Now I'll be paying all associated support the court names. However I've been basically keeping this to myself. The question is, how long does that last? If you're named as a father on a birth certificate, how long till that shows up in Ancestry.com (where my sister and I share an account)? Or, for that matter, other publicly searchable databases? I just want to know how much time I have til I have to tell my own family.
posted by anonymous at 11:48 AM - 9 answers

I've never made an inter-state (let alone cross-country) move as an adult. What are some things we should not pack? [more inside]
posted by wintersweet at 2:55 PM - 29 answers

What is this weird plastic thing? The red straps (there's one on each end) have elastic rubber rings that you hook into those eyelets. Any clue? [more inside]
posted by some loser at 7:31 PM - 17 answers

I bought a bag of 450 grs of wheat starch, because I was not paying attention and thought it was wheat gluten. How can I put it to use? [more inside]
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:41 PM - 5 answers

Are there any apps that help you organize your stuff when you move? I don't even know what I'm envisioning here, but maybe something that helps you feed a box label number and a photo into a spreadsheet, or something. An app with both iOS and iPad versions that talk to each other would be nice; bonus points if there's also a web interface. (If you have a killer DIY method that a person with ADD and too much stuff could use, I'm open to that, too.)
posted by wintersweet at 12:35 PM - 4 answers

I stayed at the Wynn Las Vegas for a conference. I brought my own pillow and also an old cell phone that I use as a backup alarm. I realized as I was checking out that they were missing. I'm sure they got swept up in the bedding when housekeeping changed the sheets. Hotel can't find them, it's been 2 weeks so I'm sure they're long gone. They won't reimburse me. Do I have any recourse? [more inside]
posted by radioamy at 4:30 PM - 11 answers

I'm looking for a single bag to replace the 3 bags I currently use. [more inside]
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 12:24 AM - 5 answers

I, a white Angeleno, have been invited to a Guatemalan funeral. Please help me understand the invitation (in Spanish) and the associated customs. [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:52 AM - 6 answers

I need research help please - how can I figure out what car/scooter/bike decals are popular outside of the West? I'm specifically interested in the Philippines, India and Vietnam. [more inside]
posted by kitcat at 8:18 AM - 4 answers

Please help me find coffee mugs for fake colleges and universities. I'm looking for otherwise normal looking mugs, ideally highlighting a place from media or popular culture, like this one from Hogwarts. I'm not looking for parodies of real institutions, like this one for Harvard Law. Subtler is better, as this is for a long-term practical joke. What do you recommend?
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 7:17 AM - 33 answers

So I got my enamel pins made. Now I have them and I need to mail them to their recipients, about 230 people all around the world. I am having a hard time from my googling figuring out like literally how do I do this. [more inside]
posted by bleep at 11:32 AM - 16 answers

While cleaning up my garage today, I found a short white plastic threaded tube hiding in a pile of leaves. Here's a photo. It's about 2 inches long and has a slot at the top that looks like it's intended to receive a rod that could be used to adjust the screw. It has a little bit of white grease on it and a few black smudges. Any idea what it is?
posted by brianogilvie at 10:20 AM - 2 answers

In 2008, I came across a bizarre billboard whilst walking on the Cornish coast. I've always wondered what it was advertising. [more inside]
posted by aihal at 8:38 AM - 40 answers

My kiddo will be turning 3 soon. We're planning on a laid-back party: grilling out at a city park and inviting other kiddos and parents. The kiddo is really into both unicorns and dragons right now. Help me brainstorm several inexpensive ideas for incorporating dragons & unicorns into the celebration.
posted by duffell at 7:37 PM - 17 answers

What is this wooden object? It appears to have some sort of seat, and a drawer for storage, but I'm clueless (and curious) as to its purpose. It wasn't very tall, seemed very solidly built. (And no, the tag didn't say what it was, I looked.)
posted by stormyteal at 6:03 PM - 11 answers

In a hot mug of liquid, is the liquid at the top hotter or cooler than the liquid at the bottom?
posted by griphus at 11:32 AM - 17 answers

From my Chicago window, I can see a huge plume of smoke rising from, I think, a fire. It looks like it's in Bucktown maybe. Is there any way to find out what's going on? I already tried checking major news sites.
posted by amtho at 3:22 PM - 4 answers

In the text of Exodus, the Plague of Frogs creeps up from the Nile. But many people imagine that scene as a rain of frogs instead, and a lot of Sunday school coloring books and cartoons and other bits of pop culture ephemera draw it that way. What's the history there? Who depicted it that way first? What other artists, writers, movies, etc. helped spread that depiction? [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:52 AM - 10 answers