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Following common best practices, for a long time I've had an entry in my mobile phone called "ICE" for "in case of emergency". And now it occurred to me that a phone entry named "ICE" may be misinterpreted. Is it still considered best practice to call it ICE, or should I change it to something else? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 9:29 PM - 20 answers

I am interested in putting a dresser under an air conditioner (a mini-split ductless, what is essentially a window a/c). The a/c is run 8 hours most days and there will be 3-5' of clearance between the a/c and the dresser. Will a wood dresser develop damage over time due to mildew, condensation or something else?
posted by arnicae at 2:57 PM - 5 answers

Downsizing for a move, so a lot has to go into storage. Wondering what would be the best way to position free standing shelves. [more inside]
posted by Sophont at 7:06 AM - 4 answers

I sent a package through USPS to a friend. When she opened it, there were additional items I had not put in it and had never seen before. We are both baffled. Help us solve this mystery! [more inside]
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 2:56 PM - 11 answers

What slogans or sayings have you found particularly helpful in some way in the course of your life? [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:32 PM - 104 answers

If you had an event that started at midnight/00:00 at UTC +14 and ended at 11:59pm/23:59 of that same day in UTC -12 (from the Easternmost timezone to the Westernmost timezone), how many hours is that event total?
posted by divabat at 6:49 AM - 4 answers

What's in almond croissants that's not in the base ingredients? It seems almond croissants are a trigger for my migraines (and a terrible one at that) but I don't have any problem with the component ingredients. Is there something I'm missing that might be triggering the migraines? [more inside]
posted by stillmoving at 1:15 PM - 15 answers

I have large breasts. Both in my cleavage (impossible to fully separate due to size) and under my breasts. I've heard deodorant clogs your pores, but it's the only thing that at least kinda works. Would different material help? Any ideas to reduce the sweating would be great.
posted by Aranquis at 12:38 PM - 19 answers

I have an old olive oil label (printed in German), seemingly from the first half of the 1900s. The printer's name appears in small print at the bottom "Lit. Baurengarten Kunstanst, Munchen". I would like to know when this print shop was in operation to get a better estimate of the label's age. My Google searches have come up empty.
posted by kirsti at 10:08 AM - 13 answers

I know a lot of forums have migrated onto Facebook or shut down altogether these days, but I still prefer the interface of forums. Can you recommend some forums or other discussion spaces online, such as blogs with lively comment sections, that have intelligent, high-quality conversations? [more inside]
posted by tiger tiger at 7:59 AM - 15 answers

I have my university library VPN for only a few more weeks, and I want to take advantage of it while I still can. What are some journal articles (and similarly restricted stuff) that you'd recommend in the social sciences or history? [more inside]
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 7:52 AM - 4 answers

I own an independent movie theater. Google (and other on-line movie sites) have been showing an incorrect movie schedule for the last three weeks. How do I fix this? [more inside]
posted by JD Sockinger at 10:25 AM - 7 answers

I feel it’s something to do with horses, but I can’t for the life of me figure it out! It looks like a “B” turned 90 degrees clockwise with a gap between the two “loops”, and it’s usually on older homes. I’ve seen it both in New England and in Pennsylvania. Also, what does it mean, if anything?
posted by Seeking Direction at 9:44 PM - 8 answers

Please help me write an email to fire my daughter's piano teacher. I'm a more than a little angry with him and I can't figure out if I want to let that come through in the email, or whether it's best to let it go. [more inside]
posted by kitcat at 10:11 AM - 85 answers

I'm going on a couple of international flights this summer. Please suggest excellent books and audiobooks! Snowflakes inside. [more inside]
posted by woodvine at 4:39 AM - 30 answers

Hive mind...Anyone know whether (or how I'd find out whether) there were issues with power outages in Rio today? Are power outages common there? I didn't see anything on news sites like Rio Times Online, but am in the US and reading only the English-language version of Rio websites, so am completely in the dark about whether I've got the full story.
posted by quinoa at 5:16 PM - 6 answers

The amount of time I give myself for making journeys is generally way out of tune with what I actually need- I'm chronically early to everything. Google Maps helps to some degree but I still overestimate the window I need. How can I get more comfortable with a smaller 'window'? Is there a ratio of Google estimate to spare time I can adopt? [more inside]
posted by threetwentytwo at 9:26 AM - 11 answers

At the end of the Ubisoft E3 show they play a song as all the presenters walk out and thank the crowd or whatever. Here's a link to the part of the video. I can't figure out what it is and it's been bugging me since. [more inside]
posted by DynamiteToast at 7:19 AM - 2 answers

What is the name of, or quick (1 or 2 word?) way to describe, the kind of handwritten lettering, often on signs made by kids etc., where the letters are drawn as outlines, that is, the center of the letter is empty space and the outline forms the letter?
posted by velveeta underground at 6:54 AM - 12 answers

Mrs. W and I are going to Vermont for four days at the end of July. [more inside]
posted by wittgenstein at 2:35 PM - 7 answers