These questions have answers marked "best" by the asker.
June 3
Can anyone ID the name of this artist?
I've been trying different variations for an hour or so with no luck. [more inside]
Do I need to suck it up and buy a soaker hose?
I paid a bunch of money to have four giant arborvitae planted on April 5, and apparently it doesn't rain in Michigan anymore. More inside. [more inside]
I'm thinking about taking another stab at trying to stop drinking.
I'm an alchoholic binge drinker. I drink way more than I should on the weekend. I am looking for something that can take the place of beer, but the catch is that I want it to sorta achieve the same feeling of being drunk. I know I should actually replace it with something like exercize or a passionate hobby, but I am NOT at that stage, and I also NEED to stop drinking. [more inside]
June 2
What is the word for a male, patient attendant?
So, I mean what is the word if let's say at a hospital etc., on the intercom, or in verbal exchange, there is "We need a .... in here ASAP", what word goes in the blank instead of "a patient attendant who is male/someone who can handle heavy patient."
How's this adapter thingy called?
I need to buy this little thing but I don't know its name! [more inside]
I need a break. Difficulty Level: 6 year old and Dog Highway-Phobic
I'm in Toronto. I really want to go away this weekend. I have a 6 year old and a dog. Where can we go? Oh, and I'm scared of driving on highways if we're anywhere near Toronto (like two lanes of divided highway with no traffic, fine...but traffic or trucks...no way, no how). My son's passport is expired. We do not have camping equipment here (we own some, but not a tent and it's stored at my friend's house and she's out of town). Is there somewhere my kid, my dog, and I could go? I can drive for maybe 2 hours. [more inside]
Orthodontics non-compliance shame and next steps
About two years ago, I decided to take advantage of the sudden work-from-home situation and start Invisalign. I found an orthodontist nearby and initiated treatment. Now, two+ years and two failed attempts later, and I'm wondering what my options are. [more inside]
iPhone Message Shortcut for Send Button
Another iPhone question: A few iOS' ago, the send button pulled up shortcuts to recent iMessage chats. It no longer does this. Help me get it back. [more inside]
Is there a way to bookmark channels in YouTube without subscribing?
Is there a way to bookmark channels in YouTube without subscribing, or subscribe without videos showing up in subscribe feed? A lot of channels publish far more videos than I want to watch, but I still want to remember the channel and manually visit every once in a while without wading through the flood on my subscribe page.
June 1
catholic churches in chicago?
i'm looking for a unicorn of a catholic parish in chicago. snowflakes inside. [more inside]
May 31
Heat a volume with a warm mass. How math?
I think I'm trying to do some kind of thermal mass calculation. But I'm not even sure how to approach the equations. [more inside]
Late condolences, a slight variation
How do I best send my condolences to a co-worker when their spouse passed almost 3 months ago? I have a lovely card but have been dithering, procrastinating, overthinking, and genuinely forgetting to write it... now I'm worried it is almost offensively late. [more inside]
Misused English words/terms maybe leading to death?
What are some of the most misused English words/terms which could potentially lead to serious consequences, even death?
Short story about a man thwarted and framed by automated support system
Trying to remember a sci-fi story I read decades ago about a man trying to resolve some issue (with tech support?) but is thwarted by the automated system. [more inside]
Track lighting & lightbulbs, advice needed
Can this track lighting fixture use this IKEA LED bulb? Neither one has been ordered yet. [more inside]
Portable music player without Internet Connection
I am looking for a portable music player / mp3 player without internet connection. As the Last Ask is from 2018, I hope it is okay.
I do not use Spotify etc and will end my YouTube music subscription.
I hate those unsolicited suggestions i get by using YouTube music in my phone with a passion. [more inside]
Why do people play video games centered on misery?
I'm mystified by the idea that people would spend a significant amount of time playing a video game, ostensibly for fun, that promises sadness and misery. I regularly see comments from users that a game "wrecked" them, made them re-experience past grief or sadness, etc., and it makes no sense to me: what is the pleasure in feeling bad in a game? I'm familiar with the idea that games can and should provide different kinds of experiences and have goals much different from AAA-fests. [more inside]
are there any UK clothing brands which make frilly, girly clothing?
I love the look of Japanese brands such as Ank Rouge and Axes Femme. Living in the UK, though, means I have to import the clothes which is expensive and not at all eco-friendly. Are there any brands local to me which produce and sell similar clothes? [more inside]
Little Computer People's 256 names?
The 1985 Activision title Little Computer People generated a unique, immutable name for the Sims-like character it shipped with. I have always wondered what all the possible names and traits were. There are references online to drawing from a "list of 256 names." Has this list been published?
May 30
Higher Ed Under Fire
I'm looking for a list and related reading about colleges, universities and community colleges which are currently going through big shake ups due to primarily right wing Board takeovers. I know about North Idaho College and New College in Florida. I suspect there are quite a few more. Is anyone tracking them? TIA! [more inside]
Last minute birthday gift by mail for college student
We kind of blew it and didn't shop or pre-plan any birthday gifts for my college age daughter! Aside from gift certificates and Door Dash, what can I send her that is a physical gift that will arrive by Saturday? [more inside]
Help me remember a film I saw, which included a Romani wedding
This is a fairly recent movie, and I watched it somewhere in the past 5 years. It's nothing to do with the "Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" series, and it's not an Emir Kusturica movie. I'm pretty sure it was subtitled, and takes place in Eastern / Central Europe. Details I remember inside. [more inside]
Looking For Carol's Dress on High Desert
I just watched all of High Desert on Apple TV+ and in Episode 2, the protagonist's friend Carol is wearing a dress that I would love to find. Official photo here. Pics from my tv here, here, and here. [more inside]
poetry podcast / audiobook
I am on paternity leave. This will involve a lot of hanging out with web 6.0. I really enjoy the New Yorker poetry podcast and would like to find something similar to listen to - but I will have a LOT of time: [more inside]
Do writers generally do book tours/how do I find out?
Lorrie Moore has a novel coming out in I think June. I would really like to get my battered copy of Birds of America that I've read a thousand times signed if she does a book tour but do established writers well into their careers even do that? If so, how do I find out where/when?
May 29
What month is this issue of An-An (Elle Japon) from 1974 from?
I don't have any knowledge of Japanese, is there anyone who could tell me what month/day (I think this magazine was weekly) this 1974 issue of An-An (Elle Japon) is from?
Hooked on Phonics: App or Books?
Considering buying Hooked on Phonics for a 5 y/o and having a hard time choosing between the books and the app. [more inside]
Do I stay or do I go: I get paid to do almost nothing edition
I have what some of my friends call a "dream job": I get paid a fair amount of money to show up and be available, but have very little work during the day. However, job is also a complete dead end: despite glowing performance reviews every year, I keep getting passed up, not only for opportunities for more responsibility, but for extra work that falls within my current job description. Do I stay long enough to finish the masters my job is paying 50% of, or leave as soon as I can find something more promising? [more inside]
Woodworkers / DIYers of MetaFilter - what's this basement window latch?
I'm making some replacement screen windows for my basement, which has been a fun learning process. The one thing I'm hung up on is getting replacement window latches. They're like bowtie latches, but the right hand side of it is ~1/3 - 1/2" offset from the other to fit over the window frame. [more inside]
Which Doctor?
YANMD. But I need some advice.
I think I have finally figured out why I’ve been having so many asthma flare-ups over the past three years. But which doctor should I enlist to help me address this issue? [more inside]
who sent this in, and from where?
This is a handwritten note that accompanies a mycological exsiccata in the herbarium at Vienna. The first line reads "Aseroe [or Ascroe] rubra Labill" a Tasmanian species of fungi. The second line begins "from" - but how does it continue? [more inside]
May 28
Organic, grass-fed flank steak in the kitchen, the burner turned "HIGH"
That burner will be red hot in about seven minutes. Thick bottom, big honkin' pan. I know to sear it, both sides, and then cook it in ???? for an hour, give or take. I'm thinking a can of tomatoes. 30 minutes in, chop up an onion. I've got this really great great salsa (medium -- why won't they stock hot? And I don't have even one jalapeño. Dang...) Broccoli and some almonds at the end of the show. What else? An egg? Do tell.
Should I get a kimchi fridge as my regular fridge?
I'm looking for an attractive refrigerator that's on the smaller side but has a larger proportion dedicated to freezer space. I've seen great deals on high end Samsung kimchi fridges and supposedly the temperature controls allow some compartments to switch from fridge to freezer temp. Do most Korean households use them for all their refrigerated foods or just fermented stuff? Is there any downside to adapting these to what a typical Western household would freeze/ refrigerate?
Moto E home screen display has vanished
The display of time/date/temp/% of charge that for two years has always been at the top middle of my home screen (after login) suddenly disappeared yesterday. All the normal icons are there, but the display is gone. I have fooled around with it for an entire day now and cannot figure out how to get it back.
You can see what I'm talking about here.
Halp!
Does this scrapbooking service exist?
Looking for an online service I can use to make family memento books, like a photo book BUT with full pages of text and ideally data storage in the finished book to store videos. Does this exist? [more inside]
May 27
Help me keep a senile parent safe online
My friend's father is slowly sliding into senility and can't keep himself safe from scammers, etc. while using his computer. I've recommended a few things to help my friend make their dad's online activities as safe as possible, but this isn't a situation I have much experience with and I wonder if there may be more/better options. All the online articles I can find are too basic and vague to be much use. I'm looking for specific suggestions. [more inside]
Therapist recommendations for Boulder, CO?
A relative of mine is aging and ailing, and has a lot of anger and fear around it. Finally open to therapy. Seeking recommendations for a great in-person (not zoom) therapist in Boulder, CO (or thereabouts) who is taking new clients. [more inside]
May 26
How did the Buddhist temples survive the Cultural Revolution in China?
There are some lovely Buddhist temples in Shanghai and Hangzhou, and there are lots of people praying at them. How did they survive the Cultural Revolution? Considering they are old and religious, one might have thought they'd have been repurposed, or even dismantled.
Who is this double act?
These two illusionists give me a powerfully strong and wonderful old-gay-couple-tired-of-the-others-nonsense vibe. Who are they and how do I see more of their act? (Warning: mechanics of illusions are revealed.)
Ethical ways to correct incorrect gossip?
There's some gossipy chit-chat going on in my circles. I've kept out of it, but now I actually think that might be the morally wrong thing to do. Please help me think through this and plan a (potential) response. [more inside]