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Some years ago I read an article about the history of the YA novel which posited that YA is a marketing term. (Example: The Outsiders probably would have been marketed as a YA novel today but the category didn’t exist then). I’m looking for historical information about YA and middle grade novels. [more inside]
posted by CMcG to Media & Arts at 11:36 AM - 12 answers

Back in when Fat Acceptance was beginning to see an upswell in discourse (blogging etc), probably early 2010s or so, there was a blogger who wrote about her experience nearly dying from lung cancer. [more inside]
posted by The Master and Margarita Mix to Health & Fitness at 11:04 AM - 2 answers

For a long time the younger son has made a hamburger and rice dish using Kitchen Accomplice reduced sodium beef broth concentrate (sorry for the Amazon link), but it appears the manufacturer has gone out of business and it's no longer available. He's tried unconcentrated bullion/broth unsuccessfully. I believe the flavor he achieves is because the stuff is a concentrate. Are there other beef bullion concentrates out there that aren't bullion cubes? We'll be losing a major part of his cooking repertoire soon without it, as we only have half a bottle remaining.
posted by lhauser to Food & Drink at 6:27 PM - 13 answers

Job’s been shaky for a while, and I was laid off today. I would like my next job to have union representation. Thanks in advance for any suggestions re: my next career. [more inside]
posted by FallibleHuman to Work & Money at 4:32 PM - 25 answers

I have basically no hobbies at the moment and don't even really know what I enjoy doing. I'd like to try a bunch of things in order to find out. What are some hobbies or activities or interests I should try, that don't require big startup investments or equipment? [more inside]
posted by specialagentwebb to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 1:47 PM - 43 answers

Can you identify this book series? Science fiction set on a planet which had a fundamentalist religion, and any deviations from it were punished publicly as heresy. The main character questions the religion and discovers it is not true but is a helpful way for the society to understand itself. He ends up becoming a priest of the religion. One of the books may have had "star" in the title. I read it between about 2000 and 2004. Intended audience young adult. [more inside]
posted by paduasoy to Writing & Language at 1:34 PM - 4 answers

My family is revolting…against aubergine. Please share any eggplant recipe you have found delicious that meets the following ultra-niche parameters. [more inside]
posted by warriorqueen to Food & Drink at 12:22 PM - 28 answers

I read an artists' autobiography sometime in the late 90s in which he talks about repeatedly having sex with an overstuffed chair in his parent's New Jersey living room as a teenager. Who is the artist and what is the book? [more inside]
posted by mygothlaundry to Writing & Language at 10:29 AM - 7 answers

I'm selling a house as a co-owner. The other co-owner is my brother, and we don't really get along for various reasons. The house is kind of a family house, so my name is on the title, and I should get half the proceeds. So how does that work? When/How do I need to make sure escrow knows to split the funds so it doesn't all go into my brother's bank account? First time seller...
posted by lostguy to Work & Money at 8:40 AM - 7 answers

I have been locked out of my email unless I put some shady app on my phone... which I refuse to do. Microsoft is no help. Please save me! [more inside]
posted by silverstatue to Computers & Internet at 6:47 AM - 33 answers

I need to close a relative's bank accounts on the east coast and transfer the money to his new accounts on the west coast of the US. Difficulty level: he has no idea how much money is in them and can't access any online tools. [more inside]
posted by mygothlaundry to Grab Bag at 2:46 PM - 10 answers

I WFH. My supervisor is a very high-context communicator. I am *generally* not, and I found myself getting very frustrated on a recent call with how they were 1) explaining something and 2) not hearing what I was saying without me repeating myself. I also find my ears and brain shutting down, and I'm terrified of missing what I actually need to hear. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by OhHaieThere to Work & Money at 12:52 PM - 18 answers

We're staying on the North Carolina coast next week (Wilmington area), and there are seafood markets everywhere. Our vacation rental has a decent kitchen and a propane grill, and we can bring specialized equipment from home if recommended. We love eating seafood, but don't prepare it at home often, and also aren't familiar with what might be especially worth seeking out in a coastal NC area. What should we buy, and how should we cook it? [more inside]
posted by Wavelet to Food & Drink at 10:12 AM - 9 answers

If you always pay your credit cards in full and have no debt, does paying off your current balance instead of your statement balance improve your credit score?
posted by capricorn to Work & Money at 9:42 AM - 21 answers

What are some interesting techniques used for hiding the breathing of "dead" characters on TV and film? I am looking specifically for nitty gritty accounts of the mundane or maybe not so mundane techniques used to tackle what must be a very common issue. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown to Media & Arts at 7:38 AM - 7 answers

I want to buy a tv. Due to an awkward living room space, I'd like to put the tv on a wheeled table and store it out of the way when it's not in use. But most tvs are very tall and thin and seem like they would fall over immediately if I tried to move them this way. [more inside]
posted by stinker to Home & Garden at 6:30 AM - 17 answers

In a world of mass manufacturing and artificialness, I've found myself fascinated by the work of artisans and crafters... people who work with their hands and know what they're doing. I recently stumbled upon some signs that are handcrafted, and I'd love to do something similar. But I have no idea where to start. [more inside]
posted by uncannyslacks to Media & Arts at 6:12 AM - 6 answers

I have a sensitive role where I need the department's group email address to appear for the receiving party in the 'from' field. This needs to be the default. [more inside]
posted by peacay to Computers & Internet at 4:31 AM - 3 answers

What's the best approach for a dad and daughter to spend five days in Maya Riviera in late August? [more inside]
posted by RajahKing to Travel & Transportation at 12:28 PM - 5 answers

Fellow real estate looky-loos, why do super expensive houses have more bathrooms than bedrooms? [more inside]
posted by Kitteh to Home & Garden at 8:37 AM - 23 answers

I am aware that they are likely in a Spanish that would be difficult for me to understand although I generally understand Spanish. [more inside]
posted by Summers to Grab Bag at 6:23 AM - 1 answers

Every day my daughter (six) asks me when tomorrow is. Every day I say "after we sleep". There is some premise underlying how 'tomorrow' works that she has wrong. What is it? [more inside]
posted by kitcat to Grab Bag at 4:49 PM - 51 answers

Please help me develop a polite, pithy, and positive response to the inevitable questions that I will likely receive at my half-brother’s upcoming wedding regarding why I am not in the wedding party. [more inside]
posted by fenwaydirtdog to Human Relations at 11:51 AM - 43 answers

My wife and I have never attended public elementary school, so we have no idea what to expect or how to prepare. Our 6-year-old boy will be the youngest in his 1st grade class, and holding him back was not an option. [more inside]
posted by shrimpetouffee to Education at 10:49 AM - 25 answers

Is there publicly accessible ranking of CompSci peer reviewed research journals and their relative importance? [more inside]
posted by pwnguin to Education at 6:19 PM - 11 answers

I want hand towels so drying that plants wilt in their presence. I want hand towels that after you use them you need lotion to stop your skin from cracking. Or at least I want hand towels that work at least half as well as paper for getting my hands dry. [more inside]
posted by moonmilk to Home & Garden at 3:16 PM - 11 answers

I'm printing images onto 8.5 x 11 photo paper, then peeling off the back and sticking them to 8.5 x 11 pieces of cardboard. I would like to get 100% accuracy (paper lined up exactly, no cardboard showing) but for dexterity reasons I frequently end up rotating the paper by a fractional degree. What's your secret?
posted by Tell Me No Lies to Media & Arts at 10:49 AM - 13 answers

My dad (84) and my son (20) and I (54) are returning from NZ in a few days. Just realized we have an 11 hr layover in San Francisco. Can we pay for a few hours in an airline lounge that has beds, showers, etc? Is this still a thing?
posted by chr1sb0y to Travel & Transportation at 2:22 PM - 9 answers

I have a pending new prescription and a pretty good US prescription plan. My doctor warned me the insurance companies frequently try to avoid paying for this particular medication, and then suggest poorer options instead. Sure enough the pharmacy received a request for justification from my doctor. The pharmacy has submitted the needed paperwork for my doctor to fill out, but it's been 3 days and I still don't have the medicine. [more inside]
posted by lockedroomguy to Health & Fitness at 1:03 PM - 14 answers

I am a messy eater and 5/7 days I will have food spots on my shirt by the end of the day. What are the best strategies for eating in a business context? [more inside]
posted by shock muppet to Food & Drink at 10:28 AM - 18 answers

Looking to start an anonymous twitter/X account in which I can share candid political opinions. I don't want my employer (or the public in general) to find out it's me. [more inside]
posted by CancerSucks to Computers & Internet at 10:10 AM - 12 answers

The Infinity movie saga inserted Thanos and co into the vernacular of people who have never read a single comic book. Ever since I've periodically seen comments that are similar to the title; most recently I saw this on reddit in a comment about Katy Perry's latest song (e.g. produced by Luke, featuring Chris Brown—eesh). Are there similar versions of the phrase used in the before-times? [more inside]
posted by Raze2k to Writing & Language at 10:09 AM - 8 answers

I know I'm not alone in this boat- I just saw an ENT and am assuming he will suggest surgery for deviated septum etc (as surgeons do!). I've been avoiding this for a long time. But I am worried that I will still have irritated sinuses from allergies (maybe even increased with increased breathing capabilities!). How to best coordinate care with ENT and allergist? (And does the surgery "work"?) [more inside]
posted by bquarters to Health & Fitness at 6:38 AM - 11 answers

And where do you go to find it out? [more inside]
posted by kittens for breakfast to Media & Arts at 6:10 AM - 15 answers

I just quit my job. I need a break before I start looking. I want to travel somewhere in the continental US. I'd be leaving middle of next week. Planning on going about 5-7 days. [more inside]
posted by kathrynm to Travel & Transportation at 9:23 PM - 11 answers

In conversation tonight, I revealed that my definition of the word "peripatetic" is "like the Kool-Aid Man". I realize that this is not the dictionary definition of the word. How did I arrive at this definition? [more inside]
posted by Transmissions From Vrillon to Writing & Language at 7:19 PM - 3 answers

I'm trying to remember the name/author of a short story I read in which the narrator is brought to a building where people trade their maladies, such as a fear of heights being traded for a fear of elevators. [more inside]
posted by bashos_frog to Writing & Language at 5:24 PM - 4 answers

I have published a book and am very disappointed in its low sales. To me, not having an audience just means I wasted my time. My spouse says I should create work for my own satisfaction and not worry about who else likes it. Are there any quotes or writing from successful (or unsuccessful) artists out there about the importance of an audience? [more inside]
posted by commander_fancypants to Media & Arts at 12:33 PM - 23 answers

I'm falling out of love with my pillow, and want to look for a new one, but the pillow world is complex. [more inside]
posted by pdb to Home & Garden at 12:17 PM - 15 answers

Looking for any well written and engaging books about prehistoric life! The person this is for is particularly interested in the Cambrian explosion, but is also digging any science regarding the history of life. It's a new interest for them that I'm super happy to fuel with fun reads, but I'm not sure what to recommend! [more inside]
posted by It Was Capitalism All Along to Science & Nature at 10:40 AM - 12 answers