Most Favorited Questions in the Past 24 Hours (7 days, 30 days, 12 months, all time)
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The cost of living... with a canine companion
Dog companions: what's your monthly budget and cost breakdown for taking care of your furry friend? [more inside]
Your magic work phrase
Someone told me if you are late to a meeting, say “Thanks for your patience”. I liked that and use it often. A Mefi whose name escapes me, when put in the spot. suggested saying “I don’t want to give you my first answer, I want to give you the right answer, let me get back to you”. I also liked that and use it often. What are the phrases you use at work that help better communicate / frame / set expectations / lead / work with your colleagues?
In Search Of: Thin, Rough, Quick Drying Towels
Ok, this will probably sound weird but I hate soft and fluffy bath towels. They shed and never absorb moisture which defeats the whole purpose of having a towel. The only place I've ever been that has the perfect towels is my nearby spa and they don't know where theirs come from. Where can I get some that are thin, kind of rough, and also super good at drying? I need both body and hair towels. Microfiber is not a good fit.
Tips for introvert children successfully leading a parent’s memorial
Our mother passed away and we are putting together a casual memorial in a local arboretum. We want it to be as successful (people sharing memories) as possible, but we children are all introverts and feel like we don't know how best to do/encourage that. Help. [more inside]
Movies with very competent protagonists - difficulty level: no violence.
I am in the mood for a movie or series with an ultra-competent, good-at-their-job protagonist. Difficulty level: no violence, gore, or grave injustice (not even injustice that's overcome in the end).
I have seen this question but I'm looking for more and slightly different examples. [more inside]
Backpack for EDC
Favourite backpack broke. Sad. Need new one. Must be 18-25L, laptop compartment, blue or green, external water bottle side pocket, good internal organisation e.g. pen holders, smaller pockets, not too outdoorsy, not too formal, water resistant and handsome looking. Not much to ask for? Any price is a good price.
I eat salmon, love it. What are other good-guy sources of fat?
Kay Redfield Jamison, my go-to for info on manic depression, says "Eat like a grizzly. Salmon and blueberries." I'd like to go to Alaska, hop into a river and catch the fish in the air, and roar, but my life -- thus far -- has me settling for Trader Joe's. I spend the bucks for sock-eye, worth every extra nickel. There are so many fish-oil supplements, I don't mind spending extra for high quality but not just for a product with a fancy label. [more inside]
Charles Buhler reactionless drive math error?
A story about a NASA engineer discovering a new force of nature which enables reactionless propulsion popped up some days ago. I was intrigued at first but this all sounds very scammy. One commenter had to say this about the math in the underlying patent:
"Lol the math is so bad. He "derives" the formula mv=t*dU/dx, but U switches from the total potential energy in the first equation to something like the potential energy density in that equation. The total potential energy U is not a function of x so dU/dx is zero and his whole argument falls apart."
The equations can be found in the patent on page 20. And also at the end of the article I linked to in the beginning. But I have no knowledge of physics, is this piece of math indeed obviously false?
What arguments did Puerto Ricans make to oppose being drafted?
I am looking for information about an incident or multiple incidents of Puerto Ricans opposing the Vietnam War draft. [more inside]
Looking for tattoo artists in Tokyo with unique/unconventional/avant-gar
I'm visiting Tokyo for the first time this summer and I'd like to look into the possibility of getting a tattoo while I'm there. I'll be near Shinjuku and Shibuya but I'm willing to take a train ride for the right opportunity. [more inside]
Spravato Treatments
Have you had Spravato treatment? How quickly did it work? What do you recommend that someone bring to treatment? How can/should one prepare? [more inside]
What tech has upgraded your life even though you are not techy?
I am not a techy person. Puzzling through buttons and menus does not come naturally to me. I don’t hunger for new devices and when forced to use new devices I often get anxious and irritated. But if something is genuinely useful and labor saving and not too hard to learn, I will get the hang of it and then wonder how I ever lived without it. [more inside]
Butter and Flour and Convenience
My local supermarket carries this - frozen puff pastry that has been pre-cut into modest squares. I tried something with them last night and I'm a big fan now. What else can I do with them? [more inside]
How to think about child fatness and health (autistic 7 y.o.)
CW: fatness, neurodivergence, disability, parenting [more inside]
Keeping whites white
I have literally never worn white clothes before. I’m starting to. The reason I’ve never worn whites is because I’m a messy puppy. I want and need to keep my whites nice, bright, unstained, and crisp. Please share your LIFESTYLE and LAUNDRY tips for maintaining pristine whites. [more inside]
SIBO, potat-oh, FODMAP-oh...
You or a loved one have experienced mysterious gut issues in the last few years. You found good information somewhere, acted on it, and now said gut issues are largely a thing of the past. What did you learn and how did you act on it? [more inside]
Save me from online review hell: washing machine edition
Our washing machine, purchased after extensive online research, was a complete and utter disappointment. After years of erratic and diabolical performance it has (thankfully), run its last load after a long and painful demise.
This time, I am turning to the hive mind. Please suggest a washer (hopefully still being sold) that you don't hate.
(Currently we have an HE front-loader, but can be persuaded to change. This is in the US).
Find that song!
This is a tough one! I heard this song at a party in France. The French and other European people seemed to know it well; I’d never heard of it. [more inside]
Another messy mental health/relationship question
Sourcing the hive mind for a way out of this mess that I've made for myself. In summary - I've been in a situationship for 6 years now. Meaning sex (though rarely these days due to antidepressants and general lack of attraction on my end), cuddles, picking each other up from the airport, hanging out almost every day, and saying I love you. At times I've deluded myself into thinking this is a partnership despite the lack of labels, but last week I identified myself as his partner when speaking with him and he said "no, not really". This is not what I envisioned for my life - it's humiliating to not be chosen as his girlfriend. It’s humiliating to not have met his parents. And I’ve hidden it from my family this entire time - if anything, they think we were good friends that dated briefly. I very much want to get married or at least have a long term committed relationship. I also feel uncomfortable and unhappy around him a lot of the time. [more inside]
Korean Cooking Show
I'm trying to find a Korean cooking show I saw about 10 years ago and not having any luck finding anything via Google. I saw it on an Australian TV channel (don't remember which one - possibly it was SBS) but it was definitely filmed in Korea and the English title was something like "Cooking With Mrs Choi". [more inside]