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What happens? Why does the teacher choose that particular student? How does the favoritism manifest itself? (Bonus points: What adverse reactions might either party encounter from their peers?)
posted by Lemkin to Education at 5:15 PM - 15 answers

I want to get a horse size 40" ball like these but my GSD will deflate this in a matter of seconds. Do they make a solid rubber ball this large? [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 3:53 PM - 11 answers

Like many people I have two physical screens, and I’m becoming increasingly more keyboard oriented as I realise how much time and fiddliness a mouse involves. My system is Windows 10 22H2. One thing that really annoys me is that when toggling between open windows (Alt+tab+arrow keys) or creating a window (Window key E) is that I've found no way to move the new window to the other screen; I always have to use the mouse. [more inside]
posted by unearthed to Computers & Internet at 1:41 PM - 11 answers

I have acquired this precise ThinkPad directly from Lenovo.com. What is the latest and greatest in making sure there's no bloat and plenty of security? [more inside]
posted by kensington314 to Computers & Internet at 1:16 PM - 9 answers

Mr. rekrap and I are in search of our next long TV binges, with snowflakes and criteria inside. [more inside]
posted by rekrap to Media & Arts at 11:44 AM - 67 answers

I'm loving apples suddenly, especially cooked ones... escalloped or scalloped, whatever. [more inside]
posted by Czjewel to Food & Drink at 10:31 AM - 4 answers

Okay to eat? Standard issue metal can of cooked lentils, no dents, rust, or bulging. Assume the lentils are okay but maybe not? Hive mind, please do your thing.
posted by Bella Donna to Food & Drink at 10:30 AM - 11 answers

My 8 year old is behaving poorly on an extended vacation. We're camping with him and his two younger brothers. We're at our wits end and won't be home for another month. I'm after some ideas for corrective measures because at 8 there's not much we can take away and if we keep restricting screen time he'll be 18 before he's allowed to watch a movie. Asking here because I don't trust parenting forums or Facebook and I'm not sure where else to turn. [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Human Relations at 10:05 AM - 40 answers

We're going to cancun with 2 adults and 3 kids in April. I want to buy travel insurance. [more inside]
posted by MisantropicPainforest to Travel & Transportation at 9:52 AM - 14 answers

I have mould growing on my tiled bathroom floor just in front of my glass shower door (not inside the shower). What are good nontoxic cleaning options to clean up the mould? Would white vinegar do any good?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries to Home & Garden at 9:32 AM - 11 answers

I'm finding it surprisingly hard to identify an Android tablet that can power, via HDMI-to-USB, an external monitor. [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu to Computers & Internet at 9:09 AM - 14 answers

I'm currently in a middle management position trying to run projects and programs at scale. My clients and superiors increasingly want data-driven reporting, metrics etc. to back up project proposals and charters. I have some grad school training in data collection and analysis. I'm making this work in a rough way, but when I look around at the market for the job I want to have in 5 years, there's a heavy emphasis on being able to generate and prepare these types of reports. I'm trying to identify which kind of training would best help me be more fluent at this type of work. [more inside]
posted by edbles to Work & Money at 8:03 AM - 7 answers

I was working on a PowerPoint this morning. I saved it and closed it. When I re-opened it, every single image had been replaced by a blank rectangle with a red x in it and the words "This picture cannot be displayed." [more inside]
posted by tzikeh to Computers & Internet at 4:41 AM - 8 answers

As you'll remember from the zombified stare of Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation," long-distance jet lag ain't no joke. When traveling between New York and Tokyo, day and night are reversed, and the symptoms--extreme fatigue, digestive issues and depression--linger for two weeks. Obviously, the culprit in jet lag is the jet. Take away the jet, and you take away the lag. Nobody suffered from jet lag in the age of Ferdinand Magellan. So, slow travel is the key. [more inside]
posted by Gordion Knott to Travel & Transportation at 10:09 PM - 20 answers

Do you recognize the landmark in this old photo of my father? [more inside]
posted by southern_sky to Travel & Transportation at 6:28 PM - 7 answers

My elderly aunt has recently split from her partner. Her long-term savings (retirement savings) was somehow under his control and he is not returning it now that they’ve split. Obviously she needs a lawyer, but she is reluctant to spend a lot of money as she is extremely freaked out about money now, for good reason. Do you know what the options are? What kind of lawyer, and how to find this person, and if there are low-cost options? This is Maryland. [more inside]
posted by Ollie to Law & Government at 5:40 PM - 10 answers

I'm involved with an improv theatre school and we would like to get the word out in our City. We don't have a comms person, also we don't have anyone onboard with FB/Insta/Tiktok/social media expertise. We were thinking of getting a freelancer from say Fiverr but not sure if we'd be able to get someone who has the right improv tone of voice for it. What would you suggest? Btw, also curious as to what a freelancer charges these days. Is it better to pay by task or by the hour?
posted by storybored to Media & Arts at 4:26 PM - 6 answers

i'm a self taught hobbyist sketch artist in my mid thirties - i have a mfa in creative writing, and make genuinely not-enough money in my current field of adjunct teaching and writing - recently i started taking a few art classes at a community art school and it has radically changed my relationship to my art. i am fantasizing about going to art school full time and dedicating myself to my art - is this reasonable or should i stick with keeping it a 'hobby'? more, long details within - [more inside]
posted by lightgray to Education at 3:21 PM - 39 answers

I'm looking at getting at 55" TV for digital signage. Which is the best smart TV system for that? I'm hoping to be able to just drop images into a Google Drive or Google Photos folder and have them show up automatically rather than using a USB drive. [more inside]
posted by roaring beast to Technology at 3:16 PM - 3 answers

I’m looking for advice or tips to convince my aging parents to get help around the house when they are resistant to doing this. Have you been an adult who eventually realized you needed assistance? Have you talked your parents into getting help when they thought they could take care of everything themselves? [more inside]
posted by davidstandaford to Human Relations at 11:58 AM - 30 answers

Many older people in my life (60+) are having their beliefs drastically changed by things they see on social media, so in the last few years, their values have swung far over from where they used to sit. If I suggest new media for them to consume, they'll try it. So, what should I suggest? YouTube channels would probably be the best, but open to other platforms too.
posted by vanilla.extract to Media & Arts at 11:44 AM - 12 answers

I have a packet of dry gravy mix. It makes one cup [more inside]
posted by Czjewel to Food & Drink at 7:57 AM - 14 answers

This will require a fair bit of explanation so I'm going straight to below the cut. [more inside]
posted by Rhedyn to Media & Arts at 7:27 AM - 38 answers

My weighted blanket suddenly doesn't feel heavy anymore. What is happening? [more inside]
posted by LoonyLovegood to Health & Fitness at 2:30 AM - 7 answers

I'd like to hear a version of Jerusalem in a minor key. Bonus for other important songs transposed major to minor or vice versa. [more inside]
posted by Hactar to Society & Culture at 12:41 AM - 6 answers

Recently, I noticed that the little pie indicator for iCloud in my sidebar was sitting with a mere sliver for days on end. It claims to be uploading four files. I can't get it to either finish, or stop. Help. [more inside]
posted by Well I never to Computers & Internet at 10:52 PM - 3 answers

I plan to give a gift to my sister of items for the bath or a home spa treatment, that type of thing. Do you have any suggestions? One thing she has been interested in in the past is a foot mask, but I am open to any thing related. We live in the USA, she in the Northwest and I in the Southwest.
posted by NotLost to Shopping at 10:45 PM - 11 answers

Looking for engrossing, moving memoirs and novels about becoming middle-aged, but not about marriage or parenting/children. What's your favorite? [more inside]
posted by cboggs to Writing & Language at 10:34 PM - 7 answers

There is mold growing in my window AC unit (GE Profile PHC06/PHC08). It is definitely mold, not just dirt or dust. What should I do? [more inside]
posted by catquas to Home & Garden at 3:26 PM - 4 answers

I would love to find a memoir I read in the late 70’s written by a European man in Africa who became known for being able to rid villages of black mamba snakes. There was much more to the book, but the snake wrangling was memorable. Or maybe I’m conflating more than one book? Thank you.
posted by Gusaroo to Writing & Language at 3:11 PM - 3 answers

I have a giant pile of kale from a farm stand. So, picked literally this morning. Tonight for dinner we are having the tomato feta pasta that went viral during Covid. How should I cook this kale to complement that? [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa to Food & Drink at 2:44 PM - 9 answers

This question has confused me utterly. I even timed myself scrambling eggs today - it takes me less than 35 seconds at just-over-lowest heat for fairly dry eggs. Yet all the recipes described and linked in that thread refer to from 5 minutes at medium heat to 40 minutes at low heat. [more inside]
posted by I claim sanctuary to Food & Drink at 11:24 AM - 30 answers

I have about three cups of cherry tomatoes. What should I make with these? [more inside]
posted by NotLost to Food & Drink at 10:21 AM - 16 answers

As a home buyer or seller, do I qualify for getting some of my money back? [more inside]
posted by Toddles to Law & Government at 7:27 AM - 1 answer

I, who dislike eggs in all forms, have stupidly volunteered to make scrambled eggs for a guest. Moreover, the guest likes creamy scrambled eggs, a thing I have never in my life encountered and find completely unrelatable. Metafilter scrambled egg discourse is full of terrifying absolutes and contradictions, but I don't need the best outlier recipe with a weird trick, I need a robust recipe that will turn out OK-ish, not disgusting to a scrambled egg eater, even if I don't taste it at all and have no idea what I'm going for. Help? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph to Food & Drink at 3:59 AM - 31 answers

My friend (who lives in downtown San Francisco) believes she might have bedbugs, and was looking for recommendations for local pest control services (she already tried Terminix, with less-than-satisfactory results). [more inside]
posted by gtrwolf to Home & Garden at 12:05 AM - 5 answers

I work at a small startup, and recently I was informed (by a health clinic I was trying to make an appointment at) that my insurance is marked in the system as being "inactive" starting on April 1st. When I emailed our HR person about it, the response I got was... weird, and made me nervous that my company isn't being honest with me. Would absolutely love input from anyone who's knowledgeable about employer-sponsored small group insurance plans and/or HR on this - details inside. Thank you! [more inside]
posted by second banana to Work & Money at 4:59 PM - 7 answers

I am planning to delete my account. What is the difference between html and json formats? If I want to see my photos and captions later which will open better? [more inside]
posted by Lawn Beaver to Computers & Internet at 4:34 PM - 5 answers

My dad (85 yr old retired geology professor) and I (55 yr old science teacher) have an 8 hr road trip coming up to visit family back where he grew up. Last summer we had some audiobook hits and misses on a similar road trip. Humor and/or narratives from 50s/60s/70s is probably best bet, not science. More inside… [more inside]
posted by chr1sb0y to Society & Culture at 2:52 PM - 25 answers

What is vinegar fermentation supposed to look like / am I doing it right? [more inside]
posted by Joey Buttafoucault to Food & Drink at 2:08 PM - 2 answers

I buy a lot of secondhand items, and discount items from Amazon, the dollar store, etc. My young kids play with these items, in their damp little well-licked hands. What are some general principles to follow, to avoid unhealthy components like lead? [more inside]
posted by vanilla.extract to Science & Nature at 2:06 PM - 7 answers

Okay, I have had purely barbershop cuts for many years, but do I need a salon? The cut in question is a K-Pop-esque two-block cut. [more inside]
posted by Frowner to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 9:23 AM - 14 answers

I recently watched the Columbo episode with Ruth Gordon, "Try and Catch Me." The murder victim is found with black paint under his fingernail from -- and pardon me for not spoilering a TV show from 1977 -- scratching an arrow in some metal to lead to the clue that reveals who his murderer was. Where else has this been used? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library to Media & Arts at 8:26 AM - 3 answers

My 7 year old has been a picky eater his whole life, along with having a really sensitive gag reflex. Things are okay with mealtimes, but sometimes the mention of food makes him gag so much that he almost throws up. Like, turns read, starts sweating, has to try really hard not to vomit. Suggestions? Is myofunctional therapy what we need? Details inside... [more inside]
posted by dabadoo to Health & Fitness at 7:58 AM - 36 answers

All my hobbies are passive - with one major exception, but still. I usually just sit and read and watch and scroll. Why, and how can I change this? I want to be a person with more hobbies and interests. [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 5:35 AM - 36 answers

Are there any good, effective ways to dodge YouTube's music copyright detection systems these days? I'm no robber baron--just a regular non-online-popular person who would like to soundtrack his bike-ride videos with cool music. Maybe even a whole song that would be the sonic bedrock for the video edit. A decade ago, I was able to slow a music track down by 10 percent, and that worked. No longer! For context, I'm nobody, and get fewer than 100 hits on my videos, so this doesn't need to be a bulletproof solution.
posted by flod to Computers & Internet at 1:56 AM - 14 answers

What colors are “in” for home decor for babies and thirty-something moms? Help me yarn shop! [more inside]
posted by Mizu to Grab Bag at 10:26 PM - 17 answers

Who wrote a fiction that described teachers being “corrupted by the flow of youth passing between their fingers” - or words to that effect? A cited quote is your quarry, gentlemen. Good hunting.
posted by Lemkin to Media & Arts at 5:27 PM - 3 answers

It's driving me nuts. I think the word starts with a P like “prospective” but that's not it. When you reconstruct a skull from a few fragments, build out a face from a skull or age someone 20 years. What's it called?
posted by brachiopod to Writing & Language at 4:05 PM - 37 answers

A recent Reel we're trying to find was about two kinds of emotions: the difference between just feeling something, and feeling something enough to motivate you to change things in the world. The first example given was of the difference between merely envying someone's toned six-pack and wanting it enough to go to the gym every morning. Another of passing a beautiful garden. Ring any bells?
posted by johngoren to Religion & Philosophy at 3:51 PM - 1 answer

I am psychologically humiliated and I do not know how to deal with the issue. [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Human Relations at 2:59 PM - 16 answers

When I lived in Canada I could order contacts online without verifying my prescription with an optometrist so I could avoid optometrist fees - is there any way I can do that in the US today? [more inside]
posted by dokodomo to Shopping at 2:18 PM - 4 answers

There is a birthday. It's still wintry in Maine, so Gingerbread! Non-Dairy preferred, but rules can be bent. I have seen the NYTimes version of beloved food writer Laurie Colwin's gingerbread. Chopped candied ginger will be added. Fresh Ginger? Lemon curd will be on the side and there will likely be a lemon glaze. Give me your inspiration, your recipes, whatever you've got. It will be made in both a round pan for wedges, and probably cupcakes.
posted by theora55 to Food & Drink at 1:59 PM - 7 answers

Want to let some people help post content on our work account. What's the "best practice" these days? [more inside]
posted by Iteki to Technology at 1:58 PM - 4 answers

Looking to improve my rudimentary skills in one foreign language and knock the rust off my skills in a different one. Is there a free mobile app or website that will be good for both of these needs? Is Duolingo still the best game in town even after killing/reviving(?) their owl?
posted by TwoStride to Technology at 12:45 PM - 13 answers

I love to play around with the new AI image generators, these are a lot of fun. I have a subscription to Midjourney and what is does really well is blending images in an interesting way. As far as I can see no other AI can do this well, Stabilitys blended images are very uninspiring. I want to make a bracket style tournament with some 32 artworks/photos/whatever and blend them together and see where it ends up, what changes if you switch the pairings etc.. I have done this with Midjourney via the GUI, but it is very time intensive and if you want to iterate on it you have to do it all over. But Midjourney has no API! I used Replicate for my unsatisfying trial run with Stability but seemingly the other image generators available there can only blend images in a straightforward style, like layering one above the others. Do you know of any AI that can blend images well and has an API?
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon to Technology at 11:37 AM - 3 answers

I'm traveling to Japan soon and want to visit funky little shops that do one thing very well. [more inside]
posted by theodolite to Travel & Transportation at 9:06 AM - 9 answers

I work for a museum that has a well-known painting. An old, very bad image of the painting has been loose on the internet for a very long time, including as the reference image on wikipedia. How do I fix this? [more inside]
posted by PussKillian to Computers & Internet at 8:27 AM - 10 answers

Is there anyone/any platform that is keeping a running tally of how Trump cuts are impacting states across sectors? [more inside]
posted by brookeb to Law & Government at 10:03 PM - 2 answers

Building a playlist for a mood I’m calling “I hate everything and everyone; I hope the sun devours us all.” This mood is every day all day for me so as many songs as possible please!
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese to Media & Arts at 3:59 PM - 138 answers