March 2

Dictation Software for the Blind

I am searching for dictation software that can do a few things to be fully useful for a blind person. [more inside]
posted by jadepearl to Computers & Internet at 5:11 PM - 4 answers

Help me sell my truck?

I am selling my old truck. It needs a few repairs; I don't know which ones to do and which to leave for maximum return on the investment. [more inside]
posted by mygothlaundry to Grab Bag at 4:46 PM - 13 answers

Here’s my payment…5 years later.

The answer to this question may simply be I’m overthinking it and “yes just pay her”, but five years ago I lived with a roommate I didn’t get along with. I skipped out on paying my share of the final utility bill (dumb I know, it was around $130) because I was upset with her. I’ve never thought twice about paying now because it was so long ago, but I’m moving to the city she lives in now and have anxiety about running into her. [more inside]
posted by signondiego to Human Relations at 3:54 PM - 16 answers

Free Oscars

How can I watch the Oscars for free tonight? I'm not in the US, and don't want to subscribe to anything.
posted by signal to Media & Arts at 3:29 PM - 4 answers

Treating Second Hand Wool Clothing for Moths

Last year's clothing moth situation has thankfully abated after a relentless campaign. But now I have become supremely cautious about bringing in any wool garments into the house without first treating them. This especially applies to second hand purchases. What, pray tell, is the best way to treat clothing to kill moths and especially their eggs? I would ideally like to avoid dry cleaning, preferring to hand wash woolens.
posted by nanook to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 8:39 AM - 6 answers

How to eliminate underarm odor

How do I eradicate my armpits' odor?! [more inside]
posted by bookworm4125 to Health & Fitness at 7:57 AM - 32 answers

Do I need to close my UK bank account?

I am a non-UK citizen who will be leaving the UK soon when my visa expires. I want to keep the possibility of returning to the UK on a new visa, on a path to citizenship, open for the future. I have one personal account and one joint account with my UK citizen spouse. Is there any reason, bank-wise or immigration-wise, why I should not keep these accounts active indefinitely? [more inside]
posted by cabbage raccoon to Law & Government at 6:56 AM - 13 answers

NIH site down... paging librarians of Metafilter

Is there a way to preserve an entire section of a (US government) website (not a single web page) for someone who is not the owner or administrator? Could an individual request that the Internet Archive do so? I am thinking of a fairly niche sub-site (previously at livertox.nih.gov) that lets you research liver effects of specific drugs. I am concerned the site could go offline any time. [more inside]
posted by M. to Science & Nature at 5:13 AM - 10 answers

Going by previous playbooks, how do Americans prepare?

For this I am using the premise that the USA is not far from some type of government issued martial law situation, so I will ask folx to not argue that point. Going by history, what, if anything, should people do to survive as long as possible? [more inside]
posted by berkshiredogs to Grab Bag at 3:38 AM - 22 answers

Should I join social media for "political" reasons?

I haven't had social media for around 8 years. I live outside of the US, but still have lots of family and friends living there. I'm wondering if engaging in social media for political reasons is at all useful. [more inside]
posted by unid41 to Human Relations at 1:44 AM - 14 answers

March 1

Books about dinosaurs, paleontology, fossils, and the American West

I'm interested in books about paleontology in the American West/Rocky Mountain/Great Plains area. I'm building the itinerary for a dinosaur road trip this summer, including Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska, and I'm looking for good background books related to dinosaurs, paleontology, geology, and fossils. [more inside]
posted by gingerbeer to Science & Nature at 11:45 PM - 10 answers

How do I protect my kitchen against a possible/probable leak?

My garbage disposal is broken again and won't turn on. The last time this happened, my neighbor flooded my kitchen with filthy water by using hers because our lines are connected but her junk dominates mine. What can I do to protect my cabinets, drawers, and floors while I wait for help? A plumber won't come 'til mid-tomorrow (Sunday) at the earliest or Monday morning at the latest. I do not have towels to spare. It's late evening for me right now.
posted by The Adventure Begins to Home & Garden at 9:47 PM - 5 answers

Is it REALLY that expensive to feed cats 100% wet food?!

I am switching my cats from raw food to canned cooked food, which is somehow twice the price. Help? [more inside]
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack to Pets & Animals at 3:53 PM - 20 answers

Can you help me look up this murder?

I found a newspaper article about a murder that happened on my street when I was a child, but I filed to save the link -- and now I can't find it again! [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster to Media & Arts at 3:05 PM - 8 answers

Would you inhale this?

Pulmicort expired in 9/23 -- I want to inhale it. It will still be largely effective, right? [more inside]
posted by virve to Health & Fitness at 2:28 PM - 5 answers

Cannabis cwestion

When a dispensary's product page for a THC gummy doesn't specify Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid, what should one expect about its composition or effects?
posted by Lemkin to Health & Fitness at 1:25 PM - 8 answers

ADHD PTSD Primer

You have read a book, watch a web series, or follow a newsletter that you wish you could put into the hands of every parent who is parenting someone with a combo ADHD and PTSD. What is that book/website/newsletter? [more inside]
posted by CMcG to Human Relations at 12:50 PM - 4 answers

What does your grocery budget look like these days?

We're a US family of three, living in a city with a medium cost of living. To help figure out our budget, I'd like a better understanding of what other US-ians spend on groceries. [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Work & Money at 12:29 PM - 20 answers

Over the Rainbow Bridge...

My housemates dog is dying. My housemate also has unmedicated ADHD, and I feel they are not taking their responsibility towards this dog in very ADHD ways. How do I have an effective Hard Talk with them, to help everyone out and not myself feeling like a monster? [more inside]
posted by alex_skazat to Human Relations at 11:15 AM - 18 answers

How is house sold?

What questions should I ask a listing (seller's) real estate agent to make sure they're good at what they do? [more inside]
posted by wnissen to Home & Garden at 10:00 AM - 7 answers

Color all-in-one printer - laser vs. (Brother) LED?

I want to replace our current Epson inkjet printer/scanner. Having had a good experience with a Brother monochrome laser printer in the past, I thought spending a bit more for a color one might be the way to go. However, it seems the Brother color offerings are not in fact laser but LED. Are there disadvantages to this? Any strong alternative recommendations? [more inside]
posted by staggernation to Technology at 9:18 AM - 4 answers

Sequia, King's Canyon, Yosemite in April

We have some time off at the end of April and were wondering what the conditions would be like for our first visit to Sequoia National Park, King's Canyon, and Yosemite? Can we drive to see the things we should see? Will camping in a camper van be OK for two Minnesotans? Anything else you just need to tell us?
posted by advicepig to Travel & Transportation at 8:56 AM - 8 answers

Help me plan a Crow Party!

I'm throwing myself a birthday party - a Crow Party, to be specific. There's a post that's been going around for a year or two that says "We should have a crow party where everyone brings and trades silver trinkets and we wear black and whoever brings the best object is crowned the crow lord/lady". This sounds SO delightful. Can you help me make it a reality? [more inside]
posted by firei to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 8:33 AM - 17 answers

Can I eat this?

I left a unopened bag of shredded cheddar in my trunk overnight :( Will it be ok to eat or no? My car was in my garage and it wasn't hot overnight. I put it in the freezer for now. If it was a small bag I'd just toss it, but it's a very large bag :(
posted by Saucywench to Food & Drink at 7:48 AM - 12 answers

February 28

What did I read?

I recently read an article that described current US events as they would be described by US media if they were happening elsewhere—that is, a shocking coup that we typically think of as happening anywhere but here. I think it was on a substack or similar. Any clues?
posted by stillmoving to Society & Culture at 9:05 PM - 3 answers

Help me replace my beloved vest!

One of my exes stole my favorite vest. I don't miss her, but I do miss my vest. I'd like to find another one. [more inside]
posted by birthday cake to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 7:53 PM - 3 answers

Vegetable Pairings

So, I'm trying to eat more vegetables and am looking for easy vegetable pairings that I can use for stir frying. [more inside]
posted by Art_Pot to Food & Drink at 4:43 PM - 23 answers

Adobe window resizing on Mac - How to make it stop?

Since either the most recent Adobe update or the most recent mac OS update, I find that my windows in Acrobat expand to full screen whenever I move them off to one side or another. This is no bueno for my workflow: I need two PDFs to sit side-by-side. What setting do I need to change to make this happen?
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese to Work & Money at 1:41 PM - 7 answers

Are there left leaning activist groups trying to talk to the right?

Basically I'd like to help get in the fight against all the terrible things that are happening in US politics but the place I'd like to help is creating messaging or media that is directed towards conservatives that are part of the MAGA base to start changing their minds. [more inside]
posted by Jerico to Law & Government at 1:38 PM - 13 answers

How long does measles immunity last?

I had measles as a small child, 63 years ago. Some of my slightly younger friends who got the MMR are currently seeking out booster MMR shots. Do people who suffered through actual measles have the same issue? [more inside]
posted by metonym to Health & Fitness at 1:36 PM - 9 answers

Nuanced Books about LLMs

Looking for books on LLM/AI by authors with real hands-on experience, especially those that explore their practical and creative potential. I'm reading More Than Words, but it feels like the author wrote off LLMs as dehumanizing without really using them. I appreciated You Look Like a Thing and I Love You, the creative experiments made it both fun and thought-provoking. Maybe AI really is bad and not useful, but I’d like the author to reach that conclusion with more than five minutes of cursory testing. Any recommendations? Please no AI/crypto-bro-hype. [more inside]
posted by gregr to Computers & Internet at 11:55 AM - 4 answers

I'm Trying Out A 2024 Zephyrus G14 And I'm On The Fence: Thoughts?

I have a Microsoft Surface Laptop 4: it's been excellent, this model is 4 years old, I've had it for 3, and I've dropped it in the tub once. I just bought a G14 as an upgrade, but as a non-gamer, the benefits (except the pretty nice OLED screen) don't seem that significant for my primary uses - cloud business work, watching content - so I'm wondering if the upgrade is still worthwhile in a future-proofing sense. [more inside]
posted by my log does not judge to Computers & Internet at 11:40 AM - 3 answers

Looking for concrete anti-Musk / MAGA talking points.

I may be going on a local podcast next week. The host is a moderate conservative who live-streamed a local anti-Musk rally last week. He complained that many of the protestors he talked to didn't have a clear or coherent explanation of what they were protesting. (I happen to agree that a lot of the people he talked to didn't make a good case for the protest, but were also probably not expecting to be put on the spot.) [more inside]
posted by Reverend John to Law & Government at 9:57 AM - 22 answers

Seeking Project Management Strategies & Tools for High-Volume

Seeking Project Management Strategies & Tools for High-Volume Implementation (ADHD-Friendly) I manage 20-40 mini-projects (weeks to months to implement) at a time, handling both the planning and implementation myself. My biggest struggle? Keeping track of everything. I need a system that helps me see what’s next, track what I’ve promised, follow up on stuck items, and plan a daily outlook. [more inside]
posted by ChumbawambaTimesFour to Work & Money at 9:48 AM - 7 answers

Job for a late-thirties person with social anxiety and ADHD?

I have an acquaintance who has a pattern of (a) successfully interviewing for a software job, (b) faux-casually promising more than they can deliver for specific assigned tasks, (c) not being able to persevere / getting paralyzingly frustrated, (d) becoming too anxious / feeling "in too deep" to ask questions, and (e) quitting the job, rather than getting help from a colleague or their manager. [more inside]
posted by zeek321 to Work & Money at 9:08 AM - 15 answers

Birthday fun in Morristown, NJ

What are some fun events happening in or near Morristown NJ in March? [more inside]
posted by silverstatue to Grab Bag at 8:53 AM - 5 answers

How am I unintentionally summoning this glowy Apple dingus?

Starting with a recent iPad OS update, I’ll be typing along with two fingers and then some glowy dingus will appear, wanting me to use it for something. I think it’s some “AI” thing - maybe an “improved” Siri. But I don’t want it and I don’t know how I’m unintentionally summoning it.It seems to happen when I’m near the space bar, but I haven’t found a way to reproduce it. [more inside]
posted by Lemkin to Technology at 8:13 AM - 3 answers

Trimming back cactus - best method without doing (much) harm?

Should I approach this the same as any other tree? (Pics included) [more inside]
posted by kilohertz to Home & Garden at 7:20 AM - 4 answers

Would a government shutdown just play into Musk's hands?

I have seen a couple of plausible articles that suggest this, links below. I would appreciate more analysis, links, etc. [more inside]
posted by Frowner to Law & Government at 5:25 AM - 9 answers

February 27

sherlock holmes, but a nematode

Help me find a missing piece of ridiculous short fanfiction. [more inside]
posted by socktopus to Writing & Language at 10:18 PM - 4 answers

What does this sequence of notes remind me of?

I recently started watching a Chinese (semi-)historical drama, Secret of the Three Kingdoms, and part of the opening theme reminds me a lot of–something. I think it's another track from a film or TV score, but I could be wrong. You can hear it here until about the 1 minute mark. Does it remind you of something, and if so, what? [more inside]
posted by wintersweet to Media & Arts at 7:09 PM - 14 answers

Are you thankful for any kind of old-school refills?

And have you had to locate them at any other disparate places? This might be a question about industrialization and capitalization more than anything else, but sometimes in my normal work, I use a window scraper, which gets refilled with normal old-design double-sided razor blades. This co-functionality seems likes dudes working together. More often, in my normal work, I use a stick of bamboo that we've stomped the end of and put a rubber band on so that it can hold a brush that we use to paint while standing. [more inside]
posted by lauranesson to Grab Bag at 6:54 PM - 16 answers

In the yeeeeeear two thousand

Looking for a horror/fantasy short story about a writing group that consumes one of its members to temporarily gain increased writing prowess. [more inside]
posted by quintessence to Media & Arts at 3:58 PM - 0 answers

Vintage horror comics that take place in theatres or on stage?

I'm trying to source some vintage, pre-code horror comics that take place on Broadway or otherwise feature a (non-movie) theatre as a location. [more inside]
posted by Unsomnambulist to Media & Arts at 3:20 PM - 5 answers

Film Fests

What are some good film festivals to go to? My idea of "best" below. [more inside]
posted by latkes to Media & Arts at 3:05 PM - 20 answers

What Kids in the Hall sketch should I show a newbie?

Help! My friend, a comedy aficionado, has never encountered Kids in the Hall. Which sketches should I show him? This is happening in an hour.
posted by Kattullus to Media & Arts at 11:35 AM - 44 answers

What's worth waking up to on the internet?

My brain requires an extended warmup period to break through sleep inertia, and until recently, looking at the day's news headlines was part of my process. I'm now finding that toxic to my mental health, so looking for alternatives. Small bites of information/content, new every morning, not stressful and hopefully inspiring a bit of curiosity, a motivating "I wonder what it will be today." Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by actuallyquite to Computers & Internet at 10:07 AM - 32 answers

Chainsaw beginner advice

I just purchased a 14" electric chainsaw to cut down some small trees (<6") and overgrowth in my back yard. I'm comfortable with most basic power tools but have never used a chainsaw before and don't have anyone around to teach me. I have done a good amount of reading and watching youtube videos. Any other real life safety tips or advice?
posted by roaring beast to Home & Garden at 9:43 AM - 24 answers

Louvred Pergola

Do you have a louvred pergola like maybe this or this? How well do they keep rain and snow out?
posted by falsedmitri to Home & Garden at 9:20 AM - 3 answers

Packing for 2 weeks in Mongolia

A trip I've wanted to make for ages is finally coming true! My friend and I will be traveling to Mongolia this September. Any tips (clothing, packing and otherwise) for this region & this time of year are very welcome! [more inside]
posted by mirthe to Travel & Transportation at 12:45 AM - 6 answers

February 26

Can I spray vodka on cashmere?

The moths came for me. I sealed my sweaters away with mothballs and have now begun the tedious washing process. But the gentle, no-rinse detergent I used (Soak, if it matters) isn't getting the mothball smell out, even after multiple rounds. I've had fantastic luck getting smells out of fabrics with a spritz bottle of vodka. Will that damage the material? (Is there a better way to get the mothball smell out?)
posted by Charity Garfein to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 11:19 PM - 10 answers

Looking for songs including sampled sounds of ocean waves

I've embarked on a mildly quixotic quest to build a playlist featuring sampled sounds of ocean waves, and I'm looking for track suggestions. My taste runs in the indie rock direction. [more inside]
posted by whir to Media & Arts at 9:31 PM - 38 answers

Can you help me find this cartoon?

In the last year or so, I saw a cartoon on the web in a cute style with four panels that went something like this: A: "What are you doing?" B: "Eating cookies." A: "Does it numb the gaping void inside you?" B: "Yes." A: starts eating cookies. Can you find this cartoon?
posted by moonmilk to Media & Arts at 7:46 PM - 4 answers

Scenic garden in Portland without much walking

Looking for a pretty garden/park of some kind to visit in Portland, Oregon, that wouldn’t require a ton of walking. [more inside]
posted by skycrashesdown to Travel & Transportation at 5:40 PM - 9 answers

Can I repurpose this induction toothbrush charger?

I have a USB-powered induction electric toothbrush charger. Is there any other purpose to which I can put it? [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu to Technology at 3:16 PM - 6 answers

Admitting to being a former smoker.

I smoked cigarettes from age 18 - 23. At my peak it was a pack a day. I have always lied on medical and insurance forms and said I never smoked. This is stupid, obviously. Is there any reason for me to continue lying? I'm in the US. I smoked my last cigarette twenty years ago.
posted by anonymous to Law & Government at 3:13 PM - 24 answers

What is my new old computer?

I'm on my third secondhand HP EliteBook 840 G2 i7 5600u with a touch screen, which I love because it has an SD port and 4 USB ports, it's fast, maintainable, and the screen doesn't give me migraines. It's not durable, I'm forever breaking these, but durability is a factor for me, too. I'm out of spare parts again, it's time to find a newer old model. What do you recommend? [more inside]
posted by Mirth to Computers & Internet at 3:09 PM - 6 answers

Where to vacation in Latin America

Help me plan a Latin America trip? [more inside]
posted by latkes to Travel & Transportation at 12:58 PM - 10 answers

Does this phone charger thing exist?

The cords to charge our phones are too long. Leaving them out all the time is unsightly, but constantly getting them out and putting them away gets old. I would like an item that fastens to the wall, in which one or two phones can be placed to charge, with a short cord that connects to the outlet, to charge the phones. Does this exist?
posted by NotLost to Technology at 11:20 AM - 13 answers

How to upgrade from Drupal 9 to 10?

I am looking to update my Drupal site from Drupal 9 to Drupal 10, but I don't know how to use Composer [more inside]
posted by jaybeans to Technology at 10:28 AM - 3 answers