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We use small amounts of the cheapest detergent. Sometimes I sort by color. When my undergarments are dingy I soak them for 24 hours in Oxiclean. When I clean out the dryer lint trap, I wonder if I am slowly destroying my wardrobe. The burden of living a mediocre life is almost unbearable. I want to level up my laundry game. What are your life-changing laundry tips? [more inside]
posted by mecran01 at 7:45 AM - 33 answers

#metafilterfundraiser2023. What makes a you, well, YOU?  [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:14 AM - 11 answers

Fellow MeFites, what are your go-to reasons or motivations for continuing on in this strange thing called life? [more inside]
posted by eunique at 8:22 AM - 46 answers

Hi! Looking for a synagogue in the Bay Area that might suit someone in their early 30s w/o kids. Only real requirement is that it be egalitarian. Appreciate any suggestions!
posted by DavidNYC at 2:52 PM - 9 answers

I am the honorary aunt to an excellent teenager who is being called to Torah for her Bat Mitzvah. For reasons, she is older than most girls would be for this event, and has become increasingly religious (more so than her parents). I am thinking of buying a nice netilat yayadim cup from a specialty Judaica shop for her. Is this in any way a faux pas etc? [more inside]
posted by Chrysalis at 3:45 AM - 9 answers

What is the kindest and most succinct possible phrase, in both English and Spanish, for saying "please take your religion and fuck off my property" so I can put it on a small sign for my door.
posted by phunniemee at 9:42 AM - 36 answers

Hi all, I'm curious about faith healing and would like to witness it and experience it, if possible. Would anyone happen to know of any faith healers in the DC/Baltimore area? I would especially like to visit someone who enters a kind of trance while healing -- perhaps speaks in tongues. I've been trying to find Pentecostal and Charismatic churches around here, but it's hard to tell where there is healing, particularly of an ecstatic or enthusiastic sort. My interest, in all honesty, is anthropological.
posted by mrmanvir at 7:26 AM - 3 answers

I was born an extremely anxious person, and ended up having a life that made me even more so. I’ve made a great deal of progress getting over it, but I can’t comprehend the last piece, which is - to me, it makes sense to be anxious, and I don’t understand how to not be anxious logically. [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 2:34 PM - 37 answers

Guy is re-selling baby formula for cash. Does it matter he is spending the cash on cocaine? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:54 AM - 48 answers

In my understanding, the basic tenet of nonduality is that there is only 'this', here and now; that 'only this moment exists'. Another tenet of nonduality is that there is no 'person' here, but rather just reality happening. My question is, if nonduality is the truth, and there is nothing but what I am experiencing at this moment, does that not imply solipsism is true? [more inside]
posted by phiellaep at 12:39 PM - 16 answers

Asking for a Jewish friend: For 2,000 years, Jews have faced social stigma, physical harm, and emotional trauma for the sake of their religion. Why do most Jews maintain their attachment to Judaism?
posted by Kevin S at 5:51 PM - 44 answers

If you could, in the most earthly way possible could you help me show proper respect to the mother of my dearly departed friend? I have a long time friend name G. He and I were close some 35 years ago in high school and we stayed so very close as friends in the past 13 years since we moved back separately to our home town. He and i shared a one night stand one drunken night after college that was always a source of comic relief in our times of hardship during the pandemic, his friendships and mine were shared with some dozen or so fellow classmates but his seemed to fall away as his depression got the better of him over time. The friends were still fond but just not as formal as he an d I stayed. Sadly he died suddenly due to a heart condition (cont'd) [more inside]
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 8:17 AM - 16 answers

I cannot really have a pleasant day dream about my big life dream because it turns into a night mare in which I am bloodied, betrayed, and helpless. (1) Is this what people mean when they say that their big dreams care them? (2) Besides getting a therapist, can you recommend any books or insights to help me figure this out? [more inside]
posted by Kitty_Levin at 8:35 AM - 11 answers

i'm looking for a unicorn of a catholic parish in chicago. snowflakes inside. [more inside]
posted by maighdeann mhara at 9:45 AM - 5 answers

There are plenty of tips out there for using a pool for spiritual cleansings but I'm having trouble finding anything about cleansing the pool itself. Does anyone know of rituals for helping a swimming pool back to a more spiritually neutral state?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:04 PM - 11 answers

My high school students are trying out several methods of ancient (Roman) divination in class to learn how they worked. For years, I have used a method of hydromancy where they throw a piece of bread into a container of water and sinking = "yes"/floating = "no." However, due to food allergies, I really need to stop using bread in class. Can you think of a substitute that would also sometimes float/sometimes sink that we could use in the same way or an entirely different method of hydromancy that would still be simple that I could substitute? NO FOOD. [more inside]
posted by lysimache at 2:37 PM - 18 answers

Visiting Osaka, we went to a tea museum which had a calligraphic hanging scroll inside which was called something like "Ro-Ko-Sui" and has a famous zen saying on it about the "humble owl." It's something about the importance of staying humble yet highly capable as a zen priest. Could you point me to it? Haven't been able to find anything on google. [more inside]
posted by egeanin at 6:40 AM - 0 answers

I’m searching for other texts like The Questions of King Milinda, wherein a respected religious authority presented an account of his or her religion to a governing authority.
posted by jefficator at 3:26 PM - 5 answers

I'm an atheist (though raised christian with extensive exposure) dating someone looking to be a priest in the episcopal church in a major, progressive city. We're OK with it (though recognize this will be a lot of work at times). Things are looking serious. Are there any books or other resources for someone who is going to be a priest's partner? Obviously "talk to your partner regularly" and "discretion!" are things I'm already doing, but other resources are appreciated.
posted by anonymous at 10:00 PM - 13 answers

I'm looking for a name and/or discussion or research about the rhetorical device of connecting the main topic of a speech or sermon to a future everyday event you expect a large percentage of the audience to encounter. The goal of the device is to trigger a moment of reflection and mindfulness about the broader topic of the sermon later in the week when the small event happens. [more inside]
posted by ch3cooh at 12:31 PM - 5 answers