July 1
American Peaky Blinders?
We've really been enjoying Peaky Blinders lately, and we're already looking for more U.S.-based stories like this: colorful, lesser-known gangs that operated in the early 20th century, outside of the obvious New York and Chicago-mob stuff (including Boardwalk Empire). Doesn't have to be TV shows or movies--the more obscure the better, actually.
What are *all* the risks of cosigning a lease?
A family member wants me to cosign a lease because their credit score is bad.
Beyond owing rent for the duration of the lease, what else can go wrong? [more inside]
Achilles tendinitis & unfamiliar treatments
Have you tried (or know about from training/study) additional treatments when the basics (walking boot, ice, rest, basic stretches) don’t seem to be helping much? Questions about unfamiliar treatments follow... [more inside]
Fitting a kid's bike helmet
I'm struggling to find a bike helmet that properly fits my almost 8yo's head. She currently has a Smith Zip Jr. helmet that's getting too small. I ordered a Giro Fixture a since that was frequently recommended, but we couldn't get it to fit properly. It fit her head, but it doesn't have a way to adjustments the ear strap, so there was no way to tighten it to keep it from easily sliding back. What should we try next? [more inside]
How to find court dates and/or results
How do I find out when someone's court date is, or if it has already happened, what the outcome was? [more inside]
Photopea vs. Photoshop
So i am considering purchasing photoshop (am currently and for another two years a student and qualify for their student discount) or, alternatively use Photopea.
I have never used either program. [more inside]
Car-free toddler swimming vacation in Germany
I'm looking for destinations for a vacation in Germany with my 3 year old with two main requirements, 1) car-free, 2) some kind of swimming in a beach, pool, lake, or river to help them get more comfortable with water. First two weeks of August. [more inside]
June 30
Looking for excellent M. C. Escher book
This is for a gift. My ideal book would have excellent reproductions, a biography of Escher with pictures of places that inspired him, and a foldout of Metamorphosis. I'm looking for $50 or $100, but I could go somewhat higher.
Where might I find piano accompaniments for Great American Songbook?
I've done a load of searching, but to no avail. [more inside]
Good place to eat in LA's Little Tokyo?
We're gonna be in Little Tokyo and will want good food. Any suggestions? [more inside]
Best Way to Make Auto Repair Claim
I need my front bumper replaced from an old accident. What do I tell the insurance company? Details inside. [more inside]
E-Reader recommendation, with a twist
Since a car accident that weakened my neck, I do most of my reading on the Kindle app on the iphone. The twist is, I screen share with the living room TV, so I can read with my neck in good posture, using the iphone to turn pages.
This works great, and I love it. But, I hate supporting the Bezos Hegemony. [more inside]
Dog newbie seeking advice
I'm considering bringing a dog into our family (two adults and a kindergarten aged kid).
I'm not that experienced with dogs, what advice would you give me? [more inside]
Black lights for detecting cat piss: lifehack or horseshit?
Can anyone vouch for the efficacy of cat urine detecting black light products, either in general or with specific brands and usage tips? [more inside]
Need lock, will travel
What kind of outboard motor lock is compatible with an adjustable outboard motor mounting bracket? [more inside]
Get Firefox stuff over to new Mac
What’s a relatively pain-free way to get both my Firefox bookmarks and logins from an ancient Mac to a new one? [more inside]
UK Mobile Phone in the USA?
How might one acquire (and activate) a UK mobile phone for us in the US, without leaving the US? [more inside]
Small bowel obstruction experience with surgery
A relative is in the hospital with a partial small bowel obstruction. It is not resolving with conservative methods and I think we're up for surgery. [more inside]
What would be the Bluesky equivalent of reddit.com/r/tools?
Be Your Own Butler
What specific skills related to butlering would be useful to learn for someone who wants to practice such skills in their own household, following butlering methods? And where would you learn them, if not butler school? [more inside]
Books on the resilience of organizations?
Why don't we see more organizations just collapse? According to a lot of people, the organization they work for has the lousiest and most self-serving management teams ever. Yet when we open up the newspapers everyday we don't continually read about the organizations that have collapsed. [more inside]
city destinations in South America
Imagine that you were planning a 2-3 week trip to South America over the christmas & new year period, and hoping to enjoy culture, food, music & landscape. Which two or three cities would you consider as destinations? [more inside]
June 29
Coping mentally with bad weather
I live in Pittsburgh, where the weather has changed quickly quite a bit and had storms and been humid and hot. I thankfully have a/c but the weather is still getting to my fibromyalgia and mood. I have been so cranky for days that nothing is getting done and I’m miserable, and others report similar. Is there anything that might help me deal with all this better? I’m open to diet/supplement/lifestyle / anything tips. YANMD.
Dayton Metal Cutting Bandsaw - Model 4YG30A
I need to get some parts for this old bandsaw. Where to get these? [more inside]
Family reunion/celebration: clothing item for all
Ten years ago my family got together for my parents significant wedding anniversary which also happens to be a few days away from my mom’s significant birthday. My mom had asked for a Hawaiian shirt for that birthday and we all surprised her by wearing matching shirts. She’s like something similar this year. [more inside]
Appealing maybe-vegetarian throw-it-all-in Instant Pot stuff?
I really need to start cooking more but cooking for one is a drag and I don't do it. I'm thinking instant pot stuff would feel low enough commitment I might (plus it's summer and who wants to turn on the oven?) I'm not a vegetarian but don't love cooking meat and am trying to eat healthier anyway. Got any recipes you love? I have googled but the internet is too full of things so I'm crowd-sourcing. Bonus level: gluten free.
Rat. Bathroom. Arizona. Help.
Hi. There's a rat in my bathroom. I turned the shower on , and then I noticed a rat on the shower curtain rod. Now the shower is on, and the bathroom door is closed, and it's Sunday, I am at a loss about what to do. [more inside]
Cool but restful day in Vancouver for weary teen travellers?
I will be landing in Vancouver with two young teens. Alas, after 9 hours of traveling it will still be early local time, and we will need to occupy ourselves for the day before we can go to our lodgings. Any ideas for reasonably cool but low-key things to do for three weary travelers (with luggage, no less)?
How do i whitelist youtube channels or playlists?
I want to create a sort of kiosk out of an old windows laptop allowing only certain sites and apps. That part I think I can figure out. But then how do I whitelist certain yourube channels or playlists. youtube, not youtube kids. [more inside]
Distinguishing anti-globalists
Help my brother understand why Antifa and MAGA both oppose international trade agreements but one is considered left-wing and one is considered right wing. [more inside]
Favorite trail mixes?
Y'all did so good on my request for pretzel recommendations, figure I'd ask about trail mixes.
What are your favorite savory trail mixes? I don't care much for the sweet ones, but also don't mind a little sweetness at times, so what do you recommend? Wild, unique, or DIY trail mixes are totally fine. [more inside]
June 28
What other dance songs use these chords? Tip of my tongue...
The song Pretty Green by Spinee was released on the hyperpop label PC Music in 2014. The song starts with a sort of electronic flute from an Em-U Emulator (also used at the start of Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer, and in Sadeness by Enigma, and probably many other songs.) BUT, I know I have heard the starting "electro-piano" chords in numerous other 90s dance/club/house songs. I'm not looking for a sample source, but just other dance song examples that use those simple "get on the dance floor!" chords that start off the song. [more inside]
Buying an Android Phone
I had an iPhone for the last 5 years. Have not loved it except build quality, battery life. It was hard to kill but I did. My previous android was a motorola power G7 - very good sound quality, good battery life, reasonably fast, good photos, great typing. I am hearing impaired and really enjoy good quality sound and loudness (iphone would not get very loud). Have hated being tethered to the Appleverse. I use air tags - will this be a dealbreaker? [more inside]
Hotel in Rome
I’m looking to book a place to stay in Rome and I’m frankly overwhelmed by all the options. Seeking recommendations of places you’ve personally stayed at and liked. [more inside]
Eclipse 2026 - where to start planning?
After missing the last two I am absolutely hell-bent on seeing the 2026 eclipse but have not had time to plan thanks to waves at everything and an impending relocation, plus extreme stress levels at work. Prefer 6-7 days max, but otherwise flexible. Was thinking Spain but open to Iceland. Open to tours but there's way, way too many options and they are filling up fast. Any tips on how to do this easily without going nuts? [more inside]
Advice on Making Peace With How My Life Turned Out
Canadian man, mid-30s, autistic and ADHD. My family members look like film stars and have impressive careers, while I feel average in comparison. Promotions feel like luck, higher-ed attempts fizzle, and chores drain me. My supportive partner and I may never have kids, which hurts. How can I build lasting habits, keep confidence, and accept the life I actually have? [more inside]
Help me solve a mystery!
I found a bunch of debris in front of the dining room cabinet this morning. I'm baffled as to what it is and how it got there. Photos are here [more inside]
cell phones and SIM transfers
What's the current process for transferring a SIM between iPhones. [more inside]
Needed: SIMPLE video splicing software
I need a very simple, free system for cutting and splicing MP4s (other types OK but MP4 required). My goal is to take four segments, each with their own title, and make one segment, with only one title. That is all I want. I have found plenty of systems that offer lots more, but find them too complicated. So, please, the simplest systems you know of that can, for free, cut and splice MP4s. Thank you.
June 27
Condo Shared Space Reno
I want to put a gym in some unused shared space in our condominium. Nothing spectacular, just a machine, treadmill, and some free weights. What are the steps I should undertake? [more inside]
Insect bite on hand
YANMD: Should I be worried at all about this insect bite on my hand? [more inside]
Getting an elderly academic's last paper published
A very elderly family friend is in failing health and has approached me to get his post-retirement work published. He was attached to a very prestigious research group, but he hasn't had any formal connection with them for 30+ years. Help me work out a way to at least get his work out there and readable, if not published in a journal. [more inside]
Civilization but it's just the discovery phase
Yes, I know, I'm pathetic, but the best bit of Civ for me is always the initial phase of discovery, without any significant martial or social challenges. I wish it could last and last. What games manage a similar sense of discovery either as their whole reason-for-being or at least as a long phase in their game process?
10yr old girl camp care package ideas!
My good friend's totally precocious 10 year old daughter is at sleep away camp for the first time and I want to send a care package! Some parameters inside... [more inside]
Where can I stream/watch the 2025 performance of Broadway Bares?
Where can I stream/watch the 2025 performance of Broadway Bares? I'm happy to pay for it, but I can't find out where?
Undetectable smoke damage: do we really need mitigation?
There was recently a fire on our property that damaged an exterior wall of the garage. Some small windows in this wall were blown out, but the fire did not breach the interior and there was no sign of smoke or fire damage inside the structure immediately after the fire. We were very fortunate. The contractor doing repairs states that smoke mitigation is required. He states that a "chem test" he performed showed the presence of soot. However, we have not observed any smoke damage or smokey odors. [more inside]
Quakerfilter: What does your spiritual practice look like?
Looking for practical advice about expanding my contemplative spiritual practice as a sometimes Quaker [more inside]
Camping 101
I'm designing a short workshop to cover the basics of camping (with a car, at an established campground). The goal is that people who haven't ever been camping feel more comfortable going for the first time. Help me brainstorm what should be included. [more inside]
PAYG vs. day tickets for European cities' public transit
I have upcoming travel taking me to Münster (DE) and Brussels (BE), and unless I'm very much misunderstanding, day tickets for public transit are a bad idea. I'm trying to figure out if I'm missing crucial context. [more inside]
Incomplete Kiwi Crate Prize
6YO Little Esse won this "build it kit" at a camp thing.
It appears incomplete. We're happy to supplement with pieces, but we're not sure what it's even supposed to be.
Anyone remember this kit and recall literally anything about it?
June 26
I'm celebrating my 50th in the 50th state - help me plan!
I turn 50 next February and I want to do it in Hawaii. I've never been to Hawaii. Explain to me like I'm a 5 year old where we should go, stay, and see. We plan to go for a week. [more inside]
Have you seen this chair?
Installing a program from old laptop to new
I got a new (used) laptop and everything was going great with the installations from my Time Machine backup of my dying older laptop. There were two programs that I need for my work that didn't automatically work in the backup installation, and I had to go get my copy of Word from the MS site, but everything seemed fine. I cannot, however, get Adobe Acrobat 2020, which I have the license for, to install. [more inside]
Why is our new portable AC letting in smells?
We have three portable ACs. The new one is different from the other two and is letting in smells. Why? Can it be fixed or should just replace? [more inside]
Men's "tough" work pants but breathable?
Where can I find pants suitable for outdoor jobs like construction, which are breathable so it is easier to work in very humid environments without passing out from heat exhaustion? [more inside]
Thai food in a car for eight hours? With cooler packs?
If I get a couple of Thai entrees tonight and put them immediately in the fridge and then, tomorrow morning, put them in a cooler bag with cooler packs, will they be safe to heat up and eat 8ish hours later? I am driving to visit a relative in a Thai-food desert. Relative is immunocompromised.
Kitchen faucet aerator in junior size
I'm looking for a kitchen faucet aerator like this but in size "junior." The faucet is "male" and about .75 in in diameter, which I have learned is junior sized. It's hard to find a regular aerator in this size and impossible to find one that swivels and allows you to direct the spray. [more inside]
New Haven food and scenery
I'll be in New Haven, CT with a friend next week and we want to know where to eat some of our meals: a weekday brunch, a lunch or dinner place with lobster rolls that are worth the price, one fancy dinner place. [more inside]
Monetized blog?
What platform do you recommend for me, a person who knows nothing about her options, as I’d like to keep an online diary and would like for readers to donate (“buy me a cup of coffee”) if they’re so moved? [more inside]
Lisbon with Teenagers
My wife and I will be in Lisbon with our 14 and 16 year old kids in a few weeks. What are some cool things we should do over the 3 days we are there? We are up for anything. Wandering, eating, watching, participating, interacting, etc. What must we do during our time in the city?