December 22
There is a weird noise coming from my neighbor's garage.
What is this noise that comes from my neighbor's garage 24/7?
Waking up with scratches on my upper back
I was trying on some clothes a while back in front of my sister and I turned around to see my sister looking in horror at my upper back. There were lots of small scabs and scars.
I've been scratching my upper back in my sleep significantly, does anyone else experience anything like this? [more inside]
How does nuclear radiation kill you?
The Big One goes off, you're soaked in rads, and now you're going to die. But what, medically speaking, is happening to you?
Please help me start daydreaming about a trip to South America.
I want to go to South America, because I've never been. I am at the very earliest, not-even-planning stages of planning. Any suggestions for trips? I don't have a budget or date in mind yet, but let's say two weeks in 2025 or 2026. A tour group could be good so I don't have to deal with fiddly things, so long as there's plenty of free time. [more inside]
Bakers of MeFi -- suggested substitute for the booze in this recipe?
My sister would like me to make a dessert for Christmas when we visit. This is the recipe I chose -- Apple Pie Bars with Cognac. What's a good possible swap for the cognac? [more inside]
Remember this browser on Firefox
I use Firefox on Windows 10 with multiple extensions. The process for Remember This Browser checkboxes on websites that I log into frequently does not work. What should I check? [more inside]
How to Cope with Anxiety Triggered by Fireworks
Not just fear of fireworks on specific occasions, but anxiety about long-term nuisance in my neighborhood. [more inside]
Ugh, I can't eat this, can I?
I was going to make a turkey tomorrow. I just checked the temperature with a thermometer and it was at 46 degrees. My guess is that it has been at this temperature for something like 4 to 6 hours. Turkey is fucked? Or would you cook it? [more inside]
December 21
Easy way to export iOS notes content to text?
Is there an easy way to export content from the iOS Notes app to plain text, without involving a Mac or iTunes for Windows? [more inside]
Looking for a 90s catalog of lefty, funny, alt t-shirts
I've been trying to recall the name of a catalog we received back in the 90s that sold t-shirts (and only t-shirts, iirc). [more inside]
What is John McVie's reputation among bass players?
What is John McVie's reputation among bass players?
Why am I not using a .iso to clone C: drives?
I am aware the answer to this question is "Because Windows" but I'm curious why I shouldn't just make an .iso of the C: on machine A and use it to write over C: on machine B. [more inside]
Does right=clockwise hold cross-culturally w/ regard to turning a dial?
In English, or at least the variety of American English I speak, it's understood that turning a dial/screw "right" means turning it clockwise. But this doesn't seem inevitable to me -- after all, while the tangential motion at the top of the dial is rightward, the motion at the bottom is leftward (and still other points are moving up or down). Are there languages/cultures where the convention is reversed, or where left/right would not be used in this context at all? [more inside]
Help our cats be friends again!
This morning, in a case of mistaken identity, our male cat (Max) attacked our female cat (Milo). Does anyone have any good ideas on how to get them to reconcile? Or just some reassurance that they will be friends again! What we've tried already and some more background below the fold. [more inside]
Dark lyrics, upbeat tune: Hell in a Handbasket Edition
Looking for songs where the music sounds upbeat, but have dark lyrics related to themes on the downfall of society. [more inside]
Low quality apple voicemail greeting,
Whenever I record a voicemail greeting on my iPhone 15 PM, it sounds like I'm talking to the phone without the speakerphone button being pressed. When people call, my outgoing message is barely audible and sounds like it's at the bottom of a well. I tried also recording it with my Airpods Pro 2 and the same thing happens. When I record a voice memo, it sounds perfectly clear so I don't think there's anything wrong with the mic. Also, no one has ever complained about my voice level while on a call. What gives? [more inside]
What is HDclump
Looking to fulfill our cozy tv quota this holiday season (all repair shop episodes are on YouTube!) and when looking for Great British Sewing Bee (unavailable without a vpn) I came across HDclump, which appears to be a black market streaming service dedicated solely to homey BBC shows. [more inside]
Looking for a song about a woman prostituting herself for her kids
I'm looking for a song for a friend, and our collective Google-fu has failed us. [more inside]
Flood Factor: Extreme
I've noticed that many of the affordable houses in my area (Western Massachusetts) listed on Redfin say "Flood Factor - Extreme (100% chance of flooding in next 30 years)" at the bottom of the page under climate risks. Generally they are houses closer to a stream or something. I have been assuming that I should far stay away from those entirely, but as someone with limited housing options - is that a correct assumption? And if not, what tools can I use to assess? [more inside]
December 20
How do I stop thinking about him? (Literally)
I would like to stop thinking about my ex, but Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind memory wipes aren't a real thing. What's the next best thing in the real world? [more inside]
low-cost setup for audio recording on a Mac
I'm looking for a low-cost setup to record and mix audio on a Mac. [more inside]
Multiplex question in the Cell Phone and Verizon plans arena
I will try to keep this focused and short. My wife and I have Android Samsung Galaxy S9+ (ancient) phones. We plan to replace them in February to avoid dealing with brand new phones in our January vacation. We are part of a multiple household family plan and we are not the owner, we just pay pro rata. [more inside]
Ventricular tachycardia tips?
I recently and surprisingly was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia. In the next few months I have an EKG, stress test, and rest test scheduled, then we'll figure out what happens next. Any advice to get me through the next few months? I'm in good health, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and don't have a ton of stress other than living in the USA right now. [more inside]
Downtown Toronto Dwellers: Sidewalk Conditions Report Requested
I’m coming to Toronto from London tomorrow and need input on footwear. [more inside]
Looking for a short story about a boy who disappeared
I remember a story about a boy and his family visiting an historic building that concludes with the boy having disappeared and with a feather drifting down a stairwell. [more inside]
Help me make the version of sesame noodles I like!
I used to think I didn't like Chinese or Japanese sesame noodles. I have since learned that "sesame noodles" can refer to many different dishes across many cultures, and there is one I do like: the kind with a creamy sauce (thick or thin), that tastes mostly of sesame (not peanut butter), and doesn't have spice as the main flavor (some spice is ok). It's still challenging to find recipes that result in this, specify the correct sesame components to use, and isn't mostly peanut butter. Please share your favorite creamy sesame noodles recipe with me!
With what should I cover my ears while biking in winter?
Some way to cover ears that is not a balaclava or a hat is wanted; must be compatible with bike helmet. [more inside]
Portable "standing desk"?
I have a friend who likes to work in libraries and cafes on her laptop. She's hoping something exists that is portable which can be unfolded to allow her to stand at a normal table and have two shelves, one for her bluetooth keyboard and one for her laptop, that will put them at the right height. Does such a thing exist? Thanks!
Staying Professionally Relevant
You’re unable to be as active in your professional life but wish to remain professionally relevant. What’s your strategy? [more inside]
How to track individual savings goals in investment accounts?
My wife and I would like a system to track individual savings goals within our larger pooled investments. [more inside]
Encourage or discourage my crazy litterbox design
I have a notion for how to design an easy-to-sift pine-pellet litterbox. It's inspired in some part by the ideas behind the Omega Paw Roll'n'Clean and compost tumblers. It's lodged in my head and I need to either be talked out of it or given a sense of how I might turn this idea into reality. [more inside]
Knitfilter: good pattern for a throw using self-striping yarn?
Title is the question pretty much. Ravelry has one billion patterns and can be overwhelming to search. I started the "ten stitch blanket" because it is nice looking but I am bad at picking up stitches and also found the directions not entirely clear. But I have all this grey-to-black long striping Berroco "Wizard" and I want to find something not super high effort but attractive!
How did they achieve this practical effect
The video shows a situation from a German “friendly” prank TV show - how did they achieve this effect with different people being swallowed by the puddle.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdGoE_nA2oA [more inside]
Don't look now.
Is there any way to hide a graphic NSFW image from a search of my Amazon purchase history? Archiving the order doesn't do it. (CW: NSFW) [more inside]
December 19
Is there a linguistic term for putting "uh" at the ends of sentences?
Recently, I've been watching a lot of police bodycam videos, and I've noticed a tendency among upset young people to put "uh" at the end of the last word in I sentence. For example, "I was just there" becomes "I was just there-uh" and "There's no reason" becomes "There's no reason-uh." I don't know if young people also do it when they're not upset or only when they're upset. Is there a specific linguistic term for this habit? For example, making a declarative statement with a rising tone that makes it sound like a question is "uptalk," and a crackling voice is called "vocal fry." So do linguists have a word for this "-uh"? Also, I feel like it's a relatively phenomenon. Does anyone know roughly where it started, where it came from, etc?
90’s text to speech program with lips?
My brother and I had a text to speech Windows program on a computer in the early-to-mid 90’s as kids that would speak. There would be a pair of lips that would move as if it were speaking. My Google fu is failing me. Any idea what that program was? [more inside]
(UK Lake District) Things to do in Keswick this weekend
My Dad (74) and I (47) are going to Keswick from Saturday to Tuesday. What seasonal events / lesser-known places can you recommend. [more inside]
Regex is using or statement wrongly
I use a consecutive mixed character code to help me find plant names. Mainly I use Everything in non-Regex mode for searches, but I have started trying to use Regex (using Regex: on the search line, not via the menu workflow) as it offers dramatically better search quality. But I cannot Regex to work with or.
A coded filename looks like: [more inside]
Shows (magic or otherwise) with implications that spill outside the show
Human-Search-Enginefilter: I've been thinking a lot about theater that spills outside the context of the specific performance. For example "In and Of Itself", Derek DelGaudio makes a brick disappear and has it reappear at an intersection named by an audience member. Or, extreme haunted houses might give participants a tattoo during the performance. What are some other examples of this? I'm particularly interested in examples where the stage component is a 10-15 minute self-contained piece that teases the much larger context, rather than e.g. a 3-hour show that starts before the showtime or ends after the curtain call.
Daily Reader suggestions
I'm looking for recommendations for books that are meant to be read in daily sections like "The Assassin's Cloak" which is a collection of journal entries for each day or "Year of Wonder" which covers 365 musical pieces.
Baseball shirt just for me
I'd like a personalised baseball shirt. I want my "team name" on the front, and my own name and number on the back, classic like. However, I would like it in nice quality, and with a proper sewn-on front name, or embroidered or whatever the method is. I don't mind transfer on the back I guess? [more inside]
urgent print vendor needed! for white ink, pre-addressed envelopes
Can you recommend a print shop (ideally one you have personally worked with!) I am in my own special circle of printing hell. I have been fighting for weeks with envelopes.com on two (relatively straightforward!) orders of pre-addressed envelope printing. Complicating factors: we need WHITE ink on navy envelopes (and a few other finicky things). More snowflakes inside [more inside]
Same Word/ Different Meaning in Regional English?
Grilling in the UK typically means using "the grill" section of the cooker/ cooking using a heat source from above, but in the US I believe this is broiling/ using "the broiler", and grilling in the US is using a heat source from below (I think like a barbecue in the UK?). What other words might cause confusion for two English-speakers of different dialects, thinking they mean the same thing, but really they don't?
Best way to save web pages to PDF on Windows 11
In my work I often save web pages as PDF files. This helps me organize the data on the page and ensure it will stay available. Unfortunately, Windows 11 often creates PDFs that are just screen images. I can't search, select, or copy text from them. What's the best, cheapest way to make print-to-pdf work well on Windows. [more inside]
Get a human
I paid for something on eBay. I appealed, got LLM nonsense, and have no mechanism to do anything further. I now have no money and no package. What next? [more inside]
Why is my Windows 10 PC choking on 4K video?
I have an Intel NUC (running Windows 10), and I'm trying to use it with Windows Media Center and a SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex 4K tuner. The computer has decent specs (an NVMe SSD, 11th-gen Intel i7 processor, and 8GB RAM), but it has trouble displaying over-the-air TV shows—either live or recorded—in 4K. I'm using the regular onboard graphics that came with the NUC. [more inside]
Hot, but why sticky?
There's a counterintuitive linkage between human sexual arousal and negative emotions like fear, aggression and disgust. What are some good readings to better understand what causes this? Neuroscience, physiology or animal-behavior perspectives would be ideal, reasonably rigorous evopsych or philosophical takes acceptable as backup. Ideas? [more inside]
What's good at the drive-thru?
So let's say you have to drive across parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Due to a curse, you can only get your lunch and dinner at places with drive-thru windows, so either fast food or hybrid "fast casual" like Panera and Fazioli's. What are the best orders you'd make at which restaurants? [more inside]
Carpenters and Masons unite!
I want to attach a long piece of granite (formerly a kitchen counter backstop) to an upright 4x4 post. How to do this? (photos)
why is my hair suddenly dry and tangled? (European edition)
50s woman with long blonde hair moved back to Europe a year ago, and find myself with massive tangles, particularly in the lower part of my hair close to my neck. Any idea why or how to fix? [more inside]
Who am I gonna call? (home improvement edition)
I want to hire out some work on my house in 2025, but I need to figure out what kind of professionals to hire! Please help me to extricate myself from my analysis paralysis. [more inside]
How would you approach this lingering congestion?
After about ten days, I can't seem to kick this lingering congestion. Not bad enough to knock me out of commission, but I have things to do and people to see and no one wants me sniffling all over them. What should I do? [more inside]
A Delicate Balance
I want to find a way to keep myself informed about the news without getting sucked into overuse of social media/mindless internet browsing/doomscrolling/clickbait. If you've managed to do this, what rules and strategies did you use to do so?
Books like those by Ed James?
My brother-in-law really likes crime fiction by Ed James, a Scottish self-published writer. It's partly the sense of place he likes; not sure what else. Is there anything similar people can recommend? Tried Ian Rankin and a few other contemporary crime writers like Kate Atkinson, but they haven't worked for him.
"Rest hoarding" - is this a thing? What are your experiences?
You often hear about how people who didn't get enough to eat growing up will overeat - eating at every opportunity they can, even when it's not necessary, because their body is used to not getting enough and not knowing when the next meal will be. I think I do the same with rest. Does anyone else do this, and what helped you stop?
December 18
Brushing teeth with no toothpaste?
How much benefit is there in brushing teeth with a fancy electric toothbrush (Oral B Io10 Electric Toothbrush) but no toothpaste? eg if brushing with a fancy electric toothbrush plus toothpaste is 100% benefit, what % benefit is brushing with a fancy electric toothbrush and no toothpaste? [more inside]
Facebook account hacked and can’t be recovered, what next?
A relative’s Facebook account was hacked. The hacker has changed the associated email and phone number so recovery codes are sent to them and not to relative. What’s next to make sure relative is secure online? [more inside]
Loosing pet, looking for support options for grief and relational aspect
We’re likely losing our dog to a tumor, and I’m having a hard time dealing with both the grief and the relational aspects. Looking for support options… [more inside]
Help me find this 90s Australian science fiction novel?
Can you help me find the author and title of a science fiction detective novel from somewhere around '95-'97, set in the authoritarian city-state of Sydney after a nuclear exchange which decimated the northern hemisphere? [more inside]
Photo/Slide Digitizing Services
The Green has previously had questions on digitizing old images, but most are a few years old. Some commenters have mentioned professional services that do this: Memory Fortress, LegacyBox, iMemories. Have you or someone you know used such a service recently? What was good or bad in your experience? What should we know before choosing a service for this? [more inside]