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My 15-year-old daughter (otherwise great kid, only child) is in a full shame-avoidant crisis and it’s honestly the hardest thing I’ve ever faced as a parent. [more inside]
posted by Tenacious.Me.Tokyo to Human Relations at 3:28 PM - 11 answers

I'm in Canada. I am used to benefits being limited to health/dental and vacation. I now been offered benefits in the form of allowances/funds for cell phone, home office, travel and such. I don't know how to best take advantage of these vs a higher salary (Reiterate: I'm in Canada). [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Work & Money at 2:19 PM - 2 answers

An abundance of pollen this spring has produced a persistent strain of algae in an outdoor rug woven from polyurethane. When the sun comes out, the algae recedes and the color of the rug returns. Rain brings the algae back. At minimum, I will power-wash the rug and the patio surface beneath. Is there a product that I can apply that will strengthen the resistance to algae?
posted by John Borrowman to Home & Garden at 2:08 PM - 0 answers

I hardly remember any lyrics, don't know who it's by, or when it was released. Yay!! [more inside]
posted by the webmistress to Media & Arts at 11:50 AM - 9 answers

I discovered a nest of very busy fire ants in my gutter above my deck amidst the caked up pine straw, pine pollen, and pine cones. Lucky I got my hands out of there before I got bitten. I would like to eliminate them with extreme prejudice. Do I need to treat them differently because they’re in the gutters? [more inside]
posted by conscious matter to Home & Garden at 11:46 AM - 2 answers

My shoulder is having deep muscle problems, causing a lot of pain and restriction of movement. Both the ER doctor and the PT specialist recommended something called "dry needling"... [more inside]
posted by AzraelBrown to Health & Fitness at 11:31 AM - 9 answers

I need some solid advice as to how to make it clear to a stranger that I don't want them to talk to me. [more inside]
posted by SageTrail to Human Relations at 11:06 AM - 24 answers

I am hunting for a Legislative Reference Service (now Congressional Research Service) report published in - or circa - 1953 titled Laws Enacted by Congress, the Council of the City of Washington and the Legislature of the District of Columbia Relating to Segregation (or something like this - more inside!) [more inside]
posted by reedbird_hill to Law & Government at 10:27 AM - 2 answers

My brother is getting married in a couple months and I think some kind of outdoor entertainment device is the right way to go for a gift. But what? [more inside]
posted by phunniemee to Grab Bag at 9:49 AM - 28 answers

I use Microsoft Authenticator for 2FA on my Microsoft account (Office 365 etc.). Occasionally it gives me an "attempted login" alert. When I look at the log, it shows attempted logins like every 10 minutes, 24/7, from countries throughout the world. Normal? [more inside]
posted by Mid to Computers & Internet at 7:40 AM - 9 answers

What's the current info on having recently had covid and any lasting immunity? I just had covid a month ago. My partner has it now. Can we hang out? Tricky: traveling next week. [more inside]
posted by greta simone to Health & Fitness at 7:29 AM - 11 answers

When Yeats wrote "the worst / Are full of passionate intensity", which sort of people and political movements was he likely to be thinking of as "the worst"? It was 1919, so there were all sorts of folks all across the political spectrum who were "full of passionate intensity". Which ones would Yeats himself been most turned off by?
posted by clawsoon to Society & Culture at 8:20 PM - 5 answers

Please suggest fun things to do in the Maritimes with kids - especially between Halifax and Charlottetown. Also, is it still really hard to rent a car there? [more inside]
posted by vanilla.extract to Travel & Transportation at 5:15 PM - 7 answers

Where should my family go for Thanksgiving in Florida that has access to both beaches and a national park? [more inside]
posted by serelliya to Travel & Transportation at 4:21 PM - 12 answers

I have a 1B/1BR apartment. An acquaintance is in need of a place to stay for a full month and parts of two other months (June-August). What would a reasonable rent amount be to ask from him? [more inside]
posted by thoughtful_analyst to Home & Garden at 4:11 PM - 17 answers

My search abilities are failing me. I’m trying to find a song that went briefly viral a couple of years ago. [more inside]
posted by profreader to Media & Arts at 2:25 PM - 2 answers

I have a relative coming into NYC to stay for around 5 days. [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster to Travel & Transportation at 12:17 PM - 14 answers

If you're using an ASV for sleep apnea, could you tell me your experience with it? [more inside]
posted by mittens to Health & Fitness at 10:52 AM - 4 answers

My mother, who has had cognitive decline for longer than her husband realized, now has full-blown dementia. All their money is gone. How can we figure out what happened? Complication: her husband is in his final days. [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Law & Government at 10:14 AM - 18 answers

Advice for US citizen returning to US through airport with phone containing access to social media/email critical of US admin. How to convert my existing Samsung android to a 'burner phone' and back up all my stuff? Or other approach? [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Technology at 10:03 AM - 9 answers

My cousin is 19 and a nice young man. His heart is in the right place and he cares about people but he's also extremely sheltered to the point of cluelessness about social issues. He also loves reading and is left-leaning in a pretty abstract way. I am looking for book recommendations to share with him that are NOT explicitly political but nevertheless horizon-expanding. Anything from history to urban planning. Just interesting books with a lefty flavor. [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Society & Culture at 10:01 AM - 36 answers

I help run the website of a very small advocacy group. The website has next to no traffic (10s of human page views/month) and the organization has equally little money. We have received a demand for a usage fee from an entity which claims to represent Reuters with respect to an image which was used on the website (approx USD225). Has anyone had any experience of similar situations ? [more inside]
posted by southof40 to Computers & Internet at 4:31 AM - 7 answers

Going to visit China for the first time since smartphones were invented. I have Alipay and Wechat already set up, what else do I need? And what VPNs are currently recommended?
posted by WhackyparseThis to Travel & Transportation at 2:40 AM - 5 answers

What's a ~morally grey life tip that works every time?
posted by benimaru to Grab Bag at 2:32 AM - 51 answers

partnered snorers of Metafilter - please share your experience & suggest possible reasons for what's going on for me [more inside]
posted by rd45 to Health & Fitness at 2:07 AM - 19 answers

To calm my brain, I've been advised to listen to podcasts. Unfortunately, my previous favourites don't reliably hold my interest anymore. Looking for something suspenseful, but not scary. [more inside]
posted by toucan to Media & Arts at 1:00 AM - 14 answers

What are some legitimate, trustworthy, non-scammy companies I can register with to buy and trade crypto? I need to do a couple of transactions to help a friend who needs to provide a firm with crypto for non-scammy REASONS because the firm's requesting payment in crypto. [more inside]
posted by LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco to Technology at 12:46 AM - 16 answers

I like Firefox's Pocket because it shows me a number of articles on different topics that I likely wouldn't come across otherwise. Other than MeFi, do you know of anything similar that you like?
posted by NotLost to Computers & Internet at 4:31 PM - 11 answers

I'm stuck somewhere in the process of creating an OR gate from NAND gates. Can you help me understand the issue or lead me in the right direction? [more inside]
posted by mr_bovis to Technology at 11:26 AM - 19 answers

I will have 12 egg yolks and will probably be tired by then :P [more inside]
posted by Eyelash to Food & Drink at 9:35 AM - 26 answers

I have a small backyard made of poured concrete, with an arbor of lovely vines overhead. It's basically a 13 foot cube, with a concrete floor and a leafy top. Unfortunately, the concrete floor has a 2 inch dip in the centre, meaning it holds a large puddle after every rain, and the leafy canopy roof slows the puddle from evaporating. Is there a way to create a raised floor over the puddle? [more inside]
posted by vanilla.extract to Home & Garden at 9:27 AM - 29 answers

I have a crappy old Acer monitor and a nice new Samsung monitor. I want the Samsung to always be the main monitor. MacOs seems to only want the Acer to be the main monitor. How do I convince it otherwise? [more inside]
posted by Uncle to Technology at 9:02 AM - 1 answer

Last year, we asked for gift ideas to take with us to our favorite Romanian cousin. She's ten now and we'll be seeing her again in July. Just as before, she has loving awesome parents who give her thoughtful and clever gifts. We enjoy being the weirdo American cousins who show up with awesome junk from an ocean away that the exchange rate means she would never otherwise get. Last year's hit was a Bitzee. What should we do this year? [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown to Shopping at 8:59 AM - 7 answers

Husband and I are road tripping from San Antonio to El Paso (and back) in a couple weeks - we’ve got a full week on the ground. We want to try all the tacos (and other south TX amazingness) we can, buy a guayabera for him, find some indie bookshops or printers for me, art is always a draw, and interesting drives. We think we’ll head into New Mexico from El Paso for a day (or so). I’d love any recommendations from the hive mind for can’t-miss stuff - thanks!
posted by ersatzkat to Travel & Transportation at 6:47 AM - 8 answers

trying to figure out what's going on with my knee! more deets inside. [more inside]
posted by too bad you're not me to Health & Fitness at 8:46 PM - 6 answers

A week that was meant to be spent doing something I love as a group activity has been invaded by someone hellbent on sucking all the air out of the room. One positive is that a bunch of us bonded over our mutual dislike for this person, but unfortunately what I'll probably remember most about this week is that fucking guy. If you're a person who can successfully filter out the loudmouths in the seats behind you at the game, or the drunks singing too loud at the concert, or the chatty know-it-all who shows up in a variety of situations: how do you do it?
posted by Sweetie Darling to Human Relations at 8:00 PM - 8 answers

We have family that call Rochester as their origin home town (coming from some distance) and others that will want to escape the Boston suburbs. We are looking for a location that has a lot of spark for older teens, thirty-something couples and their late middle age parents. We just. don’t. know. the.area. This is for Next Summer, 2026. [more inside]
posted by childofTethys to Travel & Transportation at 7:43 PM - 11 answers

I want to futz with a few typed words, mess with the font and maybe background color, the spacing between lines, have things going horizontally and vertically. (I'm trying to make a logo but am not really a design person.) Is there a free and most crucially simple site or app to do this? I've googled some without finding what I'm looking for.
posted by less-of-course to Computers & Internet at 2:47 PM - 10 answers

When submitting my I-9 document for a new job, I have to have a representative with me, a "trusted adult" (friend, neighbor, etc.). I don't know why this is needed, but it is, and I need someone who can be physically present to complete section 2 on my first day (presumably) when I'm onboarding. Unfortunately, I don't have someone in my life who can take time from their schedule to do this on my first day on the job. Is there is a service I can hire to do this, preferably in the Seattle metro area? [more inside]
posted by They sucked his brains out! to Law & Government at 12:05 PM - 16 answers

There's rumors circulating about ICE agents on social media and I'm wondering where they come from and what the purpose of them are. Do the people making these statements actually believe that the 1500 January 6th people who included the elderly and private jet chartering real estate ladies are now ICE agents deployed nationally despite news reports that internal federal agents are being diverted to do this work? If so, what is the source of this idea? I would like to see an article, if you have it. [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Law & Government at 10:25 AM - 9 answers

I'm trying to find a MetaFilter post I'm sure I remember about Marty Robbins songs ranked from worst to best protagonist. The linked post I think considered the protagonist of "El Paso" the worst and of "Big Iron" the best. Unfortunately my search-fu is coming up short for both the Metafilter post and the blog it linked to. [more inside]
posted by Reverend John to Society & Culture at 10:13 AM - 1 answer

How did or do you find meaning and identity in this new life stage, midlife? [more inside]
posted by night traveler to Grab Bag at 8:37 AM - 11 answers

Hi, all. Metafilter is electing a new Board to run the site and replace its Interim Board. Currently we have a three member Board, but the new Bylaws being discussed and amended here include a possible range of 3-12 members. While we're figuring exact details (like the process for holding an election being discussed here), it would be helpful to know how many MeFites are interested in running for a seat on this new board. If that interests you, please declare your intentions in this MetaTalk thread. Note: declaring interest is not a commitment to serve on the Board.
posted by Brandon Blatcher to Law & Government at 7:33 AM - 0 answers

I am leading worship at a (British) Unitarian service tomorrow with a theme of 'Be an ally'. I will talk about why people with privilege, and Unitarians specifically, should be allies and then what it takes to be a good ally. What would you recommend I include? [more inside]
posted by plonkee to Religion & Philosophy at 3:48 AM - 12 answers

I can get tested in a few weeks, and I'm sort of hopeful/relieved. No collection of symptoms has ever felt so much like me. Maybe I've finally found the cause of (or at least a contributing factor to) my depression/anxiety. [more inside]
posted by toucan to Health & Fitness at 1:27 AM - 13 answers

The birthday girl is going to be seven, and my two dogs have been invited to be the guests of honour. I'll be watching carefully for signs of stress, and there'll be four adults to organise the ten kids (all of whom like dogs). [more inside]
posted by toucan to Grab Bag at 12:53 AM - 12 answers

Who is the artist of this sketch of a bicycle and what did they mean by this? I found out that it was published first in Life magazine and then a month later in Jugend magazine. [more inside]
posted by ssri to Media & Arts at 12:19 AM - 10 answers

I'm a cis woman, just about to turn 50. I'm in a great new relationship, but I am so mortified by how my body is (perfectly, normally) aging that it has become a huge blocker to intimacy. How do I get over this? [more inside]
posted by anonymous to Human Relations at 7:12 PM - 25 answers

I bought a bidet toilet seat, which was available in two sizes: Round and Elongated. The plumber who tried to install it said that the seat is too big for my toilet. Please help me understand toilet sizing so I can figure out if I can fix this. [more inside]
posted by Vatnesine to Home & Garden at 5:03 PM - 7 answers

I need to cut my carbs for both prediabetic and cardiovascular health reasons. The biggest of several complications are a tight food budget, and we only have standard Midwest US chain grocery store to shop from. Pasta, rice, potatoes, and bread make up an enormous part of our diet and cost pennies, so I'm having trouble figuring out the logistics of replacing them. There are a few other complications beyond the fold. [more inside]
posted by Ookseer to Food & Drink at 2:53 PM - 35 answers

I saw a funny series of videos called something like "KNN- Kitty-cat News Network". [more inside]
posted by wnissen to Media & Arts at 9:57 AM - 4 answers

I am soon starting a new sr. manager position at a new, large company in the same industry in which I have built my career. For the sake of this question, let’s say I am starting work at South West airlines, having previously worked at United and Delta before that. [more inside]
posted by walkinginsunshine to Work & Money at 8:51 AM - 10 answers

What would you recommend as a Great American novel and why? [more inside]
posted by Frowner to Media & Arts at 7:56 AM - 60 answers

I am looking for an EU-based alternative to Backblaze, with full-device automated backup (not file sync) and encryption with a personal private key both in motion and at rest. The nearest I can find is Jottacloud but they hold the encryption key and so could decrypt a user’s files. There’s also Swiss Backup, but their support is often criticised as unresponsive.
posted by Grinder to Computers & Internet at 7:45 AM - 4 answers

I often eat apples fresh off the truck. They arrive refrigerated and are thus quickly covered in a copious amout of condensation, which I rub off on my shirt and then consider them clean enough. But are they? [more inside]
posted by Tell Me No Lies to Science & Nature at 6:06 AM - 14 answers

In 6 weeks I'll be attending an event where I thought I would give a small presentation, and now discovered it is bigger than expected. As someone with public speaking anxiety, how can I best use this time to prepare? [more inside]
posted by unid41 to Human Relations at 6:02 AM - 12 answers

If vasectomies are 99.5% effective at preventing pregnancy; and tubal ligations are 99.5% effective at preventing pregnancy, what would be the % risk of pregnancy in a couple where the man had had a vasectomy AND the woman had had a tubal ligation? Would it be 0.5% ? or would it be less than 0.5% ?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries to Health & Fitness at 5:04 AM - 14 answers

My kids and I have had so much fun learning all of the English kings and queens in order from watching this amazing song from Horrible Histories again and again. Any other ideas of videos/songs to watch over and over that are fun and educationally useful?
posted by caoimhe to Education at 2:31 AM - 9 answers

Not only did MeFi just answer a really good "what car should I buy" question for someone else, but you also helped me pick out my own car several years ago! I'm back again with more car snowflakes and would love suggestions for what cars to check out. [more inside]
posted by Threeve to Travel & Transportation at 7:48 PM - 17 answers

I'm looking for fiction or non-fiction books written for or from the perspective of an adult sibling of a person undergoing a gender transition. Bonus points for content about support for later in life transitions. As a starting point, I have requested My Sister: How One Sibling's Transition Changed us Both by Selemis Leyva and Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride from my local library but I don't have them yet.
posted by PurpleNico to Human Relations at 7:39 PM - 2 answers