Ask MetaFilter

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]
posted by aws17576 to Writing & Language at 2:23 PM - 6 answers

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]
posted by toebeans to Pets & Animals at 1:58 PM - 4 answers

Looking for songs where the music sounds upbeat, but have dark lyrics related to themes on the downfall of society. [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork to Media & Arts at 11:03 AM - 34 answers

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]
posted by dobbs to Technology at 10:51 AM - 0 answers

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]
posted by q*ben to Computers & Internet at 9:59 AM - 3 answers

I'm looking for a song for a friend, and our collective Google-fu has failed us. [more inside]
posted by snakeling to Media & Arts at 7:33 AM - 8 answers

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]
posted by needs more cowbell to Home & Garden at 5:23 AM - 7 answers

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]
posted by anonymous to Human Relations at 10:54 PM - 23 answers

I'm looking for a low-cost setup to record and mix audio on a Mac. [more inside]
posted by bac to Computers & Internet at 7:55 PM - 5 answers

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]
posted by forthright to Technology at 4:31 PM - 11 answers

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]
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness at 3:07 PM - 6 answers

I’m coming to Toronto from London tomorrow and need input on footwear. [more inside]
posted by antiquated to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 2:31 PM - 7 answers

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]
posted by Peach to Writing & Language at 2:31 PM - 2 answers

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!
posted by rhiannonstone to Food & Drink at 2:15 PM - 9 answers

Some way to cover ears that is not a balaclava or a hat is wanted; must be compatible with bike helmet. [more inside]
posted by Frowner to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 11:42 AM - 28 answers

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!
posted by dobbs to Technology at 11:21 AM - 8 answers

You’re unable to be as active in your professional life but wish to remain professionally relevant. What’s your strategy? [more inside]
posted by Goblin Barbarian to Work & Money at 10:13 AM - 9 answers

My wife and I would like a system to track individual savings goals within our larger pooled investments. [more inside]
posted by number9dream to Work & Money at 7:40 AM - 9 answers

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]
posted by jackbishop to Pets & Animals at 7:24 AM - 4 answers

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!
posted by less-of-course to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 6:44 AM - 3 answers

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]
posted by mathiu to Media & Arts at 6:01 AM - 11 answers

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]
posted by anonymous to Computers & Internet at 5:22 AM - 7 answers

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?
posted by Bugbread to Writing & Language at 10:13 PM - 15 answers

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]
posted by glaucon to Computers & Internet at 8:07 PM - 6 answers

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]
posted by runincircles to Travel & Transportation at 3:25 PM - 3 answers

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]
posted by unearthed to Computers & Internet at 3:11 PM - 3 answers

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.
posted by LSK to Society & Culture at 1:49 PM - 10 answers

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.
posted by drezdn to Media & Arts at 12:06 PM - 14 answers

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]
posted by Iteki to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 11:10 AM - 8 answers

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]
posted by seemoorglass to Shopping at 11:10 AM - 7 answers

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?
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness to Writing & Language at 10:03 AM - 63 answers

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]
posted by Winnie the Proust to Computers & Internet at 10:00 AM - 6 answers

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]
posted by Mirth to Shopping at 9:49 AM - 10 answers

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]
posted by akk2014 to Computers & Internet at 9:43 AM - 13 answers

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]
posted by Bardolph to Science & Nature at 9:13 AM - 7 answers

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]
posted by wintersweet to Food & Drink at 8:58 AM - 42 answers

I want to attach a long piece of granite (formerly a kitchen counter backstop) to an upright 4x4 post. How to do this? (photos)
posted by falsedmitri to Home & Garden at 7:11 AM - 13 answers

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]
posted by frumiousb to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion at 6:31 AM - 17 answers

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]
posted by toastedcheese to Home & Garden at 6:26 AM - 5 answers

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]
posted by RajahKing to Health & Fitness at 6:13 AM - 10 answers

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?
posted by orange swan to Media & Arts at 5:58 AM - 15 answers

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.
posted by anonymous to Writing & Language at 4:55 AM - 6 answers

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?
posted by anonymous to Human Relations at 4:55 AM - 9 answers

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]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries to Health & Fitness at 11:54 PM - 19 answers

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]
posted by Naanwhal to Computers & Internet at 11:22 PM - 3 answers

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]
posted by LngGrnd to Pets & Animals at 8:18 PM - 4 answers

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]
posted by MarchHare to Media & Arts at 5:13 PM - 1 answer

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]
posted by conscious matter to Media & Arts at 2:28 PM - 5 answers

I have spent large chunks of my life sincerely believing that nothing really mattered. I can swiftly and easily discount any accomplishments that could be added to my name. Many people think my job is meaningful - I don’t think it’s enough. Many people think the church I attend is a pillar of the community - I think the minister is pseudo-intellectual and rarely says anything risky or meaningful. [more inside]
posted by bunderful to Health & Fitness at 2:08 PM - 35 answers

In a previous question I was recommended Little Gator Game for my kids. Unexpectedly, my 4 year old fallen in love with it and finished it very thoroughly, so now I'm on the lookout for similar games. All my internet searches are turning up games that, while looking charming, are probably too complicated for a 4 year old to mess around in. [more inside]
posted by Silentgoldfish to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 12:15 PM - 6 answers

How many times can you re-save a JPG on the highest quality setting before image deterioration from the lossy compression becomes noticeable?
posted by Lemkin to Technology at 10:41 AM - 8 answers

HELP! I need some stocking stuffer ideas for a 5 senses theme. I have sight, taste, touch, and smell covered but can't think of anything for sound. Details within! [more inside]
posted by too bad you're not me to Shopping at 10:15 AM - 23 answers

Alien gift ideas - specifics inside [more inside]
posted by St. Peepsburg to Shopping at 9:54 AM - 9 answers

Assuming there are X number of times the Simpsons have depicted different Christmases happening in the ostensible present (not by flashback), how many years would have gone by and how old would they be? Hold onto your well actuallys there are stipulations inside. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown to Media & Arts at 9:48 AM - 13 answers

Please recommend open ear headphones for listening to podcasts to put me to sleep - so nothing that lights up, announces low battery, or otherwise interferes with sleep. [more inside]
posted by kristi to Shopping at 9:21 AM - 2 answers

Are you retired? How did you mentally handle the last 5-ish years of working? I feel like I am slowly dying of ennui and apathy but need to hold on a little longer. [more inside]
posted by archimago to Work & Money at 7:30 AM - 27 answers

What are the best Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney games available now for Switch? Partner hates combat games and I think they'd enjoy these, only I haven't played any since the DS so I have no idea what's good in these franchises now. Many thanks!
posted by goo to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation at 7:10 AM - 6 answers

Recently I learned that porcupines and wolverines climb trees. What other US/Canadian mammals climb trees? So far, I have squirrels; opossums; bobcats; Canadian Lynx; racoons; mountain lions; bears; porcupines; wolverines; and various polecats/minks/stoats/weasels. Also some foxes in the deserts in the south of the US. What mammals am I missing?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries to Pets & Animals at 4:26 AM - 25 answers

I am grateful for every day. As long as I remember to remind myself to be grateful! What are your practices for remembering, marking, creating, and celebrating gratitude, thankfulness, and hope? [more inside]
posted by skookumsaurus rex to Religion & Philosophy at 10:24 PM - 17 answers

For the first time, my nose got red after drinking alcohol. Neat! Why? Before blindly linking to the wikipedia page for alcohol flush reaction, please read on. [more inside]
posted by phunniemee to Grab Bag at 4:31 PM - 22 answers