May 9
Self-Funded Health Insurance == Good? Bad? Both?
I'm in the US. My employer just started open enrollment for the year. Our health insurance is changing from a normal carrier (UHC) to a self-funded one, in a captive model (if that's the correct way to put that)—basically, pooling money/coverage with a bunch of other companies to spread the risk around a bit (over like 10,000 employees, total). Everyone's kind of freaking out about this (in a bad way)... Should we be? [more inside]
Command line shn -> flac conversion?
Is there a command line tool that I can use to convert .shn files directly to .flac (as opposed to converting to .wav and then to .flac)?
brain zaps not from withdrawal
Anyone experience brain zaps while taking an SSRI or SNRI and not tapering or missing a dose?
I'm familiar with the brain zaps that happen when I miss a dose of Effexor but I know I've taken my last several pills and I'm having the same sort of brain zaps as when I miss a dose or am late taking it.
This isn't the first time that it's happened. But it's something I've only noticed sporadically in the past year after being on the same dosage for many years.
Is it crazy to think that perhaps it's something not quite right with the brand of generic I've been getting?
Was considering asking my doctor to prescribe actual Effexor Xr, not generic, or trying to find a pharmacy that stocks a different brand of generic.
Also interested in other theories that could account for the brain zaps.
Tips for finding one-night bed and breakfasts in England at short notice
In the late 1970s my wife and I toured England, Scotland, and Wales, staying in bed and breakfasts. Our routine would be to drive into a small or mid-sized city at around 3 or 4 p.m., find the tourist office, consult their list of possible bnbs and start phoning. We invariably would find nearby a wonderful bed and breakfast for that night and maybe two or three more nights in an owner-managed and -occupied house. Then we would move on. [more inside]
The most comfortable sheets in the world??
Looking for the above! I’m thinking 100% cotton but could possibly be convinced otherwise. Prefer dark green with some kind of understated floral/plant/vine pattern. Also need a matching duvet cover! Willing to splurge.
How to add an external hard drive to Docker?
Looking to do some self-hosting on my Mac Mini, I was pointed towards Docker. I found documentation and was able to install Docker Desktop and add a container, but I don't know how to add an external hard drive so my app can reference it [more inside]
Help me get a sick cat to eat
What’s your secret sauce to get a cat to eat when he has no appetite. [more inside]
Audiologist recommendation for NELA area?
I don't know if it's my age or something in the air, but all of my doctors are retiring all of a sudden. This most recent one is particularly hitting hard, as it's my fantastic audiologist.
She doesn't even have any recommendations in my area, as I'd been going a bit out of my way to see her as it was. I'm looking for someone in the northeast Los Angeles/Glendale area, even willing to go to Burbank if it's near the studios. [more inside]
CC attribution hijinks
I'm responsible for a website that uses a Creative Commons-licensed image. The requested attribution includes a link to a domain whose registration has lapsed and which is now parked with a scammy, semi-pornographic gambling site's promotion that tries to run all kinds of scripts when you open it.
Are we obligated to maintain this hyperlink in exactly the requested form if we continue to use the image? [more inside]
Can New Talk to Old?
Can I get a new-ish TV to talk to a decidedly old sound system? [more inside]
MAGA prophetess with odd, halting vocal delivery
Sadly, a loved one has succumbed to the brain rot. I overheard them listening to a right-wing conspiracy religious right MAGA woman today. Prophecies about Joe Biden, how Putin has information that he's going to give to Trump, how the truth will come out about January 6th, how the former administration was causing deep harm in Africa. Assuming this last bit is about how USAID was secretly intentionally harming Africans... [more inside]
I often don't tell others when they do or say something that bothers me
Is it bad that I tend not to let people know when they do or say something that bothers me? [more inside]
Why won't my casement window open?
I have a crank-style casement window that closes all the way, but will only open a couple of inches before stopping abruptly with a bit of a clank. I don't even know what to look for. What's likely broken here, and how fixable does this sound? [more inside]
How is cooker formed? How pot get closeure?
I have this stainless steel pressure cooker. It has an oval lid that seats against the inside of the pot's inward-turned lip, so that internal pressure acts to tighten rather than loosen the seal. How is this style of pot made? [more inside]
LyricFilter request!
What is this song?
"It'd be so easy...
It'd be so easy...
It'd be so easy...
Easy as falling down..."
Slow beat, female vocalist. Driving me crazy.
Thanks!
May 8
How to report Wikipedia vandalism?
I am not a Wikipedia editor. I found a racial slur added to the mouseover preview of an article and I'd like to report it to someone. [more inside]
Please recommend comedies
We like stuff involving Christopher Guest and Will Ferrell. Zoolander. Bullets Over Broadway. I, Tonya. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. We’d like some belly laughs, please! Thank you!
Credit Card fraud, maybe? How did this work?
An extra credit card was sent to my address from my bank despite the secured app on my phone being the only possible way to order a new card. Also, no big expenditures can be done on the card without the app as dual factor authentication. My bank says they do not know how/why. You are not my bank. Any ideas? [more inside]
I don’t mean to bug you but…
What is this bug? The location is outside, urban, southwest Ontario Canada.
Picture 1, it’s about the size of a dime, car fob to compare with.
Picture 2, it’s quite camouflaged.
Picture 3, it doesn’t move much but it did seem to jump a tiny bit.
Bugs don’t generally freak me out but this critter is giving me the heebie jeebies.
Barrel of Laughs ... not
I pulled a 30 gallon steel drum out of a metal recycling dumpster.
It had a small amount of light grey fairly foul-smelling powder in it
Any guesses as to what it was? [more inside]
Can anyone recommend French films of a certain genre?
I am looking for films of urbane Parisian families visiting the less civil provincial countryside.
Preferably films available on streaming in North America (or at least Canada).
Can you assist? Which side are you on?
On the tip of my tongue for ~30 years!
Help me identify this kids movie I watched in the early 90’s! Highlights include a witch falling (?) into the fountain of youth. [more inside]
broker for subletting in NYC
Is there someone reputable we can pay to organize a subletter for a NYC apartment? [more inside]
Transplanting Tomatoes for Dummies
Can you help me successfully move some tomato plants from an Aerogarden (indoor hydroponic gadget) to a pot outside? Difficulty level: This is the first plant I haven't killed... ever. [more inside]
Biochemistry questions help
My niece is studying for her undergraduate final exams in biochemistry, and has got in a state. Can you help me find her examples of biochemistry exam questions to test herself with? [more inside]
How do my travel plans sound?
Early October trip around the Baltic. Fly into Helsinki then ferry to Tallinn, then ferry to Stockholm then train to Copenhagen and fly home from there. [more inside]
writing on fish
What does the writing on this metal fish item mean? I think it's Korean, but I'm not sure. Looks like a company logo maybe, but is it?
Science-y question about diffused sunlight and brightness
On a cloudy or hazy day, when the sunlight is very diffused, there appears to be less shade. Is there? [more inside]
What goes with creamy pesto pasta?
Someone invited me for dinner and said to bring something that goes well with creamy pesto pasta. I'm not that knowledgeable or into cooking generally, so I don't know what this means. What would you bring? [more inside]
Luxe robe recommendations (difficulty level: not from USA)
Wanting to get my mom a very cozy/luxe robe for her birthday and looking for recommendations.
Needs to ship to Canada or Europe, and can't be made in USA/from a USA company.
Budget up to about 300$CAD (obviously cheaper would be better, but I do want something of superior quality, durability, longevity, and comfort). [more inside]
Donating some paper pesos to good causes?
I came back from a recent trip with more Mex$ than I intended - more than I wanted to dump in the Red Cross etc. bins at the airport. I'm wondering if I have any good options for donating it to interesting charities in the US or Mexico by mail now. [more inside]
May 7
How to celebrate getting my Master's?
I'm (finally) going to graduate with my Master's in Applied Linguistics in 10 days! I want to do something special to celebrate SOLO (I already have plans to celebrate on graduation day with my partner and my family). I'm thinking a little weekend trip during which I can reflect on what it took to get here, acknowledge my hard work, feel gratitude, and to just treat myself! I'm also thinking of getting myself a little linguistics-themed gift. Any ideas?
I'm in New England. I like things like coffee, beer/wine, books, the beach, vintage/thrift shopping, yoga, dancing, art museums, and, of course, languages and linguistics. [more inside]
Life as a redhead
Any biographical writing from naturally red-headed women about their experiences with the distinction?
ISO a couple of P. G. Wodehouse stories
Hoping to get some help tracking down two short stories by P. G. Wodehouse that I very vaguely remember. They were in the same paperback volume. I don't think they're Jeeves-related. One had a plot reminiscent of the episode of The Simpsons in which Homer mistakenly gets a subliminal vocabulary tape instead of a subliminal weight loss tape. In the story, a character engages in some sort of self-improvement but ends up accidentally improving some other aspect of himself (maybe?). In the second story, all I remember is a female character who says "quate" (instead of "quite"). [more inside]
Post-election essay with metaphor about wildfires and caches of life
In the months after the recent U.S. presidential election, I ran across a really lovely essay that I think was written by an ecologist talking about how intense wildfires seem to completely scour the areas they burn of all life, but there are tiny caches of seeds and other life that survive under rocks or protected places, and those caches are able to re-populate the devasted areas after the fire subsides. The essay used this as a metaphor for the value of trying to preserve the tiny but progressive programs in our local areas despite the threat of major rollbacks nationally. [more inside]
Chicken and egg activities for kids?
You are at a summer festival for agriculture, in the tent dedicated to chickens and eggs. Your elementary school-age kids want to be entertained. What chicken- or egg-themed games, displays, and photo ops are going to amuse them? [more inside]
A better relationship with money: help me feel okay about spending?
I'm sure this has been discussed before but search is failing me. I grew up without much and it's made me quite worried about spending money, debt, and not having enough. Now I have enough (not loads, but enough) and I'm still petrified of spending money. How can I improve my relationship with spending? [more inside]
Is there somewhere to post project ideas for programmers?
I have an idea for a project for a programmer that I think could be profitable. I don't particularly want any involvement in the project, and I don't expect to get anything out of it for providing the idea. I'd just love to see it get made. In a nutshell, it's a storage-reclaimer for Gmail. [more inside]
What path am I looking for?
I want to transition out of my current career. In thinking about what I'd like to be doing, I've examined what activities have been particularly satisfying to me. I'm seeing a pattern come up from various volunteer gigs, and I'm looking for language/info to help me figure out what jobs might involve these skills and activities, and what kind of path I can plot towards those jobs (certifications, targeted volunteering to build additional skills, etc). Any links, podcasts, books, course recommendations, personal anecdotes could be helpful and are appreciated. [more inside]
Working [part time] for the money
Due to life's ever surprising circumstances, I am in a position where I need to bring in some extra cash. [more inside]
May 6
Text message sent from my iPhone but I didn't send it
A few days ago, my iPhone sent a text message to my wife saying 'Can I call you later', accompanied by an emoji of a boar with stars for eyes - screenshot here. The problem, is, I didn't send it.
Now my wife thinks I am having an affair and that I sent the message to her by mistake, meaning to send it to someone else. She's been through my phone and every other device (including messages, Facebook, bank records, personal and work email, Teams etc etc) looking for other evidence, but of course there isn't anything. I am not having an affair or anything like it and my life is an open book to her, but she's convinced and is going to divorce me because I can't explain how that SMS came to be.
I'm completely at a loss and can't find any explanation. If someone was spoofing my phone # or anything similar, the message wouldn't appear on my phone as well, I don't think.
Can anyone explain this?
Deeper in debt
I switched ISPs last fall from CenturyLink to Quantum Fiber. I was without internet service (some of you helped me with this) for about two weeks, because Clink had stopped working and that spurred me to make the switch. Later, Clink kept billing me for service after the Quantum Fiber was installed, and I've been in a running battle with them ever since. Each time I think it's fixed, and they won't bill me again, they do. Now they've sent me to a debt collector. [more inside]
How do I get over a bad interview?
I had a bad job interview a few weeks ago and I'm really struggling to get over it. It was for a typesetter job at Games Workshop Black Library, which is pretty much my dream job, and it was in Nottingham, which is a city I'd really like to move to. [more inside]
Keeping my big image files safe
What are the current best practices for backing up a large quantity of large image files? I currently have them housed on my institution's Sharepoint and on some large external hard drives, but I'm starting to run out of room and wondering if there were other options I need to explore.
intrusive thoughts and images after watching horror movies, etc.
I'm experiencing a sort of PTSD-lite after watching Oddity this weekend. It's frustrating and embarrassing. What is this phenomenon called and how do I get rid of it? [more inside]
is there such a thing as an apartment appraisal in context?
If I were to get an apartment appraised that is part of a larger building, would I be able to get the apartment appraised in context of the entire worth of the building -- essentially as a %? [more inside]
Wage theft in Tennessee?
I worked for a startup in Tennessee, as a remote worker (I live in Virginia.) They re-hired me as a contractor, and are now stiffing me. What do I do (and know a good lawyer?) [more inside]
Nazi Germany and European imperialism
What, if any, are the links between European imperialism and Nazi Germany? [more inside]
May 5
A Roller Bag a Mobility Scooter User Can Use
I travel a lot by train, public transit, and mobility scooter. It is challenging to haul luggage on a mobility scooter, and I have dealt with this by learning to pack very, very light. Soon, though, I will be leaving for a three-month position as Scholar in Residence, and I will need to take more. [more inside]
this indecision me molesta
I'm mentoring someone who has shared that they struggle to make decisions quickly, and that this is holding them back from things they want to achieve. I'm looking for a variety of resources with the theme of trusting your instinct in the decision making process so I can find something I think they'll vibe with. Have you read or watched something along that vein that you've liked? Please share! [more inside]
cheap-ish prizes for a work contest (engineers)
We want to offer a prize to each member of the winning team, between five and fifteen people. These are all engineers, some software, some not. Costs are being cut left and right, so we'll either be paying this out of our own pockets or we need to make a pretty strong case. The better the suggestion, the more likely the company will pay for it! [more inside]
One Android tablet ruining it all...
Possible to view my Apple Calendar events on an Android tablet running Google Calendar? If so, how, please?
Is what is left of US academia looking at what's going on with LLMs?
If nothing else, I would expect hungry young semioticians to be making a meal of it.
Why are the walls like... this?
A friend recently moved into an apartment building and her hallways look like this. Presumably plaster, hand-sized bumps, evenly-ish spaced down the entire length of the walls. Why? Is it some weird 70s aesthetic choice? An (ineffective) attempt at sound dampening? Demonic manifestations?
Please help me find pants with a specific decorative feature.
I saw some pants at a garage sale with a unique frill around the hip line. They weren't my size, but I thought I'd be able to find something similar online and have come up short. The closest I've come is these. Is there a name for a sewn decorative trim that goes around the hips like that? [more inside]
Canada vacation us!
Shepherd and I are well overdue for a real vacation; we haven't taken one post 2020. And well, Canada's back on the menu, boys! [more inside]
Beach Goats
I'm looking for places in the United States that are very close (no more than 20 - 30 minutes) to the coast where it is common for people to have farm animals (goats, sheep, cows, horses) on their property.
Small cars, big people
I am very fat and I need to buy a relatively inexpensive car (or SUV, or whatever). What should I buy? [more inside]
HELP! my Lenovo screen is upside down1
Yeah, and I tried the cntl-alt with the up arrow, as a zillion website say, and it won't flip the 180 degrees to right itself! what can I do??
How realistic is net-zero?
My view of carbon credits and such activity tends to be that it is all useful idiots at best and typically greenwashing. I'd love to be wrong. Can people point me at something that actually is convincing that negative carbon credits/carbon capture work is actually valid? And that it will actually reduce CO2 levels? [more inside]