January 8
AI in architecture
How is AI being (or might eventually be) used in architecture?
What did I do to my keyboard and or laptop to make it think I`m French
I have done something. My laptop, a basic Dell, now thinks I`m French. How do I fix this is my question. I cannot write a question mark.... just whatever this is É [more inside]
Advice About Ear Clicking
My partner has a clicking or squeeking sound in his ears. Have you experienced this too? Details below. [more inside]
What music would these kids listen to?
It's been a long time since I was teenager and I don't have kids. But the story I'm writing has in it two teenagers on a long car ride. Brother and sister. He's 16, she's 15. They're white, middle class, from the Bay Area. I don't know them well enough to know their musical tastes. Maybe their musical tastes will help me get to know them better. I'm out of touch with what kids listen to. Can you suggest possible his and hers play lists?
Help me learn more about the artist Amos Gentry
Framed in her living room, my mother-in-law has a ... racially problematic print signed by Amos Gentry. Here's the exact image from an eBay listing (CW: racially stereotypical imagery). I'd like to know more about the artist. [more inside]
Best cities to visit without a car?
My eight-year-old and I want to travel more, but I don’t drive. What are some fun cities for a car-free family to enjoy? [more inside]
Please help my stupid sliding door stay on track!
My entryway has stupid sliding doors that get off track all the time. Maintenance shrugs and says it's fine. (It is not fine.) I think the problem has something to do with this, but I a: have no idea what it is called and b: no idea of how to fix it. Help, please? Thank you!
I am looking for a indoor video camera for recording sports
I do HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) and want to record some of my longsword matches both for personal critique and (maybe) putting on social media. I just wanted to see if anyone had anything other than GoPro to recommend?
Recording will mostly just be on a tripod and indoors so wanted it see if I could get something a bit cheaper that doesn't have all the bells and whistles that a GoPro does but also isn't just using my phone. Thanks!
Can I permanently download the ancient PopCap game Tip Top?
I love the game Tip Top. But it is obsolete. [more inside]
Seatac to First Hill
What is the cheapest, least confusing, and quickest way (in that order of priority I guess) to get from SeaTac to First Hill? I will arrive at 7 am and need to be at a doctor appointment in First Hill at 10. Thank you!
Story ID: Science Fiction on Forced Birth & Reproductive Strategies
A human, out in space, encounters an alien engineer. These aliens have no means of birth control and don’t menstruate, so they regularly pump out litters comprising four archetypes: scientists, scholars, engineers, and soldiers. They must reproduce/give birth in order to continue living. They may reproduce asexually. The aliens must live within tight resource constraints (limited food, space, fuel). Since their frequent (monthly?) reproduction reliably generates possible successors, they feel no compunction pushing unneeded offspring out the airlock. They are surprised at the possibility of birth control and how that affects human choices.
Can you plow for ice, or is putting down salt the only thing?
I'm in the DC suburbs 48 hours after getting 8 inches of snow. My house is on a cul-de-sac about midway up a steep, 1 mile hill. Said hill is a sheet of ice for all practical purposes, and unascendable without a very powerful 4WD. I want to call to bitch at my county department of public works about my hill, but I'm curious if there 's anything I can request/demand/expect other than the putting down of salt. Thanks!
Email hosting for .ca domain
I own a .ca domain that I is registered with Netfirms.ca. They offer mail through Google Workspace, but it's pretty expensive at +$100 per year and has many features I do not want or use. My .com domains emails are hosted by Pair for $20 a year. Are there other alternatives for hosting email for a .ca domain? Also, I'm not sure my phrasing is correct... [more inside]
Can you help me make this dragon cake look cooler?
I found a recipe for a dragon cake but would like suggestions on how to improve the look. [more inside]
Appealing journaling apps for desktop
For the past year or so, I've been trying to keep a journal for capturing memories and working through feelings and thoughts for mental health. I'm expecting to be journaling a lot more intensely soon while trying a new therapy, and my journal is... clonky. It's just a LibreOffice file where I copy and write over my prompts every time I want to do a new entry. I'd like to improve on this! [more inside]
Notify Anyway
When Iphone tells you "Person has notifications silenced" but gives you the option to "Notify anyway," what happens for the textee? Do they get a normal text alert? Or does the text message do a visual effect as it does on the texter's end?
January 7
Musicians and their big feelings
What’s your favorite book/movie/tv show about musicians falling in love? [more inside]
How can I protect my apartment before an evacuation?
I may have to evacuate due to the fires in Los Angeles. I have already packed what I can pack. What can I do for the things I must leave behind? I'm on the second/third story of an apartment building. Thank you.
Dentist made everything worse
Went to a new dentist today for some terrible tooth pain. Thanks to the way they took basic x rays, I’m in triple the pain and had my day ruined. I sent them requested feedback and wonder if there’s more I can or should do re talking to them / reporting. It’s equally possible I just need some words of support. YANMD. [more inside]
How can I get this Apple Book item without an iThing?
I don't know a lot about this book, but there's not much else out there on the specifics of my keyboard, so I think I should get it... any advice? Is there a conversion service? I don't want an iPhone, iWatch, whatever, and apparently that's the only way one can buy an Apple Book. [more inside]
*Tasty* Cookie Experiments
My kid wants to do a science fair experiment with cookies. What are some good ideas that don't leave cookie messes? Maybe something delicious at the end? [more inside]
How long should a car battery last between drives?
Now that I'm unemployed, I'm only driving the car once or twice a week. If I let the car sit for 48 hours, I need to give myself a jump. This can't be normal... [more inside]
Order, profession, cult?
Can you identify this symbol on this ring? The ring itself is intriguingly small.
Books for navigating mental burnout
I am in a household where all of us are dealing with increasingly high levels of mental burnout. Please recommend us some self-help books or articles on the topic. [more inside]
What gives you hope for the future, in 2025?
I asked this same question in 2022 and received some really wonderful answers. It feels like a lot has changed in the three-ish years since, some good and some bad. As scary as things may get, it’s worth finding the glimmers to hang onto. What’s giving you hope these days?
How to keep in touch with a kid, internationally
Over the last few years, Mr. Blah & I fell in love with our neighbors, and their 8yo daughter became like a quasi-grandchild to us. Now they've got to relocate literally all the way across the world from us. Everybody's sad about it, especially the kid—apparently her first reaction was "But what about Blah & Mr. Blah?" Please give me some tips and suggestions for staying in touch with her? [more inside]
Is there anywhere that I can buy a print of this image or similar?
Iron Brew was originally made in Jamaica and then in the US by Maas & Waldstein. It is now the national soft drink of Scotland, with the name changed to Irn Bru. I'd like to purchase a print (or have it printed for me) a copy of an original American advertisement for the product to tweak the noses of my friends in Scotland here. Does anyone know where I could find it or where I could find an image that I could send to a shop to get a high quality print of? [more inside]
Is my inability to connect to my home's port 80 a Verizon issue?
We've got FiOS on a standard residential connection. I've read numerous assurances that Verizon doesn't block ports (example link on the Verizon forums), but we're unable to access our computer on any of the three ports we've opened (80, 81, 443). [more inside]
Help me spend down my audible credits on cosy non-fiction
I have paused my Audible account for Amazon reasons and want to spend my FIVE Audible credits before canceling. Difficulty level: non-fiction and non-depressing. [more inside]
What's your heat pump heating strategy?
We just got a whole-home ducted heat pump. Should we schedule temperature changes or just set and forget? [more inside]
Immigrant kids in the West, what was the old country food you hated?
I was recently talking to an adult friend who immigrated from Belarus when he was in elementary school. I told him how I'd discovered kholodets (aspic) and enjoyed it, but he reacted with such revulsion, and told me it was the kind of old country food he could only stomach if his parents let him have it with a glass of Coca-Cola.
That reminded me of my own childhood with immigrant Asian parents who enjoyed fu gua (bitter melon), that I would also only stomach with a Coke. It also made me wonder if there are other such beloved old country foods that don't fit an American palate, and so are despised by early-generation American children. Natto? Haggis? I want to try them!
Family death and privacy
Friend's family member is about to die. I was told in confidence by their partner. What is appropriate behavior when the inevitable happens? [more inside]
Book suggestions for a 92yo female chemistry Ph.D.
Yes, she has read "Lessons in Chemistry"! SHE LOVED IT. We're looking for more like that -- science-related narratives, fiction preferred, with a focus on strong female characters, if possible. She also likes well-written Southern fiction and has enjoyed Ron Rash and Fred Chappell. [more inside]
Is "ChatGPT says you're wrong" an acceptable thing in the workplace now?
Like many millennials, I'm generally not a big fan of AI, so I'm not sure if my bias is showing or if this is actually as crappy as it feels to me. [more inside]
Can I eat it? Ground pork puchased 4 days ago. Refrigerator not Freezer.
Instacart brought me ground pork on January 3rd. I put it in the fridge intending to eat it the next day. Stuff came up. It's been 4 days. Can I make dumplings from it now, yay or nay? For bonus points, my actual intent was to take half of it for dumplings and then put the rest in the freezer. Can I still save the other half and put it in the freezer for future dumplings? It's way too much to make all at once. For extra bonus points, can I freeze extra dumplings? Would also be feeding to my 7 year old.
Do/did you have a mother you can relax around? What did she do right?
I have a good mother by any textbook definition. She's dedicated, selfless, and was very hands-on when I was growing up. However, either our personalities don't match, or her anxieties got the better of her; either way, my blood pressure shoots up every time I talk to her about something related to myself. [more inside]
Crosspost: Want to volunteer in 2025? Look right here.
The Interim Board of The MetaFilter Community Foundation has moved ahead with creating a moderation oversight committee. Here's more information and how to get involved. If this is not your jam, no worries, there will be additional opportunities to get involved and support MetaFilter. That's it, that's the cross-post.
Competence porn, supernatural horror edition
I'm looking for stories with a supernatural component, where instead for example of a bunch of stupid kids make stupid decisions and they all get killed horribly, the mystery is tackled in a competent way. [more inside]
Dealing with driving anxiety as a learner
I’m 26, from southern Europe, and have avoided driving due to a fear of it and good public transport. But now I need a driver’s license for work. I’m terrified of the whole process, mostly because of past experiences and feeling like my fears about cars are rational. How do I deal with my fear around driving? [more inside]
January 6
Help me with this possibly ill-advised job interview
I have got myself into a weird situation where I'm interviewing for the wrong job, but I don't want to give a bad impression, lest it sour my chances at interviewing for the job I do want. [more inside]
Seeking a sort of "dictionary" of Aztec /Mayan /Toltec symbols
I want to get a new tattoo on my trip to Mexico city later this month. I'd like something meaningful to commemorate my trip. I've tried searching for images but can't find a comprehensive resource that includes meanings for the symbols.
Dehydrated Doggo treats
I dehydrate raw chicken breast and keep it in the fridge. Each night, I chop up a small amount (about a tablespoon) and put it a little hot a little water then add the "chicken soup" to her kibble (Pica is ~9 lbs and not very food motivated). Given the current bird flu issues and that the chicken is not cooked are there health risks?
What's your favorite soup that needs to simmer for a long time?
My BF requested a soup that cooks for hours and makes the whole house smell good. Hit me! (Stew also acceptable.)
Alert me when person at the door
I am looking for a doorbell camera or something like it that can alert me to a person who needs help to get into the house at night, but who might not remember to push an actual doorbell button. I think that there are devices that would make my phone beep to wake me up if there was a human-shaped thing near the door? [more inside]
AVIS
I received a notice in the snail mail of "disobeying the steady red indication of a traffic control signal" via the Automated Vehicle Identification System (AVIS) ... [more inside]
All-Ocean Planet?
That is: a water covered planet with no visible land anywhere. Is anything known about planets that would rule out the possibility?
NYC/NJ: Tour ideas like the Hop On/Hop Off Bus, but something else...
My grandma in her 90s loves going on all kinds of tours and cruises. Previously I've taken her on the Hop On Hop Off Bus in NYC and she loved it. I'm looking for other ideas in the NYC/NJ area for May-June. [more inside]
How bad is Trump going to mess up car prices in Canada?
I am in the market for a used car, as used car prices have dropped back to something approaching a reasonable level here in Canada. Should I be trying very hard to buy one before Trump takes office? [more inside]
Why Would I Maintain This Vision Plan?
I'm currently out of work and my health insurance broker has suggested I use one of these two vision plans. If i got one of those plans/ paid for the first month, then had an eye exam and ordered glasses or contacts within that first month, why would I then continue to pay for the plan for the rest of the year (I'm assuming/ hoping here that I'll have another job within 12 months)? [more inside]
Squarrel
What was that Squarrel picture I recall? - a squirrel with a square body [more inside]
Blocking RFK to HHS for all our sakes.
USPolitics: Who is working effectively on lobbying persuadable (R) and wavering (D) senators to block RFK’s appointment to heading HHS? How can individual voters help? Background as of 4 Jan, 6 Jan
Another bike question
Contemporary rigorous left wing discussion?
I'm fed up of the rightward drift of much of modern politics, and I'm also fed up of soundbite politics where we all share around memes and snark.
Does anyone know where I can find coherent, well-informed, scientifically rigorous left wing discussion these days? [more inside]
January 5
How to stop being such a mucusy mess?
I am someone who catches every cold and has congestion that is worse and lasts longer than others'. Runny nose, swollen sinuses, post nasal drip, mucusy cough, all that good stuff. Is there any possible way I can make this better? [more inside]
Text (actual latters) change when saving to PDF from Word. WTF?
I am saving a document from Word as a PDF. Two small sections of the document change text when I do so. The word "invoice" changes to "ĒǴĤĞĒȄĖ" and the phrase "Bill to" changes to "ŦZææAdç". I just pasted those in from the PDF, so those are the actual new letters in the PDF. The two phrases are in different fonts and different styles in the original word document. Both fonts and styles are used elsewhere in the document and convert fine. WTF? How do I fix this. [more inside]
Is my shower faucet installed correctly?
I recently had my bathroom faucet switched from two knobs to one center handle. It seems to work OK, but it’s different from what I’m used to seeing.
When the handle is at 6 o’clock, it’s off. At 5 it’s cold, at 3 it’s warm, and at 1 it is hot.
At 12 o’clock it is off again, but if I keep going to 11 it’s comes back with pure hot water. Not sure why it would do that, or what it’s for. Does anyone else have something like this?
iOS scheduling and calendar integration with a twist
Is it possible to create an event on a specific calendar in calendar.app and have it auto generate an entry on a to do list in reminders.app? Twist: multiple devices including a very locked down iPhone is in the mix. [more inside]
My car door doesn't shut properly when temperatures are low
I have a 2008 Kia Rio. Ever since the temperatures dropped below freezing this fall, I've had a problem with the front driver's-side door. It often won't latch properly after I open it. This never happens if the temperature is above freezing. [more inside]
Why won’t this lens work with my Fujifilm x-pro1 digital camera?
Back in 2018 I bought a Fujifilm x-pro1 camera with a 23mm lens from a friend. It works great, but I got busy with other life stuff and really never used the camera like I wanted to. Recently, I pulled it off the shelf and decided I wanted to try a smaller profile lens to make it a little more portable. But this new lens — a TTArtisan 27mm F2.8 — won’t focus in either auto or manual focus mode. [more inside]
Best Programs for Half Marathon Prep
I am thinking of signing up for runDisney's half marathon. This would be a huge accomplishment for me as I've only ever done 5k races. I have 9 months to prep. What are some of your favorite training programs for this kind of thing? I do not think I can finish under 2hrs 30 min so that won't be my goal.